Page 115 of Give the Dark My Love

“I’ll bring him more than a crucible,” I said coolly.

My chin tilted up; my spine straightened.Come to me, I thought.

And they came. Twenty-seven I raised when I first came to the hospital. Fourteen more since then. And my sister. Forty-two revenants.

My revenants needed no sleep. The ones who stayed with family members left them in their rooms. I led Grey back down the steps, and as we descended, the revenants spilled into the foyer of the hospital, coming closer, huddling at the base of the stairs.

Awaiting my command.

“Let’s go,” I said.

They parted before me, allowing me to pass first. Grey raced to keep up. His nerves were apparent; he did not like my revenants.

I did not care.

Without stopping, I turned to the revenants closest to me. “Bring my ship,” I ordered. They left wordlessly. I smirked, remembering the silly captain who had been sent to arrest me.

Forty-two revenants and a ship with two cannons. And me and my crucible.

I was ready for war.

•••

Our ship sliced through the water like a knife. As we grew closer to Blackdocks, Grey tugged at my arm. “They’ll see,” he said.

It was late, the moon high, the stars silent observers. But there would still be people awake, wandering the city. There always were.

“Let them see,” I said.

The boat bumped against an empty slip, and I led the way, careful not to lose my balance as I descended the steep gangway. My revenants moved behind me.

I took the main road.

My connection with my revenants meant that I was aware not only of my own thoughts, but also of theirs. It wasn’t all-consuming, but it was present. I felt what they felt about the church halls we passed, a mix of joy and sorrow. Their shared hatred of the factories. A memory of a kiss stolen in one pub; a fight in another. This city belonged to each of them, and that did not change just because they were dead.

The only one I couldn’t sense was Grey. His skin was pale, his eyes wide with a sort of silent terror. But he walked beside me, and that was enough.

Dimly, I was aware of the commotion we were causing. Forty-two revenants and the girl leading them to the castle. Alarm bells clanged.

But no guards came.

I wondered what had happened to the captain of the warship after I stole his boat. Did the guards not come now because they were cowards, or because they had been instructed to give us clear passage to the castle?

Lights flared in the windows of the houses we passed as we crossed the poor district, and the cobblestones gave way to smooth pavers.Curtains shifted as people looked down at us. One door opened, and a servant let out a large dog, teeth snarling. But as my little army of revenants drew closer, the dog’s growls turned to whimpers. It scratched the bright blue paint of its owner’s door, trying to get back inside, before fleeing in terror.

•••

The entire Emperor’s Guard stood on the steps of the castle, their red coats stark against the white stone. I knew now why they hadn’t stopped us at Blackdocks; they were waiting for us here.

“Halt!” a woman cried from the top of the stairs. Her insignia indicated she was a general; the fact that she was as far away as possible from us indicated she was a coward. She did not look down at us but instead stared straight ahead as she barked her orders. “We have been informed that you intend to harm the Emperor. Stand down.”

Beside me, I could feel Grey’s fear radiating from him.

I wondered how the Emperor’s Guard knew what we were coming for. There were about a hundred guards on the steps to the castle; perhaps a hundred more inside.

Mentally, I reached for my revenants.Protect me,I said.

I strode forward, confident. The first row of the Emperor’s Guard swung their pikes into a defensive line.

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