Chào các bạn! Vì nhiều lý do từ nay Truyen2U chính thức đổi tên là Truyen247.Pro. Mong các bạn tiếp tục ủng hộ truy cập tên miền mới này nhé! Mãi yêu... ♥

CHAPTER 20: RESCUING ELIAS

Tabby watched the precinct headquarters, watched the constables coming and going, keeping an eye out for the inspectors. This precinct covered the entire city and had four inspectors. They were likely at home, cuddled up in bed. But she couldn't be too sure.

She had twelve darts—all that was left of her emergency stash from Elias's workshop. She'd need to visit her safehouse tomorrow and make new ones. Elias would be furious if she killed his captors, so sedation and disarmament was the best option. But at the end of it all, she'd do whatever was necessary to free him.

Constables feared maskers. She was fairly certain they would cower from her without a fight. Though, she almost hoped they'd be brave. She wanted them to see her—to see her anger—and punish them for what they had done. For taking someone precious from her.

It was careless—so careless. But she wasn't in the best frame of mind. Midnight was right to advise against attachments. Attachments made a Spect vulnerable and stupid. But she couldn't be like him. She'd never be heartless the way he was, the way other Spects were.

As much as she used her father's name as a reason for her madness, she couldn't deny that part of her was still...human.

Word of her antics here tonight would reach the Spectrum, sooner rather than later. She'd be called in for it. Punished, too. It was a risk she was willing to take. That was a worry for another time.

Sighing, she willed her muscles to relax. There was no time for a better plan. Elias could be on the rack this very minute. If they removed any fingers, he'd never work again. That alone agitated her. Nit chirruped encouragement from her shoulder in the form of a dragonfly.

At quarter to two, she steeled her resolve, donned her half mask, and waltzed into the building.

The entry foyer was part of a large room on the main floor lit by gas powered chandeliers and wall sconces. Bars spanned floor to ceiling, separating the desks beyond from where she stood. She strode directly to the gate.

It took all of two seconds for the man behind the intake window to swear and shout. "We've got a masker!" he screeched, falling over in his chair before righting it. Only three out of twenty desks were occupied. The night crew. The three constables shot to their feet, eying her, revolvers in hand, pointed directly at her.

She ignored them, pulling violet from her prisms to shield herself and unlock the gate. Nit took flight, buzzing about.

"You cannot be here!" cried the constable manning the window.

"Oh? So shoot me."

They knew what would happen if they did. But they tried anyway. Shots rang out, echoing from the walls. She cringed at the noise, sure to attract unwanted attention. The bullets disintegrated when they struck the shield of violet blanketing her. The only color strong enough to work against metal casings.

"See? Pointless." She walked over to the man at the window. "What's your name?" He tensed. "I said—your name!" She shoved a dagger against his throat.

"Em—Emory."

"Hello, Emory. I believe you have someone I want." His throat bobbed. Sweat beaded on his forehead. "The questions is, will you come between me and my prize?"

"I...no," he squeaked, his mustache bobbing.

"Good. Then stay out of my way," she hissed, turning from him, daring the other three to step forward. They didn't so much as move. Not so strong now, with useless weapons and a masker in their presence. "If you tell a single soul I was here, I will hunt you down and butcher you in your sleep. Your wives too, if you've got them. Do you understand?" She looked at each of their desks, at the name cards, repeating their names aloud, committing them to memory. They dumbly nodded. "Good, where are the prisoners kept? And the contraband—I'd like that too. Which way?"

They pointed.

"Good. If you move, I'll kill you on my way out."

Nit flew ahead, scouting. She met four additional constables as she stormed through the building. She darted each one and watched them fall. The contraband room was locked. Inside, she found bags of their belongings. Some had already been emptied onto a large table for sorting, prisms spilled everywhere. Nit kept watch outside as she gathered up the most valuable things, everything she could carry, though she couldn't carry even half of it, then went to the cells, darting the two guards in the room. She was down to six darts now. She'd have to use them sparingly.

The cells were full. Three barred enclosures filled with Chroma's filth. Some of them cried out when they saw her. Most backed against the walls, even the hardened gang rats. "Demon!" they hissed. "Masker!"

"I'm looking for Elias Newton," she said, raising her voice, scanning the faces. She found him in the back, sitting hunched on a bench. A string of curses fell from her mouth, accompanied by a sigh of relief at his being here. Both his eyes were black and swollen into slits, and his leg jutted out at an odd angle that made her stomach turn.

"Tabby?" he said, looking up, trying to see her through the swelling in his eyes. She swore again. So much for a Spect name when he aired her real one for all to hear. She couldn't be sure these rats wouldn't pick up on that when they next talked.

"Can you walk?" She dropped her bags of contraband and put her face close to the bars, further examining him. Those around him shrank away, eager to put distance between her. At least they'd given him the only bench seat.

"I..." He made to stand and stumbled, falling forward. She sent violet light shooting out, blanketing his fall. Her spectators gasped and inched further away, as if the light would sear them, or melt the skin from their bones. Let them think it.

Elias crawled to his hands and knees. "Guess not," he mumbled to himself.

She rushed to unlock the cell door, closing it behind her, caging herself inside with the other criminals. Feeling up his leg, she found his hip. Broken. She didn't know everything about hips, but she knew enough about the way the joint ought to sit, pulling a bit of white from her ring, using it sparingly, sending it into his body with closed eyes as she envisioned the bones mending together, tendons reattaching.

He groaned and then sighed. "The things you do with light." Pride rang in his voice.

She opened her eyes, feeling around the joint and bones. "Better?"

"I think so." She healed his eyes too, watching as nearly half the light in her ring disappeared. She'd need the rest of it before the end. Then she helped him to his feet. He tested his leg, smiling to reveal his black, pointed teeth. "I take it you're here to rescue me? How splendid."

"Unless you'd like to stay, of course?"

He glanced at his cell mates and saluted. "Well, chaps, it's been nice knowing you."

She chuckled, opening the cell door wide. Then she paused. Everyone in this room had seen too much. She needed to clean up, but the thought of slitting so many throats made her teeth clench.

She turned to the occupants in each of the barred enclosures. "How'd you all like a second chance at life?" she asked. Some looked eager, others, wary. "It will be easier if you all storm your way out. Take the mutton shunters unawares." A few of the bolder occupants stepped forward, hunger in their expressions. "All right then, off you go."

All three doors unlocked and swung open. They didn't need encouragement. Nearly twenty bodies rushed out of confinement, storming from the room and down the halls. She turned to Elias. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be." He offered to take the sacks she'd filed to keep her hands free. They left, heading down the halls. The sounds of chaos broke out ahead of them.

"Looks like our distraction has already reached the main floor," she said.

They reached the first set of guards she'd darted, still lying prostrate on the floor.

Elias eyed them with distaste.

"Don't worry," she drawled. "Not dead. Just darted."

He nodded and they moved up the stairs to the main floor. The sounds of fighting reached them.

"Oh no. You're not going to like this," Nit warned, buzzing ahead.

She swore, not prepared for what she saw. Nearly twenty constables had assembled in the main room, called in from the streets. How had they arrived so damn fast? The newly freed criminals were putting up a good fight. A handful already lay bloodied and dying on the ground—good. Less chance for them to talk.

It was utter chaos as everyone dodged desks. She and Elias hung back, her eyes plotting a path forward. A smattering of gunshots rang out and Elias shrank behind her.

"I should have darted them," she muttered, realizing her mistake a little too late. This was why emotions were bad. Bad, bad, bad. She never should have trusted the ones she'd threatened. Midnight would be so angry about her carelessness, if he didn't stab her for it first. With a bubble of violet light shielding them, she stepped forward, pushing her way through the crowd. It would not protect them against human bodies. Only white light was powerful enough to interact with human flesh. But it would stop the bullets. Spurts of light could push a person back, but not overpower them entirely.

"Stay away from the bullets, Nit. I don't want to dig them out of your metal later!" she shouted at Nit as an eagle dove towards a nearby constable who raised a pistol to shoot. Nit swooped out of the way.

"Tabby, watch out!" Elias cried out behind her.

She spun around right as a constable came baring down on her. She blocked his baton with her forearm, grunting as the brunt of it cracked against bone. A fracture, she was certain. Two more came from the other side. She split her focus, fighting them off, none too careful about where she jabbed her daggers. The criminals had done some damage, but they'd been shot or subdued.

All too soon, she found herself in the middle of the room, surrounded on all sides, dodging desks as her violet light bubble began to fade. Alarm burrowed into her bones. Alone, she'd be free of the precinct already. With Elias here, she was at a heavy disadvantage, keeping both of them safe while she tried not to worry about Nit. And if her violet faded entirely? They'd shoot her easily.

A series of shots split the air. "Tabby!" Elias's cry made her falter. She whirled around, keeping her daggers bared.

"Stop or I'll slit his throat!" came the command.

She froze, mid-motion. One of the constables had taken Elias in hand. The blade at his throat was poised to kill. She breathed hard, gaze darting around the room, assessing. The criminals she'd freed were dead. The gate was closed and locked. So much for a distraction.

Once more, Elias was a weakness used against her. She eyed her poor old hob, standing proud in the arms of the constable. "Leave me, Tabby. Get yourself out of here. They won't kill me."

I'm too valuable were the words he didn't need to say aloud.

She wondered why he would even think that, when Lumineers were taken regularly to stand as warnings for breaking the law. But something else pulled at the edge of her mind. Another missing piece of a puzzle. There was no time to think on it now.

The other constables gathered around her, forming a barrier, though they were smart to keep their distance. She didn't release the violet yet, too worried they might take aim and fire. She didn't have much white left, enough to heal one, perhaps two bullet wounds. The violet would wink out at any moment. She could easily work with green and blue, but it wouldn't stop bullets. But...it might stun them long enough for her to dive for Elias. A plan began to brew.

She needed time.

"Emory," she called, locating his cowering form at the side of the room. "Emory, I thought we had a deal, you disappointing wretch. Do you have a wife? Do you care nothing for your own life? I told you to keep your mouth shut."

She couldn't kill this many of them. Not on her own.

"We won't let you through," said a voice. "The Spectrum has no jurisdiction here." A man stepped forward.

"Ah. There you are. Hello, Inspector. Not at home enjoying your wife tonight? Or Stella over on Silver Hill?"

His rapid blinking was his only show of surprise. He crossed his arms and said, "Elias Newton is a notorious Lumineer. We have orders from the top to bring him in."

"From the top? Orders from who?" Her gaze narrowed.

"The crown does not tolerate unsanctioned prism tech and he's Candela's biggest supplier."

"Well, it took you long enough to figure that out, eh? Be that as it may, I'm taking him anyway."

Twenty-two. That's how many she counted around her. How had they called in so many, and so quickly? She still had six darts, loaded and ready in her blowpipe—

A door slammed. Everyone turned. She followed their gazes and—

Her blood froze. Even her brain stopped working. Time seemed to cease.

A masker walked in.

No. No, no, no. Her breath clogged in her chest. It wasn't just any masker. She recognized the golden filagree of his full mask, shaped like a shield, pointed at the chin, arcing across the forehead. Fully covering his every feature.

Deadlock's gaze found her's immediately. The Spectrum was here for Elias, to shatter him for answers, answers about her, no doubt. For a moment, she forgot who she was. A tiny whimper fell from her lips. How many more were there? Had the entire Council—or what was left of them—come to apprehend her? Was she surrounded? Were they all waiting outside?

Her stomach churned, nausea rising. Her eyes darted around, searching for a way out. There was none. Blood rushed past her ears, drowning out the sounds around her. A series of awful memories began flashing through her mind like newspaper images, threatening to pull her under. Heavier still, a forbidding sense of powerlessness settled between her shoulders.

"I believe you have something the Spectrum wants." Deadlock's deep voice rang out, echoing off the tall ceiling. She shuddered at the pure essence of command he exhibited. She'd only ever heard his voice through hushed whispers. Nothing like this. But there was something else, too. Something that made her stomach drop to her feet.

"I am sorry, sir." The inspector's throat bobbed, the whites of his eyes clearly visible. He squared his shoulders, trying to appear more confident than he looked. But his hands trembled at his sides. "As I said before, we have our orders. Elias Newton belongs to the crown."

"Do you know who I am, Inspector?" Deadlock took a step forward even though bars kept him in the foyer. They'd be no true obstacle for someone like him. He pinned the inspector with his gaze. "Besides, who said anything about Elias Newton? I'm here for the Spect." He pointed a dagger at her. Shards of ice seeped into her veins.

The inspector opened his mouth—

A blinding flash lit the room, searing her vision, accompanied by the crack of thunder. She cried out, but her voice was drowned out by the cries everyone else. Bodies crumbled to the floor. She blinked, trying to see. It was a detonation of some kind. A detonation of...white light?

A heartbeat later, everything went dark. Her eyes watered. She continued blinking, trying to regain her vision as it slowly returned. She was the only one left standing. As if on cue, the violet light blanketing her winked out entirely. It had protected her, somehow. Not entirely, but just enough to soften the blow.

Everyone else...however.

Every constable including the inspector lay prostrate on the floor, moaning, twitching. Even Elias was down. She searched the entry foyer. Deadlock was gone. Completely gone. As if he'd never been there. Her heart beat once, twice, three times. She remained frozen, waiting for something, anything, to happen. Waiting for the Council of Masks to storm the building. Waiting for her life to end.

But...nothing.

Understanding crashed down upon her, but there wasn't time to think on it just yet. The bodies around her began pushing themselves upright, blinking to regain their sight. If she didn't act now, she'd never get out. Nit swooped around her, chirping.

Without another thought, she snatched Elias, helping him to his feet, and grabbed the bags of their belongings, making for the gate. She found it unlocked and wide open.

"They're getting away!" the inspector shouted, but she didn't look back.

Several shots split the air. She jammed Elias in front of her to protect him. The bullets struck her, sending her staggering forward. She cried out as searing pain laced up her leg and back. But she didn't stop. She tore through the front door pushing Elias ahead of her. Nit swooped out into the night, cawing—metal scraping metal. They stumbled down the stairs of the precinct building, clinging to each other, and all but tumbled into the street as she wildly looked about for any other Spects.

There were none. The street was empty. Had she imagined it?

Pulling on Elias, she limped down the street as quickly as possible, trying to put as much distance between her and the building as possible. The clattering of a carriage cab caught her attention—it appeared out of the mist illuminated by flickering gaslight. Her vision was already dimming around the edges. Her breathing came in great gasps. She hailed it, tossing Elias inside. Shouting her destination to the cabby, she crawled in after him, shouting at the driver to go!

"Tabby?" Elias gazed at her wide-eyed. "You're shot."

"I...I know that—obviously." Her vision grew darker.

The carriage took off as constables stumbled out onto the precinct steps, their gazes swinging back and forth until they saw the cab, picking up speed, racing away from the precinct.

She craned her neck, looking for the bullet wounds with Elias's help. He swore when he saw the one on her back shoulder—the worst of them. Another had grazed her arm, a third had struck her buttocks, and a fourth had embedded in her leg. It was a wonder they hadn't gotten Elias.

She healed the one in her shoulder first, doing her best without any line of sight. She felt the light as it seeped beneath her skin, itching and burning. She had enough in her ring to do her buttocks, but the one in her leg would have to wait. She ripped a strip of cloth from Elias's loose tunic and bound the wound.

The cabby dropped them down the street from her intended destination. Nit flew ahead. They stumbled the remainder of the distance and arrived at Steiner's at half past three. The lights were still on. She took Elias around back, keeping pressure on her leg to keep from dripping a trail of blood. She pounded on the door at the servant's entry. The butler immediately shuffled into sight, candle in hand. "Oh, you again. Well, he's home now. I suppose you'd better come in." He eyed Elias as they stepped over the threshold. Thundering footsteps sounded on the servant's stair.

Steiner appeared, his hair disheveled, eyes wide. His white tunic was untucked and he wore a pair of beige pants, like he'd been getting ready for bed. "Light! You're a mess." He eyed them and then went to Elias. "You okay, old chap? I heard they took you."

"Fine. I'm fine," Elias growled. "She's the one with the wounds."

Tabby gazed at Steiner for several long moments, contemplating her next move, still riddled with disbelief and indecision. The flash of a golden mask filled her mind. But even if her theory was correct, it would have to wait. "Carver—" Steiner turned to the butler, and she recognized his air of authority immediately. He'd been purposefully disguising his voice for her, giving it a lazy drawl. But...it wasn't possible, was it? It couldn't be. "Tea, now, my study." He didn't bother asking for bandages. He led them upstairs and got Elias comfortably seated by the fire.

"He can't stay here long," she warned. "Word will get out. They'll come for him."

Who—she wasn't sure. The police? The Spectrum? The crown? It didn't matter. Elias was in danger. "I didn't lead anyone directly here. The cab let us out three streets over, but I'm not sure I covered my blood trail good enough. Steiner—" She hesitated, glancing at Elias. "He must go into hiding."

Steiner nodded, glancing between them, face thoughtful. "What happened, exactly?"

She told him everything right as their tea was delivered. Her stomach was too fluttery to take more than a sip or two, the pain in her leg too searing. Elias filled in the gaps, recounting what had happened before she reached his workshop, of how the constables had appeared, had searched and seized everything of value.

Steiner's agitation led him to rub his thumb along the desk's wood as he listened—a familiar behavior. One she knew all too well now. "We'll send him to Solaris," he said at last. "It's close enough to the Ipsum border. If they come for him there, he can cross out of Candela. I've got a few properties in Ipsum. They'll offer safety if that happens."

She nodded, relief unknotting the tension in her chest. As long as Elias was safe, the rest didn't matter so much. But she continued to watch Steiner, assessing his body language, his expression, his eyes, his voice, the power she'd heard in it earlier....

Steiner turned to Elias. "Well, old chap, I wish I could allow you to get your things from the workshop, but I am sure Tabby can send them along latter. I'll have my carriage arranged and we'll get you out tonight."

Tonight. She jerked, the sound of the word bringing her back to reality. So...it had finally come to this. Hiding and fleeing.

She sank deeper into the armchair, well aware that she was still bleeding. Her leg sent a lick of fire through her body with every movement, but she compartmentalized the pain, ignoring it for now. She was good at that—too good. Elias was her main priority—getting him to safety.

He took it all in stride, though he appeared rather dazed. It was sinking in, that he was leaving, that his business was at an end. He turned to her. "We had a good run, Tabby, didn't we?"

"The best," she whispered, trying to keep her voice steady. "I wouldn't have learned half of it without you."

He nodded, then brightened and turned to Steiner. "Well, I appreciate the help. Once again."

"Happy to be of service." Steiner stood and rang the bell, summoning Carver and his carriage. He dolled out instructions, coming and going from his study for the next ten minutes, making arrangements. She was dazed, weak from blood loss, only half-aware of her surroundings as Elias bid farewell to Nit, who had buzzed around him in dragonfly form before settling upon Elias's shoulder. "You'll take care of her won't you?" Elias said, caressing Nit's metalwork with a finger. Nit chirruped and took flight again. Then it was her turn. She put on a brave face as she bid Elias farewell, promising to send his things along in a few days. It wasn't forever. She'd come see him as soon as things calmed down, perhaps even sooner. She winced as he hugged her.

And then he was gone. All these years, the only person to ever be a father to her. Gone.

She waited until Steiner returned, gritting her teeth against the pain in her leg. The second he shut the door she lunged for him, dagger drawn, and slammed him against the wall. She pinned him, blade digging into his skin, and faced his betrayal head-on. He didn't so much as flinch. Instead, his eyes—Deadlock's eyes—gazed right back at her. A challenge. A dare. A taunt. And in that moment, everything came crashing down around her.

Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: Truyen247.Pro