New World Ashes (26 page)

I choked back the urge to tell him not to take it.

Triven reached out to take the man’s hand, but he kept a good distance between them, staying barely within arm’s length. Triven’s hand looked small in his grasp. The man’s willowy white fingers folded over his. I cringed at the sight of his touch.

“So it has.” Triven agreed. “My mother will be happy to know you are still alive, Nathanial.”

The man named Nathanial sighed, releasing Triven’s hand. “My sister takes little joy in things. Anger was always easier for her. But perhaps knowing a part of her family still lives would thaw her a little.”

I gaped at the man before us. He was not just some creepy old man.

He was Triven’s creepy
uncle
.

While it was a fact that they shared family, the bond between the two men seemed nearly nonexistent. Even Mouse’s mouth had popped open in surprise. Triven looked at the man as if he was a stranger and there was something dark in Nathanial’s eyes as he looked at his nephew. It made my intuition flare.

“This is Phoenix and Mouse.” Triven introduced us. “This is Nathanial Waters. He is The Sanctuary’s
undertaker
.”

Triven’s slight emphasis on the last word did not go unmissed. Nathanial’s eyes swept over us and I stepped closer to Mouse. However, I noticed something else in those opaque grey eyes as they fell on me. Sorrow and pain swam intermingled with the bitterness I had seen moments ago.

“Why exactly are we
here
, Nathanial?” It took all of my restraint not to glance at the dead body behind him. One hand tightened on my gun as the other grabbed Mouse. Ready to move her.

“I see Ryker has not confided his entire plan to you.” His grey eyes glittered strangely under the opalescent-lit ceiling. “All tunnels are being watched. There is only one way out of The Sanctuary now. With the dead.”

His black-clad arm rose and a bony finger swept over the dead body before landing on the hatch filled with fire.

MY LIPS TWISTED
into a snarl. The gun twitched in my hand.

He was crazy if he thought we were climbing in there. I moved to pull Mouse behind me, but she placed her hand over mine. She squeezed until I looked down at her. Her brown eyes bore into mine as she nodded encouragingly.
Trust,
she was telling me. I took a deep breath but didn’t let go of my weapon.

“And why exactly are
you
helping us, Nathaniel? I don’t recall ever seeing you at any of the meetings.” I scrutinized him. “I don’t even remember hearing your name.”

“I am the rebel’s best kept secret.” Nathanial’s faded eyes studied me. “My reasons are my own, but seeing as I am in the presence of
family,
perhaps I should share.”

He slowly pulled himself up to full height, his eyes becoming hard like steel.

“After the first wave of rebels was disposed of nearly seven years ago, those of us left behind were interrogated.
Especially
the family members.” Nathaniel said. Triven stiffened next to him, his face going slack.

Nathaniel continued, never looking away from me. “I call Arstid my sister, but I am Triven’s uncle by marriage, not by blood. His aunt, Belle, was my perfect mate. While she and I never found love, we did live in perfect unison. Our contract was a sound one and we produced two
perfect
children. Belle and Arstid had been estranged for many years. I barely knew Arstid or her new family.” He shifted his gaze to Triven. “But after you disappeared, my wife was taken in. She was tortured for days before her body gave out. In the end, she confessed to make the pain stop. They obliged. When I received her body, she was utterly unrecognizable.

“Shortly after, my children were taken into the military as recruits, The Minister proclaiming there had been an error on their placement tests. They were both dead before the year was out. Training accidents, the soldiers claimed. But I saw their bodies. I knew the truth.” Nathanial took a steadying breath. He stared at the hatch door in the wall. “I have put my entire family in there. Watched them burn… I
will
see everyone guilty of their deaths blaze for their sins.”

“And are we listed among those guilty?” I asked blatantly. “You would not be the first person in this family to blame children for their parents’ sins.”

There was a minor twitch in the corner of Nathanial’s mouth. “Even though your parents did not directly cause my family’s deaths… I would be lying if I said I did not find them guilty on some level. But I do not relish the idea of killing others’ children. It will not bring back my own.” Nathanial took a deep breath, his hooked nose flaring. “Even if I did seek to harm you, the revenge I truly desire is against The Minister. And from what I understand,
you
are my best chance at getting it.”

“
We
are your
only
chance.” I heavily exaggerated my words, implicating Triven as well.

“How much has Ryker told you about the way out?” Nathaniel questioned. His head tilted to the side. A strange smile played at the corners of his mouth.

“He has informed us about most of the plan.” Triven lied. He watched his uncle with an appraising eye. “But he was taken in for questioning before he could elaborate every detail.”

Nathanial did not look surprised. “Very well. Then I will fill you in.”

Ryker’s plan for evacuating us was well thought out. Down to the most minute details. A voice in the back of my head wondered how much of this he would have told us himself if he had not been taken. I had a feeling there still would have been gaps just in case we were captured. What did Thaddeus say… something about pawns not knowing all of the answers for a reason?

That seemed the case. So few rebels seemed to know all of the details. Even Nathanial only seemed to know his part. The only unwatched tunnel—if you could call it that—out of the city was where the dead bodies were released. The undertaker’s job was to destroy the bodies by placing them in the incinerator. Once the bodies were reduced to ash, they were released through a tunnel outside of The Wall. For years, Tartarus’ air had been unknowingly polluted with the ashes of Sanctuary bodies. As if our own body count wasn’t high enough, we had been stockpiling the Sanctuary’s too.

The only activity monitored by the Ministry’s guard was how many times a day the tunnel was released. One release for each recorded death. One unwanted body dumped at a time. There were seven bodies to be released today so Nathanial had already burned three sets of bodies together, which meant we would be sent through without raising suspicion. Our passing through The Wall would simply look like three more unwanted dead bodies being dumped.

The three of us could not fit all at once. Triven, with his larger frame, would have to go through alone. His broad shoulders were already a concern. The drop chute would be tight for him. Mouse and I, on the other hand, were small enough to fit through together. There were rare times it paid to be small.

The only catch was that the fire must first be activated before the chute could be opened. After I cursed Nathanial, not wanting to die a fiery death, he explained that our suits were not merely bulletproof, but fire-resistant as well. I had stared at the fabric on my arm with heightened curiosity. After providing us with matching gloves and full-face head masks, Nathanial had assured us that all of the weapons would be safe within the packs as well. Since they were the same material as our suits, the majority of the heat would be repelled. There would be no risk of a weapon being ruined or discharging in the flames.

After confirming our boots would perform the same way, I kept my pistol in hand with the intent of stowing it later. Triven had offered to go before Mouse and I, so I thought it important to visually remind Nathanial that I would shoot him if he betrayed us. To prove that the suits would perform as promised, we were to send the packs into the incinerator first.

The fire that had been burning when we arrived was now out. As Nathanial opened the small hatch I partly expected to find a half-burnt body in it. When the door sprang open, however, the small container was immaculate. Scorched, but immaculate. A stench crept out of the rectangular space. It was surprisingly mild, but I could still catch a hint of char mixed with a musky sweet perfume. My stomach flipped over. Mouse covered her nose and mouth.

Triven and I placed our packs inside. Once the door was closed, Nathanial’s fingers crept over a keypad to the left of the opening. Within seconds the entire port-window was engulfed in fire. The air around us rose in temperature. Hesitantly, the three of us stepped away from the door—waiting for a bullet to discharge in the heat or a bomb to activate.

Nothing happened.

Soon the fire went out and Nathanial turned back to us.

“Our family reunion might not be so warm once this war is over.” He warned Triven.

“I would be surprised if it was. Good fortune, Nathanial.” Triven shook his hand again.

“And to you,” Nathanial replied. He opened the now empty container, stepping aside. There was no smell of burning materials, just the rancid sweet scent of long-term decay.

Triven’s lips briefly brushed mine, then Mouse’s forehead.

The hair on my arms rose.

It felt like a goodbye kiss.

He took a deep breath and said, “I will see you on the other side.”

The confidence in his words didn’t reassure me.

I couldn’t say anything. My throat was already closing in panic.

Mouse and I watched in unspoken horror as Triven donned the headpiece Nathanial had given him. His face disappeared behind the shimmering material. I couldn’t help but wonder if I would see those warm eyes again. I slipped the safety off my gun, ready to fire at the first sign of betrayal. Triven’s head turned blindly toward us, then he climbed into the rectangular hole. His broad shoulders grazed the sides of the compartment. I had a pang of claustrophobia watching him. This wasn’t a sewer drain… it was so much worse. We were literally jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire. Willingly.

My heart actually skipped a beat when Nathanial closed the door. The pain in my chest was becoming increasingly real. I could barely see Triven through the dark window, his shadowy figure stirring slightly in the confined space. Then with a flick of white skeleton fingers, all I could see were flames. We were closer this time and I could feel the heat on my face. My palms went numb, but I kept my finger firmly on the trigger. I waited to hear Triven scream, to hear banging from inside. But there was nothing. The flames vanished and when the door opened, the chamber was once again empty. That horrible smell lingered once more in the air, and my panic began to rise.

As I knelt, I carefully slipped the gun back into my boot for safekeeping. My fingers worked numbly, helping Mouse with her mask. Kissing her briefly on the forehead, I whispered. “See you on the other side, beautiful.”

She gave me a shaky smile before pulling down her mask. I inspected it thoroughly and then taking her hand, lead her to the opening. Nathanial watched us with the expression only a father who had lost his children could. I felt pity for the strange, angry man.

“Thank you.” I said.
Don’t kill us.

“Make sure that bastard pays.” He responded.

“I will.” That was one promise I would happily make.

After yanking my own mask down, I was surprised how well I could see through the dark material. It was like looking through tinted glass, not a tightly woven fabric. Scooping up Mouse, I helped her into the person-sized tunnel and crawled in after her. As my feet slid along the tray, her thin arms wrapped around me. Careful not to scrape her suit against the charred sides, I rolled onto my back holding her to my chest. Her toes rested on my shins.

“Close your eyes,” I whispered in her ear. Mouse buried her face in my neck just as the door clicked closed above my head. Shutting my eyes, I clutched her tighter. I couldn’t be sure if I was shaking or if she was.

Without warning, there was a deafening roar. Even with my eyes closed, it looked like daylight. The bright light bore into my retinas, making my eyes water beneath the mask. Warmth began to envelope our bodies—the intensity escalating, but not yet painful.

But something was wrong.

Pure fright enveloped me. The heat was swallowing the air around us and my lungs were beginning to ache with lack of oxygen. The panic rose higher, but I couldn’t even find enough air to scream. I wanted to reach for my gun, to shoot out the tiny window, but I couldn’t risk it discharging in the heat and hitting Mouse.

Oh, god! Is this why Triven made no sound? Had I just watched him suffocate to death and willingly followed?!

The tiny body in my arms began to spasm as she too gasped for air. My lungs felt full of molten lava. New tears of panic and anger fell with the others. Mouse was going to die in my arms and I could do nothing to save her.

JUST WHEN I
thought our lives were over, the floor suddenly fell out from beneath me and the fire vanished. After the searing heat, it was like being dropped into a bucket of cold water. We were blind in the sudden darkness, but I could breathe. Air rushed past my ears in a whir. My back slammed into a metal surface, knocking out what little air was left from my lungs. A hollow thud echoed in the confined space as my head cracked against the hard shell. Mouse’s head slammed into my collarbone and I heard a snap that was accompanied by searing pain. My ears rang like a bell as I coughed out a startled breath. Air rushed into my lungs quenching their thirst, but there was no time to feel relief. We were still moving.

My whole body pitched forward feet first. The tunnel was whipping by at an alarming speed. I couldn’t see it, but I could feel it. The back of my suit was quickly heating with friction. My shoulders shifted back and forth ricocheting off the sides of the cramped tunnel. I didn’t dare raise my head. Fearing our inevitable fall, I stuck my boots out trying to find purchase—trying to slow us down. There was nothing. So we did the only thing we could do. Mouse and I clung to each other. It felt like an eternity in the darkness, like the fall would never end. Then the darkness seemed to dissipate, its thick bonds diluting with light. My eyes finally caught sight of the silver tunnel surrounding us, then it was gone. Everything but Mouse’s body disappeared. For a brief second I saw a sickly green night sky, then a pillow of dust swallowed us whole.

I couldn’t see anything. And I couldn’t breathe again. Instinct told me to rip the mask from my face, but another voice in my head told me not to.

Grabbing Mouse around the waist I thrust her in the direction I thought was up. Her arms and legs flailed in the mass surrounding us. The world around us floated and shifted in the air, allowing us to suck in a breath before falling back down to choke us again.

I knew what it was.

“Don’t take off your mask!” I screamed to her. “Don’t take off your mask!”

A large hand grabbed over the top of mine and Mouse was gone. I pushed my way up and the hands found me again. Yanking me from the sea of grey, Triven hauled me onto the top of the old vehicle we had narrowly missed. He hugged us both to him. He was shaking nearly as bad as I was.

“I thought we were going to suffocate.” I pushed away gasping, thinking of the fire.

“I did too… I thought he betrayed us.” Triven panted, hugging Mouse closer.

Me too.
She signed with shaking hands.

The three of us sat wheezing on the rusted-out old vehicle. None of us had removed our gloves or masks, the silvery black material now coated white with ash.

Despite my nose being covered, it still registered that the air here was rank. I looked up from where we had fallen. The hole looked much too small for a body to pass through, inset in the enormous wall. I had nearly forgotten just how foreboding the metal goliath of a wall was. A small cloud of grey steam billowed from a pipe next to the chute we had just vacated. The stench of burning flesh was carried with it. Ventilation. I repressed a gag.

Desperately needing to look at anything else, I dropped my eyes to the ground to orient myself. A strange gargling sound brewed in the back of my throat. We hadn’t just fallen into a
pit
of ash. We were surrounded by an
ocean
of ashes—of
human
ashes. While the wind picked up some of the dust, spiriting it away, so much more was left behind. Ash piled nearly thirty feet up the wall, tapering down into the streets of Tartarus like a morbid beach. Thousands upon thousands of bodies had made this. Centuries of The Sanctuary’s dead lay at our feet. I couldn’t help but wonder how many of them were at my grandfather’s hand.

“It’s horrific.” Triven said, staring at the ash surrounding us. “They used to tell us the bodies were repurposed back into our environment. That our loved ones were being recycled back into plant life. But this… This is a monument of the dead memorializing Fandrin’s control over people’s lives.”

“
His
body should be down here.” My hands shook with anger. Trying desperately to keep my wits, I jumped to my feet. “I know where we are. We need to get moving. Now.”

Throwing Mouse onto his back, Triven and I picked our way across the dead to our backpacks.

The instant the stench had hit my nose, I knew where we were. It seemed like a lifetime ago that Triven and I had been here seeking answers. I had once equated the stench to rotting sewage, but now I knew that burning bodies were mixed into that too. This was the old warehouse district. Even though I had never made it this far north, I could still pick out familiar landmarks in the distance. The Ravager meeting place where we had nearly been captured was less than a mile from where we stood.

Finding a sheltered spot to hide, we quickly shed our soiled clothing. I was so eager to get the ash far from my skin that I didn’t even bother hiding my body from Triven. It was like having my parents’ blood on my hands again.

Ryker must have known what we would land in—or at least he had an idea—because fresh clothing had been packed in the caps of our bags. I was both thankful and angry. We carefully stowed the soiled suits in an empty stuff sack I found in my pack. Despite my revulsion towards what coated them, they were still valuable. As I pulled my boots back on, a lone piece of ash fell onto the back of my hand. Spastically I shook it off, but another fell in its place.

I stared at it.

Was this one of my mind’s sick games again? Then there was another piece. Then another. My eyes flashed up and both Triven and Mouse were seeing them now too. Thick ashes filled the air around us, floating lithely to the ground. Snatching one out of the air I smashed it between my fingers. It was thick and chalky. This wasn’t the ash from bodies. This was the ash of a burning city. Stuffing two knives in my boots and holstering one on the guns Ryker had given me, I threw the pack on my shoulders.

“We need to get skyward.” I began racing through my brain for the closest way up.

“Lead the way.” Triven said. Mouse nodded seriously at his side.

We slithered through the city in the darkness. With the packs, our progress was hindered, as I had feared it might be. Once we were safely on a familiar rooftop, we hid the oversized bags carefully in an air duct. We would come back for them later. While Triven pulled the grate back into place, I stared out at the dreary skyline. Small fires could be seen throughout the city, their billowing plumes feathering the sky. I had forgotten how dark it was here.  How the pollution blotted out the sky and a rotten smell lingered in the air. The air was wretched, but somehow my lungs felt full for the first time in months. This place was horrible. But it was more my home than The Sanctuary had ever been. Standing on the rooftop, with the decay below, I felt like myself again. I felt free. I understood the rules of this city. Here I knew how to survive. Here, nothing slipped from my memory.

Triven appeared at my shoulder. “It’s strange isn’t it?”

“A little,” I replied. “Is it even more strange that I feel at home?”

His voice was deep. Gentle. “Not in the least.”

I smiled up at him. “Let’s go find our people.”

Mouse took her place in Triven’s arms and we set off at a run. The rooftops flew beneath our feet. My long hair caught the wind, waving out behind me. I felt free. The wild recluse The Minister had so brutally caged came back to life. Her instincts raged in my mind. She wanted nothing more than to bolt across the tarry skyline and leave everything behind… But I wasn’t that girl anymore. I had tethers in life now.

I could hear the sounds of movement below us. The Tribes were restless. I was thankful our new boots barely made a sound. Combined with my stealth, I moved more like a phantom than a human. Even Triven’s usually louder feet were nearly silent. At this pace we would be at a Subversive entrance in less than hour. We bound over a small gap between buildings and I caught a flash of moving bodies below us.

Purple and gold.

Adroits.

I cursed internally. It wasn’t smart to travel long distances when the Tribes were out. I had a safe house barely a mile from here. If it was uncompromised, it could provide a safe place for the night. I was calculating the other hideouts within reach as we leapt to another rooftop. My thoughts stopped, however. As my feet landed on the other side, invisible fingers tingled up my scalp.

Something was off.

There was a huge, decrepit ventilation system on the roof ten yards ahead of us. It was the perfect place for an ambush. Flashing my hand behind me, I signaled for Triven to fall back. He obeyed immediately. Just as I unsheathed my knife, a whizzing sound registered in my left ear. Triven shouted a warning but I didn’t need it. Diving forward, I rolled head-over-heels. A knife sliced through my hair, tugging at the loose strands as it flew by. I skittered to a halt in front of the vent.

For one second the world stopped.

A shadow broke away from the rest of the darkness. There was a glint of gunmetal in its hand. I lunged and collided with the attacker. Our bodies rolled in a jumble of punching limbs and flashing weapons. The assailant’s hand never left the gun, wielding it like a club. It wasn’t until we stopped that I saw why.

We rolled out of the shadows and into the eerie light of the hindered moon. There was a mask covering my attacker’s face, but it was plain to see she was female and only had one hand. We froze, panting for breath. I sat over her lean body, pinning her to the ground, my knife at her throat, the barrel of her gun pressed to my chest.

Then she spoke. “Phoenix?”

Without removing my knife, I yanked the mask over her head. Curly dark hair spilled out of the mask, surrounding a face I never thought I would see again.

“Archer—” I gaped at her. Our weapons fell wayward as I helped her to her feet. She beamed at me like a long-lost sister. Before I could react she threw her arm around me in a tight embrace. To my own surprise, I hugged her back.

“We thought you were dead.” She said pulling away.

“We thought the same about you.” I flashed back to watching her fight Ravagers in a blood-soaked alley as Maddox dragged me away.

“If you two are done trying to kill each other, we have more important matters at hand.” Triven said. He strolled casually across the roof holding Mouse’s hand.

Archer pushed passed me with a small cry and embraced her friend. Tears welled in her eyes as she hugged Triven. Then quick as a whip, she pulled back and slapped him across the face. Triven looked stunned.

“That is for making me mourn you.” She said pointedly. Before he could find words, Archer turned and swung Mouse up onto her back. The little girl clung to her in delight.

A lanky young man with dark hair and chocolate eyes walked up behind Triven. A gun hung loosely across his back. I recognized him at once. He was one of the Subversive’s best gunmen.

“Baxter.” I nodded to him.

“Damn, if you three aren’t a sight for sore eyes.” His returning smile was dazzling as he slapped Triven on the back. There was a mischievous glint in his eye. “I would like to point out that Triven and I didn’t need to roll around throwing punches like two lunatics in order to recognize our friends.”

Archer punched him in the shoulder, hard, but he just laughed. An echoing rumble of laughter rolled through the group. Archer was the first to sober up.

“The others?” She asked without any real hope.

Triven placed a hand on her shoulder as I shook my head. Closing her eyes, she nodded. She had been expecting that answer.

“And you? The Subversive?” Triven asked, his voice tense.

Our friends exchanged glances. With great care, Archer slid Mouse off her back and pushed her toward Triven. In a terrifyingly compassionate gesture, she pressed her hand to his shoulder in comfort. “There were some attacks. Arstid is still alive, but we have suffered many loses since you left. There is something—”

Archer’s next words were lost in an explosion of fire and glass.

Triven curled protectively around Mouse, as the rest of us turned, guns ready, toward the blast. The air around us vibrated as the second story windows of a building a block down from us blew out. Loose gravel skittered by our feet as the building we stood on quivered beneath us. Shards of glass twinkled to the streets below like falling constellations as an undulating cloud of flames exploded from the windows before imploding and sucking back inside. Brilliant fire leapt inside the now shattered windows illuminating the surrounding buildings.

“Adroits.” I muttered watching the flames consume the building.

Eyes wide, Archer lowered her gun. “We should get moving.”

“I think that’s a fine idea.” Baxter pulled his rifle into his hands and began checking the weapon.

“There is a safe house not far from here if we need to hold up for a while,” I said. Triven and I exchanged a glance. “But we must get back to the Subversive—as soon as possible. There is
a lot
you need to know and time is short.”

The same lingering unease still hung in the air between Baxter and Archer.