Fanfare

Follow the Leader

Pierce leads her out into the main room, where everyone goes in and out of their bedrooms, ties shoelaces at tables, holds discussions in corners, yells across the space. Pierce puts his fingers to his lips, letting go of Trenna's hand, his other gripping his gun strap. The whistle he releases is painfully sharp.

Everyone stops talking, walking, and looks at him. He waits a moment, to make sure he has their attention, before he speaks. "There's been a possible exit discovery by one of our teams. I'm going to need everyone in their rooms but Shift Team 1 until I say. I'll send a runner to fill you in if Liam can't reach you." There are many grumbles and come cries of outrage. Pierce seeks out a young man, more of a boy, barely the same age as Trenna, in the crowd. She thinks he is a part of her team, but she hasn't seen him properly til today. But it's not impossible that she could have missed him; he's not all that remarkable, not one to stand out in a crowd. Thin and slightly tanned, liquid brown eyes; he is pretty, for a boy.

With one nod from Pierce, his eyes brighten. His fingers flex and Trenna's head rings, not painfully, but the feeling the sound inflicts is uncomfortable. She winces. Pierce inclines his head and the boy's fingers relax. The room has fallen silent.

"Everyone to their rooms. I'll send a runner if Liam can't reach you, once we find something," he repeats quietly. Everyone rises to their feet and tramps into their rooms, organised soldiers marching to their orders. All except a select few, who slowly move from their seats to gather in front of Pierce, until eleven men and women stand before him, and Trenna behind.

Ben's eyes flicker over Trenna before going to Pierce. "Is it true?" he asks.

Pierce nods. An excited ripple goes through them. Anna, for the first time, actually looks happy. She looks beautiful when she smiles, strikingly so, thinks Trenna dully. Tess clasps Anna's hand, and they smile at each other.

Ben's expression betrays only a flicker of hope, as if he's scared that if he is too excited, if there is too much anticipation and hope, something will go wrong. "Where?" he asks. His voice betrays the eagerness his face doesn't.

"The east tunnels," Pierce says. Somewhere beyond the black hole of her mind, Trenna feels her body jerk with surprise.

"When are we leaving?" Hugo asks, unable to contain himself.

Pierce's mouth quirks so quickly, Trenna doubts anyone caught the movement. "Now. I can meet you there, if you like," he says. Jack whoops with excitement. Hugo and Liam both dart into a door behind the kitchen that Trenna knows leads to the east tunnels; she memorised where they were so she'd be sure to avoid them. Jack pauses, then holds a hand out to her. "I need to speak with Trenna," Pierce says. His voice is so cold, it shocks Trenna into looking at him. Jack retracts his hand and, with one last look at her, runs into the tunnel after his friends. Ben, Anna, Tess and the five remaining men walk at a more sedate pace into the tunnel. Ben closes the door gently behind him.

They stand in silence for a moment. "Why do you need me there? You have Jack. He's practically a walking generator." Her voice sounds empty, vacant.

"We ran into something, something that blocks magic. It's the rock our rooms are made out of. And your magic seems to be the only one that's able to cross the border without being affected."

Trenna frowns. "Can't Jack just light a rock and you can carry it through? They're in our rooms. How did you get them in there? Or a torch?"

"There's enough magic to counter the rock. It balances out. But there's too much rock down there for anyone to bring anything through; we've tried. You get there, and your magic... shuts off. Same with the torches."

Trenna nods tightly, then looks at the door. She swallows. "And the east tunnels are the only way?" she asks. Her voice comes out a whisper.

Pierce nods, but there is understanding in his eyes. He shifts uncomfortably for a moment, stares over her shoulder at the wall. "I'll be there," he says. It's the most unexpected, out of character thing for him to say. Pierce isn't like this. Pierce is rough and bitter and sometimes cruel. His gaze is unforgiving, and he has a sadistic, sarcastic humour that can scald with its severity.

She licks her lips and zips her jacket up, unzips it halfway. "Alright," she says.

She follows him into the tunnel.