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Authors: Lori M. Lee
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to him.
I should leave now. Slip away and disappear into the Labyrinth until he gave up. A good friend would have done that.
I didn’t. I didn’t want to do this alone. How could I be so selfish?
Like we promised, Avan and I stopped first at the bank. Once they checked my ID with the registry, I arranged for twelve hundred credits to be transferred to Dusty Jax. I hated losing so much money, but I didn’t regret it. And I didn’t bother removing Avan’s access to my funds.
We headed to Avan’s shop next. He said he had something that would get us across the Outlands.
Light from the shop cast dim blocks on the sidewalk and outlined the pole of a broken lamppost. I headed for the front door, but Avan’s hand on my arm stopped me.
“This way,” he said, and we cut around the shop through the alley.
A shed was nestled in the back beside the trash bins. Avan undid the padlock and pulled open the door. The rusted hinges screeched so loudly that I expected Avan’s dad to come rushing out the back door in search of burglars.
He didn’t, of course. He was probably passed out and wouldn’t wake even if a herd of Grays ripped through the shop.
Avan lit a lantern sitting on a crate against the wall. The light shone across a cramped space filled with barrels, boxes, and a cart connected to a Gray. The creature had been crafted in the form of a horse, the same shape as most of the North District’s Grays. The glow from the lantern caught the curves of its body, burnishing the drab metal.
“I didn’t know you had a Gray,” I said. I’d never been this close to a resting one before. There were plenty of North District Grays, but no one would risk leaving theirs out in the open when it wasn’t in use.
Avan’s lay on the dusty floor, its legs curled beneath, looking unnervingly like it was sleeping.
Avan reached behind the Gray and unlatched the cart. “I bought this to deliver packages,” he said. “It needed a lot of work, so I got it cheap. I don’t use it much, but it’s nice to have when I do need it.”
He pushed the Gray onto its side before opening a panel in its chest. A red energy stone about the size of my fist was fitted into a metal bed. I didn’t know much about how the Grays worked, only that no smithy could make the creature run without the magic of an energy stone.
“Won’t your dad need this?”
“I’m the one who takes and fills orders. Dad won’t even notice it’s missing.” Avan poked the stone, which flickered red briefly, highlighting the bridge of his nose and the curve of his lips. “This isn’t going to last if we’re going to the Void.”
According to the map, the Outlands stretched a solid five hundred miles east to the forest. Depending on how fast the Gray was, it could take us a full day or longer to reach the Void.
“Is this going to outrun the gargoyles?” Considering our school texts claimed the gargoyles had either eaten the rest of the native wildlife or driven them into hiding in the forest, speed was a pressing concern.
“Won’t matter if it doesn’t even make it halfway across the Outlands.”
“We should take the energy stone from the Raging Bull,” I said. “I’m sure Joss could afford another one with the credits he got selling Reev.” I wanted to do a lot worse than steal his energy stone, but those dark, violent urges scared me. And they would disappoint Reev.
“Would you really do that?” Avan asked without looking up. Shadows carved deep lines into his face where the light from the lantern didn’t reach.
“No,” I admitted. “There are a lot of workers in the building. Joss would make all of them pay for it.”
Avan shut the panel. “Come on.”
He dropped his bag into a compartment behind the saddle and pushed the controls along the Gray’s neck. I flinched when the creature rose to its feet. Sheets of overlapping metal made up its body, and despite the rust and scratches, they rippled smoothly in eerie mimicry of muscles
I should leave now. Slip away and disappear into the Labyrinth until he gave up. A good friend would have done that.
I didn’t. I didn’t want to do this alone. How could I be so selfish?
Like we promised, Avan and I stopped first at the bank. Once they checked my ID with the registry, I arranged for twelve hundred credits to be transferred to Dusty Jax. I hated losing so much money, but I didn’t regret it. And I didn’t bother removing Avan’s access to my funds.
We headed to Avan’s shop next. He said he had something that would get us across the Outlands.
Light from the shop cast dim blocks on the sidewalk and outlined the pole of a broken lamppost. I headed for the front door, but Avan’s hand on my arm stopped me.
“This way,” he said, and we cut around the shop through the alley.
A shed was nestled in the back beside the trash bins. Avan undid the padlock and pulled open the door. The rusted hinges screeched so loudly that I expected Avan’s dad to come rushing out the back door in search of burglars.
He didn’t, of course. He was probably passed out and wouldn’t wake even if a herd of Grays ripped through the shop.
Avan lit a lantern sitting on a crate against the wall. The light shone across a cramped space filled with barrels, boxes, and a cart connected to a Gray. The creature had been crafted in the form of a horse, the same shape as most of the North District’s Grays. The glow from the lantern caught the curves of its body, burnishing the drab metal.
“I didn’t know you had a Gray,” I said. I’d never been this close to a resting one before. There were plenty of North District Grays, but no one would risk leaving theirs out in the open when it wasn’t in use.
Avan’s lay on the dusty floor, its legs curled beneath, looking unnervingly like it was sleeping.
Avan reached behind the Gray and unlatched the cart. “I bought this to deliver packages,” he said. “It needed a lot of work, so I got it cheap. I don’t use it much, but it’s nice to have when I do need it.”
He pushed the Gray onto its side before opening a panel in its chest. A red energy stone about the size of my fist was fitted into a metal bed. I didn’t know much about how the Grays worked, only that no smithy could make the creature run without the magic of an energy stone.
“Won’t your dad need this?”
“I’m the one who takes and fills orders. Dad won’t even notice it’s missing.” Avan poked the stone, which flickered red briefly, highlighting the bridge of his nose and the curve of his lips. “This isn’t going to last if we’re going to the Void.”
According to the map, the Outlands stretched a solid five hundred miles east to the forest. Depending on how fast the Gray was, it could take us a full day or longer to reach the Void.
“Is this going to outrun the gargoyles?” Considering our school texts claimed the gargoyles had either eaten the rest of the native wildlife or driven them into hiding in the forest, speed was a pressing concern.
“Won’t matter if it doesn’t even make it halfway across the Outlands.”
“We should take the energy stone from the Raging Bull,” I said. “I’m sure Joss could afford another one with the credits he got selling Reev.” I wanted to do a lot worse than steal his energy stone, but those dark, violent urges scared me. And they would disappoint Reev.
“Would you really do that?” Avan asked without looking up. Shadows carved deep lines into his face where the light from the lantern didn’t reach.
“No,” I admitted. “There are a lot of workers in the building. Joss would make all of them pay for it.”
Avan shut the panel. “Come on.”
He dropped his bag into a compartment behind the saddle and pushed the controls along the Gray’s neck. I flinched when the creature rose to its feet. Sheets of overlapping metal made up its body, and despite the rust and scratches, they rippled smoothly in eerie mimicry of muscles
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