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“That’s not reassuring.”
“Well, if you ask me, I think it would be less reassuring if I was an expert in dangerous weapons used to subjugate the most skilled fighters in the city. That would make my spare time activities kind of dangerous for everyone, not to mention my personality and—”
“Harm?” Nadia broke in.
“Yes?” He smiled at her and then remembered himself. “Oh right. Am I sure? As sure as I can be, considering I don’t have any other mages helping.”
The city mages were holed up in the Palace, keeping the city going. From what the Ghosts could tell, Kassemyr had not harmed them, because the city was, in fact, functioning. The surface sky was reflected down in the underground city, the water flowed in its pipes, the sewers functioned and so did all the other things the mages controlled to keep the city livable. Every creature in the city relied on them, regardless of what side they were on.
“This contraption is a remarkable mix of machinery and magic working together, and the witch who created it is dead.” He swallowed hard at that. He’d been the one to kill her and he’d had no choice at the time.
“There’s nothing to be done about that, Harm,” she told him. “You did what you had to do.”
“Yes, well …” He cleared his throat. “You asked how far we’ve come. With the stabilizers, which they obviously had to be able to make more bombs, I have everything I need. Except for the poison.”
“And how do we get that?” Marika asked him.
“Don’t really know,” he said, looking forlorn despite what he’d accomplished so far. “I don’t know what poison they used to knock everyone out. I have no clue. But I’m also not sure if knowing will help us anyway.”
Nadia frowned. “Because we’re looking to take out the hybrids, not humans and half-breeds?”
“Exactly,” he beamed at her but sobered fast again. “They’re incredibly strong. Whatever takes them out must be stronger.”
“We’re not here to make them sleep, Chronicler,” Marika told him, her eyes hard. “They are vicious murderers. Every day, people disappear, and the so-called blood donors suffer and too often die. These are not creatures we can contain, nor would they spare us if we tried.”
“I understand,” he told her, though he didn’t hide how uncomfortable he was. His expression was mirrored on Victoria’s face. It was understandable, considering they were now closer to the Ghosts’ reality. “But I still don’t know what to use. We’ll only have that one chance.”
“And that needs to involve the Wraiths,” Nadia said and withdrew the Anemoi newt amulets she brought back. She handed them to Harmiston. “Could you check those and see if they can be of any use to us?”
Harmiston grinned and took them over to the worktable.
“If those are like yours,” Marika said, staring at the amulets, “then they will be useful indeed.”
“We need more bland asphodel too,” Nadia added.
“We have lots,” Harmiston pointed out.
“Then it was a bad batch. They expire too soon.”
He turned and eyed her blood-stained clothes again. “If that’s what caused that to happen, then yes. We need to steal some more.”
Chapter 3
“Iknow we’ve basically been reduced to thieves and all, but I kind of like this,” Harmiston said, keeping his voice low despite the distance to their intended target. He had his shield up to prevent anyone from hearing them, but it didn’t conceal their voices, only other sounds. It couldn’t be seen by the naked eye either, except for when he conjured it.
Nadia kept her eyes on the little shop across the street. They were both seated on top of the building directly opposite a seven-story building, with a good vantage point up among the gargoyles under the awning. The petrified creatures glared at the city below them, fangs and tongues out, some of them ready to leap from the height, others curled up under the roof.
“I mean, it’s nice to get some fresh air, at least.”
Nadia smiled a close-mouthed smile. “Maybe you should have taken a break sooner?”
“The bomb wasn’t finished until today,” he reasoned, like that was a perfectly sound explanation for not taking any breaks in weeks. Except for sleeping a few hours a night and barely eating, if someone remembered to stuff a sandwich into his face. He’d been at it almost constantly.
“Remember when you used to tease me about how sitting down isn’t dangerous?” she asked him innocently.
“I … hmm,” he frowned and tried to hold back a smile, only half succeeding. “Anyway, all I’m saying is, spending time with your, uh, lovely friends is a nice change of pace.” He indicated the grotesque creatures with a quick wave.
“It’s usually quieter when I’m alone with them.”
