They left the Targan coastline behind early the next day, to Ada's slight disappointment, and travelled inland along a narrow road that wound through ragged hills and looming forests. That night they stopped in the lee of a hill, erosion having worn away at its side, layer by layer, to create a kind of overhang that served as a natural shelter.

Ada stood staring at it. Because of the erosion she could clearly see each layer of the hill, some yellow clay, some dark earth, some white chalk, some layers thin, some thick, some scattered throughout with tiny pebbles—the sheer variation fascinated Ada, that so many different interesting layers could exist beneath such an ordinary-looking hill.

"You done staring at dirt?" Ashley called. "We got some chicken here ready."

"It's not chicken," Selene corrected. Ashley ignored her. Ada turned and joined the others around the fire, sitting down beside Maya.

"Thank you," she said, as Selene passed her a plate. Though it wasn't chicken it tasted quite similar—stronger and stringier, with an almost metallic aftertaste, but it was food, and Ada was grateful for it.

"I, uh, I have some money," she said, after they'd finished eating. Ashley snorted.

"Lucky we ain't in Unity yet," she said, "say something like that around there and it ain't gonna be true for long."

"I just meant ... maybe I could help, if we need to ... to buy anything. I want to contribute."

"Thank you, Ada, but for now that won't be necessary," said Fin.

"Besides," Ashley added, "not like there's any shops around. Ain't like you can walk up to a badger and buy a bag of chips."

"There aren't any badgers in this area," Selene said. Ashley shot her an irritated glance.

"Uh, but, when we get to Unity," Ada said, "I thought maybe—"

"For now, as I said, that won't be necessary," said Fin. "But I do appreciate the offer, and shall keep it in mind for the future."

Ada nodded and fell silent, staring down at her hands.

"Um, Ada," said Maya, after a moment. "Can you please show me your power now?"

Ada looked at her.

"Oh, it's a bother, sorry, I didn't—"

"Actually, I think it would be a good idea for you to train," said Fin to Ada. "If you're feeling well and are not too tired—"

"Yes," Ada said. "You're right. I need to learn how to protect myself."

"You can say that again," Ashley said. "You look like someone could blow on you and you'd fall over."

"Miss Ashley, please," said Fin.

"Just saying, she looks soft."

"Ash, don't be mean—"

"She's right," Ada said. "I am soft. All I can do to defend myself is use my power, but I don't even really know ... I don't want to hurt anyone, but..."

"It's best to be prepared," Fin said. He gestured for Ada to stand, then led her a little way from the others. Maya turned to watch them, her eyes wide.

"You are what we used to call a 'spark'," said Fin. "One who can create lightning from nothing but their body's own energy. Remarkable, really, but very dangerous. I assume you've experienced some rather frightening releases?"

Ada nodded in vehement agreement.

"And I also assume that you know the value of control."

Ada nodded again.

"How do you control the release of energy?" Fin asked. "What techniques have you developed?"

"I ... I kind of ... think of things. Things that are ... controlled. Like ... like when you turn on a tap too quickly, the water comes out fast and goes everywhere. But if you turn it slowly, you can ... c-control the water."

"Good, very good, a kind of visualisation, I once knew someone like you who used a very similar technique—for him it was the image of a stuck gate; apply too much pressure and the gate bursts open, apply too little and the gate will not open at all. Incidentally, I couldn't help but notice, your glasses have metal frames—"

"I have to take them off when I use my powers." Ada winced a little. "Even though that means I can't see properly."

"Hm," said Fin. "Well, I'm sure that won't be too much of a problem. Would you take them off now?"

Ada did so, handing them to Fin.

"I only just now noticed, you have amber eyes," he said. "Rather unusual. Ah, so the reason your father called you his 'little wolf', of course ... well, let's get on with training, shall we? Creating lightning takes a lot of energy, as I'm sure you've found, so I think it best that, when training, you restrict yourself to very small, very focused releases."

Ada nodded. "I don't like letting a lot out, anyway."

"No, my friend didn't, either—but energy control is like a muscle, it must be used so it can rebuild itself stronger than before. The more you use your ability, the more powerful it will become—tension and stress, also, will strengthen energy."

"Like ... like combat experience?" Ada asked, vague memories of her mother's war stories stirred by Fin's words.

"Yes, something like that. That which does not kill us can only make us stronger—flawed, as far as statements go, but there is some truth to it. I knew one fellow who came close to death dozens of times, threw himself into battle with great enthusiasm and reckless abandon—actively sought risk, you understand, revelled in both victory and injury ... I must admit, his strength was great, his powers some of the strongest I've ever seen, but I am of the opinion that finesse is more desirable than raw power. Hold your hands up, if you would, just a fraction apart."

Ada did so.

"How small a release can you create?" Fin asked. "For now, I believe this should be the focus of your training. Not the inefficient floridity of huge, draining blasts of wild energy, but rather the precision and elegance of a tiny spark dancing from hand to hand."

Ada concentrated, then yelped as a bright spark flashed between her hands.

"I can usually make smaller ones than that!" she said, flustered. "I'll try again—"

"Take a moment to calm yourself first. Breathe deeply. You are not used to being watched while you do this. You are not in a familiar environment. But you have a calm mind, Ada, a strong mind. Already you've demonstrated this, adapting to a situation that is far from normal, remaining centred and rational despite being wrenched from your home in distressing circumstances. Find the balance inside yourself. Find that control."

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

This time, the spark was smaller—but only slightly. Ada stared at her hands in dismay.

"Time," Fin said, smiling at her. "Time and patience, and I have faith that you will soon impress even yourself. For now, continue to practise. There is more 'chicken' for when you become hungry—and, of course, I have your glasses for when you are finished."

Fin left Ada practising by herself, joining the others at the fire.

"It's really amazing, isn't it?" said Maya, as Fin sat down. "She's really amazing!"

Fin smiled at her. "Yes," he said. "I think she just might be."

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It had been a week now, since Ada had left her home, and she was shocked at how comfortable she had become—which was not to say that she was happy about things, she still missed her father desperately, and her friends, and her home, and given the choice she would return there in an instant. But I don't have that choice, she thought, as the carriage drew ever-closer to the walled city of Unity, I can't go home. So I'd just better make the best of things.

"There it is," Ashley muttered, before slamming the hatch to the driver's seat shut. She sat heavily. "Ugly bloody city, sits there on the plains like a heap of garbage. Smells like it, too. Ain't looking forward to going back. Ain't looking forward to that one bit."

Ashley fell silent, arms crossed, then she shook her head and opened the hatch again, staring out at the city.

"This ain't right," she muttered. "It ain't right, going back, there's too many people know me there, too many old mistakes ... nah, I ain't going. Fin, stop this damned carriage. Maya, get your stuff."

Without a word spoken, Fin stopped the carriage. Maya, however, didn't move.

"Come on, Maya, get your stuff together," Ashley said, already hefting her bag.

"I ... I want to go back," Maya said, her voice small but defiant.

"You crazy? Quit talking rubbish and get your bag."

"No, I ... I want to stay with Mr Fin and Selene and Ada. I ... I like being with them, I feel ... I feel safe—"

"What, so you don't feel safe with me?"

"You're here too! You and everyone else, it's like ... I don't know, I never felt like this before!"

Ashley stared at her sister, then shook her head.

"Nah," she said. "You're just ... you know the fact, right? We don't need anyone else—"

"Maybe there's a new fact," said Maya. "Like ... like 'it's better to be together with other people too'. Please, Ashley. I ... I just really want to stay with everyone. And we won't be in Unity long—right, Mr Fin?"

"For no more than a few nights, I would imagine," said Fin, through the hatch. "And, as I have previously said, you would be safely hidden in a warehouse near the north gate. There will be no need for you to go into the city at all."

Ashley gritted her teeth, her shoulders hunched, anger clear on her face.

"Fine," she growled. "We'll go along with you." She glanced at her sister. "Hope this makes you happy, kid."

Maya nodded, smiling brightly. Ashley sat back in her seat and crossed her arms.

"Well?" she said. "What're you waiting for? Get this thing moving, sooner we get there the sooner we can get the hell back out."

----------------------------------------

Ada couldn't help but stare as they drove through Unity city—she'd expected it to be different to Cerveau, but she wasn't nearly prepared for the actual experience. The streets were much wider than those of Ada's home city, the paving stones small and rounded, and it seemed like people were everywhere, thronging around the carriage so close that it made Ada nervous—she was sure that someone must get their foot caught under the carriage's wheels, or be knocked down by one of the horses. The houses were different, too, much narrower and crammed tight together, many of them sharing walls with their neighbours, and most of them were made of large round stones cemented together, quite different to the small red bricks or fine grey blocks of Cerveau. The roofs were different too, in Cerveau the houses had elegant, interlocking shingles, but here it seemed they mostly used heavy stone slabs or untidy thatching. There weren't any flowers around that Ada could see, no grass either. Nothing green at all, in fact, unless you counted the occasional sign or store front.

"Thought he said this warehouse was close," Ashley muttered—she was sitting on the floor in the very centre of the carriage, arms crossed, chin tucked against her chest.

"I'm sure it's not far away, Ash," Maya said. Ada could tell that she wanted to be looking out the window, but was restraining herself for her sister's sake. Ashley grunted.

"Yeah, whatever."

"And we're not so far from—"

"Just stop right there, kid."

Maya stared at her sister, then her mouth went tight and she tried again:

"Ash, we could try to find her—"

"Maya, I ain't telling you again."

Maya bit her lip, her eyes still on her sister.

"You should treat your sister with more respect."

It was Selene who had spoken, apparently coming out of her meditative trance to do so. Ada's eyes were wide as she looked between Selene and Ashley—Ashley looked as if she might rise to strike Selene, while Selene's face was, as usual, utterly impassive.

"It's okay, Selene," Maya said, trying to smile at her. "Ash is just—"

"You should make your own choices," Selene said to Maya. "It is not up to your sister to make them for you."

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about, Princess," Ashley growled. "Who the hell do you think you are, saying this junk?"

Selene stared at Ashley, some spark of emotion in her dark eyes.

"Ain't like YOU got anyone," Ashley continued. "Some little orphan girl Fin picked up, yeah? That close to the truth?"

It was several seconds before Selene replied, and when she did so it was with a darkness and strength to her voice unlike anything Ada had ever heard:

"I have family."

With that Selene relaxed back against her seat and closed her eyes once more, returning to her previous state of calmly detached focus. Ashley shook her head and scowled at the floor, and Maya just stared down at her hands, unblinking.

Mostly to escape the tension now filling the carriage, Ada returned her attention to the city outside—they'd turned off the main street and on to a side road. This grew narrower the further they went, crates and carts and barrels crowding the street so that by the time they turned the next corner there was just barely enough space for the carriage to get through.

"Very nearly there!" Fin's voice was muffled, but clear enough. Ada glanced at the others—the tension had lessened somewhat now, Maya was clearly excited, Ashley's face was neutral as she stared at the floor, and Selene was sitting very straight in her seat, her eyes lightly closed, her hands clasped gently together. Ada had wanted to ask her about this a dozen times, but had never quite worked up the courage. There was something about the tall, silent girl that unnerved Ada, even more than Ashley did—Ashley might be rough and blunt and obviously no stranger to violence, Ada thought, but at least with her everything's on the surface. If she has a problem with me, she'll let me know one way or another. But with Selene ... I have no idea what she thinks about me at all. With her, everything is hidden.

Ada looked out the window again. This street was slightly wider than the last, although the looming buildings on either side made it seem even more cramped. The warehouses were huge and solid, their construction similar to other buildings Ada had seen in Unity but on a much larger scale. Just as she was wondering which one might be their destination—and also how, exactly, you told one from another, seeing as none of them had any obvious numbers or other identifying features—the carriage slowed to a stop.

It took several minutes for Fin to arrange the storage of the carriage, and several minutes more for them to get it inside the warehouse—the horses had to be detached and led away to a nearby stables, and three big men pulled the carriage in themselves, with much grunting and swearing involved.

The inside of the warehouse was dim and very cool—cold, actually, and Ada found herself shivering. None of the others seemed to be bothered, so she hid her discomfort and tried to stop her teeth from chattering as she looked around. Crates were stacked all around them, up to the ceiling in some places, which was at least a dozen metres high. The floor was stone, as were the thick pillars supporting the roof—it was hard to see because of all the crates, but to Ada it seemed that the warehouse was even bigger inside than it had appeared to be on the outside.

"This way, this way," said the busy little man who was apparently Fin's contact. "I got a good little room all set up for you girls."

Ada was surprised at just how good the room was—she'd half expected a kind of child's fort with crates for walls, but in fact it was one of a row of little wooden rooms built against one of the warehouse's high walls. Inside the floor had been lined with a couple of thick rugs, and there were cushions and blankets for sleeping. There was even a low table against one of the walls, cushions scattered around.

"Private storage," the little man—whose name was Vito—explained. "Not much call for it these days, good to have it used by someone. We got a little stove over in the break room by the office, if you wanna do some cooking or keep warm. I ain't usually here, but help yourself."

"Thank you, Vito," said Fin.

"Nah, feels good to pay you back, yeah? Reckon I wouldn't have this place at all if it weren't for you. Got anything else I can do for ya?"

"Perhaps some food, if you could arrange that—"

"Yeah, sure—there's some biscuits and that in the break room, but I'll get someone to bring in some proper stuff."

After Vito had left, Ada gratefully sank down on to a cushion and somewhat guiltily pulled a blanket over her legs—it was warmer in the little room, but not much.

"If you girls are comfortable here," Fin said, "I'll leave you for the moment. I have matters to attend to."

"I'll come with you," Selene said. "I'm not tired."

"Thank you, Selene, but I think it would be best if I did this on my own. I need you to stay here to take care of the others, in any case."

"Hey, I don't need ANYONE taking care of me," said Ashley. Selene shot her a look, but said nothing.

"I'll see all of you soon," Fin said, and then he was gone.