Philadelphia, Earth

Across from his partner, Julian grasped his mug with white-knuckled hands. The clay was pale blue, the color of his eyes, and engraved with lucky runes. A beautiful piece of craftsmanship, he took no pleasure from it today. His hands shook, sloshing beer over the lip. The night had been a disaster.

Julian glared at the expansive kitchen on his left. The shelves were filled with new and interesting foods, but his staff was in Eganene. That left the countertops covered with pots and pans, half-opened containers and rotting fruit.

The rest of the apartment was pleasant enough. Neither he nor Thom had spared the slightest expense. The carpet was soft as down and they reclined in two armchairs. He preferred to be out in the city exploring, reveling in the entertainment that Earth provided. But, there weren’t enough pleasantries on either world to distract him from the evening’s fiasco. Julian realized he was staring mournfully and looked up. “You know he was talking about me.”

Thom took a sip from his crystal glass. “The Manager was speaking to all of us…”

“But I know he was talking about me,” Julian whined, putting his mug down and shoving his hands between his thick thighs. “And that xia Peter! He made me look like an idiot.” Drawing one hand free, he wiped at his eyes. “I’m telling you, I would have…”

“What?” Thom asked. Without eyelashes, his friend’s dark eyes were disturbing. “Shoot him?”

“I…” Julian shivered.

“No. I think not.” Thom smiled, his razor-sharp teeth shining in the lamplight. The thin man shrugged to take away the sting. “Not that you couldn’t kill him, but you know the rules.”

“Never kill a Brother,” Julian quoted. As if he could forget. “He deserves…”

“He deserves anything that you could dream to do to him. And more, my friend, so much more.” Setting his drink next to the leg of his chair, Thom ran his only hand through his beard. “I think that one day, soon, we’ll get our chance.”

Julian didn’t bother to disguise his eagerness. “How?”

His partner’s grayish lips parted in another smile. “If we find the child first, Peter is finished. Time is almost up. Whichever of us fails,” he grinned, “…fails permanently. I’m sure the Manager would give us the honor of finishing him.”

Julian’s pulse spiked, “Thom, if I could kill him…”

His partner’s hand found his drink. “It’ll be a grand day for the both of us. We’ve waited long enough.”

Julian nodded, the memories coming fast. He met Thom a year after the Assault, at an interview in Orlenia. The Family had lost half their men and was patching the holes in their ranks. After letting the Radcliff witch slip through their fingers, they were preparing to hunt her to the end of both worlds.

Despite the fact that his injuries had healed, Julian lingered in bed, his dreams filled with nightmare screams and shadows that rose out of the darkness. He wasn’t afraid of the witch or even the rebels, but those faceless shadows were another matter. Unwilling to leave the confines of the hospital, he ignored the Family’s calls, enjoying the peace the House of the Fallen provided.

The other patients were also wounded veterans, but their circumstances differed. They had lost limbs in the Assault and slept day after day without opening their eyes, unaware that the months were melting the muscle from beneath their skin. Time had taken the pounds off him as well. The nurses didn’t feed him enough, serving him little, flavorless meals, he thought, in the hope that he would move on. He might have stayed forever if it hadn’t been for Serrano.

The solider arrived unexpectedly, his hair trimmed back. He wore a linen coat adorned with the metal buttons that proclaimed his rank. Julian was surprised to see him in the doorway, a pistol secured to his hip above his concealed knife. It was summer in Orlenia, the midday temperature high enough that Julian routinely sweated through his shirt into his straw bed. The soldier, however, appeared comfortable.

“Julian?” the man asked, sitting beside his bed.

“I am. And who are you?”

“Serrano, from Corporate.”

Julian nodded, trying for nonchalance. “May I ask your business?”

The man smiled. “I understand from the staff here that your wounds have healed. You’ve been cleared for discharge. Are your plans to reenlist?”

“I hadn’t thought about it yet,” Julian lied.

“I see. You’ve had news from outside?”

Looking out the window, Julian wished that the man would leave. The Family had been good to him, but he wasn’t ready to go back. “Some,” he said. “The nurses do not spend much time socializing.”

“I’m glad. I’m sure they have patients who need them. Ones that are still wounded, I mean.”

Julian didn’t rise to the bait.

The silence stretched for a few moments and then the man stood. “Well, I thought I would make sure you were aware of the hunt. There are interviews three days from now.”

Julian met his eyes, “For the witch.”

“You know of the bounty?”

Julian shook his head.

The man paused, watching Julian’s face. “We’re offering Board membership.”

Julian said nothing at first, his mind was a hive of activity.

“A seat on the Council,” he muttered to himself.

Serrano left him to his thoughts, departing shortly afterwards.

That night, Julian did not sleep. Through the open window, he watched the bats swoop through the darkening sky, waiting for a moon that did not rise. There were clouds across the horizon, big ones that promised rain. When the sun dawned the next morning, the clouds had passed. A steady breeze had pushed the storm south.

Julian told his nurse he was leaving, disappointed by the surprise on her face. He had grown fond of the hospital. The building was old, two stories high and half obscured in green vines that climbed and covered and would one day make the whole structure invisible.

Perhaps, then, it wouldn’t be needed anymore. The war was over, and after the witch was put down, the country would heal. Julian dreamed of that day often enough, planning to set up a household with his service money.

Broken from his musings, he looked up to see his carriage had arrived, two ugly nags straining at its front. The driver chose the Black path, the road that forced its way through from Earth. Julian leaned out the window, watching the countryside. After months in the hospital, the sight of open fields and tangled jungle forests were new. He considered his options, but in truth, he only had one.

Board membership would open a new world for him. His voice would one of a small number that guided the Family’s trajectory. With that kind of knowledge, he would be prepared.

It was only a few hours to his destination. Wishing to see the Family’s castle for himself, he directed his driver to the mountain overlooking the town. The building shone bright white against the sky. He watched for a few hours, observing the rotating patrols and tight security, the stained-glass dome and the enormous window that decorated the entrance.

He presented himself the following day, meeting the detail of six guards at the gate before they escorted him to the door. The Elite guard were silent and imposing. As he was expected, they did not ask for his guns. Inside the foyer was a grand staircase, the steps wide enough for a man to lie upon. Beneath his feet, polished marble tiles were arranged in a checkerboard of black and white. The staircase’s vertical railings were made of worked iron, each a banded Y supporting a metal flower.

Serrano received him in an elegant room, left of the entrance. Perhaps it was because they had met before, but the interview was comfortable and they sipped wine and conversed like friends. The conversation ranged from Julian’s hospital stay to his father and Julian’s youth in the Family. They even spoke of the time before the Rebellion and the Assault. Julian was surprised at how good it felt to divest himself of his thoughts.

Serrano didn’t ask for a demonstration of his shooting skills. Instead, saying, “May I see your weapons?”

Julian laid them on the table.

“Beautiful.”

“I’ve worked for the Family for many years.”

Serrano gestured for him to put the guns away. “I think you’ve got a great many skills to offer.” After finishing his drink, he sat back against the chair.

“Thank you."

“Come back tomorrow at noon. We will need people to search for the witch. In Eganene and on Earth.”

“I’ve never been there,” Julian admitted. There were only a few people with the ability to Travel.

And most considered it too close to the witches talents.

Serrano smiled. “This might be your opportunity. We’ve established that you have the potential to be trained for Traveling. Some of my superiors will be here. You can impress upon them your eagerness for this assignment.”

“I don’t know…” Julian thought out loud. Did he really want that ability? What if he was like the witches in more ways than that.

Serrano waved him off. “Whatever training you need, we’ll provide. Don’t worry.”

“I’m not sure,” Julian admitted, cataloguing the evils he’d seen the witches manifest in the past.

Serrano sat forward and fixed him with a smile, “We provide all the training and support. Put your mind at ease. It has nothing to do with the Umbilicus and nothing to do with the witches. We have several men using the skill in the Field.”

Julian felt himself mirror the man’s smile. That was different then, wasn’t it? Nothing to do with the witches, but a path to a new world all the same. The Family’s resources were truly immense.

Serrano stood and shook Julian’s hand, “Tomorrow then. Get a good night’s sleep.”

The next day was much different. He was not the only applicant.

Thom and Peter also presented themselves for consideration, although Julian did not know their names at the time. On arrival, the three men stood in the cavernous foyer, surreptitiously studying one another. Julian didn’t enjoy the attention.

“Come with me,” Serrano said, appearing from a side door.

There was no chance for conversation as they were led through the building. Trailing the pack, he analyzed the two competitors. Both men moved with a predatory grace. Peter’s body was perfectly balanced and Thom radiated confidence.

They exited out on a wide veranda. Small tables marched the porch’s length, complete with colorful place settings, decorative plates and glinting silverware. Julian admired the wealth, hoping that his successful trial included a celebratory meal.

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“This is a practical test,” Serrano explained, pointing at the small orchard resting behind the building. “My colleagues would like to see your physical abilities before they decide on your qualifications.”

“What’s the objective?” Peter asked. Even then he was an arrogant monster.

“The three of you will go into the arbor from different positions. My friends, there, will escort you to your appropriate place. There is a small, gold bell hidden within the orchard. The first of you to find the bell, wins.”

Peter touched the knife at his hip.

Serrano shook his head. “You’ll leave your weapons with the guards. That doesn’t mean you can’t incapacitate your Brothers, but no deaths. Each of you has already been vetted, we wish only to determine the most appropriate place for your services.”

“I know you,” Thom said to Peter. “You were with us at Jacksin, before I left for Sulfer Waters. Were you with the rest of the force during the Assault?”

Peter nodded dismissively.

Serrano wasn’t pleased. “If it’s deemed appropriate, we will have introductions later.”

“My apologies,” the thin man replied, bowing.

“Let’s begin,” Serrano said. “We are wasting daylight. Good fortune, I will speak with you at the conclusion.”

Julian followed his man to the orchard’s edge. The grounds were expansive and he recognized peach, orange and apple trees. All around him, the garden was a paradise more fit for a dream than a test, a thousand million leaves glowing green as sunlight streamed down on his canopy. At the gate, he reluctantly surrendered his guns. It made him feel naked and vulnerable.

Ignoring his misgivings, he stopped to listen for his competition, but heard nothing but summer. Frustrated, he settled himself. He might have been out of the game for a while, but he knew what he was about. Serrano had welcomed them all as newcomers. They were on equal footing here.

He headed deeper, wondering about the nature of their task. The bell they were searching for was probably a small object. Something difficult to find because of the precision and care that was required to search it out. Was that what it would be like on Earth as he searched for the witch?

Julian set himself back on task, trying to look everywhere at one. He needed to keep his eyes to the ground, while at the same time keep ready for an attack by the other men. Surely, with they way he’d seen them move, they were both skilled.

Julian searched for movement. All around him, the scent of flowers and fruit tickled his nose, like a fragrant wine aspirated into the air like perfume. Already, the day was hot and he was sweating. Having come straight form the hospital, he hadn’t had an option for a change in dress. Wishing absently for a linen suit like Serrano’s, he paced through the trees.

He wondered where other men had entered the arbor. The foliage was too thick to see more than a few feet in any direction. He reflected on the strangeness of their task. A gold bell seemed like an odd object, but perhaps it had some significance.

It also felt strange to be skulking through an arbor in the daylight. The sun was like a spotlight on his face. Despite his practice at stealth, he was a big man. If he had been allowed to eliminate his competition, he could have searched the arbor at his leisure, but rules were rules. He would have to find the prize and navigate his way out of the maze.

It wasn’t that easy. The arbor was immense, the trees spread out before him, each one carefully cultivated so that it grew to an exact position with its brothers. Surely, a metaphor for the Family. They kept their people in place, never a man out of line. He went back to the fence, tracing the border while keeping his eye to the center of the orchard. Blueberry bushes and raspberry vines made a green barrier. He snacked on their fruit as he searched.

The sun slid overhead. There was no sign of his opponents. He wondered if losing the competition would disqualify them or if he would have to work with them in the future. His time in the military had taught him that he was better off on his own. Other people were a liability, a drag on his own skills.

The hours passed and he grew hungrier. The fruit was hardly enough, but a welcome change to the hospital food. There were other smells in the air, wood smoke and roasting meat. Perhaps that was what he was thinking about when Peter materialized behind him.

“Don’t move.” The command was issued in a whisper, at the point of a wooden knife.

Julian froze, feeling the blade at his throat. “No weapons. Where did you get that?”

“Made it,” the man answered. Julian could hear the smile in the words.

“You won’t kill me,” he managed, annoyed of the fear that stained his voice. He should have thought of making a weapon.

“No?”

He forced confidence into his words, “You can’t kill me. Not here. You heard what Serrano said.”

Peter pressed his knees against the back of Julian legs.

Buckling at the weight, he knelt on the ground. The man kept the blade against his throat, and Julian felt his neck turn red. Furious with himself, he ground his teeth together.

“I don’t know, Brother. The rules for this were never precise. There are ways to die that don’t involve a pistol or a blade. Perhaps you just happened to fall wrong on this sharp stick here?”

“No one would believe that,” Julian spat.

“Are you sure? All these gnarled roots and broken vines? A fat man like you? No, Brother,” Peter said in a voice barely louder than the buzzing of the bees. “No one would be surprised at your misstep.”

Julian swallowed. “I swear. Let me live and I’ll help you. Anything you need.”

“Why would I believe you?” Peter said, pulling the knife closer. The point stuck into Julian’s skin, pressing under his chin and into the large vein that hid beneath. “Who were you before they brought you here? A baker? A sweet-seller?”

Julian fought the urge to tell him the truth, “Yes, I…I’m a merchant.”

“Get down on your face,” Peter commanded.

Julian did as he said, wondering if he dare try to overpower the man. A botched move on his part might be the impetus Peter needed to kill him. Julian didn’t really think he would, not after a direct order from Serrano, but he had to remain conscious to find the bell.

“Have you seen the third man?” Julian asked, trying for conversation.

Peter laughed softly. “A few times, circling the perimeter in the opposite direction.”

“You don’t think he has the bell yet, do you?”

“Of course, not. Neither of you are going to find it.”

Julian felt his arms stretch back, his shoulders protesting the odd angle. “What are you doing?” he asked, but he already knew the answer. Peter was securing him with the vines from the fence, which wasn’t good, but at least the man was lying about killing him.

“I...,” Julian began, but Peter’s shoe connected with his ribcage.

“Roll over on your side,” his attacker said. “Come on, fat man. I don’t have all day.”

Hate flashed through him, but he did as ordered. Once he was free, he was going to kill the xia. But, right now, it was in his best interest to comply.

Peter grabbed him under his arm. Julian felt the man’s fingers bite deep into his muscle.

“Up on your knees,” Peter growled, hauling him up.

“You…” Julian began, but when Peter walked in front him the words died on his lips.

Malice and intelligence grinned down at him, “There, now, that is a better look for you. Like a hog trussed up for dinner.”

Julian cursed, “You’ll pay for this.”

“I think not.” Peter said. “You won’t call for help and you won’t find the bell. I wonder if they’ll send someone or if they’ll just let you rot. You’d be good fertilizer for these trees.”

Julian never got a chance to respond. Thom slid out of the shadows behind Peter, his long, thin body materializing from the shadowy side of a tree. He was within striking distance, only a lunge away from connecting the rock in his hand with Peter’s head. Julian watched him draw back his arm.

Something must have shown on his face.

Just as the older man attacked, Peter stepped away, easily twisting out of danger. His legs flexed as he changed direction, trim and muscular. Julian felt a flash of jealousy.

Peter dashed into the arbor.

“He doesn’t like you,” Thom observed.

Julian frowned, watching the newcomer. Thom might want to hurt Peter, but that didn’t mean he was going to help him. Pulling at the vines that bound him, he found the knots hadn’t loosened at all.

The older man approached, “I don’t like him.”

“We have that in common. You’ll untie me?”

“I don’t know if that would be such a good idea,” Thom shrugged. “You’re the competition.”

“What if I wasn’t?” Julian suggested. “At this point, losing the exercise is preferable to sitting here waiting for Serrano to find me. And after what that xia did to me, I think I would prefer to see you win. Name’s Julian”

The other man nodded, his black eyes on Julian’s face. “An interesting proposal. I’m Thom.”

“An honest one. I’ll shake on it as soon as you release my arms.”

“You understand that if you are lying, I’ll kill you. Rules or no rules, I’ll kill you.”

Julian looked up, “I understand. I’ll stand by my word.”

And he did, too. He and Thom had searched the arbor, guarding one another’s backs and hunting the bell. As night fell, they saw lamps burning on the castle’s veranda. Julian figured they were setting candles on the tables. The smell of meat had grown stronger, and he guessed roasted pig.

“In ten minutes, it’s going to be too dark to see,” he offered, looking at Thom. “We haven’t heard the bell yet, so Peter’s failed this test, too.”

The one-handed man agreed. “You’re right. Let’s get out of these trees before we can’t see to walk.”

It didn’t take them long to find the fence. They just followed the lights. It did take them awhile to find a gate. Julian was too big to climb the wooden rails and Thom didn’t seem to have the inclination. When they found an opening, a man was waiting. The metal buttons on his coat gave him away, not that he was trying to hide.

“Come with me,” he said, leading them towards the veranda.

Groups of people sat at tables adorned with candles in glass globes. Julian could barely make out their voices. The well-dressed men sat in twos, their faces close as they spoke in low tones. Julian and Thom were led past several groups, the diners pausing to watch them pass. At the table closest to the door, their guide stopped.

Julian’s heart plunged into his stomach. It was Peter and Serrano, the remains of a sumptuous dinner on their plates and drinks in their hands. The candlelight danced in the crystal, spotting their faces with rainbows.

“You’ve returned,” their interviewer observed. “Unfortunately, too late for dinner.”

“We didn’t hear a bell,” Julian explained.

Serrano smiled. “We do not ring bells for dinner.”

Julian flushed, glad only that it was too dark for the man to see.

“My apologies at our tardy arrival,” Thom said into the silence.

Serrano sat back in his chair, the light only reaching his chin. “No matter. It looks like it was not an altogether fruitless experience.”

Julian didn’t understand. Obviously, Peter had found the bell. Otherwise he wouldn’t be sitting on the castle’s veranda drinking cognac with their boss. “I’m not sure I understand what you mean.”

The man laughed, “I forget you haven’t been part of our conversation for the last few hours. Peter told me how you both helped one another after he tied you up.”

Julian’s heart stopped beating.

“He told me,” Serrano continued, “that you both searched together, guarding one another’s backs so that he was dissuaded from challenging you again.”

Peter sat forward and smiled over his glass.

“Despite your failure, I think you have potential,” Serrano continued. “The two of you will enter training together. I don’t think either of you can operate on your own.”

Thom cleared his throat, “I’m not…”

“Please,” Serrano interrupted. “It is not a matter for conversation. Go now and report back in a week. We’ll start then.”

Dismissed, he and Thom had walked away, the sound of Peter’s laugh echoing against the castle walls.

The memory had only taken a moment and Julian found himself back in Philadelphia with Thom. The older man was just easing into his story.

“Think about it, Julian. How could Peter have survived the Rebellion? Hundreds dead and he just waltzes back a year or so later? Was he a deserter? He was never in any of the hospitals.”

Julian shook his head. “He wasn’t with me in the hospital in Orlenia.”

“I looked into it,” Thom replied. “He wasn’t in any of them. It doesn’t make sense. Where was he and why did the Family welcome him back home? I would have shot him. Any man who survives a massacre like that has got something to hide.”

“You knew him in Jacksin,” Julian remembered.

Thom frowned, “Not really, only by sight. We were not in the same unit and he was just a scout. It wasn’t until after the Rebellion…”

“Do you have to talk about that?” Julian shivered. “You know what happened to me…”

Thom’s vulpine eyes focused. “Man up. It was years ago.”

“You weren’t there,” he shot back. “You were miles from the fighting.” Julian could feel sweat trickling down his back, but he forced the words out.

“Hundreds died that day, Thom, thousands. You only know the stories, but it was so much worse than that. We thought we were safe. We had people out in the surrounding woods. The camp was cohesive, strong.”

He could see it, the neat lines of tents and the cook fires that spread out across the field. “We didn’t lack for leadership,” he continued. “They had a big tent in the center. They knew what they were doing. Honestly, everything up to that point had gone exactly to plan. The witch had been put down, along with the rest of her brood.”

He breathed, “almost all of them.”

“The more’s the pity,” Thom added.

“There should never have been a Rebellion,” Julian muttered, gripping the arm of his chair.

Thom nodded, his expression sympathetic.

“They came,” Julian said, softly. “I was unconscious for most of it. They attacked while we were sleeping. Like wolves raiding a shepherd’s flock. There was no warning. They cut the scouts’ throats. One moment all was peaceful and then…you can’t imagine.”

“It was years ago.”

Julian grimaced, “You don’t understand. I don’t know how long I fought. We were surrounded, exhausted. And they just kept coming, more of them than I ever thought possible. It was still night when I took an arrow in the side.”

“I know,” Thom tried.

"It was morning before a Carriage of the Wounded found me,” Julian pressed ahead. “I lay there bleeding, Thom, feeling my life leak out between my fingers. So many died while I watched. I dream about it, you know…”

Suddenly, his thoughts were severed, his words disappearing in an explosion of pain. It felt like the inside of his head was being ripped into fine threads. It didn’t stop but intensified, his brain separated vein-by-vein, the pressure so strong he thought his eyes would burst.

Julian lowered his head in agony, catching a glimpse of his partner. Thom was experiencing the same thing. His friend was slack jawed, his lashless eyes shut tight. Julian covered his own ears with his hands, fighting to remain conscious.

Then, as abruptly as it had begun, it was over.

He looked at Thom and was surprised to see that the older man had dropped his glass. It lay on the new rug, the shards of crystal sparkling in the lamplight. Julian gasped shallowly, barely managing to speak. “You felt it?”

Thom glared at him. “Of course, you idiot. How could I not? Every Employee from here to New York felt that.”

“Should we…”

“Yes,” his partner whispered, his hollow cheeks flexing like dark leather. “I’ll get my coat.”

Thom looked thinner than normal. He was close to six feet tall. If Julian had to guess, he would have put Thom’s weight at no more than a hundred fifty pounds.

Fear takes us all, he thought. He pulled on his own jacket, checking his pockets for his guns. They were loaded. He cleaned them every night and always left the chambers full. He would never be surprised again.

“That had to be Peter,” Thom said. “No one else would be stupid enough to risk…”

Julian interrupted, “What if he has her? We will have to take her from him.”

“Of course we’ll take her!”

“But Thom…if he ripped her through, she might be dead.”

His partner turned to face him and Julian could see that Thom’s hair looked whiter than he remembered. “Then Peter’s dead, too. They want the girl alive.” He smiled, and Julian felt relieved. “If she isn’t dead, we’ll cut out her tongue before we give her over to the Manager. Problem solved. Either way, we win.”

Julian nodded.

“Chances are good that Peter knocked himself out casting that spell,” Thom said. “We’ll head back to Eganene and follow the residue from there. If we hurry, he’ll still be unconscious. We can get the girl, and you can do as you like to our friend.”