Knights of the Grey City

Chapter 29 - TRUST

Amid the dreary mist of the Grey City, the form of an enormous monster dissolving behind us, we introduced ourselves to Katie. She shoved her hands into the pockets of her hoodie and watched us with a guarded expression.

"I don't really know whether to believe you," she said quietly. "That you're human, I mean. You're probably just more of these monsters."

"You have every right to be cautious," Huang told her. "Listen, there's a place we can go to be safe from the demons. We should head there now. Will you come with us?"

I could see her eyes flicking back and forth, and could read her thought process pretty accurately—after all, I'd been through the same one not so long ago. Balancing risks.

"Fine," she snapped. "But either of you make any funny moves, and I'm out."

"No funny moves," Huang agreed solemnly.

We led her to the garden district and toward the Sanctuary. The white-leaved trees and cobblestones were the same, but I almost didn't recognize the Sanctuary itself: the building had changed. The wooden double doors, the stone carvings of vines, and the worn roof shingles were the same, but the building looked twice as tall, now looming above the other structures. It had a round window on the second floor with bright green curtains hanging behind it.

"Huh." Katie shifted. "That's your place the demons can't reach?"

"For whatever reason, it's safe in there," Huang said.

"I... I'm not going in there with you," she muttered, backing up again.

I didn't make any sudden moves. "Look, Katie... you saw some pretty awful stuff back there."

"I followed you when you took off. I saw you turn into that monster," she said. "Until then, I thought you might be telling me the truth about being some kid from Toronto."

I couldn't believe this teenager had the gall to call me a kid, but I could see past that bluster. She was terrified. "I am telling the truth. That form, the monster—we call it the Leviathan—is the only weapon I have to defend myself in this place. Huang and I can turn into those forms so we can fight back against the real monsters here."

"How long have you been here?" she asked.

"We enter the Grey City when it calls us in, and leave when it lets us out," Huang said. "I've been coming in and out for seven months now, Camilo for maybe a month and a half."

"Hmmm." Katie glanced at the Sanctuary building, then back at us.

I put my hands in my pockets. "How can we convince you this is safe?"

She hesitated, then pointed to Huang. "You go first, then I'll go in. Then you can come," she said, jabbing a thumb at me.

"Sure, we can do that," Huang said. He stepped up to the Sanctuary and pulled open one of the doors, slipping inside.

Katie instantly brandished her knife. I watched her warily.

"Just in case he tries anything. I don't trust either of you for a second," she said. I glanced down at where my shirt had been slashed open by her last attack and elected not to say anything.

She waited a short time, then entered the building, knife at the ready. I sighed to myself and wondered what we'd gotten ourselves into with the newest knight. A high school-age kid who carried a knife on her and didn't hesitate when she had to use it. Trust definitely seemed to be an issue with this one.

I waited a good minute or two while the silence of the Grey City settled in on all sides, then finally entered the Sanctuary.

I didn't see Huang or Katie in the front hallway so I continued on into the atrium. There, I found Huang standing alone in a space I'd never seen before.