Meadowcity Read online

  The dirty man on the right narrowed his eyes at Sylvia and Flint, but the other man just waved them on.

  “Get back to the mine then,” the man missing a finger grunted at Ven, nodding back in the direction of Flint’s villa. “You should know better.”

  Ven nodded, eyes down, and turned back.

  Sylvia sucked in another breath, and Flint nudged her forward, pretending to get his balance.

  The adrenaline pouring through Sylvia made her jittery, and she reached out to grab Flint’s upper arm as they passed onto the other half of the bridge. They could hear the two men continuing in the other direction, following Ven. Sylvia’s breath was coming quick now and she forced herself to make it to the end of the bridge, where two globes were cheerfully shining on top of some broken stone pillars.

  No, no, no, Ven! Sylvia thought of the map, tucked into her vest. How would he find them?

  They reached the end of the bridge, and both gratefully stepped onto the solid stone. Sylvia forced herself to breathe properly as Flint nudged her to the right.

  She let go of his arm, and, realizing her grip must have become painful, said, “Sorry.”

  She could see him rubbing his arm as they walked along the path, which was nearly empty but for one person far ahead of them, walking swiftly in the same direction.

  They walked along the path for a few minutes in silence, and Sylvia shivered as a light wind came up from the rift.

  All she could think about was Ven. She hoped he would go back to Flint’s villa, but what if those guards follow him? He might have to go to the mine. What are they doing, making people work in the mine all hours of the day?

  Next to them, on the level below, they heard uneven footsteps coming up the stairs. Sylvia and Flint slowed, not wanting the person coming up behind them.

  The head of a woman appeared and she glanced briefly at them before hurrying towards the Hall with a pronounced limp. Sylvia let out the breath she was holding. She didn’t know how many Skycity guards there were wandering the paths—but it was to their luck that the citizens were allowed to walk about by themselves, for now anyway. The path narrowed as Sylvia and Flint met up with the staircase, and continued on, following the woman at a distance.

  “It’s so quiet,” Flint breathed.

  Sylvia nodded. It was eerily so, no sound other than the breeze howling in the rift below, and their footsteps on the path.

  Sylvia had a thought and bent down and rubbed her palms in the white stone dust on the path. Straightening, she began to rub it along her hands and smack some of it onto her clothes as she kept walking. Flint looked over at her in the near darkness, trying to figure out what she was doing.

  “We’ve been working in the mine all day,” she said.

  He nodded in understanding, raising a corner of his mouth in a half smile as he bent down and grabbed some stone dust, slapping it on.

  Sylvia thought about Ven, hoping he wouldn’t actually get stuck working in the mine. But there was nothing her and Flint could do about it now, besides continue with their mission.

  Several minutes later, they reached a wider staircase leading up. Sylvia remembered from Flint’s directions that this one led directly to the Hall.

  She took a steadying breath and they mounted the wide staircase. Light poured down from the top, as they must have lit all of the lamps on the Hall’s veranda. Sylvia could see a figure standing stiffly at the top of the staircase.

  They reached the top and ignored the Skycity guard, which was apparently the thing to do, as he ignored them back. Turning towards the Hall, they crossed the veranda and made their way to the immense doorway between the columns. Four large white columns held up the intricately carved arch set at the top of the Hall. The lights around the veranda highlighted the men standing guard. Most of them carried bulging packs on their back, over their leather and fur lined vests.

  They swiftly crossed the veranda, the beautifully carved stonework lost under Sylvia’s feet, as she focused on nothing but reaching the door, and looking normal to the guards. It was a good thing there wasn’t some sort of curfew yet. Sylvia thought they must still be working on getting organized in their occupation of Riftcity.

  They took the few steps up and passed through the immense columns, entering the foyer. More guards stood at the door, each heavily armed, but they all carried those heavy packs. Sylvia held her breath as they passed under the doorway, and entered the Hall.

  The echoing noise of a huge amount of people met them as they entered the hallway. A few citizens were hurriedly making their way down to the end of the hall, and Sylvia and Flint followed them. They were going to the Great Room, which Sylvia had seen only a few times in her journeys here.

  The large arched door was open only on one side, and they stepped out onto the wide landing, stairs leading off to the left and right.

  She looked to the left and her heart stopped. A massive grey wolf stood glaring at them, held back by a tether in the firm grip of one of the Skycity men. Sylvia took a shaky breath and they turned to the right, hoping to ignore them.

  Her eyes swept the room as they descended the stairway to the right, her heart pounding still. You really can fit all of Riftcity in here, Sylvia thought, though there must be people working in the mine still. It was loud, but not what Sylvia expected for such a number of people.

  The Skycity men stationed around the room were clearly the reason for the low volume level. Sylvia could pick them out easily, since everyone around them gave them a wide berth. From what she could tell, the wolf at the door was the only one in here. Maybe they didn’t like the crowd.

  They reached the bottom of the stair, and Sylvia hesitated. Flint subtly nudged her down a makeshift aisle. Not many people looked up at them, but Sylvia was starting to worry that Flint would be recognized, especially since Skycity had been searching his villa looking for him. They must have tried to account for everyone, to make sure they had all of their citizens on lockdown.

  The Skycity guards inside all had those heavy backpacks too. The men, and a few women, were stationed along the walls at regular intervals and the corners of the Great Room.

  The Riftcitizens were all packed on the floor in loose rows. Families camped out one next to another, with blankets marking where they slept. The far back corner had many people spread on blankets and cots in an organized way. Citizens Sylvia recognized as Healers walked through them, caring for injuries.

  Those people that they passed in the aisles had burns too, but manageable ones. Though, as they continued, Sylvia noticed some injuries weren’t just from the fires. One man playing with his daughter looked as if he had been beaten up, his eye was swollen shut and he held his arm to his chest with a sling.

  Flint led the way through the crowd, muttering to Sylvia, “We have to find somewhere to stay put, until we can find Ember.”

  Keeping her voice low, though the people around them covered their conversation well enough, Sylvia said, “See anyone you know?—trust?” she corrected.

  Flint scanned the faces of people they passed, as they walked slowly. They couldn’t wander around the room forever though, attracting notice of the guards.

  “There,” Flint said, almost inaudibly as they passed a family with a screaming infant.

  “Turn right down here.”

  They followed another weaving aisle through the masses, some of them passing the time with low conversation, others just lying on their blankets staring up at the ceiling. Sylvia could see a tired looking older woman down at the end of the aisle carrying a basket of bread, handing it out in what seemed like routine. A sharp featured woman from Skycity followed close behind her, hand on the knife at her hip.

  Only a few paces away from the bread woman, Flint casually grabbed Sylvia’s arm and led her to sit by a woman about the age of Sylvia’s mother, with fading red hair. The woman glanced at them but looked up as the bread woman approached. Sylvia and Flint reached up to take their ration like everyone else.

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sp; The guard woman from Skycity was narrowing her eyes at one of the families across the way, which Sylvia was thankful for. She didn’t know how intently they were trying to find Flint, or if they even knew what he looked like.

  Sylvia bit into her loaf of bread nervously as the two women continued down the aisle, making slow progress. The woman they had sat next to now turned to them, but continued eating her bread as if she had expected them.

  Her eyes were a beautiful cross between green and grey, and Sylvia stared into them. Her heart-shaped face was framed by ringlets of muted red hair which dropped down to her shoulders. Soft wrinkles creased around her eyes as she narrowed them at Flint. A slow grin formed at her lips.

  “Long day in the mine?” she asked, her eyes glinting.

  Flint swallowed the bread in his mouth, returning her grin.

  “Like I walked to Meadowcity and back.”

  The woman raised her eyebrows and looked at Sylvia appraisingly, then back at Flint.

  “You know, someone was looking for you earlier,” she said meaningfully, shifting her eyes to the Skycity guard pacing down the aisle.

  “I know,” he said, taking another bite of bread.

  There was a commotion across the aisle when a toddler tripped, dropping his morsel of bread onto the ground. He began crying loudly, and everything the mother did to soothe him went unnoticed. He wailed in his mother’s arms, and Sylvia was glad for the noise.

  Flint leaned into Sylvia’s shoulder and said, “This is my aunt Rekha; Rekha, this is Sylvia. She’s a Rider.”

  Rekha reached for Sylvia’s hand in her lap and squeezed it, smiling.

  Sylvia squeezed back, as the woman whispered “It’s nice to meet you.”

  The toddler next door was working up quite a crying fit, and the mother desperately tried to hush him as the dirty looks from the neighboring people increased.

  Sylvia turned to face Rekha, “Do you know where Ember is?” she asked, hoping to get out of the Hall as soon as possible. Despite being buried in the crowd, Sylvia felt very much trapped.

  “We saw her with some guards earlier,” Flint offered, worry in his voice.

  Rekha nodded.

  “She’s been stirring up trouble again,” her eyes on the crying toddler, now being offered another piece of bread by his father.

  “I haven’t seen her since the mine this morning. We have the same shift, and she’s been camping out here with me.”

  Sylvia stuffed the last bit of her bread into her mouth, and wiped her hands free of crumbs.

  Rekha straightened suddenly, and reached behind her, bringing out a nearly empty water skin and handing it to Flint. “Why don’t you go get me some water from the tap, hon,” she said, pointing behind her down the great wall, her eyes darting to the entrance. “It’s all the way in the corner.”

  Flint stood obediently, knowing she was getting rid of him, leaving Sylvia sitting facing Rekha. She watched Rekha’s eyes track someone behind her for a minute as they sat quietly, and she tried to relax into a better sitting position, hoping that Rekha wasn’t about to turn her in or something. Rekha smoothed her red and black frock against her leggings, looking down.

  “Rekha!” a man cried out jovially a few paces behind Sylvia.

  Rekha put a smile on her face and looked up, “Apex, how’s your evening?” she said breathily, but it brought on a coughing fit.

  The man came to stand above them, and Rekha stood, grabbing Sylvia’s hand as she rose. Sylvia quickly put her legs under her and stood straight. Facing them was an enormous Skycity guard, still towering over them even though they now stood. He too wore a heavy-looking leather pack on his back. Looking at it closer now, Sylvia could see it bulging with lots of round, globe shaped objects. Apex sheathed his long knife, the ringing sound sending a shiver down Sylvia’s back.

  “Just fine, just fine,” he said, adjusting his pack and easing the straps to rest on his thick leather vest. White fur stuck out of his collar, and Sylvia thought he must be hot in here with all these people.

  “And who’s this now?” he asked, peering down at Sylvia.

  Sylvia’s stomach tightened, but Rekha’s grip on her hand was reassuring, and the woman spoke first.

  Rekha cleared her throat.

  “My old partner’s daughter—come to try and convince me to switch shifts with her.”

  Sylvia shrugged, “It was worth a shot,” she said and glanced up at Apex. His dark skin held a light coat of stone dust, and Sylvia forced herself to look into his eyes, a deep brown.

  Apex spared a nod for Sylvia and turned back to Rekha.

  “Listen,” he said, his deep voice rumbling through the background noise. “I need you to talk to that niece of yours,” Sylvia was shocked to see him put a hand on her shoulder. “Next time she acts out at the Scouts, they’re going to do something a lot worse than give her another shift.”

  Rekha nodded, looking into his deep blue eyes.

  “I know, she’s a troublemaker,” she smiled charmingly. “It just runs in the family I guess,” she shrugged. Sylvia figured she was talking about Flint’s noted disappearance.

  “Not with you I hope,” Apex said, managing to look stern and smitten all at once, a sly smile bringing up the corners of his mouth.

  “Didn’t come from my side of the family.”

  Apex chuckled. “Anyway, have a word with her, will you?”

  Rekha nodded, and Apex reached for her hand, squeezing it in parting before turning to Sylvia and nodding, “Miss.”

  He walked away and Rekha’s cheeks flushed red as they both sat back down. There was a ripple of motion as everyone around them turned away, pretending they hadn’t been watching.

  The toddler across the way had stopped screaming long ago, and was now sucking happily on another piece of bread. Sylvia looked around the perimeter of the room for Flint, wondering if he had seen.

  She saw his head bobbing along the wall, slowly pacing towards their aisle. He carried the full water skin like it weighed nothing. His eyes were pinched, his brow creased in worry.

  Sylvia didn’t know what to make of it—only that Rekha hadn’t turned them in. But she seemed to be quite familiar with Apex.

  Flint reached them and silently handed the water skin to Rekha. Sylvia could see the people around them sneaking glances at their little group. She adjusted her position on the floor, sitting so that she could get up quickly. She wished they hadn’t attracted so much attention.

  “She’s not here,” Sylvia said quietly, “She’s in the mine again.”

  Flint’s eyes darted to his aunt as he carefully sat.

  Rekha shifted uncomfortably.

  “It’s not what you think,” she said.

  Sylvia noticed the Scouts were moving around the Hall, telling people off for talking now.

  “We need to get going,” Flint muttered to Sylvia.

  “Not til the shift bell, I wouldn’t.”

  They stared at her.

  “It’s too late,” she whispered. “They’re shutting everyone in for the night. You should rest.”

  Flint grunted, and Rekha handed him a blanket. Flint tried to pass it to Sylvia but she shook her head no. There was no way she could sleep right now.

  Chapter Twenty Two

  Wide awake in the dimly lit room, Sylvia lay flat on her back against the cool stone floor. Head cradled on her hands, she stared up through the recessed sky window far above, full of darkness. Her eyes followed the intricate square pattern carved fantastically across the ceiling, the dark sky windows contrasting with the bright polished stone.

  Flint and Rekha lay stretched out beside Sylvia on the hard floor. Rekha was curled up with a soft leather blanket, clearly having slept this way for a few weeks now. Sylvia guessed most of the people in the room were asleep, since the expansive room was rather quiet. The sound of coughing would echo around the room every so often.

  Sylvia sat up, unable to lie still any longer, hoping the next mine shift would be star
ting soon. She had been lying awake for several hours as Flint and Rekha slept next to her, Flint a little restlessly. She stretched her legs out and straightened her back, her muscles complaining from the hard stone floor, but the Scouts would have been suspicious if she sat up all night keeping watch. All she had done was think of Ven as she waited for the shift bell. Ember was also on her list. And Sonia. And everyone else back in Meadowcity.

  Sylvia puffed out a breath in annoyance as she looked around the Great Hall, unbelieving that they had gotten stuck in here. The immense room was beautiful though, other than the thousand or so distressed people currently residing on its floor. Massive white columns lined the walls, carved right out of the rock in one enormous slab apiece. Sylvia had only been in this room once before, when she had gotten stuck travelling during Summer’s End one year.

  Sylvia had hated to be away from home for the holiday, but Riftcity had put on a good celebration, and her pay had been tripled for the journey being delayed into the holiday. No Summer’s End celebrations at home this year, she thought bitterly. It was only a few weeks away, and she couldn’t imagine it taking place amid this disaster.

  As she counted on her fingers the days left until Summer’s End, she casually surveyed the hall, noting the Scouts still standing at their posts around the room. Apex was nowhere to be seen, for which Sylvia breathed a sigh of relief.

  Suddenly a loud ringing echoed through the cavernous room, and those not already awake jolted up. That’s gotta be the shift bell. Sylvia grimaced. It sounded like they were using the emergency warning bell to terrorize the Riftcitizens into going off and doing manual labor for them.

  Flint and Rekha both sat straight up at the awful ringing, echoing a thousand times around the hall. Flint locked eyes with Sylvia. It was time to go. There was no time to get any more information from Rekha, a crowd was already clambering for the door.

  Syliva tucked a sandy strand of hair behind her ear and rose, gathering nothing because all she had with her was already on her person, her few weapons safely tucked away. Rekha stood to give Flint a hug, whispering something to him. The older woman turned and gave Sylvia a quick hug as well, surprising her.