Page 46 of Veinblood
It’s progress. Small, fragile progress, but enough for the moment.
I sag back against the wall, heart still racing uncomfortably fast, andthat’swhen I hear it. Footsteps echoing from somewhere beyond the mouth of the alley. They’re not the quick, light steps of someone walking, but heavier, harder, and follow a rhythm that can only mean one thing.
Trouble.
I can’t tell how many people there are, but that doesn’tmatter. If they see me, it means discovery, questions I can’t answer, and attention I definitely don’t want. My power tries to rise again, but I shove it back down through sheer willpower, and hold my breath.
The footsteps come closer. I catch the glint of armor, a flash of red, and press myself closer against the wall. For a moment the dream I had when I first returned to Chicago fills my mind. Of hiding in an alley, and waiting for Authority soldiers to find me. With my heart in my throat, I will myself to blend in with the shadows and hold my breath, while I count each Authority soldier as they pass.
One … two …
Please don’t look this way.
Three … four …
Please don’t see me.
Five … six …
They march past the alley without slowing. I don’t breathe until the sound fades into the distance.
They didn’t see me. They didn’t investigate the alley. They didn’t notice anything unusual.
I let out a long, shuddering breath. I need to move, get out of this alley, and figure out where I am before my luck runs out. But when I try to step into the center of the alley my legs shake so badly I have to use a hand against the wall to stop me from stumbling. My eyes catch on my sleeve, and my heart does a backflip in my chest.
Oh no.
I’m wearing Earth clothes. A pale purple sweater, blue jeans with a tear in one knee that wasn’t there when I put them on, and white sneakers. Nausea rises in my throat. Nothing I’m wearing could ever be mistaken for clothes from Meridian, and anyone who sees me will immediately wonder where I’m from. I might as well carry a sign around announcing I’m not from here.
I need to change clothes … fast. Where am I going to find some in the middle of the night? It’s not like there are any stores open, and I don’t have money to buy anything even if there were. But the thought of money still makes me pat my pockets, even though I know what I’ll find.
Nothing.
And knowing that there are Authority soldiers here, means I need to keep out of their sight, otherwise they’ll ask for identification papers I also don’t have, but I can’t stay here. Standing still means getting caught eventually, when the sun rises and people start moving around. I need to move. I need to find clothes. And I need to find somewhere safe to wait out the rest of the night.
The first thing that strikes me when I step out of the questionable safety of the alley is that I’m no longer at Thornspire Keep. And if that’s the case, then the first thing I need to do is figure out where I am.
Walking along the empty streets is like moving through a nightmare where every shadow could hide someone waiting to grab me. Every corner could lead to more danger. Every sound could be the approaching footsteps of more Authority soldiers.My heart is pounding so hard, I’m sure anyone within fifty feet could hear it.
I keep to the shadows as much as I can, fighting down power surges while terror overwhelms what little training I have. Every spike of adrenaline wants to trigger the lightning, wants to call down storms, and it seems determined to announce my presence to every Authority soldier around.
A door slams somewhere in the distance, and I nearly jump out of my skin, silver light cracking down my arms before I can stop it. The sound echoes off the narrow streets in a way that makes it impossible to tell which direction it came from or how far away it is.
Every time I hear footsteps, I freeze and press myself against the nearest building, while I hold my breath. If someone is coming, if they’re looking for something or someone suspicious, maybe staying absolutely still will be enough to avoid notice.
Every sound makes me want to run. The creak of a shutter in the breeze, the whisper of the wind. Animals that sound like cats screeching. Shapes darting overhead that might be bats.
I’m barely holding it together, operating on nothing but adrenaline and the desperate need to stay hidden, to stay safe, and to find Sacha, when I finally find what I’m looking for. Clothes hanging outside a ground-floor window about twenty feet away. I check up and down the street, then dart across it. My hands shake as I reach for them, waiting for someone to see me and raise an alarm.
What if the owner wakes up? What if there’s someone watching mefrom a window I can’t see? What if another Authority patrol comes around the corner?
But I need these clothes more than I need to worry about the risks of taking them. Without them, I’m completely vulnerable. With them, at least I have a chance of blending in long enough to figure out what I should do next.
I take a deep breath and grab them—a brown tunic, dark pants, and a thin, threadbare cloak. I try not to think about the fact I’m stealing from someone who probably needs these clothes as much as I do. Maybe I can repay them in some way later.
Where can I change? I need somewhere private, hidden, where no one will see me. I don’t want to go back to the alley I woke up in. The main streets are out of the question. I need to find somewhere with lots of shadows, deep enough to provide cover and protection.
I look around and find a narrow gap between two buildings. It’s barely wide enough for one person, but it goes far back enough to provide some privacy. It’s not perfect. If someone really wanted to find me, they’d see me. But it’s better than being in the open.
