Sword to Sleeve

2 ✺ Dawn

It was early. A fog had settled overnight, diffusing the glow of the necropolis so that all throughout the city, an eerie blue light pressed in at the windows. DEMA slept fitfully.

Somewhere in Keons' district, a dormitory door banged open.

"Cadence, wake up," said a female voice.

"Livi? What are you doing here?" came a groggy voice from the bed, where a dark head of curls looked toward the door.

"Is Clancy with you?" asked the intruder, a petite 19-year-old wearing combat boots and braids. She crossed the room and crouched to look under the bed. "He never came in last night."

"Livi, seriously," said Cadence, sitting up. "You can't be here. You're risking both our necks."

She threw open the doors of a wardrobe and began rifling through its contents, tossing a heavy jacket and a pair of pants onto the bed.

"Are you listening?" she said. "Clancy left with Keons last night and never came back to his room. Get dressed."

"How do you know he never came back?" Cadence asked, waiting until Livi turned her back to him to change clothes.

"We have a flashlight signal," she said.

"Oh," Cadence replied, mildly surprised that Clancy and Livi were close enough for flashlight signals. "He probably just got in late and didn't want to bother you."

"Not possible," she said, pacing a little where she stood. "I make him check in every night, no matter how late it is."

"Since when?"

"Since his little stint in the Towers," Livi said, meeting his eyes. "For safety."

They were quiet then, and Cadence knew they were both reliving the harrowing afternoon when Clancy had suddenly turned up after several days of unspecified 'correction' in the Tower of Silence. Rambunctious, spirited Clancy—who used to jump up on the cafeteria tables and rap, or argue with Keons about the contents of the esoteric philosophy pamphlets he'd smuggled into his room—had returned to them weakened, twitchy, and utterly incoherent.

Cadence felt sick to his stomach.

"So what now?" he said, walking over to the window.

"I say we call an emergency meeting," Livi said, joining him there. "First, we get Clancy back. Then I think it's time for a perimeter escape."

Cadence put his hands on his head and groaned.

"It's never not going to be scary, if it makes you feel better," Livi offered.

"It doesn't," he mumbled, reflexively leaning forward to do pushups against the window sill.

Livi watched him. "Is this your coping mechanism? Is this why you're so ripped all the time?"

"Basically," he said, his voice taut. He stood and paced the room, thinking.

"Alright. Let's get everyone together," he agreed. "Convocation is three days from now. That's our window."

"So who covers and who runs?" Livi asked.

"Clancy gets out first," Cadence said.

"Agreed."

"Then you and the others. I'll stay behind."

Livi stared at the floor, lost in thought.

"Wait," she said, looking up. "I just realized: You're the only one left who's been through Trench. You'll have to lead this one."

Cadence tilted his head, mentally running down a list of the remaining banditos. Nearly all of them were newer recruits—most of them kids, eager to escape the city but clueless as to what lay beyond. Livi was right: Cadence was the last of them with firsthand knowledge of Trench.

Very few people had ever pulled off a successful perimeter escape, but the ones who'd managed it had always been led by someone who knew the landscape. The world outside the city walls was disorientingly vast. To go it alone was a death sentence.

"I'll make a map," he said.

"Cadence..."

"It's fine. I'll write everything out."

"But what about—" she started. Glancing at the door, she stepped closer to him and lowered her voice. "But what about the island? The rituals? What if it comes to that? You have to lead them, Cadence. I'll stay."

"It doesn't have to be you," he said, an edge of desperation in his voice.

"Of course it does," she said, smiling faintly. "I've got Tower access, and I'm the only one here besides you that knows all the signals. We need me here."

Cadence put his face in his hands.

"I don't mind staying. Really," she said, staring out at the mist-enshrouded city. "Let's just get Clancy on the other side before he winds up..." 

The words caught in her throat.

"Yeah," he said, saving her from having to say them.

In some distant place far beyond the reach of the city walls, the sun was rising.

"You'll be back for the rest of us soon enough," Livi said. In the gray light of dawn, Cadence saw that her eyes were shining with tears. "In the meantime, we've got a rebellion to plan."

* * * 

Author's Note: 

I don't have any immediate plans to add to this one (and certainly not to complete it), but I may pick it up between other projects later if the mood strikes.

Fun fact: I randomly, instantly came up with the name Cadence for the character of Josh / the Torchbearer, only making the connection afterward that "cadence" is another word for rhythm. *Taps skull* Get it? Thanks, subconscious.

Another fun fact: I have TØP's cover of Summertime Sadness stuck in my head (specifically their cover), so if you want to find that on Youtube and play it on repeat like I did today, I highly recommend it. 

Among my three thousand insecurities is the paranoia that all I know how to write is people talking to each other in rooms. Despite that, I hope you enjoyed this scene. 

Thank you to every reader, commenter, voter, and encourager. 

You guys are wonderful and I love you.