The Outskirts: The Sky Raiders (Jace x OC)

Part 26

"From Skyport?!" I said in disbelief.
She nodded.
"Woah," I said, standing to pace the room. "This is—"
"Crazy? I know. It's a lot to dump on you." Mira said.
"How come?" I asked her.
"My mom uses a special signal to let me know when trouble is coming." Mira said. "The signal can also guide messengers to me. But she only uses it for emergencies. The signal showed up when I was on the porch with Cole, and Durny said we need to relocate."
"What's the signal?" I asked her.
Mira studied me. "You can leak a word of this.
To anyone. Ever."
"I promise."
"My mom is a shaper. She can put a special star in the sky, right above me. Not a bright one, but it has a distinct pinkish tint."
"Wait," I said. "She can make a star?"
"She doesn't create an actual star," Mira said.
"That wouldn't even be useful since the sky changes so much. Think of it as an illusion of a star, high up so it blends in with the night sky.
The first and only time she did it, my star stayed right above me until Durny found me, then went away."
"Could enemies follow the star to you?" I asked her, still pacing."
"If they knew what to look for. Which is why my secret mustn't get out."
"I wont tell anyone," I promised her. "Does your mom know Durny died? Will she send someone else to help you?"
"The signal came before Durny died. I can't imagine mother knows I lost my protecter. It's possible that the star is leading a messenger to me. But it might only be a warning. In all my years, the one reason she ever put my star in the sky was to guide Durny to me. That was it." Mira said.
"And Durny decided you should run?"
Mira nodded. "After I told Durny about the star, he wanted to gather some floatstones to make a skycraft."
"Why not just steal a lifeboat?"
"Runaway slaves get treated harshly." Mira explained. "The Sky Raiders would be angry enough without us stealing from them.
According to our plan, while harvesting floatstones, Durny would have smuggled some extras. He would have assembled a skycraft outside Skyport so we could leave anytime. We would have flown our little skycraft to the end of the Brink near the Cloudwalls, let it fall of the edge when we were done with it, and head inland on foot. We would have disappeared without a trace."
"Do you still want to make a run for it?" I asked
her.
"I dont want to escape," Mira said. "It's incredibly risky. The Sky Raiders will come after me and punish me if they catch me. But my mothers warning was as clear as it was last night as it was the first night, and it wouldn't be there if it wasn't important. If I run off, I might avoid the danger, and a messenger could still find me."
"What if it's just an important message? What if there's no threat?" I asked.
"Then I don't have to run. But the message almost certainly means horrible trouble.
Probably life or death. I can't risk standing still.
Durny stalled to long already trying to get permission to personally gather floatstones."
I considered all the things she was telling me, and only one thing made sense about why.
"Are you asking me to run away with you?" I said.
She just stared at me. "I need to leave. The only questions are when, how, and whether you'll come with me."
I ran a hand through my hair. This was a lot to digest. I had wanted to escape to try to save my friends ever since I came here. It would be great to have company—especially someone who knew a lot about the Outskirts. And Mira apparently knew how to find the High King.
"If we get away, can you show me how to find my friends?"
"I could tell you the way to Junction City," Mira said. "But you'd be crazy to try and take slaves from the High King on your own." She lowered her voice. "I know people who want to see the High King fall. People who could help you find your friends. People who could give you a chance to succeed."
"Really?" I said, not daring to believe her.
"I want the High King to lose his throne." Mira whispered. "If we can get away, I'll help you get the aid you need."
I thought about it for a moment. It sounded like a great deal if they we get away, but one thing caught my attention.
"What about Cole? And Jace? Would they come too?" I said.
Mira shook her head. "It would be just the two of us, and you wouldn't be able to tell them that we were leaving."
"But I can't just leave them! I've known Cole since first grade. He's one of my best friends.
And Jace is . . . I can't just leave them." I said, distressed.
"I get it." Mira said, looking at the floor uncomfortably.
I thought about it some more. Cole could probably get through fifty missions, and eventually get free. And I would be looking for our friends from home. But Jace . . . I really like him. And I just got him back yesterday. Do I really want to risk never seeing him again? But Mira is my friend to, and I would never want a friend to do something like this alone.
I sighed. "How do you think we should do it?"
Her head whipped up. "You'll come?"
The hope in her voice cemented my choice.
"As long as we put together a decent plan." I said.
"I'm sure we can figure something out. But I don't want to drag you into danger." She said.
"Mira, I'd do anything to help my friends. If I can help you too, that's even better." I said.
"We can definitely help each other," Mira said.
"But even thought I'll try to help, don't forget that getting involved with me could get you killed. The High Shaper hates me, and he hates the people I know who might help you. The secrets I know are dangerous to him. If you get mixed up with me, he'll end up hating you to."
"I kind of hope he does." I said. "He took my friends as slaves. I'm not exactly a fan."
Mira took a deep breath. "Okay. So we're going to escape together."
"The question is how."
"That's where it gets complicated." Mira said.
"On foot, leaving at night would be reckless when we're this close to the Brink, but we'll get noticed quickly if we sneak away during the day. Whether we take off on foot, or steal horses, they'll be after us in no time. And your hurt, I don't think we'd make it."
I thought for a moment. "Can we steal a skycraft?"
"You need to wear an operators stone to wear one." Mira said. "Otherwise it won't respond. I know where Durny hid a few, in case we needed a life boat in an emergency. But taking one will make the Sky Raiders doubly mad at us. They'll know how we got away, and hunt us relentlessly. We can't use the coffin, because I'm not skilled enough to reshape it. And I'm sure the other shapers have already taken the floatstones to use for a new lifeboat."
I stopped pacing. "Honestly, I think taking a lifeboat would be worth the risk, if we have a better chance at getting away."
Mira nodded. "That makes sense. It's probably our only realistic option."
"When were you thinking about going?" I asked
her.
She grimaced. "Soon. Probably early tomorrow morning, after they open up the landing bay, but before any skycraft take off. They're quick to seal the bay when the skycraft return at the end of the day."
I was quiet for a moment. "I really can't say goodbye to Jace or Cole?"
Mira shook her head sadly. "It's to risky. I don't think they would give us away, but if anyone sees us with them before we leave, they'll get punished to."
I nodded. "So, tomorrow?"
She nodded grimly. "Tomorrow."