I don’t know what else to do, though, so I keep pouring as much supernatural power as I can into enticing sights, sounds, and smells. A little of the pressure loosens as earlier groups reach the edge of the city and my illusions can dissipate. But then I heap more on with the next batch of humans trudging off, the bunch of them looking perplexed though hopeful.
A prickling sensation runs down my back, as if someone’s jabbing thorns into my spine one segment at a time. Which is very inconsiderate of them.
I shake myself, but the growing discomfort only digs deeper. How much longer can I keep this up before I have to admit I’m done?
Peri is already glancing over at me, her brow knitting. “Mirage? If you need a break?—”
I push my smile wide, ready to dredge up whatever energy I can to get her smiling in return again.
At the same moment, a dozen new shadowkind figures materialize out of the filmy darkness around us.
They’re higher beings and, to their credit, not looking particularly murderous. One steps forward with an authoritative air, two gazelle-like horns protruding from his straw-pale hair.
“Rollick called us in. He said you need reinforcements. Let’s get these humans out even faster!”
Is our demonic leader losing faith in us? I lift my chin, digging even deeper into my reserves of power to fulfill our mission.
There’s still a lot more city to go.
4
Periwinkle
My new snake-puppy sounds the alarm first. We’re just waving another crowd of humans off on their journey out of the city when it lets out a snort and squirms against my shoulders where it’s currently perched.
When I glance over, it winds down my arm to slurp its tongue across my hand. A wisp of essence trickles up from my skin.
In an instant, Raze is barging over. “If that thing is hurting you?—”
The shadowkind creature—which I’ve found myself calling Falkor in my head after this human movie I caught a snippet of once, though that Falkor was a lot bigger and also better at conversation—is staring at me with its plaintive eyes. My gaze flicks over my body, and I cut off Raze in the middle of his threat.
“I don’t think it hurt me. It’s showing me that I’m getting hurt. Look.”
I lift my other hand, and a small puff of essence drifts off it too. When I give the collar of my jacket a shake, a larger waft drifts off me as if I’ve been sitting too long and gotten dusty.
The creepy-crawling feeling that’s been nibbling at my skin since we first entered the shadow-drenched city shivers down to my bones. “I think the rift’s flood is starting to eat away at us.” I look around at my fellow shadowkind, and my heart skips a beat. “Mirage, you’re bleeding a little too.”
Mirage whirls his tails, and a thread of essence spirals into the air. He hops to one side as if he can dodge the effect. “Bad shadows.”
Hail peers down at his hands with a grimace. “We can’t help people if we’re falling apart.”
Jonah takes charge in his usual steady way, but his expression has tensed. “Let’s get to the fringes ourselves so you can all recover. We can carry out the evacuations in shifts now that we’ve got reinforcements.”
He signals the group of newbies Rollick sent who are now a couple blocks away, raising his voice so they’ll hear him. “We’re heading back to base camp. Keep an eye on your essence and get out of the city if the atmosphere gets too toxic.”
The horned being who’s been leading the new group gives us a thumbs up in acknowledgment. One of his companions brays at the surrounding buildings. “All right, everyone out! Time’s a-wasting.”
I hustle along beside my teammates through the streets we’ve done our best to clear. My skin is crawling even more now that I know it’s literally starting to creep off my body. “Do you think the new team will be able to convince the humans? I don’t know if any of them have talents as good at comforting people as Mirage’s.”
“I’m sure they’ll do their best,” Jonah says.
Mirage nods. “There are lots of different roads to the same place.”
A tendril of relief reaches me through our connection, tinged with exhaustion. He’s been trying to hide it, but I think projecting all those illusions has been wearing him out as much as the strange darkness has.
My feet are aching from their old wounds. We all need a rest. If this shadowy murk can break down shadowkind bodies, who knows what it’s doing to Jonah?
Mini Falkor has slithered back up to my shoulders. His head bobs in time with my steps, as if the thumps of my feet are a dance beat. At least one of us is enjoying himself.
