The Keepers of Eternity

XXIX

The bats flew across the sky like a single being. There must have been thousands of them, all traveling in a stream of darkness, winding like a snake over the rooftops.

Lenore broke into a light jog and raced down the lit streets of the upper city. Focused on the movements of the bats, she hardly noticed where she was going. She faintly recalled passing shops, carriages, and many, many people. Smells or flashing lights threatened to veer her off course, but she affixed her mind to her goal.

Abreigelle. Her sister was here—so close, yet so far. Tonight, they might be reunited. What would she do when she saw her again? Hug. Cry. Never let go. Lenore felt warm, despite the chilliness of the night.

And the Night Thief? Well, she had her knives with her.

As the bats turned south, Lenore followed them down a thinner street that wound down the hill. It was clear the bats were heading in some direction, but they were moving quickly. Was the Night Thief really that fast? A better thought was that they were heading to the man's hideout. Perhaps he had an entire underground lair where he kept his prisoners locked up. Maybe he ran an entire business off of selling people.

After all, the Esks were content with slavery, so why not the Night Thief? If Abreigelle had already been sold, Lenore didn't care if she had to travel across the ocean to get her back. She would do it.

Lenore shook her head. That didn't even make sense. Why take Abreigelle of all people? She wasn't particularly skilled in anything, and locked up besides. Why would he break into the cellar to take her, when he could have just stolen someone like Lenore from out of their apartments?

Again, she got the feeling that there was something else she was missing. She needed to get to a library...and Monfreid to read for her.

Suddenly, she stopped running, and watched as the bats flew forward over the edge of a cliff. Lenore found herself pressed against a wooden fence, overlooking the coastline hundreds of feet below. Waves larger than houses crashed against the rocky bluffs, and perched among them was a small, calm alcove where several regal ships were moored. The section of the city by the port was perched like a nest on the side of the bluff, and it looked like the only way to reach it was by a winch-operated platform. However, the bats moved on past that, and then disappeared into the dense marine fog.

Lenore cursed silently and spun. She'd been so busy imagining things on the way here that she had unknowingly wandered into a less-than-nice neighborhood. The houses were all made of aging and salt-washed wood. Many of the townsfolk were drunkards, and she even noticed a few strumpets sitting outside a bar, calling or whistling to the passerby like they were fresh meat. None of the homes or establishments had colored slashes on their doors, a sure sign that even the white priests feared venturing here.

Why do I always do this to myself? Lenore glanced back out to sea. Clearly, they weren't even heading to one place in particular, much less the Night Thief. They probably were just ordinary bats. Her heart began to sink, but the feeling was so familiar that it just passed over her like a river to a stone.

Pulling her hood tighter around her head, Lenore shuffled forward. What direction had she even come from? North, probably, if her gut was right. She couldn't even see the palace from here since the fog had rolled in.

Lenore walked quickly to the edge of the small square, then took a left. Despite keeping her head down, she could already feel strangers' eyes upon her, sizing her up. She walked faster, turning right up a narrow staircase to avoid the stares. There were no streetlights here—only the faint glow of the moons to guide her way, giving everything a haunting blow tinge.