contacts. Reese’s jaw tightened. Over eight years of hunting and being hunted, and nothing had really changed. She was still hunting with a blindfold.
The burly swimmer struck out toward deeper water, sending ripples of foam across the sea, like diamonds on purple velvet. The rescued man turned toward the pier. One hand raised, as if in farewell, then he flickered out of sight, invisible.
I hope you find safety , Reese thought. There were rumors of life being easier on the mainland. She had even heard that the king’s ban applied only to the island. But they were only rumors.
Another whiff of sickly-sweet air caught her attention. The mists. She glanced up at the night sky. Wisps and tendrils of violet shone in the moonlight, ready to mark whatever it brushed against.
“Time to run, Nie,” she said. “Here it comes.”
3
“You know,” Niela panted as she ran along beside Reese, her feet thudding on the narrow strip of dead grass, “there’s a reason for curfew.”
Reese glanced at her friend. You’ve never blamed me for getting stained before. The veiled accusation in Niela’s words stung. She doesn’t mean it that way. A corner of her mind latched onto the possibilities. Reese frowned and tried to override the suspicions. That was the trouble with her mind. Her gift. It saw things that others couldn’t. She didn’t mean it , she repeated to herself, driving it in with all the force she could. “I’ll get us back safely,” she said. “I always do.”
As they turned the corner into Fisherman’s Road, the fog grew thicker. It must be raining somewhere . Reese slowed her pace. It’s coming in too fast.
Niela gave her a sidelong look.
Reese turned away and focused. More and more thoughts rushed in. The noise in her head grew louder. This isn’t a panic situation , she reminded herself. The worst that can happen is getting marked. She shut down extra factors. Save some of that computing strength for later. Reese stretched a stiff shoulder, letting the options play as her ability worked. What I wouldn’t give for a really good flyer right now. She glanced up at the swirling mass—now thick enough to hide patches of the velvet sky. “How much shifting have you got left?” she asked.
“As much as you need,” Niela replied. She folded her arms and watched Reese through narrowed eyes.
I wish I were that confident. “Enough for a sustained two-person? I don’t think we can run fast enough if I hang onto you.”
The self-assurance drained from Niela’s face, then sprang back. “I’ll sure give it a try,” she said. She checked her gun holsters, clapped her hands together, and dropped into a fighter’s stance.
Reese looked down the long street ahead. “All right.” We’ll have to be careful. She pointed at the row of old shops to their right. “We’ll run along there.” She pulled her black vest tight. “If you make a big enough gravity shift, the distortion around the field should push the mist away.” She eyed her friend. I hope she’s not showing off. “If it gets really bad we might have to spiral, so stick close.”
Niela flexed her arms. “‘Stick close’? You’re the one who’s going to have to do the sticking close.” The world suddenly tilted right.
Reese fought the urge to lean away from the tilt and crouched for a reverse angle. The disturbed fog began streaming away from them towards the storefronts.
“What I wouldn’t give for some rash right now,” Niela grunted, crouching.
Reese flinched at the word. You swore off that drink years ago. “Just focus.”
With a sickening lurch, the bottom of the world dropped out, and Reese plummeted sideways toward the near buildings. Calculations streamed through her mind and she landed on her feet. Over her head, a sky of buildings disappeared as the fog swirled toward it, lifting as if pushed away by a giant hand.
Reese ran across a storefront in the wake of her friend, keeping an eye on the dark mists above. One
The burly swimmer struck out toward deeper water, sending ripples of foam across the sea, like diamonds on purple velvet. The rescued man turned toward the pier. One hand raised, as if in farewell, then he flickered out of sight, invisible.
I hope you find safety , Reese thought. There were rumors of life being easier on the mainland. She had even heard that the king’s ban applied only to the island. But they were only rumors.
Another whiff of sickly-sweet air caught her attention. The mists. She glanced up at the night sky. Wisps and tendrils of violet shone in the moonlight, ready to mark whatever it brushed against.
“Time to run, Nie,” she said. “Here it comes.”
3
“You know,” Niela panted as she ran along beside Reese, her feet thudding on the narrow strip of dead grass, “there’s a reason for curfew.”
Reese glanced at her friend. You’ve never blamed me for getting stained before. The veiled accusation in Niela’s words stung. She doesn’t mean it that way. A corner of her mind latched onto the possibilities. Reese frowned and tried to override the suspicions. That was the trouble with her mind. Her gift. It saw things that others couldn’t. She didn’t mean it , she repeated to herself, driving it in with all the force she could. “I’ll get us back safely,” she said. “I always do.”
As they turned the corner into Fisherman’s Road, the fog grew thicker. It must be raining somewhere . Reese slowed her pace. It’s coming in too fast.
Niela gave her a sidelong look.
Reese turned away and focused. More and more thoughts rushed in. The noise in her head grew louder. This isn’t a panic situation , she reminded herself. The worst that can happen is getting marked. She shut down extra factors. Save some of that computing strength for later. Reese stretched a stiff shoulder, letting the options play as her ability worked. What I wouldn’t give for a really good flyer right now. She glanced up at the swirling mass—now thick enough to hide patches of the velvet sky. “How much shifting have you got left?” she asked.
“As much as you need,” Niela replied. She folded her arms and watched Reese through narrowed eyes.
I wish I were that confident. “Enough for a sustained two-person? I don’t think we can run fast enough if I hang onto you.”
The self-assurance drained from Niela’s face, then sprang back. “I’ll sure give it a try,” she said. She checked her gun holsters, clapped her hands together, and dropped into a fighter’s stance.
Reese looked down the long street ahead. “All right.” We’ll have to be careful. She pointed at the row of old shops to their right. “We’ll run along there.” She pulled her black vest tight. “If you make a big enough gravity shift, the distortion around the field should push the mist away.” She eyed her friend. I hope she’s not showing off. “If it gets really bad we might have to spiral, so stick close.”
Niela flexed her arms. “‘Stick close’? You’re the one who’s going to have to do the sticking close.” The world suddenly tilted right.
Reese fought the urge to lean away from the tilt and crouched for a reverse angle. The disturbed fog began streaming away from them towards the storefronts.
“What I wouldn’t give for some rash right now,” Niela grunted, crouching.
Reese flinched at the word. You swore off that drink years ago. “Just focus.”
With a sickening lurch, the bottom of the world dropped out, and Reese plummeted sideways toward the near buildings. Calculations streamed through her mind and she landed on her feet. Over her head, a sky of buildings disappeared as the fog swirled toward it, lifting as if pushed away by a giant hand.
Reese ran across a storefront in the wake of her friend, keeping an eye on the dark mists above. One
Similar Books
Dreamspinner
Olivia Drake
Fool's Errand
Maureen Fergus
An Arm and a Leg
Olive Balla
Holding Hannah
Maren Smith
Pop Goes the Weasel
James Patterson
Love
Toni Morrison
The Crowstarver
Dick King-Smith
The Office of the Dead
Andrew Taylor
Taking Tessa
Aria Cole