Dead and Buryd

Chapter 25: The Other One

As it turned out, by the time it was finally decided that they would go out to the Adveni quarters with the hopes of seeing Nyah, Keiran had decided to come along as well. Because Georgianna would be at the compound when they went to get Nyah, Taye would need someone with him as a lookout. Wrench, it had been agreed, would be waiting in the Oprust district, keeping watch to check that no Adveni were on the scene and to set up the things he needed to remove the cinystalq collar.

Walking through the Adveni dwelling quarter, Georgianna looked around her every thirty seconds until Keiran snapped at her to calm down and cut it out. They weren’t doing anything now, they were just taking a look, so she didn’t need to look so worried. Georgianna had taken a trip down to Park Street, a centre of Adveni trade, going into one building after another asking if anyone had any deliveries that she could make in exchange for a few coins. Most had kicked her out pretty quickly, but finally a woman agreed that Georgianna could deliver a new tsentyl to an Adveni out in the dwelling quarter. Of course, Georgianna had been forced to give blood and the code to her own tsentyl to ensure safe delivery, but as she was perfectly happy to make the delivery, and had no intention of trying to steal the device, she happily accepted.

The walk was faster than before, no need to count houses or wonder at every junction whether they were taking the correct turning. The Adveni they were meant to deliver the tsentyl to lived right at the edge of the quarter, but instead of dropping it off when they passed, the device was still safely nestled in her bag, ready to use as an excuse if Nyah’s owner should see them.

It was lucky that Nyah had such bright, fair hair, for they saw her from a couple of hundred yards away, sat on the doorstep, a piece of Adveni armour across her lap and a device Georgianna didn’t recognise in her hand. Taye stepped forward to go to her, but Georgianna stepped in front of him.

“I’ll go,” she said firmly, earning herself surprised looks from both men.

“No, Gianna, come on,” Taye begged. “I’ve done everything you’ve asked, I’ve stayed away. Please, just let me talk to her?”

Georgianna shook her head resolutely. She felt bad, keeping Taye away from Nyah. She knew how much he wanted to see her, but she held her ground.

“George, why not just let him go?” Keiran asked.

“I asked about her in the compound. It would make sense for me to be seen. Plus, it’s for the same reason that I’ll not be here when you actually get her out: because they’d know I was involved. If anyone sees Taye talking to her, they’ll know who to look for.”

Georgianna placed her hands on her hips. She had to say she was rather impressed with her reasoning, especially when neither Keiran nor Taye could think of a reason to argue. Agreeing to wait on the turning to the next street, Georgianna walked with the men to the turning before she peeled off, crossing the street and making her way up towards the house.

She moved slowly, making a point to look at the numbers in Adtvenis written next to each door. Even turning back a few times, she finally approached Nyah.

“Excuse me?” she asked, stepping forward.

Nyah jumped and looked up.

“‘Gia…”

Georgianna gave her a quick glare and shook her head.

“Did the Adveni of this house order a tsentyl?” she asked, keeping her gaze fixed obviously on Nyah.

Nyah stared at her in confusion for a moment and finally smiled a little.

“No, he didn’t,” she answered. “But he’s not here right now. It’s just us.”

Georgianna’s expression split into a wide grin, but while she wanted to fling her arms around Nyah and hug her tightly, she restrained herself to simply reaching out and clasping Nyah’s hand.

“How are you, Nyah?”

Nyah put the armour on the step next to her, resting the device on top before getting to her feet. She gave a small smile and shrugged. Georgianna didn’t need more than that. No words would be able to explain how Nyah was coping with her current situation, certainly not “fine” or “okay”.

“And you?”

“I’m doing well,” she answered. Glancing over her shoulder for a moment, she turned back and smiled at Nyah. “Taye is here. He’s down at the next road.”

Georgianna nodded her head back in the direction where Taye and Keiran were waiting. Nyah glanced towards the house before sidestepping, looking down the street. From the longing that slipped into her expression, Georgianna knew that she had spotted Taye.

“How is he?”

“He’s fine. He misses you.”

Nyah gulped, and darted a glance at Georgianna. She got a worried expression and looked at the house again, taking a step back towards the doorway.

“Ny’,” Georgianna urged, making no move to reach the woman, but the desperation clear all the same. “We’re getting you out.”

The panicked look on Nyah’s face at those words was certainly not what she had expected. Her hand came up, touching the collar around her neck.

“No, it’s okay, we know. We saw you before. We have a plan,” Georgianna explained quickly. “We have someone who can remove that. He’s agreed to it already.”

“Really?” Nyah’s gaze fixed past Georgianna and onto Taye. “When?”

“Eight days,” Georgianna answered. “Sun-high.”

Nyah almost looked like she was lost in a daze as she nodded. Something was bothering her, though Georgianna couldn’t be sure whether it was simply the worry that something would go wrong. Glancing over her own shoulder, she spotted Taye and Keiran at the turning. Keiran looked like he was at least trying to appear natural, standing on the street corner. Taye, on the other hand, was staring in longing, shifting his weight continuously, like he might suddenly break into a sprint towards them. Georgianna quickly turned back to Nyah.

“You need to get outside. They can’t come into the house, but they’ll protect you as you run,” she continued. “Can you do that?”

Fixing her gaze onto Georgianna, Nyah nodded.

“I… I can, but Georgianna… Gianna I’m not the only one here.”

Georgianna frowned. She took a deep breath, ready to tell Nyah that no, they couldn’t get a lot of people out. However, when she opened her mouth, the words she was expecting didn’t come out.

“How many?”

“Just one other,” Nyah said. “I can’t leave him. He’s been… he’s been all I’ve had to keep me going.”

Georgianna rubbed her hand over her face roughly. She couldn’t agree to this, not without talking to Taye, Keiran and Wrench. If Nyah was wearing a collar, then she could be fairly certain that this other drysta would be as well. She wasn’t even sure whether Wrench would even be able to remove two collars in the time they had. He would probably need more supplies, maybe even another absorber. Getting one had been lucky enough. She had no idea if Beck would be able to get his hands on another.

“Nyah, I…”

Georgianna swallowed back the lump rising in her throat. Under Nyah’s desperate gaze, she frowned and glanced back at Keiran. He met her gaze, a curious expression on his face as he took a step towards them. Holding up her hand, telling him to wait, she turned back to look at the house. The man was probably inside right now. She searched the windows, almost expecting to see him watching them.

“If we can’t find the supplies, if we can’t get help…”

Nyah grabbed her arm, holding on in a vice-tight grip.

“You have to find a way,” she exclaimed in a pleading breath. “He suffers far more than I do.”

Scuffing her foot against the dry grass, Georgianna bit on her lip, trying to think of a solution. Nyah glanced at the doorway, a panicked look on her face.

“Gianna… he’s a Belsa!”