Beyond the Void

Chapter 77, Wave of darkness

AERIN

Five moons since the Mark of the Other One blossomed.

Aerin's pace slowed, and she stopped to examine what was happening. The entire outer wall of a two-storey apartment building had collapsed, and among the rubble she could see familiar human shapes. She could not make out their number, but it had to be greater than a dozen.

She had little time to take in the scene as Sonera quickly exchanged a few words with the boys gathered there and rushed past them.

"Hold on a moment. What was that? Sonera!" Aerin shouted.

"The problem I have had to deal with since midday." Sonera panted.

"Is this a joke?" An intense scream of agony interrupted Aerin's thoughts. It came from a few streets ahead of them.

"Does it sound like a joke? Come on!" Sonera urged her along. What on earth was going on? All quips had vanished from Aerin's mind. Something was awfully wrong.

"Sonera!" Aerin snapped suddenly. "We count our losses and we move on."

"What?" Sonera barked as Aerin forced the two of them to a halt.

"You heard me. We don't want to rush."

"Bassor is counting on us! So is Garret." Sonera was about to move on, but Aerin held the girl's shoulder in a firm grip.

"We count our losses for now and we let them think they won. If we keep an eye on them we learn more."

"And if they leave this city?" Sonera demanded.

"Then we praise the Makers we lived through this."

"You are unbelievable. We are being counted on! Did you lose your mind?" Sonera struck Aerin's hand off her shoulder.

"This is wrong. We do not run headfirst into trouble even if trouble stole from us. This is not how we usually handle things! We move unseen."

"Recently you told me it was a tool to keep us obedient!" Sonera barked.

"We live, Sonera. That was not right, the Covenant does not put people through walls. Shut up, you brat!" Aerin barked. "If you want to learn from this situation, then you will follow my lead again. You can swallow your pride. We are going to the bell tower." Sonera still wanted to argue. "That little something I had was knowing when to tell Garret to shove it. They are not always right. That little something is trusting your gut and being a disobedient prick." Aerin marched past Sonera and was glad that the brat followed.

The two women hurried through the streets. Aerin had to make sure they tried but did not rush. Sonera kept hurrying past her all the time. There were times when Aerin had to grab her by the hand and physically pull her back.

Her gut had to be right. Suddenly the city felt dark, cold. Aerin half expected another mark to blossom. There was a hush in the streets. Today, what little sun made it past the rooftops was hazy. They ran alongside strange silence and sudden shouts of pain.

The old bell tower was ahead. Once it had been used to tell the time in the area, now it had become a watchtower for the thieves. Aerin and Sonera each took their own paths up to the rooftops and then further, up the bell tower. Hushed shouts and whistles sounded in the alleys and streets. A few random wanderers stopped and looked around in confusion. Then quickly hurried away.

From up here you could see everything. The entrances to the warrens in three alleys and Narris' Citadel beyond on the skyline. And every street going to and from the bell tower. The rooftops, small balconies and makeshift walkways between buildings were crowded. Only Aerin and Sonera knew where to look for those hidden masses.