City of Redemption

Six

Miri wasn't quite sure what they were looking for. She didn't know if they'd even find Mathias, much less what to do if and when they did. Beside her, Nick had his phone held out in front of him like a flashlight. She raised an eyebrow.

"What exactly are you doing?"

"Trying to find a signal," he said.

"We're in the middle of Los Angeles. How can you not have a signal?" Miri demanded.

Nick shoved his phone back in his pocket. "What, so your phone just magically gets a wifi everywhere?"

Miri yanked her phone out. "No, but I do have unlimited data. It's nearly the same thing." Glancing down at the screen, she frowned. No signal. She turned in a half-circle. Still no signal. "What the hell?" she muttered.

They were in a poorly lit street sandwiched between two brick and cement buildings. Graffiti covered every surface. The streetlights weren't on yet; they didn't come on until eight every night. Bars covered the window, protected the building and its occupants from outdoor threats like thieves and the homeless. The sounds of the city— ambulance sirens, honking cars, loud cellphone conversations— had faded into the distance. Miri looked behind her. They'd been walking down this alley for at least half an hour, occasionally turning off into even smaller alleyways to look for Mia's brother. Main roads and boulevards had long since disappeared. As dingy as their current location was, nothing explained the lack of signal. Even the poorest business or tenant had cellphones in Los Angeles.

"Jonathan!" she called. Up ahead, the older boy paused.

His answering shout came a moment later. "What?"

Running up to him, she showed him her phone. "D'you have a signal? 'Cos Nick and I don't."

"We're in Los Angeles. Of course I'll have a signal," he said, echoing her earlier statement. Nonetheless, he pulled out his phone (new, of course. He'd skulked off to buy one before Jocelyn found out he'd ruined his old one). She watched his eyes light up in confusion as Nick caught up to them. After turning in a few circles, he turned his phone off and dropped his hand. "Nothing."

Suddenly, an earsplitting roar rose up to their right. Miri whipped a dagger out, pointing it in the voice's general direction, brown eyes narrowing. Jonathan slipped Phaesphoros out of its hidden position under his coat. Slowly, the group of three started towards the noise. Seconds later, another roar came up again, a bit farther away. Miri watched her brother's eyebrows knit together in consternation. He gestured to her to circle around and she crept around behind some rusty trash bins. Jonathan continued forwards. A little ways forwards, they came to a halt. Nick sucked in a breath, lowering his hand in shock.

They'd come to some kind of a courtyard, or crossroads. Street signs stood at the corners. The buildings at either corner were much better organized and much cleaner than the ones in the alley just a few metres behind them. But that wasn't what had stopped them cold.

In the middle of the courtyard, there was a giant, glaring puddle of brownish-red blood.

Jonathan stepped forwards, poking the puddle with his sword. "It's not human," he said, and the siblings let out a sigh of relief. Then he frowned. "Actually, some of it is."

Miri came to stand beside him. "So what's the rest? Cranberry juice?"

"I wish." He wiped the blade on the wall beside them. "It feels like the Forsaken's blood."

"So Forsaken were here." Nick's voice shook ever so slightly. Miri gave him a look. You alright? He nodded. Fine. Her brother took a steadying breath. "But you said there's a bit of human blood, too. Who's?"