The Outskirts: The Sky Raiders (Jace x OC)

Part 32

It was completely around me and constricted abruptly. Upon tightening, the net pulled me away from the wall of the whirlwind, out into the central void. Swinging like a pendulum, I stared in confusion down the turbulent vortex at the fathomless well of darkness below. The noise was tremendous, a banshee choir that made my chest throb and my head vibrate. This was no mere tornado, no simple whirlpool, no common hurricane. This was the cosmic drain that would suck all reality into everlasting nothingness.
Looking up, I found that my net dangled from
an insectile flying machine. Somewhat like a honeybee, and somewhat like a beetle, the wings of the machine moved in a barely discernable blur. Although crafted out of silvery metal, a mosaic of snail shells, colored glass, and macaroni decorated much of its surface.
Craning my neck as the net continued to rock, I found that four other flying machines had collected Mira, Jace, Cole, and Twitch, each in their own nets. Empty nets hung from an extra pair of flying machines. The machines weren't much larger than a person. I saw no sign of anyone piloting or otherwise controlling them.
Except for the wings, the machines didn't seem particularly lifelike. The eyes were brass rings.
After gathering in the middle of the vortex, the flying machines rose together. My friends looked equally uncomfortable in their nets—Twitch was folded on his side, Jace was struggling to flip himself right-side up, Mira was curled on her back, and Cole was partly upside down himself.
I was luckily sitting up, but it still wasn't comfortable. Though awkwardly positioned, the others seemed glad to see one another. They had to be surprised to be alive. I sure was. That tumble into the whirlwind had felt like the end.
I tried to ask what was going on, and they shouted things as well, but nothing could be heard over the ferocious howl of the vortex.
The flying machines gradually levitated above the
mouth of the maelstrom. They rose straight for some time before moving away from the cloudwall. Above them, stars appeared in the fading twilight. Beyond the frenzied mouth of the whirlwind, the castle reappeared, several of the windows lit, but many more of them dark.
Who lived in the castle? Was it the people who controlled the flying machines? Whoever they were, they couldn't be worse than death by vortex, could they?
The flying machines moved toward the castle, flying lower as the spacious grounds approached. The landscape reminded me of the Brink—cloud and downward glimpses of sky until the ground suddenly began.
As the tumult of the whirlwind receded, I called out to Mira, "Where are we?"
She met my eyes uncertainly. "We shouldn't be here. We're off the map." Even though she was yelling, I could barely hear her.
Jace gestured for us to look ahead.
On a wide lawn below waited a human figure surrounded by a group of crude, thick-limbed giants. As they drew nearer, it became clear that the figure was a woman and the giants were made of sharp, eroded stone, the sort found by the seaside. The giants formed an orderly ring, and the flying machines hovered into the center of the circle.
In unison, the flying machines dropped their nets. I fell a few feet, landing awkwardly on my shoulder on the close trimmed grass.
"Keep still," the woman demanded in a hard voice. She stalked closer, hands behind her waist. Her hair was tied back so tightly, it had to hurt. Her features harsh, with dramatic eyebrows
and a defined jawline. Sleek black boots rose almost to her knees, and a long, slender sword hung at her side.
"This is a private estate. Outsiders are not welcome. Your lives depend on the answers to two questions: Who are you, and what are you doing here?"
I stared up at the woman through the netting.
Should I lie? I hesitated, as did the others. She stopped right in front of me, glaring down.
"Don't lie," she said humorlessly. "I'll know.
Spit it out. Names and explanations."
"I'm Kendal," I said. "I'm not from here. The Outskirts, I mean. Me and Cole came here to help our friends who got kidnapped, but we were taken as slaves and sold to the Sky Raiders. I was
escaping from them with some friends."
The woman nodded briskly and walked to Twitch.
"You," she said, approaching Twitch, "are not as you appear."
I noticed that his wings were gone. Had that been his special item? Wings?
"I'm not." Twitch said. "My names Twitch. I'm from Elloweer. I was taken as a slave as well."
"How did you revert to your true form?" she pressed
"I have a ring," he said. She moved to Jace.
"And you?" she asked Jace.
"Why do you care?" Jace replied.
"You're all trespassers," she barked. "I handle any intruders."
"You have a name?" Jace asked.
"I have three—Judge, Jury, and Executioner.
Answer me or perish. Who are you? Why did you come here?"
Jace gave a reluctant sigh. "Jace. I've been a slave since I can remember. I never knew my parents. I was sold to the Sky Raiders because my owners hated me. I was escaping with these guys."
I felt a stab of pity for him. I never knew that he didn't know his parents. No one deserves that.
"Escaping into the cloudwall? Do you know nothing?"
"We were cornered." Jace said.
She gave a single nod and walked to Mira. "And you?"
"You can probably guess by now," Mira said.
"I cannot." the woman said. "You are not as you appear. There is a potent shaping bound to you.
Something I can't readily identify. And I sense a degree of power in you as well."
"Are you a shaper?"
A slight sneer curled her lip. "You've never met my equal."
"I do a little shaping," Mira said. "Maybe that's what you're sensing."
"Evade my questions at your peril," the woman said, snapping her fingers.
One of the stony giants stomped forward and raised a misshapen fist above Mira. The big rocky limb was large enough to flatten half of her with one blow.
Jace's golden rope flashed out from his net, coiling around the woman's throat.
"Call it off," he growled. It was scary to see him like this, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little jealous that he was so protective of Mira. I would also be lying if I said I wasn't attracted to this part of him.
A young man swooshed into view, standing on a silver disk the size of a manhole cover. Not older than twenty, he had boyish features and mischievous eyes. He wore a fuzzy brown jacket and alligator-skin boots, and he held what looked like silver salt shakers in each hand.
Knees slightly bent, he hovered perhaps ten feet off the ground, although the disk had no visible means of propulsion.
"That's enough," the young man said in a friendly tone. Pointing at the rope, it unraveled from the woman's throat and fell limply to the grass. Chopping a hand toward the stone giant, it turned to cardboard and staggered back a few paces.
Glowering, the woman turned to the newcomer.
"This is none of your affair."
"I did make the first fliers," the young man corrected. "And I overheard the conversation."
Jace kept flicking his wrist, but his golden rope didn't respond any differently than an ordinary rope would. "What did you do to it?"
"I cut it off from you," the young man said offhandedly. "Don't worry. If we like you, I can set things right. It's a pretty cool rendering. You got it from a sky castle?"
"You're ruining the interrogation," the woman seethed.
"Be honest, Asia," the young man said. "The interrogation was getting messy."
"I was about to sever the rope."
"Which would have wrecked it," the young man inserted.
"I had the situation under—"
"Asia, a simple thank you would be nice."
"What have I told you about using my name in front of outsiders?"
"Maybe it was your codename," he said with a wink.
Cole tried to cover a laugh, and failed.
The young man on the disk glanced his way.
"They can't be all bad. This one even has a sense of humor—and that's while lying in a net after nearly getting drawn into a terminal void."
The muscles in her jaw clenching, Asia took a controlled breath. "Let me do my job."
"What about our new captain of the guard?" he asked.
"I sent him to fetch reinforcements." Asia said.
"He's all right for monitoring semblances, but these are our first living intruders in ages." The young man waved a hand at us. "They're escaped slaves. It fits. It rings true."
"We have to verify—"
"They're obviously not the vanguard of a conquering army."
"They could be spies."
The young man paused. "True."
"We have hundreds of legionnaires coming this way," Asia said.
He cocked his head thoughtfully. "Also true."
"We can't risk exposure."
The young man faced them. "I'm Liam. Are any of you spies? Answer out loud."
We all said the same thing, our answers overlapping.
"What about you?" Liam casually asked Mira.
"You really are linked to a very unusual shaping. What's the story?"
I snorted. "What is this, good cop, bad cop?"
"You know about good cop, bad cop! Who told you!" Liam said, covering his eyes. "Asia, she knows!"
Asia faced the young man imploringly. "Would you please just let me—"
"Pound them into the lawn?" the young man
interrupted. He stopped, as if considering.
"They might make decent fertilizer. but no, I think we've heard enough. We'll let You Know Who be the final judge."
"You want to bring possible spies before You
Know Who?"
"If they're spies, then we'll turn them into fertilizer. No, better—we'll make wishes and chuck them into the terminal void."
I snorted, and Jace and Cole covered a laugh.
"And if her peculiar shaping is letting the girl communicate beyond the cloudwall?" Asia pressed.
"Have you sensed transmissions from any of them?" said Liam.
"The shaping has strange connections beyond her," Asia said.
"Right, but no communication," he said.
"They're not spies. If they are, he'll figure it out, and we'll punish them. I'll take the blame." Asia sighed in defeat. "Why do I put up with you?"
"Because it isn't your choice," he said.
"You've got that right," she huffed.
Liam faced us. "If you'll hand over any weapons, renderings, or enhanced objects, I'll untangle you from those nets."
"And if we refuse?" Jace asked.
"Don't worry." Liam said. "If hé likes you, you'll get it all back. I don't even want any of your . . .
Well, I kind of want the rope, but I'll get over it.
Come on, let's have the stuff. It's getting late."
He was right. Only the last traces of twilight remained in the sky above. Many stars were out now.
I was having trouble unsheathing my Jumping
Sword. "This is sort of hard with the nets."
"Valid point," Liam agreed. "Promise you'll be cool about it? Without the nets, if you try something, we'll have to sick the grunts on you." He pointed to the cardboard giant, and it turned back to wave-worn stone.
"We'll behave," Cole said. We all nodded, except
Jace who still looked skeptical.
"What about you, rope boy?" Liam asked.
I snickered. "Rope boy?" I said to Jace, laughing.
He rolled his eyes, but I could tell he was trying not to smile. "If you don't mess with us, I won't mess with you." Jace pledged.
"I guess that's fair. Promise? Double-dog promise?"
"I think that's 'double-dog dare you," Cole put in.
Liam looked at him in surprise. "You're right.
What's a really strong promise?"
"Cross your heart and hope to die." Cole said and I sighed.
"Oh, I like that, " Liam replied. Looking at Asia, he jerked his head toward Cole. "This one could be useful."
"Hello," I said, getting annoyed. "We're still tangled in nets. You nerds can talk later."
"Oh. Right. Do you all swear to be good?" Liam asked. "Cross your heart and hope to die? I need verbal conformation."
We all agreed.
Liam waved a hand, and the nets blew free of them, becoming gaseous and quickly dispersing in the air.
"You're good, " Mira said.
Liam shrugged. "I'm not completely useless. Let's have those items."
I handed over my sword, Mira did likewise. Jace gave him his rope, and Cole handed over his shawl, his bow, and his sword to Liam.
Twitch hesitated with his ring. "This means a lot to me."
"I'll take good care of it," Liam assured him. "I wouldn't even have a use for it. I'm not from Elloweer."
Twitch handed it over.
Liam returned to Cole. "You still have something small."
"I forgot," Cole said, taking the jewel he had gotten in Parona from his pocket.
Liam held it up and scrutinized it. "Never mind.
It's not worth the trouble to keep it with me." He handed it back. "You hold on to it. Or don't.
Either way, you won't lose it."
"Here he comes." Asia said.
I looked beyond her to where a large warrior led a group of others in full armor across the lawn.
Even though it was dim, I recognized the leader.
"Lyrus?" Me, Cole and Mira shouted in unison.