Fall

Kane

The prison was in ruins.

Half of it had caved in, while the remaining parts were in a haze of fire and smoke.

“My Life,” Kane breathed. “Who did this?”

Poppy and the royal guard surrounded them. She pressed something round and cold into his hand. A silver coin.

We have come. Beware and fear Nora.

“They left a calling card,” Poppy said dryly.

With his thumb, Kane flipped over the coin in his palm. The Nora constellation winked back at him.

“Kinda funny, actually.” The Captain of Guard crossed her arms. “The Nora—light—is supposed to guide lost travelers back to their home and hearth. But where is this Nora guiding their followers?”

To somewhere I do not wish to go. Flint was observing the Elben workers as they doused the fire with water, but they appeared to be more stubborn than normal flames.

Cooper was walking around the wreckage, stopping every now and then to collect a piece of shrapnel for the collection forming in his coat pockets. His fera hung from his shoulders like a gray backpack. The inventor had been called in after the source of the damage had been suspected to be vitrum.

King Asher was not at the scene, but was instead facing the storm of moving several dozen prisoners to a subsidiary holding place from his throne room. Kane did not envy him.

I would not envy our position either. Flint’s emotions wavered between horror and cold shock.

Two prisoners had escaped. This single fact was the most unsettling of all. For it was Lady Harper and her daughter, Charlotte Harper; the former second heir to the Northern throne. And Kane’s would-be assassins.

They could have run to their winter house?Escaped by accident, and enjoying their freedom? Kane thought hopefully.

Flint’s marble eyes softened. I enjoy your well-wishes. But I fear they may have more sinister motives.

It was worth a try. Kane set his jaw in determination as Cooper came to them.

The inventor gave a bow. “My prince.”

“What have you found?” Kane asked.

Cooper pinched the tip of his mustache. “The little gray cells of our king have not faded over time. This is indeed a vitrum explosion. A replica, even, of the incarnate models I made for the Battle of the Valley.”

“How is this possible?” Poppy demanded.

Pulling out a piece of rubble from his pocket, Cooper traced his finger along the shimmering edge. “Do you see how this glows ever so slightly? It is a special trait of vitrum. My lab is full of this post-explosion glitter. The valley beyond our Golden Gates is now full of it, too.”

“And?” Poppy said.

“Certain measures can be taken to recover this glitter and encase it in normal glass. Although it is weaker than pure vitrum, a large amount can produce damage of this size.” Cooper nodded to himself, pleased.

Kane was baffled. “You didn’t tell anyone about this?”

“Because in order for the vitrum dust to become reusable, there must be no other variables in contact with it. No dirt, grime, or air. So I never thought it would a problem. Or even possible for others to use.” Cooper grinned. “Then, there is the growing trend of vitrum in clothing. Our citizens enjoy the glow in their shirts and accessories when their vitrum disks are near, but the fabric can be burned, and the dust collected.”

Well, there goes that trend. Kane put his hand to his head.

“Are you an idiot?” Poppy growled.

“No.” Cooper’s eyes shone. “But my wife often says I lack common sense. I suppose this is one of those moments, eh?”

“You’re explaining this to King Asher. My head will not go on the chopping block for this… this… Augh!” Poppy stomped away. She started to yell and order around the workers battling the flames.

Kane kicked a rock near his boot. “You never thought to tell King Asher?” he repeated.

“Oh, but I did.”

“Then—“ Kane began.

“It’s a trap. A test for our enemies. If they in fact figured out how to gather and use the vitrum dust to their advantage, then they are fools. Do you know why?”

Please enlighten us, Flint said. Kane repeated his words.

“Vitrum is a finicky substance. It is stubborn for some, and changes for others. One of its traits is to remember who it likes.” Cooper grinned. “Vitrum has fingerprints. And my teacher discovered how to read them.”

Atlas

The group was penned like unbonded fera and left with a middling meal of squash soup and salted crackers.

“This is ridiculous,” Finch said through a mouthful of crackers. He crunched two between his fingers, and let his fera peck the crumbs from the earth. Skye had done likewise for Madoc, and now ground the leftover food under her heel.

“Can’t Nell just see us now?” she muttered.

“Reine says the same,” Piper chimed in.

It depends on certain factors… Hudson said. Atlas repeated his thoughts.

“Eliza, namely,” Finch said. “And what happened to Micah? What is his plan?”

“We don’t know,” Atlas barked. Finch narrowed his eyes.

Milla put a hand on Atlas’s shoulder. “We will work this out. Nell’s curiosity will win over hostility. Trene is not a place of barbarism.”

Her words became true hours later. The fire in the center of the underground chamber had burned low, and the members of the group had drifted into sleep. Atlas had taken a personal vigil, with Hudson helping him stay awake.

Eliza slipped in like a thief, with three guards following her like an extended shadow. She had traded her fall yellow coat for an ashen gray color. Her smile was dark, and the dying flames reflected ominously off her turtle’s shell.

“I forgot that black bears can be nocturnal,” Eliza drawled. “If they choose.”

Hudson growled. I was not aware that turtles could be fast.

“Fera can adapt to human nature.” Atlas lifted his chin. “And vice versa.”

Rolling her eyes, Eliza waved her hand, and had the gate to the large pen opened. “You will come quietly, or not at all.”

A small movement caught Atlas’s eye. He turned his head slightly to see Milla on her side, feinting sleep. She winked at him, then made her face go blank as Eliza followed Atlas’s gaze.

“The evidence is needed as well.” Eliza tapped her foot in impatience as her guards untied Floyd and silently rummaged through June’s saddlebags. They came back with the two scrolls for their mission and Loy’s red cape.

An unreadable expression flitted across Eliza’s face as she saw the unmistakable cloak. No one else in Trene had worn red on their incoming, Atlas recalled, despite the abundance of its hues in the fall trees.

We must tread on broken glass, Hudson rumbled.

As they were lead away, Atlas looked back to see Piper on her hands and knees with Reine at a predator’s crouch. She held her alea in one hand, while the leopard’s claws were out to kill.

Atlas gave a shake of his head. “No.”

We cannot win with our odds. Hudson’s bolt of panic shot through them both. Young ones, do not ruin this with rashness.

Eliza whipped her head back. “What?”

Atlas cleared his throat. “Nothing.”

He didn’t look back as they cleared the underground chamber, but a fight never followed.