CHAPTER 04

CHAPTER 04

MAGICAL SUICIDE

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A

NXIETY PULSED THROUGH

Crystalyn. What could she do? This world was so different. Anger filled her with manic energy. It didn’t matter. She would search until she grew old if need be. She would find Jade.

Blackness swallowed her anger, draining her newfound energy. Everything was her fault. She’d messed up again, just like she had with the bloody Hartwig kid. Why hadn’t she seen it? Anxiety pulsed again. What would she do if she couldn’t find Jade? What then? Poor Jade! The blackness of despair pulsed within her mind. Dad and Jade deserved better. Why did they keep trying to help her? Anger filled her with manic energy.

Stop it

.

Stop it, here!

She couldn’t afford to have her mind going in circles; it could easily become an endless loop. Besides, she needed the energy the anger provided. She felt ready to stand. Flipping her pack’s strap over one shoulder, she gathered her legs under her and stood.

She swayed as nausea rose, but again she forced it down, only to have her head explode with a migraine, blurring her vision. Moments passed before she could focus on her surroundings.

The little girl who had stabbed her sat demurely on the chest of a dead swordsman. A cold smile thinned her lips. “I see you, outlander. You are most perplexing. Many before have fallen to my blade and none have survived,” she said matter-of-factly, her tone clinical. “Yet, there you are, moving around as if just waking from a nap. You will explain how this is possible.”

Crystalyn assessed her assailant, ignoring the mild command. The girl had an odd, aristocratic presence with her fine eyebrows, rounded nose, and jet-black hair shorn to her shoulder. Most notable was the girl’s white skin—so pale it made her full lips appear red as blood, while her brilliant green eyes shone with a belying innocence.

She’s small

, Crystalyn thought, not much larger than her biggest stuffed bear. Of course, the girl was still growing. She couldn’t be much beyond ten seasons of age. “Who are you?” Crystalyn asked, her voice sounding as weak as she felt.

Tilting her head, the girl frowned. “You’re asking a question to my question. Very well, I’ll answer first. I am Atoi.”

“That’s a pretty name. I’m Crystalyn. My friends call me Crys.”

The girl’s impassive, ashen face never changed. “I don’t care about your friends. Answer the question. How did you survive my blade?”

Crystalyn’s head throbs rose with her ire. The girl was arrogant and dangerous, proving she was quite capable of handling herself.

“Did you not hear me? How have you survived this long?”

Crystalyn massaged her neck as she scanned the immediate surroundings, looking for signs of the black candle.

The girl straightened. Crystalyn caught a glimpse of a dark silhouette on the body behind her.

Leaning from the wall, Crystalyn tested her balance. Nausea rose again, stronger this time, and her legs trembled. Perhaps she should have remained sitting for a while longer, but she dared not. Atoi might realize how weak she was and strike again.

Atoi’s wide eyes narrowed a little. “You’re not going to answer, are you? Well, you can at least tell me how you got behind me. I

know

this alley was empty when I led those fools in here. Only someone with the advantage of Using could’ve gotten behind me, methinks. Tell me, oh-so-oddly-garbed outlander, are you a User?”

Beginning to feel stronger, Crystalyn ignored the girl’s strange question. One of Atoi’s statements stuck in her mind.

Why would she lead those men in here?

“Where’s the other one?”

“The coward ran off when I stuck Jewel in this one,” she replied, patting the corpse’s leg.

“You call your knife, Jewel?”

Atoi closed her half-open mouth, her white face statuesque and regal. Suddenly she sprang to her feet causing gray dust to mushroom upward as high as her booted ankles before falling away. “Enough talk.” Holding her right hand behind her, she patted her thigh with her visible hand. “Jewel will make you tell me everything, providing I don’t scratch you too deep. You will die from her special, lingering death. Methinks you’re too weak to stop us a second time.”

A gray-shaded symbol with a white outline set to a star pattern formed in Crystalyn’s mind. Crystalyn combined it with another, redrawing it into a highly complex maze-like design, though it retained the same colors. How it would help, she was uncertain. Standing straighter, she almost cried out from the pain of her throbbing head. Grimacing, Crystalyn faced the little girl, praying her legs would hold for a while longer. The conversation had turned bad, possibly deadly.

An adage she’d penned in med school popped into her mind.

Wear the right emotional mask, and people will respond.

Perhaps she could turn the conversation around with her arrogant instructor mask,

if

she was strong enough to maintain it. But she must hurry.

Please, Great Father, let this work.

Smoothing her face, Crystalyn tilted her head and looked down upon the little girl, straining to keep her voice steady. “Am I as weak as you think, little one? Is it worth the risk to find out?”

Atoi’s expression didn’t budge a hair. Her hard, green eyes shone with anticipation, matching the half-smile pasted on her pale face. The girl wasn’t buying a single word, but she had another idea. “Perhaps I should melt your Jewel in her sheath. Would you want that?”

Atoi’s fine eyebrows rose. “So you

are

a User,” she said. “I thought as much, outlander.” Advancing slowly, Atoi glanced surreptitiously around. “You don’t look strong enough to melt snow, though. You are pale like me and shaky... unlike me. You’re much too weak to stand for long.”

Atoi paused, cocking her head and nodding slightly. Her voice took on an odd, echoing quality. “I know how taxing using the Flow can be without an Interrupter. One of my hosts had the ability. I commend you for being able to stand at all. Using the Flow has drained you deeply, hasn’t it, young User?” Atoi advanced a few steps closer, her smile thinning to a grim line. Strangely, her eyes looked aquamarine instead of the emerald Crystalyn had first thought.

Crystalyn was tempted to ask Atoi to elaborate, but she’d had enough. Time was passing too quickly. Jade could be anywhere now. Though her ruse probably wouldn’t work, Crystalyn had to try convincing the little imp that stabbing her again would be a mistake. “Care to test your theory, little girl with the big mouth? Go ahead, give it your best shot. I’ve had my fill of attempts on my life. Well? Am I as weak as you think?”

Left hand hovering near her thigh, Atoi hesitated a step or two away.

Meeting her gaze for gaze, Crystalyn waited until Atoi’s hand dropped to her hip and her stance relaxed. Then, curling her lip, Crystalyn put on one of her best sneers. “I thought so. Now, show me what you’re hiding behind your back.”

Scowling, Atoi moved her arm to her side. Gripped in her small hand, the black candle gleamed darkly, caked with dried blood.

Probably my blood,

Crystalyn thought.

Wait!

Atoi had used her other hand to retrieve the knife.

Little Miss Dagger must be ambidextrous.

Crystalyn would have to keep an eye on both hands.

Atoi raised the black candle. “You have two books and don’t really need this. Why not let me hawk it for you at the Under Market? We can make a great fortune. With a bit of work beforehand, I can raise interest for it and double the coin. Sixty percent will go to you, of course. Sixty-five, if you push.” Atoi forced a wide smile upon her lips, though it remained far from her dark-green eyes.

Atoi wanted a quick sell. Even if Crystalyn agreed to her offer, she would receive little—if anything—from it. Worse, now that they’d spoken of negotiation, the moment Atoi left her sight with the candle, she’d slip away. Or the girl would lead her into an ambush. “The candle isn’t for sale, little one. It’s mine. Give it to me.” Holding her hand outstretched, Crystalyn waited, redrawing the highly complex maze-like design symbol back to its original gray pattern with a white outline. After all, she didn’t want to damage Atoi too badly.

Atoi hesitated, and slowly extended her right hand.

Crystalyn brought her symbol out to hover before her.

Atoi’s now aquamarine eyes widened.

Stepping forward, Crystalyn grabbed the candle as she released the symbol outward.

Atoi’s free hand slipped into a slit in her dress and came out as a metallic blur, stabbing upward.

Crystalyn’s symbol spun and separated into stacked concentric circles of black and then rippled outward, dispersing a deep

faa-rooooom

sound.

Atoi’s knife froze scarcely two inches from Crystalyn’s hammering heart as the first of the circles slammed into Atoi, ripping her from the ground. The second and third circles hit her in midair, flinging her faster backward, end over end. Atoi landed with a dull

thud

two-thirds of the way along the alley. Sliding a dozen feet on her side, she crashed into a line of refuse barrels, the jeweled dagger still clenched in her hand. Gray dust exploded upward, hanging in stasis, before billowing down to coat everything with thick fallout.

Crystalyn gazed at the limp form.

Have I killed another person?

As panic bloomed, Crystalyn squashed it. She couldn’t go through that again. The blackness had nearly swallowed her last time. A single, monumental moment of uncontrollable panic could lock her inside her mute, screaming mind with no way out.

She paused to assess the situation with cold logic. What had gone wrong? For all her careful redrawing, the symbol had struck with much stronger force than she’d expected. The symbol had been under the aggression heading, but it was only supposed to be a minor pushback, meant to knock an opponent away. Why so much power? Was she stronger than the book’s author was? No. If anything, she felt weaker. Even the black candle seemed heavier in her hand, though it gave off faint warmth... Wait! The black candle ... could it be augmenting her ... her ...

ability

? It was the only logical explanation.

Sweet Mother!

Now she had a weapon better than Atoi’s bloody dagger.

Spying a pile of pallets stacked haphazardly at the back of the alley, Crystalyn brought out the symbol. Adding her touch of complexity, she combined it with another, changing the white outline to gold, the gray to silver. Sending the now golden-stacked circles soaring down the alley, they slammed into the pallets, generating a thunderous

boom

. The pallets burst into grainy particles. Behind them, chunks of stone and clay shingles rained from the wall and roof, clattering to the ground. A concussive wave reverberated from the wall and swept toward her, blasting dust and debris higher than the alley walls on both sides.

Before she could think to run, raw energy knocked her to the ground, swiping oxygen from her lungs. Many heartbeats passed before the wave slackened enough to let her gasp for breath. She struggled to her feet. The throbbing in her head matched her racing heart, bringing on a nosebleed.

Well, that was dumb, I could’ve killed myself,

she thought. She could see the holofeed now: “Crystalyn Creek commits magical suicide by being stupid.” Wiping her bleeding nose with the back of her hand, Crystalyn looked for something to stop the flow. Her eyes fell on the swordsman’s corpse. A brown tunic clothed the man’s torso, leaving his arms bare to the shoulder.

Crystalyn knelt and pulled on a seam with both hands. To her irritation, the material proved to be stronger than leather, yet it felt as supple as silk. Grabbing the short sword lying nearby, she sawed a sizeable chunk free, trying not to nick the dead man too deep. Not that it mattered; a corpse didn’t feel pain.

Applying pressure to her nose, she was grateful for the rag to stem the blood loss. Since the sword had proven handy, Crystalyn unbuckled the leather sheath from the unfortunate man’s waist. Firmly grasping it, she stood, pulling the strap from under the corpse without having to roll the body. She nearly swooned with the effort.

Slipping the short sword into the sheath, she used the sheath’s point on the ground to add stability to her weakened balance while making her way to the comatose girl. There, she knelt and checked the little girl’s pulse, relieved to find it steady. Atoi would be awakening soon. Crystalyn stood, studying the child who’d tried to kill her twice. How could someone so young be so prone to such violence? Was such violence common in this place? Her knowledge of this world was limited, to say the least. Not knowing what to expect could cost her life, or worse, her sister’s life. Where was Jade?

“Well, that certainly cleared the refuse from the alley.”

The dry, masculine voice came from the alley’s mouth. A young man—not much older than Crystalyn—stood there. Tawny hair, cropped at jaw level, fell alongside his clean-shaven, aristocratic face. He was clad in black leather pants and a velvety green vest that left his arms and shoulders bare. Crystalyn couldn’t help notice the way his well-toned muscles rippled when he drew breath. “Are you speaking to me?” she asked.

Grinning, the young man’s dark blue eyes twinkled. “I do believe you’re the only one in any condition to hold a conversation right now.” He looked at the comatose form at Crystalyn’s feet, his smile fading. “Will she live?”

“She may. What do you want?”

“Ah, forgive me. I am Darwin Darkwind. You may call me Darkwind if you prefer. Most people do.” He bent at the waist to execute a deep bow. “As I rode past this dreary alley, I was blown to the ground by an impressive display of Using. At least, to me it was, but I don’t think my horse liked the giant push to the opposite side of Mud Street. I spent some time calming the poor thing down. Well, after encountering such strong use of the Flow, I simply had to introduce myself to the User. You now know my name. I would consider it an honor to be entrusted with yours.”

He was starting to sound like the girl, Atoi. “I suppose there’s no harm in telling you. I am Crystalyn. I hope your horse is going to be fine.”

“Oh yes, the mare blames me for some reason,” he admitted, laughing easily. The big question is whether you’re a Light User or a Dark User. Which one is it? I must know before I decide if a friendship is merited.”

Crystalyn wasn’t certain how to respond. “Uh, I haven’t decided.”

Darkwind beamed. “I was hoping you’d say that. As I said, your use of the Flow was impressive. We could certainly use one such as you within the Dark Citadel; all would hold you in the highest regard. Many soldiers and servants would obey your slightest whim. Please, consider this an offer to fight for the greater power, the greater good. Dwell on it. When next we meet, I’ll be awaiting your answer. I’m certain you won’t disappoint.”

Crystalyn stared.

A soft moan brought her attention back to the girl lying in the dirty alleyway. Fingers clawed at the ground, Atoi’s legs straightened and went still. She was coming around, but Crystalyn had a few moments before she regained consciousness. Darkwind’s weird offer had gained her interest.

“What do you...?” Crystalyn froze. An empty alley spread out before her, and even the street beyond seemed deserted. Darkwind had vanished. Crystalyn felt a spark of annoyance. He could’ve at least spoken a farewell.

She put the matter from her mind and looked to Atoi. Prodding the prone girl with the tip of her boots made Atoi’s eyelids open.

Atoi sat up, her eyes wild, and laid her small head in her hands, whimpering. Crystalyn kept silent, keeping a firm eye on her.

Atoi moaned through her fingers. “What did you do to me? I should’ve known you lied about your strength when you didn’t die from the poison, except that should’ve killed you anyway. Jewel has taken down Users aplenty. I don’t understand,” she complained, releasing another moan.

“Did you say User?”

Atoi’s head rose to regard her, a frown furrowing her pale brow. “Yes, a User of the Flow.”

“It wasn’t wise of you to attack me then, was it?”

“No. Are you toying with me? Why haven’t you sent me to stand before Onan?”

What odd things for her to say,

Crystalyn thought. Atoi certainly didn’t sound as young as she looked. “Can you stand? I wouldn’t recommend you try anything, though. My patience is wearing a little thin. I have questions. You’ll provide answers.”

Clamping her mouth closed, Atoi struggled to her feet. “My body hurts much like a falun tree fell on me,” she said, her voice filled with wonder. “I have great interest in how this was accomplished.”

Crystalyn didn’t offer an explanation, or aid, when Atoi staggered and nearly fell. Miss Dagger, with her strange way of speaking, needed to know they were

not

friends and Crystalyn wasn’t here to help her in any way. Besides, falun trees were a mystery to her. She’d seen many images of trees in holographic images, but she didn’t remember any with that name.

“How did you do that? Anyone with some ability can tell when a User is manipulating the Flow—their eyes have flecks of color the same color as the power they have an affinity for if they have been Using for some time. You must have Used for a long time now with the power you are able to draw. The more you Use, the greater the saturation, the stronger you are. I looked deep into your eyes, there was no color. Only the black-and-white pattern hanging in front of you had it. Who are you? What are you?”

Crystalyn ignored the girl’s questions. What was she going to do about her? Ah, yes... Atoi didn’t know it yet, but Crystalyn’s time spent at the administration farm and lockdown inside Low Realm was going be bothersome to the girl. Crystalyn decided it was time ... no, past time ... to put on her empress demeanor and read her little attacker the rules.

Wear the right emotional demeanor, and people will respond.

She really could use some loyalty right now.

Closing her eyes and lips to slits, partly due to her migraine and partly to make her point, Crystalyn planted her hands on her hips. “I want to get something straight right now, Atoi, for the first and final time. I don’t trust you. I may never trust you. Your trust is irrelevant. What is relevant is your utmost cooperation. I have questions. You will provide the answers no matter how trivial they sound. Most important, you will be my guide until I release you. Do you understand?”

Atoi’s emerald eyes widened. Her little arms dropped to her side, and she stood immobile for a while. Finally, she stirred, and inclined her small head.

“Good. Listen close. You don’t have a function in life except to attend me in all things, whatever my mood. Am I clear?”

Atoi’s jaw dropped. She nodded, remaining silent.

Crystalyn held back a smile with some difficulty. “Good enough. Now, I know you have credits. I’m famished, and if I’m not mistaken, it’s about to get dark. Do you know a place we can go to eat, girl?”

“I...uh, yes, I do know a place. I have coin if that’s what you mean. I think I need to wash up anyway. So do you. That bloodstain stands out on your...uh...tunic? What kind of clothes are those?”

“I told you,

I

ask the questions. Don’t make me repeat myself. Let’s go. I’ll stay right behind you.”

Atoi spun and led the way through an iron-banded wooden door set in a wall of the alley.

Suppressing a sigh, Crystalyn followed. The large bloodstain discoloring her hoody was an issue she hadn’t thought of.