“Ensign!”
I balled my fists but kept going, past the booths selling hoysters, past the shops selling fish.Stop, I begged myself.This is your chance.Get on with an Admiralty ship, tell them what they want to know, work your way up, and you’ll make blackmage in no time.But my feet didn’t obey, and I didn’t know why. I ducked into an alley behind the Whiskee Drum, blood pounding in my ears.
A man was rinsing bottles in a bucket, and he swung round.
Damn Forge to hels.
“You,”said the barkeep.
“I have coin now, Jak,” I lied, sliding a foot back in casting stance. “I’ve come to pay my debt.”
“I don’t care about yer coin,” he growled. “You nigh cost me my business.”
He pushed up his sleeves.
“And my name ain’t Jak.”
I ran through all the spells I could use.Confolio Dis,Praesidium, even the newCarmen Lumierethat had been so successful last night.Or I could just unleash the chimeric and see what happened. I still had no idea what these hands could do.
I flung a protection spell over my head as he swung. His fist struck the chimeric-crackling pattern, and he staggered backward at the force. I took my chance and ducked, slipping past him through the open door. It was early morning, but the place was packed, and I darted between the patrons. Shoutsfollowed as I spun out the front door, just in time to see theTemplemore’s officers heading round the back. I hung right and made it to the storehouse in record time.
“I’m not here,” I barked to the shopkeeps, ignoring their curious looks as I rushed toward the loft.
I scaled the ladder and flung myself to the mattress. Why? Why had I run? TheTemplemorehad no quarrel with me. There was no writ for my arrest, so I had nothing to fear, but Iwasafraid, and I didn’t know why. It clearly had something to do with theTouchstone.Either thator the chimeric that worked to consume me.
I pushed up to my knees, grabbed my rucksack, and had begun to stuff in my few belongings when I heard voices down below. I peered over the side of the loft. There were uniforms in the office with their damned iron flints.
Ensign Renn.
I froze.
Ensign Renn. Are you there?
Echo?
The uniforms marched into the storehouse, so I pulled my gloves off and grabbed the ladder, setting it ablaze with crackling chimeric. It collapsed to the storehouse floor in a shower of ash.
Ignateuson the north wall, please, said Echo.Big enough for you to squeeze through, then jump. We’ll catch you.
The storehouse thundered as officers below began to drag crates, piling them up toward the loft. Barrels of bananas, boxes of cloth. They were building steps so they could climb.
My heartbeat thundering in my ears, I scrambled to the north side gable. It was slatted, and I could see shapes through the gray down below. With a deep breath, I drew a circle with my fingers. Just like last night, the pattern sizzled at my touch, and I leaned my hand against it as it creaked and burned.
Stomp, thump, stomp. They were nearing the top.
“HMRSTemplemore!” barked a voice. “You’re not in trouble, Ensign. Stand down!”
Two hands now, I pushed. The wood crackled and flared.
“Under order of Commodore Bracebridge, Admiralty Office! We order you to stand down!”
I grit my teeth, closed my eyes, and flung my weight against the rune circle. And just like that, the wood was gone, and I was falling.
Falling awkwardly, tumbling through the sky, all arms and legs and rucksack and fear, when I jerked to a halt an arm’s length above the sand.
“Hels’ bells, she’s heavy,” grunted Smoke.
I opened my eyes.
