Shadow Walker

Teegan

Teegan's inner city apartment wasn't an 'apartment' at all, but a living situation that would give Montague a field day. Located in the old Atundan University grounds, on the top story of the demolition-marked section of the science building, Teegan led him with the irrational confidence of someone who'd become so used to being a squatter, she'd almost forgotten it was even slightly unusual.

Dec paused at the base of a plastic-covered scaffold and a set of stairs and checked the time. Their journey back to Atunda had taken longer than expected, partly due to the fact that Frankenstein refused to go more than 50 km an hour and Teegan's habit of slowing down every time they passed the city's infamous scrap metal sculptures that lined the freeway.

"That's Minister Bloomfriar," she'd said as they'd passed the hulking desert fly with bulging eyes made from mosquito coils and spindly legs from an old television antenna. "And Officer Montague," she'd added of the large crustacean with a shell cut from a series of car doors. And finally, "That's Lazar Moto," about the scarecrow with the funny neck handkerchief made from razor wire.

"How do you know Lazar?" Dec had asked, discomfort spiking at the mention of the name.

"Chook knows him," Teegan had said. "Lazar has been trying to recruit him for some special assignment. Which is why we were fighting."

Dec had fallen silent after that. While he was sure the curl of Teegan's lip, betrayed her true feelings about the magician. He couldn't be sure. And he didn't want to say anything to get himself in trouble.

"Maybe I can get the money from you another time," he said now, pausing for breath between one rickety flight of stairs and the next. He thought of Chook, the grappler, and didn't fancy having his head split open if he got caught going up to Teegan's apartment. And then there was Lazar. If Teegan and Chook bought their luminite from Lazar, by selling Teegan his luminite, was he undercutting Lazar's market? The last thing he wanted was for such a rich and powerful man to think he was a rat.

Teegan turned back down the stairs. "Why? Think I'll try to make a pass at you or something?" She winked.

Dec flushed. "... no, of course not."

"Well, what's the problem? It's not much further. And I'll pay you in advance for the next lot."

Dec looked up and thought of Adele. He should've simply said goodbye to Teegan at the train stop and got himself home to check on her. Too late now.

"Bloody hell," he muttered to himself. Better get this over with.

Teegan's 'apartment' not so much an apartment as an old, disused laboratory—white, sterile, bathed in cool moonlight from a single, tiny, pane-less window on the far side. Stainless steel trestle tables lined each wall.

Her footsteps echoed on the cement floor as she made her way to a gas burner just inside the entrance, positioned it beneath a retort stand holding a conical flask of bright blue liquid. Around the room, more conical flasks with identical substances stood at meter intervals, connected by a thin strand of copper wire. After a few seconds, the liquid in the first flask glowed a pale blue and the copper wire buzzed. Soon the next flask glowed blue and so on until the perimeter of the room was lit by the nine glowing flasks.

Dec felt his breath escape. "How...?"

"Not many people know you can use luminite this way," Teegan said. "Lasts as long as a light bulb. It's cheaper than running electricity. Just don't try it unless you've got the right equipment. I almost gave myself a new hairstyle once by accidentally mixing my methods."

"Impressive."

Teegan sighed. "Chook didn't think so."

"So... this is where you live?"