- 8 -

Lilith curled up and hugged her hair in a vain play for warmth. The thin dress her father had packed did little to keep the winter air at bay, even with her nightgown worn beneath it as an extra layer. Her spot at the dock's edge didn't help matters. Heavy wind blew from the sea and carried away what little heat Lilith had left. She wanted to move, but this was where the people were, and she needed to make money.

Lilith stared down at the ticket meant for her father. It felt wrong even thinking to sell it, but she knew he would want her to. He would rather his daughter earn money to live than keep a reminder he was gone. The emptiness in her heart would be reminder enough. So she held her ticket out and begged.

"Might you wish to visit Eden? I can sell for a good price!"

The dock was clogged with people and Lilith held her ticket towards any that came near. One by one they would all avert their eyes. After each rejection she took a moment to curl up and shiver, fighting back the cold as best she could. As she shook she imagined boarding the ship, imagined going to her room, imagined laying in a warm bed. Then she would lift her ticket to the next person and start over.

A muscular man in working clothes passed by. Lilith doubted he was the type of person that could travel across the sea on a whim but she tried anyway. "Might you be in need of passage to Eden?"

The man put his head down and hurried past. Lilith continued her warming routine, then looked to the end of the dock. The ship towered above the crowd, a steel titan. She had never seen one in person. In her books, they were always described as wooden structures with sails to catch the wind. Metal was so heavy, she wondered how it didn't sink.

I just hope it's warm inside.

Lilith returned to observing the foot traffic. A pair of men in fine clothes came near so she held her ticket high. "A good price for anyone wishing to visit Eden!"

"You're trying to sell right in front of the ship? Are you stupid? We wouldn't be here if we didn't have tickets."

Lilith didn't let the words discourage her; the discouragement had come at least an hour past. She had moved well on to acceptance. She lowered her ticket back to her lap and simply waited for the next opportunity. There was nothing else for her to do.

"I have a spare if you wish to visit Eden." Lilith held her ticket out toward a passing group five strong. Five chances at a sale. An older woman with short-cut blond hair turned and walked over to her. Lilith sat straight. Her luck had finally turned around.

"I can offer a good pri—"

"How dare you! For someone like you to even talk to me!"

The woman had bothered to come close but shouted as if she was still yards away. Specks of spit slapped at Lilith's face cooling instantly against her skin. The frustration that had been building inside her for hours boiled and spilled over. Tears started down her face stealing away even more heat.

"What did I do?"

"I don't expect much from the riffraff, but you really think I'd believe you don't know scalping is illegal? Maybe I should get the constable and you can try and convince him."

Lilith crawled forward on her knees, reaching out to the woman. "No, please! I didn't know." The woman backed away, disgust painted across her face. Lilith pulled her hand back. She couldn't afford to make things worse. If this woman caused her arrest she would never make it aboard the ship. The hunters would catch up and she would be killed; her final promise to her father broken.

"Apologize and I'll consider keeping this between us."

Hope stabbed at Lilith's heart. "I'm sorry!"

"For what?"

"I'm sorry for breaking the law."

"Apologize for not knowing your place!"

Lilith got on all fours and pressed her head to the ground. The damp wood of the dock bled water against the pressure of her forehead. "I'm sorry, I don't know my place."

There was a sound of spitting. "That's better," the woman said. Laughter echoed as she moved away, harmonizing with the rest of her group as she rejoined them, but Lilith didn't dare to raise her head to look. She kept her face pressed firmly to the ground lest the woman change her mind. She would face any humiliation to ensure her father hadn't died for nothing.

"I'll take that ticket from you, little lady," a voice from above called.

"Really?" Lilith raised her head and was met by a teenage boy. His ragged clothes were speckled with hand-sewn patches. A wicked grin cut a sharp line across his dirty face.

"I'll take your bag there as well." Light glinted off the small blade the man held extended to her. Lilith froze, then stammered out sounds that didn't form words, let alone sentences. Her hand slid back to rest against the satchel. She could spare most of it, but he meant to steal the tickets and trap her here with the hunters. Her mind drifted to the gun her father had packed.

If only I knew how to shoot.

No, It's not like he would let her dig through the bag anyway. Her best bet was to run. It was almost certain he could catch her, but only if he tried. The dock was crowded and all he knew she had was the ticket. She had to hope she wasn't worth the risk. She gripped the strap of her bag and tried to push down the hesitation building in her.

"Don't do anything stupid, girl. Just hand over—"

The sound of a splash drew Lilith's attention from what was in front of her, or rather what wasn't. In the water below, the thief coughed and splashed as he reached for the wooden piling. He looked up at her with fire in his eyes.

"Just wait till I climb back up there! You're dead!"

An empty space had formed between cause and effect that Lilith couldn't reconcile, so she just stared.

"Excuse me."

Lilith turned to find a young woman in a pointed hat looking down at her; a lit cigarette clasped firmly in her smug smile. A single streak of gray hung over her patched left eye, breaking the deep black of her long hair. So many elements trying to distract from the plain beauty of her face.

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"I'd like to buy your ticket." The woman leaned forward and looked down into the water. Lilith was struck by the scent of citrus and cinnamon mixing with tobacco smoke.

"Though, we should find somewhere else to talk before he climbs out. He doesn't seem too happy about the little bath I gave him." The woman extended a hand down to Lilith and she reached up to meet it. Their fingers clasped together, then the woman pulled Lilith to her feet. The strap of her father's bag fell heavy across her shoulder. It took her a moment to realize the woman had placed it there.

"Ready to go?"

Lilith was jolted forward as the woman began to run, their hands still interlocked. The woman pulled her along through the crowd. At any point, she could have spoken out, asked the woman to stop. But as she squeezed between groups and listened to their complaints fade into the distance a smile formed across her face. There was an adventure to the situation, an excitement. So, Lilith let herself be dragged along toward the hulking steel ship.

The feeling fell away in an instant. A familiar bald head poked above the crowd. She knew it was Andor even before she caught sight of his face. The way her stomach dropped away was evidence enough. Gold and white hunter's clothes peaked through a gap in the crowd confirming it.

"Wait, wait!"

The woman slowed to a stop. "What's wrong?"

Lilith still held her hand, unable to let go. It felt safe. She imagined the woman's arms wrapping around her; pulling her close. Imagined her protecting Lilith from Andor the way she had against the thief. How stupid. One word was all it would take to shatter the illusion.

Youkai.

"Nothing," Lilith said examining the area. "But I think we're far enough away." Nearby, heavy doors hung open exposing a large warehouse. Workers hauled crates from inside, then through the crowd to the titanic ship moored at the end of the dock.

"Just to be sure, let's talk in there," Lilith said.

The woman let out a puff of smoke as she glanced over. "Sure, that works." She followed Lilith's pointed finger to the building and found them a quiet place to talk. A tall shelf lined with boxes of various foods hid them from the view of passers-by. Lilith leaned back against a huge crate with holes drilled along its top and prayed Andor hadn't noticed her. Not that God would answer her.

The woman peered out around the corner and Lilith studied her carefully. She wore a long dark coat and trousers. Certainly, a more common choice for men, though working women wore pants as well. What made them stick out was the quality. Lilith could tell they weren't new, but they showed none of the signs of wear she would expect from working clothes. The woman had a suitcase in hand, a large bag across her left side, and a long thin object wrapped in white cloth secured to her back. It was obvious she had planned to travel, but here she was buying a second-hand ticket last minute. It didn't add up.

"I don't see him, at least for now," the woman said turning back to Lilith. She retrieved a small pouch fastened to her belt. "So, about that ticket."

Lilith shook the thoughts from her head. Why did it matter who this woman was? She wanted to buy a ticket and Lilith had one to spare. A simple transaction... Except it wasn't simple. Whatever her reason this woman had saved Lilith's life.

"What's your name?" Lilith asked.

The woman's face scrunched up like the question had been asked in the wrong language. She pulled the cigarette from her mouth and dropped her head. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. It's Pandora. You?"

"Lilith."

The light returned to the woman's eye. "Lilith? That's a pretty name."

Lilith bowed. "Thank you, Pandora."

Pandora chuckled. "What, not used to compliments?"

"No, I mean... Thank you for saving me." Lilith's voice fell away until it was nearly a whisper. "If you hadn't... I don't know if I could have gotten away."

"Hey!" A weight pressed down on Lilith and she looked up to find Pandora's hand resting on her head. "You're safe now," she said. "Or are you worried he'll come after you?"

"No, I don't think I'll see him again."

"Good then." Pandora removed her hand from Lilith's head and reached it into her small pouch setting off the clack of gemstone coins. "Still have that ticket?"

Lilith pulled the spare ticket from her satchel and stared down at it. She took a moment to thank her father, then held it forward. Pandora pulled the ticket free, then set her hand in its place. Cold coins fell into Lilith's palm; cold compared to the warmth of Pandora's skin, at least. The woman drew her hand away and Lilith looked down to see how much her father had gifted her.

Six coins carved from diamond rest in her palm. Five were cut into a triangle; three points for three digits. A lone square joined them, its four points weighing heavy in her hand.

"But this is—"

"1500 milliliters," Pandora said, refastening her coin pouch to her hip. She lifted her suitcase and started to leave. "Take care of yourself, Lilith."

"Wait!" Lilith gripped the translucent coins tight and chased after Pandora. "But, that's full price! You paid too much."

Balls of smoke formed in Pandora's laugh and flew to the sky. She didn't bother to look back. "Use it to buy yourself a coat. I saw you shivering from half a mile away." Then she walked into the crowd and disappeared. A strange melancholy rose in Lilith. She wasn't sure why, but the thought she may never see that woman again pressed down on her heart. Even though their meeting was brief, Pandora had been so kind to her. But then, she didn't know she was helping a monster.

Lilith stuffed the money in her bag, sliding it to the bottom so it wouldn't fall out. Now, she had to find a way to board the ship. Knowing Andor was around complicated things. She couldn't just walk on. She would have to avoid his notice or—

"Caw!"

Lilith jumped, sure in her heart that Andor had found her. She would hear the ratcheting, the click, then it would be her head resting across the room. But no clap of thunder came. The trembling at her fingers slowed and she turned to the source of the noise.

"Caw!" The sound of flapping wings echoed from the wooden crate. Lilith laughed to avoid crying. Planning was important, but she needed to hurry to the ship. Only then could she feel safe again. She pulled her ticket from her bag and left the warehouse, sure to keep an eye on the crowd.

"Can't believe my fucking luck!" A familiar voice rose high above the sound of the crowd. Had Andor spotted her already? Was he gloating? Except he sounded more upset than celebratory.

"If you hate me so damn much stop following me around. Like I wanted my last breath of Britannian air to be your rancid breath."

Wasn't that Pandora's voice? Lilith crept toward the screaming, careful to keep herself hidden. Through a break in the crowd, she caught sight of the argument. Andor was beet red. "Please, you smell like you lick ashtrays clean."

"And you look like you drip sleeping bloods into young girls' drinks!"

"You fucking bitch!"

Pandora and Andor were at each other's throats. But, why? Lilith decided it didn't matter. She ran her eyes along the hulking ship. A long canvas-lined ramp led up to the deck so that the passengers could board. And Andor had taken watch right in front of it. Why wouldn't he? But this ship was large enough to have more than one boarding area. The second was only a few hundred feet away. Andor could easily see it from where he was, but currently, he was occupied with an argument. Lilith took her chance and ran for the other gate.

Thank you, Pandora. You don't know it, but you've saved me again.

Lilith felt lighter than air as she approached the boarding ramp. This was it; she was finally free. Then something snatched her around the waist. Two arms sleeved in white and gold. Hunter's garb. He had seen her; had caught her. Lilith kicked and squirmed but there was no heart in it. She was dead and she knew it.

"Shhh. Calm down."

"Fennel?" Lilith asked choking back tears.

"That's right."

Of course it was Fennel. Andor wouldn't come looking for her alone. James was probably here too, as well as the two hunters they had hired to help with the hunt. She had been as good as dead from the start. But it hurt more that Fennel had been the one to catch her, that she would be the one to kill her.

"I know you have to go away now, but I needed to say goodbye first." Fennel's voice was soft and kind.

"What?"

"I'm sorry about what happened to your father; what's happening to you." Gentle hands drifted up to Lilith's shoulders and spun her around. A fresh ache took root in her heart. Fennel's usual smile had grown strained and weak.

"I'm not here to stop you. I plan to tell Andor I didn't see anything. But I wanted to give you something... A parting gift."

Fennel brought a thumb and finger to the corners of her mouth and let her smile drop away to nothing. She pressed the fingers against Lilith's lips and forced them up into a twisted grin.

"There. Make sure to wear it wherever you go. I want you to live a good life out there."

Fennel's eyes grew wet, then Lilith's mirrored them. Once again Lilith felt Fennel's arms wrap around her, but this time instead of dread, they brought heartbreak. Fennel's grip dropped and she took a step back. "Now, go. I'll miss you."

Lilith had a hundred things she wanted to say at that moment. Anything for the kind woman who proved she could love even a youkai, but no words came out. She dried her eyes against the back of her arm, then waved goodbye. As she turned to the boarding ramp, Lilith wore the bittersweet smile that Fennel had given her.