They crossed a wide swath of Chroma, roof to roof, reaching Steiner's townhouse a short while later. Even with her maid's skirts hiked around her legs, it was tough work. Their pursuers, the palace guards, kept to the streets. Soon, they were lost.

On the ground in the alley, Tabby found herself doubled over, hands on her knees, vomiting, dizzy. "We left him," she breathed, fighting the tears that threatened her eyes. "We fucking left him, Steiner."

It wasn't just Midnight's loss crashing down around her, but Nit's, too. In a matter of hours, she'd lost everything she held dear. All of it—ripped away. Except, perhaps, Steiner. That experience had opened her eyes. She cared for him, too. But, if she was being honest, she would have traded him for the other two. Probably.

...Possibly.

"We didn't have a choice," Steiner said, voice low. "If...if he's not dead, we will get him back."

"How can you think that? You're delusional if you believe he's still alive, that Edwin would—"

"You forget who we are dealing with, Tabby. Use your head. Stop thinking like a lovesick puppy and start thinking like the Spect you were trained to be." That stung, but he didn't stop. "The High Mask won't kill his biggest bargaining chip. He will use Midnight. Likely, against you. To manipulate you. Don't play into his hand."

She calmed her breathing, fought through the pain in her head. In her heart. A pinprick of hope welled up inside her. He was right. Edwin would use Midnight—hurt him, yes—to get to her. But Midnight was strong. The strongest man she knew. If he could hold on, withstand Edwin's treatment, perhaps there was hope.

"We must leave the city," Steiner said, guiding her through his house, up the stairs, and into his study. "It't not safe for us to be here."

Leaving the city meant leaving Midnight. Separating herself from him. Putting distance between them. She fought the urge to protest, letting logic rule.

"I'll pack up what I need here, pull the carriage around, and pick you up from Elias's workshop. Get the rest of your things together. I want to be out of here in an hour."

"An hour?" She blinked, numb. Despite the jumbled confusion in her head, realization sank in. Leaving Chroma. After all this. "Give me two," she decided. "There's something I must do."

She glanced around Steiner's study, then went to the painting on the wall disguising his safe. She swung it out and entered the combination. She'd never watched him that night, when he'd opened it. But Nit had. Her heart tightened with a pang of despair. She didn't dare think about the bundle, still tied around her waist. Didn't dare think about her life without the mechanimal she'd called friend.

"Tabby..." Steiner cleared his throat, clearly displeased.

She pulled the door back and shot him a glare over her shoulder. Just as suspected, he had an extra full mask stored within. It was the sort of place one might hide a thing like that. She removed it.

Steiner's brows pulled together. "Do I even want to know?"

"No. You don't."

"Why do I get the feeling you're not headed to Elias's shop?" She squared her shoulders, hardening her expression. Whatever he saw in her eyes stopped him. "Fine, whatever you plan on, don't be careless."

She barked a laugh. "We are well beyond that, Steiner."

"Tabby..."

"No. I've got unfinished business. I'm not leaving unless and until that changes. I'll meet you in two hours. Elias's shop." With that, she disappeared down the hall. The bedroom he'd loaned her was untouched. A few of her things were there, including the outfit he'd laundered for her. She quickly changed clothes and left her bundle with Nit sitting on the bed. Pulling her hair back, she tied it into a bun and departed his townhouse, stepping out into the streets of Chroma for perhaps the last time.

***

The temple loomed before her. A nervous twist in her gut gave her pause. Her eyes lingered over the massive structure. Light, how she hated it. Everything it represented. Everything she had become because of its existence. No more.

She shot across the street and into its midst. Patrons were milling about, completely oblivious to what had happened at the palace. She crossed the atrium, her eyes lingering over the massive violet prism at its center. They had unfinished business, that prism and her.

She attached Steiner's full mask and raced down into the depths of the temple, hopefully for the last time. The halls were a familiar maze, one she wished she could forget. She found a group of acolytes in the reading room. They looked up as realization of her entry swept across the room. Most stood and began paying respects. They recognized the gold filigree shield mask she wore. Deadlock. Even if her body was feminine—the mask was iconic, unmistakable, and that mask had power.

A Spect in a three quarter mask bustled over to inquire into her appearance. She didn't hesitate. She procured a dagger and slit his throat without warning. The children gasped, glancing at the body at her feet.

"Where are the other acolytes?" she barked, her voice harsh. They murmured between themselves. "Who has seniority here?" A boy stepped forward, glancing about. They did not wear quarter masks when they weren't training. Their faces were young. The boy couldn't have been older than ten. "Who are you?" she demanded.

"Two-one-eight-nine, your...holiness."

She did a quick mental calculation, comparing her number to his. Two hundred beyond. Two hundred children taken and twisted since her own misfortunate breaking.

She pushed down her disgust and said, "Nice to meet you, Two-one-eight-nine. Do you know this mask?"

"I...yes. Deadlock." He bowed. "But you are not Deadlock."

"Astute observation. No, I am not. But I wear the mask nonetheless."

"We serve the mask," he answered. It was as she'd hoped. For all they knew, she'd stolen it and killed the owner, a perfectly legal move if one wanted to ascend to full mask without an invitation.

"Good. I have an order for you. Will you hear it?"

Two-one-eight-nine's shoulders straightened. "I will hear it."

"Good. I want you to get every acolyte out of this temple and out onto the street. Do you understand? And that goes for any patrons loitering in the atrium. I want everyone out. You can leave the maskers to me." The boy opened and closed his mouth. Acolites weren't allowed out of the temple unless delivering messages or going on small missions. Without permission, it was a death sentence. "I will follow your order," he said at last, bowing his head.

"Good. And I will need two assistants." She glanced around the room. Nearly all were boys. She spotted a small cluster of girls in the back corner, isolated. "You two," she pointed at one with sandy curls and another with straight black hair and dark skin. "Come with me. The rest of you are under strict orders from Two-one-eight-nine. If you do not comply, within the next fifteen minutes, you will all be dead. Do you understand?" Nods of acceptance. They understood death. That was a common language between all of them. "Good. Go. Now." She snapped her fingers and the sconces flared brighter, a threat. The children looked between her and the flaring torches with wide eyes. They knew enough about light with their training to be wary. Some had probably already mastered a few colors. They began filing out of the room. Most bowed and offered a two finger solute as they went. Too well trained. But no more.

The two girls appeared beside her. "What are your numbers?" she asked.

"Two-one-nine-six," said one at the same time the other said, "Two-two-zero-four."

"Good, you may call me Deadlock, if you wish. Come with me."

Making haste, she led them down deeper into the bowels of the temple. They were met by two Spects along the way, those who worked within the temple training the children. The ones that disgusted her the most. She moved with brutal efficiency, killing each in rapid succession. To their credit, the girls did not question her actions; they didn't even flench. Hardened already, and it was a shame. But perhaps it was that same strength that would keep them alive on the streets. The same strength that had kept her alive all these years.

They reached her destination: a dark room filled with harrowing memories. She recognized her prey and stole across the room, plunging a dagger into his gut, twisting as he hissed. His hands flicked, pulling light from his prisms. She returned the gesture, pulling violet, blocking his attempt. She removed the dagger and dragged it across his throat. "You won't hurt anyone ever again," she spat, letting his body drop. It was more than he deserved, this quick death she'd offered.

Her heart heaved as she laid eyes on the small cage-like boxes within. Soft wimpers sounded from a couple of them. "We are bringing the children out," she said by way of explanation. "Have you a problem with this?" Both girls shook their heads. "Good." She went around unlocking the boxes, using light she pulled from the prisms in her belt. There was no other light in the room to pull from. Darkness bred fear. It was necessary for what was done in this room. Each door popped open, one after another. The girls went from box to box, coaxing the children to emerge.

Six boxes in total. She wasn't sure what state these poor things would be in. Her heart hammered violently. Her stomach roiled as sharp memories of her own breaking threatened to overwhelm her at the worst time.

"Miss...Deadlock, sir? This one won't come out."

She squeezed her eyes closed and went to the box. A flare of violet from a prism at her belt revealed a child's face. A girl's. She remembered that face. How many days had it been? Nearly a week? No, two. But what stared back at her was a mere deathly resemblance.

The child shrank deeper into the box, hiding from the light. Those who wouldn't come out were allowed to remain, allowed to die in their boxes. Sometimes, after so much time spent in darkness, the darkness became life, and that life grew claws, and it was those claws that kept this child here. The Spectrum had no tolerance for weakness.

"We're going to go find your momma," she said, her voice soft. "Mina...come with me. I promise I will not hurt you." She hoped Mina remembered her own name. She remembered the frightening mask on her face and pulled it away, revealing her face. Mina's eyes widened. They gazed at each other in recognition.

"Do you have my teddy?" Mina asked asked at last. A breath burst from her chest. She almost cried in relief at Mina's words. The child had not yet been broken. A flare of pride, bright as a furnace flame, burst in her heart.

"I...we will find it. We will find your teddy, or get you a new one. I promise." She glanced around. None of the children's' belongings would have been saved. Those who'd come free of their boxes stood huddled together, trembling. "We must hurry, Mina. Come along." Her chest heaved a great sigh when Mina inched forward. "Here, take my hand. I will keep you safe."

Mina emerged, reeking of piss and feces. She didn't think twice as she pulled her mask back into place and hoisted Mina, filthy and reeking, up on her hip.

"Come now, children. We're leaving." She led them through the Temple. No other Spects crossed their path. It was fortunate, as she could do little fighting with Mina on her hip. The child had already buried her face in Tabby's neck. Mina's weight wasn't what it should have been, but she was still heavy. Two-one-nine-six and Two-two-zero-four, to their credit, were natural shepherds.

"Where have all the people gone?" Two-one-nine-six asked.

"They've gone away. The lot of you hurry along. Get free of the temple stairs. Out onto the street."

"But...aren't you coming...sir?" asked Two-one-nine-six, eying her with suspicion.

"Not this time. Go. And take Mina." She tried to pull the child from her hip, but Mina held on with a fierce strength she didn't believe possible. Two-one-nine-six tried to detach her, but Mina wouldn't go. She tried coaxing the child, and at last promised she would come after her in a few minutes. To her credit, Mina struggled the entire way out of the atrium, trying to pull free of Two-one-nine-six's grasp to get back to her. And then everything fell quiet.

She was alone in the giant room.

She circled the pyramidal prism in the center of the atrium. The power within pulled against her senses, as if knowing what was about to happen. She thought perhaps it would fight her, would resist its own undoing. But instead, it seemed to urge her, to beg her for freedom. She placed a hand against its surface and felt its power course through her. Light magic. She'd touched this prism many times before, but never felt what she did now. It had everything to do with what she'd unlocked within herself. It was the only thing that would make what she planned possible.

Taking a deep breath, she used her other hand, wrapping a phantom fist around what she felt coursing beneath the glassy surface. She ripped it free in one fluid movement, sending it outward. Violet light exploded into the world around her with so much force and power. It beat against its confines, demanding exemption. The blast hit the limestone walls like the eruption of a volcano. Everything around her detonated into a burst of stone bits and debris. Beneath her feet, the ground rumbled, and she imagined the power of the light sweeping through the tunnels under the temple, purging every bit of darkness from existence.

On and on she pulled, draining every vestige of light from existence.

The world around her was chaos. But within her bubble of protective light, she remained untouched. She coaxed the prism into the ultimate sacrifice. With a final sweep of her arm, the glassy surface ruptured and shattered, like ice on a frozen lake after the right amount of pressure. It crumbled, the pieces cascading down creating the most beautiful tinkling sound she'd ever heard. Music to her ears. And then, there was nothing left.