“It was you?”
“Of course it was me. You don’t think I’d let Jagger have a Silencer.”
“Okay.” I nodded. “Okay.” This could work. A Silencer was an extremely powerful weapon. It had two modes. First, it could encapsulate an object or an area in silence so the mortal world couldn’t see, hear, or feel it. For instance, if the conjurers were having a battle but didn’t want humans to know about it, instead of using illusion, they could silence it. Or, if there were creatures—figments, water spirits, lures—that were making a nuisance or attracting human attention, the Silencer could muffle them so humans couldn’t see or hear them anymore.
The second mode was even more powerful. The first mode was for defense, but the second mode was a weapon. It permanently silenced beings. When aimed at a creature and fired, it “silenced” it by pulling its essence out of reality. When silenced, a being became nothing. It had no past. It had no present. It had no future. No trace of it remained. No spirit. No figment. No nothing. It was a horrifying weapon.
No one knew its origins. No one knew how Silencers were made. They were extremely rare and only worked once. I was surprised the Merchant had had one, although I shouldn’t have been. He’d been alive a long time and seemed to have the ability to procure anything.
“You get the Silencer,” I agreed, “and I’ll . . .”—I nodded to Last—“take Last and find Primus.”
Luvic’s lip curled at the edge. “Off to help him kill Finn? Win the crown?”
“It’s what I’m supposed to do.”
His small smile turned into a grin. “You know, you’ve never been one to do exactly what you’re supposed to. I’ve always liked that about you.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
I smiled back. “Get the Silencer and meet me . . .” I narrowed my eyes on Last’s livid face. Where would the horror go? Where would Primus and Finn meet?
“I expect,” Luvic said, “we’ll meet wherever things are craziest.” He clicked his tongue and looked at Last. “I know you’re upset, but I’m not breaking the contract. The Bards said they would help Primus take the crown, not destroy the city. I happen to like this city. I like bagels. I like riding in taxis. I like how New Yorkers adore me. They do, you know. They all love me.”
Last tried to kick him, and he stepped aside, smiling. He was still smiling when his eyes hardened.
“I won’t let the Clarks destroy something good. At least, I’ll do my best to stop you. Primus can have the crown, but he can’t have my city.” Luvic turned to me. “How do I get out of here?”
I pointed down the row of beds. “Just climb up. You’ll pop out under someone’s bed. Don’t go too far—the tunnel doesn’t follow normal geography.”
He nodded, then he gave me a quick wink and sprinted down the tunnel. Shortly before disappearing around a bend, he leaped up, grasped the edge of the wall, and pulled himself out from under a bed.
Last grunted and kicked at me again.
“Well,” I said, swallowing down a pulse of fear, “we’d better hurry and find Primus. I’m going to untie you . . .”
I gathered Luvic’s butterfly knots in my hands and unlooped them. The water binds unraveled from Last’s hands and legs. Her gag disappeared.
“How dare you!” She jumped up, her arm held back.
“Try it, and I’ll leave you down here forever.”
Her arm stilled. Then, with a flicker of fear, she dropped it to her side. She lifted her chin. “Primus will be at the Smiths’.”
“Then that’s where we should go.”
I tried to decide which way was east, but I gave up and chose a random direction. Thirty seconds in, Last’s sloshing footsteps stopped. I paused and turned to see why she wasn’t following.
“What . . .?”
She lifted her finger to her lips. She nodded behind her. I shook my head. I didn’t understand. There were floating nightmare lights. A figment kicking from the ceiling. The low, wheezing hum of the walls. But I couldn’t see or hear anything else.
Then, so softly it could’ve been the remnants of a dream right after waking, I heard the sound of a man’s discordant humming.
Last’s cheeks paled, and a tremble worked itself over her.
“It’s him,” she whispered. “He’s coming.”
