Despite their hurry to be gone, Tabby wandered around Elias's shop for the last time. She was silent as she looked over his things, her things, the small empire they'd buit together. Her chest cleaved in two. Even with the threat of her father nipping at her heals, she was reluctant to say goodbye.

"Do you have everything?" Steiner asked, strolling into the workshop.

She looked around once more, then nodded. "Let's go." A few minutes later, shop closed, she found herself hurrying across the street. She went straight for Marley's booth and waited in line. A figure appeared from the alley. Marcus. She waved him over.

"Any news on Elias?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I need you to watch his shop. I'm...I'll be gone for a bit. Can you do that?"

His arms crossed. "How much are you willing to pay?"

She snorted. "You never change, do you." Reaching into her belt pouch, she handed over more than she'd ever given him before. Furtively, he looked at what he held. "That cover things?" she asked, a sharp edge creeping into her voice.

"We'll keep an eye out. Tabby—" He glanced around. "You should know, Tam, Roger, and Cal were taken by the snatchers, not long ago."

She opened her mouth then stopped herself. "I...I didn't know." She glanced over to where Steiner stood, watching her warily. "I'm sorry."

"Nah. They're fine," he said. Her brow furrowed. "Some rogue guard busted them out. Did it the night they were taken."

"I see. And how long ago was that?"

Marcus shrugged. "Couple of nights. But they saw some stuff while they were there. I think that's where all them that's getting snatched are taken. Us gang rats are thinking of banning together, breaking them out."

She chewed on the inside of her cheek. "I'm not sure that's a good idea, Marcus. You don't know what they're doing there. It could be...dangerous." She wasn't sure how much to say without making it known that she already knew about Laghollow. "Look, why don't I look into it for you, eh?"

"Probably smart," he said. "Seeing as after they took Elias, that's probably where he ended up. Ain't seen him on the gallows yet, so..." She nodded. Marcus looked as if he might say more before shaking his head. "Hope to see you around, Tab. Just not in the shitter, if you can help it. I like to crap in peace." An eyebrow arch was all he gave her before slipping away.

She turned her attention back to the line at the booth. They'd spoken in hushed voices but it was likely the people around her had caught bits and pieces. It didn't matter.

She sighed, trying not to consider the fact that it might be quite a while before she got to stand in this line again. Perhaps that was one of the things she would miss most about Chroma. Marley greeted her warmly, smile on her dimpled face. "The usual, Miss Tabby?"

She nodded, scooting closer as Marley worked. "I'm going away," she said, voice low. She handed Marley a fat pouch of coins she'd put aside just for this. "I don't know how long I'll be gone. This will be enough to feed the begging children for some time. Please..." She beseeched Marley with her eyes, hoping she'd fill the role while she was gone. Marley cared about the kids as much as she did.

The woman nodded, adding, "You going to meet up with that old coot of a hob, aren't you? I had a feeling you must'a gotten him out when no one ever saw him hang." Tabby grinned in answer. "Well, tell him I say hello." She handed over a pack of meat pies. They were for the start of their journey to Solaris. She bid a fond farewell to Marley and left.

She rejoined Steiner beside the carriage. His gaze had turned towards the center of the city. "What do you reckon is going on over there?" He asked. "I hope it doesn't have anything to do with my borrowed mask."

A plume of dust was still heavy in the air, well above the roofs of Chroma. She let out a dark laugh without realizing it, drawing his gaze.

His eyes narrowed. "If we weren't in such a hurry, I'd tell our driver to circle by. Looks like it's near the temple." He arched an eyebrow.

She shrugged. Before he could say more, she climbed into the carriage, settling herself and tucking the pies on the ledge beside her. She wasn't quite ready to eat.

Steiner sat across from her and pounded the roof, giving the signal to move. Carver was with them, beside Steiner. Their trunks were stowed. They'd managed six in total between them. She hated to think what someone might see if they opened them. Enough weapons to shock any sane person.

"So...what did you do while wearing my mask?" Steiner asked, still intent on pushing the subject.

"Oh...nothing too important," she said.

"Tabby..." His voice was a warning as much as a scolding.

A dark, manic laugh burst from her chest. It was freeing, both the laugh and the thought of what she'd done. After coming away from the rubble of the temple, she'd marched straight through the crowd that had assembled to witness the massive explosion. It had reduced Chroma's legendary temple to rubble and dust. The crowd parted for her, still masked, as they pointed and whispered and speculated in her wake, stunned to do much else. She found the acolytes on the way, along with the other children who huddled around them. Mina clung to Two-one-nine-six, face hidden.

"Your training is over," she told them. "You're free." They'd whispered among themselves, eyes wide. Not quite believing.

She'd given them brief instructions, the name of Marcus and The Forsaken along with her own name. Then she departed. They paid her salutes of respect, even as she walked away. She wasn't sure, there could be no way for it, but she hoped the children would one day come to understand what she'd done for them. They would live hard lives, strained by their lack of parentage and money. But they would live better lives with The Forsaken and the other gangs than they might at the hands of the Spectrum.

Coming back to the present, she looked at Steiner and smiled. "Let's just say if Ghost—King Edwin, my father—wants to continue his work, he's going to have to find somewhere else to do it," she said at last.

"Tell me you didn't." His voice was quiet.

"Didn't what?" She gazed back at him, innocently. "You mean, didn't pull every bit of power from that violet prism in the temple's atrium? Didn't use it to reduce the building to rubble? Didn't destroy Ghost's legacy? Hmm...Maybe I didn't." She exhaled. It was hardly payment for what he'd done. For what he'd taken from her. "Guess you'll have to get your hands on tonight's paper if you really want to know."

Steiner swore. Carver merely chuckled.

"Not sure why I need a paper when I could simply demand the truth." His face had transformed, hardened.

"Fine. Then the answer is yes."

He shook his head. "When we first started working together," he said, "I vastly underestimated you. Remind me not to do so again."

She huffed, leaning back. Her hand fell to the bench seat where it landed on a ball of fabric. "Nit?" she breathed. "You didn't pack this away in the trunks?" She looked up at Steiner.

"I figured you'd want to tinker with Nit on the way. Keep them close. All that."

She launched across the rocking carriage and into Steiner's arms, hugging him briefly before lurching back into her seat. "Thank you, Conrad. That—" She swallowed. "That means a lot."

He seemed surprised by her outburst but managed a humble, "You're welcome. It was the least I could do."

She plopped the pieces of Nit's sparrow form into her lap, running her fingers over them. A shudder went through her. She closed her eyes, afraid that if she looked any longer at their broken body, she'd cry. "Maybe later," she breathed, then tied the fabric back together, nestling the pieces beside her on the seat. Nit was with her, but not really. And Midnight—no. She pushed the thought away. She couldn't think of him or she'd lose her nerve. She'd go running straight back to the palace.

When she next looked out the window, her eyes blurred with tears. The guards didn't stop them at the city gates, and she couldn't help but wonder if that was intentional—a final parting gift from her father. A reminder of his power. They passed the turnpike that led directly out of Chroma. She swallowed against the thickness in her throat. So...this was goodbye—to a city she'd known for a lifetime. To a life that had changed her irrevocably. But it wasn't really goodbye, was it? No, she had a debt to settle. Midnight to rescue—if he survived.

Her father had taken everything from her, turned her into a monster. Ruined her. But no more. Despite her losses, she felt more whole than ever. Edwin would pay for this. It wasn't revenge she wanted, not like with Reaper. Where revenge was an act of passion, vengeance was an act of justice. Just like the namesake he'd once given her, she would bring it to him on the winds of destruction, a storm he never saw coming, born of the darkness that stained her life, and the shadows that twisted her soul. There would be no escaping the tempest when it came for him.

The End...for now...

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Well, my friends. That's it for now. The end of book 1. All 130,000 words of it. Phew. This was quite different from my Dragonwall writing. I first wrote it back in 2018 (or thereabouts) as an initial attempt at an assassin's story. But the first draft didn't feel quite right. So I scrapped it (pulled it off Wattpad) and left it until 2020, when I wrote it for Nanowrimo. I threw that version away too. I ended up rewriting this several times before getting it "Right" and it's been many years in the making. It's different, and probably won't appeal to a wide audience. But it was fun, enlightening , and even challenging. A little darker than what I often write. But it taught me a lot. 

I appreciate you taking the time to read it! 

I plan at least one more book for this series, maybe two. A story in which Tabby works to undermine the king and take everything from him (hopefully), steal back Midnight, and fight with the rebels to help Candela to a better future. She will work alongside Midnight and Steiner to reach this better future. But beyond that, I really haven't had the time to sit down and plan anything in detail. We'll get there eventually.

All my best,

Mel