The City on the Edge
Forty

Reaching the long stretch of dirt road that led away from the market and out to the flat fields brought Ronnie more relief than should have been possible. She still didn’t know if her family was safe, but drawing so close that she could nearly pick up their scent kept her light on her feet as she ran. Her ears were sharp, ready for any noise that could be perceived as rifle fire or the panicked shouts of children. Her eyes darted from tree to tree, bush to bush, alert and anticipating any hint of white that indicated she could be heading into an ambush. Sloan had captured her once- she wasn’t going to give him the chance to do so again.

“Ronnie, wait up!” Lorna called breathlessly.

Both she and Sebastian lagged behind, exhaustion weighing on their limbs. Witches and humans didn’t recuperate energy as quickly as shifters did, Ronnie reminded herself. Her body began to heal itself as soon as it became injured. It produced more adrenaline. It could dip down further into stores of fuel when she was faced with fatigue. Eventually, she would crash, tired and drained, but for now, every muscle in her body was poised for action.

“Sorry,” she said when they caught up.

“I’m worried too,” Lorna heaved, gulping down lungfuls of air, “but we should probably have a plan, just in case Sloan is actually there. This isn’t a time for you to run in blind.”

“I agree.” Sebastian wiped beads of sweat from his brow, curls of yellow hair damp against his skin.

Plans, Ronnie frowned, were a waste of time. Nothing ever went as planned anyway. She turned her gaze up the road. Their home loomed just over the rise, set back into the thick line of trees that began the vast forest of the Edge. Ronnie lifted her nose to the air, sniffing the breeze, trying to pick up anything that smelled remotely human, but the breeze was unsettlingly bare. Blocked by something, she was tempted to say.

“Well,” she said slowly, “I’ve got nothing. I’m prepared to just run in and take my chances.”

“I know.” Lorna grabbed her arm before she could move. “Lucky for you, I actually have an idea I think you will like.”

***

Sloan had indeed been waiting for them. Ronnie, Lorna and Sebastian crested the hill together, bringing the patchwork home into view. Rows of guardsmen lined the front like they were making a white picket fence, keeping Ronnie’s family trapped inside. Sloan stood in front of his men, aware that the three of them were marching towards him. He was an obelisk, worshipped by the white coats. Eager faces looked on in awe and anticipation, waiting to see how their esteemed captain would address the threat of a rebel human son and his supernatural pets.

Ronnie scanned the house as they drew near, breathing out in relief at the absence of bodies and blood. Sloan hadn’t killed anyone. Yet. A voice in the back of her mind tried to wriggle forward, whispering that her family could be dead inside, but she blocked it out. Until she saw a body, she would assume they still drew breath.

“Look at him,” Sebastian whispered.

Ronnie wasn’t sure what she was supposed to be looking at as she drug her eyes over Sloan. He still looked as cruel as ever, pale hair slicked back, not wavering under the stiff breeze that blew across the fields. Her gaze roved over the monument of a man and his lackeys, seeing what she always saw when she looked at them, until finally, the little differences caught her eye and began to piece themselves together, taking shape in her mind and forming a new picture.

His white coat had grown in length, nearly gracing the dusty ground. The gold was missing, replaced by bands of silver around each sleeve, crawling up the white fabric to where the white cloth hugged his throat. Pinned there was a silver piece, round and frightening, and confirming what Ronnie had figured out earlier when she came across the body of a little boy.

She looked to Sebastian. He held her gaze, fury and fear in his eyes, shame coiling in his gut as he came to the same conclusion she had.

This was their proof. This was Purity. This was an extermination.

“Expect the worst,” Sebastian breathed, words trembling despite his attempt to keep them strong.

It wasn’t the reassurance he usually tried to offer, but she appreciated his honesty. She preferred it, actually. Lorna stayed quiet, concentrating on what was unfolding in front of them as they came to stop in front of Sloan.

“Where’s my family?” Ronnie called to him, her furious voice barely below a shout.

Sloan turned his head slightly, never taking his eyes of her, and nodded to one of his men. They left the line and stomped up the steps, throwing open the front door and yelling something inside. Immediately, the curtains in the front windows were pulled open. From where she stood outside, Ronnie could see the terrified faces of her entire family in the living room, surrounded by guards.

Malik stared out at her, a trail of blood oozing down from his temple and disappearing into the dusting of hair across his jaw. Constance had her arms around the huddle of children. Dalton and the twins ducked back, twisting around to hide behind her and stay out of the final rays of light that the setting sun cast across the sky. Liam and Gage sat close by, hands on a lump of white that Ronnie didn’t immediately recognize until she saw the tangled braid of white hair.

Hazel. What had they done to her?

“Shall we get down to business?” Sloan asked. “You know what we’re after.”

Ronnie snarled at him, gnashing her fangs so loudly they clacked together. “We all know exactly what you’re here for, you murderer!”

“Murderer?” Sloan questioned, as if he didn’t understand her accusation.

“We saw what you and the rest of the White Guard did down there,” Sebastian said, pointing back down the road to the market. “Innocent people slaughtered in the streets. You can lie to me all you want, but I know my father would never sanction such an assault. He’s better than that.”

Sloan tipped his head back, a bellowing laugh booming through the air. The sound startled Ronnie and she felt Sebastian jump beside her. She suspected that witnessing Sloan laugh so boisterously was new for him too. “Is that truly what you think, boy?” Sloan cocked his head, shaking it slightly. “The King family created this.” He tapped a finger to the Purity pin. “This is your legacy, Sebastian. This is your father’s legacy and his father before him. You were born with blood on your hands, already marked for death by the very creatures you ally yourself with now.”

Sebastian shook his head. “No, that’s not-”

“Do you truly believe that the animal standing next to you would have saved your life if she didn’t have need of it?” Sloan took a step forward, eyes on the way Ronnie grabbed Sebastian’s hand. “Do you truly believe that you, a single human boy, and his menagerie of curiosities and abominations can stop centuries of order and tradition? Purity exists for a reason, Sebastian. We will continue to exist despite these childish actions.” Sloan stopped in front of them, inches away as he bore down on Sebastian. “Did you truly believe that I wouldn’t notice?”

Quicker than should have been possible, Sloan pulled a knife from his sleeve and drove it into Sebastian’s chest. The guards behind him lowered their weapons, a collective gasp rising from their chests. Their captain had attacked the son of their premier.

Ronnie grasped at Sebastian. “No!”

He lurched forward, shimmering like flashes of sunlight through the clouds. Before Sebastian hit the ground, he disappeared in an explosion of light, leaving nothing behind, not even a single spot of blood. Ronnie looked to Sloan as he lashed out at her next, his blade slicing up her chest, cleaving through what should have been skin and bone, but instead cut nothing but air. Her form vanished from where it stood, Lorna finally dropping the illusion, fading away next to her.

As if she were slamming back into her own body, Ronnie jolted in place, opening her eyes. From her position behind the house, tucked away into the trees, she could see Sloan turning in place, shouting at them to reveal themselves. Sebastian groaned next to her, unaccustomed to the touch of magic in his body. Ronnie ran a hand over his chest and up to his face, relieved when he smiled gently at her.

“I’m fine.”

Ronnie grinned, suppressing the laugh that bubbled up in her chest. She wasn’t sure Lorna would be able to pull it off.

“Well done,” she began, turning to Lorna.

The witch leaned to the side, collapsing against Ronnie, panting with exertion. Her red hair stuck to her forehead in damp strands, curling wildly.

“Give me a second,” Lorna breathed.

The illusion had taken more out of her than Ronnie thought it would. “After what you just pulled off, take as many seconds as you need.”

Sebastian crawled forward, peering around the side of the house. “It looks like Sloan’s sending out a search. They’re coming across the field.” He looked back at Ronnie. “We can’t stay here.”

Ronnie nodded. She hoisted Lorna up to her feet, supporting her weight, which honestly wasn’t much. “Let’s get inside.”

“There are guardsmen in there,” Lorna whispered, aware of the guards crossing the field toward them.

“There are guardsmen out here. At least we have help inside. We just have to free Malik and Constance. I’m sure Sloan will have shackled them.”

Sebastian pulled the back door open as quietly as he could, holding it wide as Ronnie shuffled through with Lorna, dragging her over the threshold. They were in a little storage space that seemed to catch all of the junk from the children that Constance just didn’t have the heart to toss away.

Muffled voices and frightened whimpers drifted down the hall from the sitting room. Lorna patted at Ronnie’s arm and she lowered the tired witch to the floor.

“Leave me here. Let me catch my breath. I won’t be any help right now anyway.” Ronnie opened her mouth to argue but Lorna silenced her. “Go get Malik and my sister. Get to the children. I’ll be right behind you. I promise.”

Ronnie bit her lip, the idea of leaving Lorna sitting alone in the tiny room while there were guardsmen on either side of them not sitting well with her. Sebastian curled his hand over her shoulder, squeezing just enough to get her attention. It had to be done, his expression communicated. There was no other way.

Ronnie sighed and nodded. She leaned forward, pressing a chaste kiss to Lorna’s forehead, forgetting about the witch’s request for space and boundaries. Lorna didn’t fuss at her, instead cupping her cheek with a light pat and pointing down the hall.

It was time to save their family.