Chapter Four

 

Pandora had been in most areas of the Pajot in her year as a member of the Drops except for the Overlook. The place the leadership of the clan lived and made their decisions was a series of caves that overlooked the wild canyons that gave the clan its name. The caves had been the early living spaces for the clan due to their defensive nature and then as they'd expanded into the caverns, the holes had been widened and blasted out until a sizable facility had been constructed.

Reaching the Overlook required climbing up a long, wide ladder. There were safety lines for those not sure about their climbing, but Pandora and her two companions made it without precautions.

The entrance was a set of enchanted iron doors, currently open, but capable of blocking out all but the most determined intruders. Electric light made Pandora squint, the artificial brightness harsh against her eyes.

They were led into a round room with maps and other information posted on the walls. Pandora's gaze immediately fell upon the map of the Undercity, marking the locations of the other clans, settlements, mining sites, and other interesting locales. It displayed far more territory than she'd known about. She was sure if she had time to study it, she could uncover valuable secrets about the Drops or other clans, but her inspection halted as soon as Duro turned to greet them.

The warleader of the Drops had a round face and black hair. At first glance he seemed amiable, until his dark brown eyes bore down as if he could sift through the contents of the soul. Even with her background, Pandora found herself averting her eyes towards the floor when he approached.

The heat of Duro's gaze warmed her cheeks. He gave a cursory glance to Choo-Choo and Navos, but returned to her.

"What's this about an attack on the Eights?"

That he knew about the events of their patrol and the anger in his voice had Pandora second-guessing herself. She counted the chairs in the room: eleven. Then the tattoos on his forearms: seventeen.

Choo-Choo held out two hands, palm up, one with the bag of raw stones, the other with the real prizes. Duro surged towards them, focusing on the colored stones. He squinted, picked up the smokey, dark stone and held it up to the light.

"Is this?"

"A black diamond."

The tension in his forehead smoothed away. "You three took down a Black Diamond and these other stones? Tell me."

Choo-Choo cleared his throat. "We found the Eights in our territory. They were mining stones. We thought about returning for more numbers, but Pandora convinced us they'd be gone before we got back."

Duro put a finger into her breastbone. "It was your plan to attack them?"

She inclined her head even more. "Yes, Shadowmaster Duro."

Duro placed his fingers under her chin, lifting it until they were staring into each other's eyes. She could feel his amber exposing her every secret.

"Explain. Every detail."

The debriefing went on for twenty minutes. At points, Choo-Choo and Navos added their parts. They left out Navos' breakdown after the fight and letting the workers go.

"You didn't know they had a Black Diamond when you attacked?"

"We probably wouldn't have tried to take them had we known," said Pandora. "They had more stones than we expected, but surprise, Choo-Choo's accurate shooting, and our sapphires carried the day."

Duro had been rubbing the black diamond between his forefinger and thumb.

"A nice trick putting the gun in his mouth and pulling the trigger. Good to know that steelskin doesn't extend past the outer skin."

The warleader paced before them for a long minute, occasionally stopping and examining the stone in his fist. Eventually he paused, forehead knitted with concern.

"What happened to the workers?"

Choo-Choo opened his mouth to give the answer they'd practiced on the journey to the Pajot, but now that she was standing before Duro, lying to him seemed like a bad idea.

"We let them go," said Pandora suddenly, catching glances from her friends.

"You let them go?" asked Duro suspiciously. "Why?"

"After questioning them, we realized they'd been held there against their will. The Eights had kidnapped them and brought them into the Undercity to work their mines."

Duro provided no clue to his thoughts. He stared at her as blankly as a canvas.

"Are we in trouble?" asked Pandora when the tension grew too thick.

"Trouble?" he repeated, chuckling. "Because you let some workers go after slaughtering six waku from the Eights?"

"They might tell others what happened."

"Good," he said. "Let them know that they tread on our territory at great risk." He shook his head. "Even if you'd given them hand jobs before you set them free I wouldn't care. You brought back a black diamond, something we've been trying to acquire since we learned about their existence."

"I just thought since the duel..."

"I don't care about the duel," said Duro sharply.

She cleared her throat. "At the Academy they call me a traitor."

"For what? Living? I was there, I saw you fight. You might have won, except for his clever final attack, coming through the stalactites like he did, catching you by surprise. You didn't choose to offer to yield."

"Yet they think I colluded with him."

Duro chuckled. "Kuma is like his father. He's clever. He did more by offering the yield than he would have accomplished by killing you. Razor clan does not accept outsiders, but we do. By letting you live, he put the idea that we cannot trust anyone but our own. It has made us more cautious about bringing in newcomers, though I for one disagree. I saw you fight. I know the truth of who you are, and this bounty proves my point." He put a hand on her shoulder. "I would have you fight at my side anytime. Any of you. You took a dangerous chance, scrapped well, and came away much ahead. If we have more like you, then we'll win this war."

Navos piped up. "Are we at war?"

"A shadow war. Eventually it will become the real thing, but for now, it will be at the edges."

When Duro turned to set the black diamond on the table with the other stones, Pandora risked a glance back to the map. She spotted markings near Big Dave's Town and other areas controlled by the Razor clan, suggesting that the Drops were already fighting this shadow war. She stared at her shoes when he turned back.

"You're to return to the Academy now, right?"

She nodded.

"Say nothing about the raid to your classmates. Not about the Eights, or the stones, and especially not the black diamond."

Pandora bowed, but Navos spoke up. "Wouldn't we want to let others know about our victory? The Eights will know and then the Alliance. Why not our clanmates?"

The ghost of smile rose to Duro's lips. "You want glory. You've earned it, but for now, you'll stay silent. That's all you need to know. Dismissed."

They bowed together and hurried out of the Overlook. When they were away from the ladder, Navos knocked his blond hair out of his eyes as he glanced back towards the lighted windows that looked over the canyon and the Pajot. He frowned.

"I don't understand why we can't say anything. The Alliance will know they lost. Why can't we?"

Pandora rolled the facts around her mind. "It's not the Alliance that he's worried about. It's Razor. He doesn't want them to know we have a black diamond."

"I don't understand," said Navos

Choo-Choo grunted. "He thinks we have a spy. Someone's passing information back to Razor. That's the only explanation."

"Seriously?" asked Navos.

"It would make sense," said Pandora. "Though it could just be caution. Shadow war and all."

"I saw the map," said Navos, nodding. "It looks like we've been hitting Razor already."

The next cavern was cut with terraces. Workers toiled amid the green plants beneath the artificial light. Pandora was busy pondering the information from the map when she saw Garrett on a separate path, waving her down.

"I'll catch up," she told her friends as they continued on the path.

She caught up to Garrett near a huge tank that held water for the terrace gardens. The outer shell was painted with a mural depicting a fight the Drops had with the infernal creatures during the Invasion. The scars of that day ran deep in the city.

Garrett looked different than the last time she'd seen him. Rather than the grungy work clothes, he wore baggy branded clothes that could only come from above. Silver chains hung around his neck and rings graced his fingers.

"You look like you're doing quite well," said Pandora.

He clucked his tongue and held out his hand as if he were turning a dial. "Killin' it at the Bogo."

"You hacked the pachinko machines?" she asked.

"No way. I just found my touch. Manager shits himself every time I come in. Tried to pay me to go somewhere else last time I was there."

"What's up?"

"Your friend wanted me to give you this," said Garrett, reaching into a pocket.

She accepted the item, finding a smooth black pebble in her fist. As soon as her eyes fell upon it, she had to steel herself from reacting. Garrett was staring at her curiously.

"What's it mean?"

"A bad joke." She looked up. "Where did she give this to you?"

"In the Terreno. She owns a shop there called the Rush. Sells stuff like blasting caps, climbing harnesses, and shit like that, though I don't understand the name."

Pandora chuckled. "The Rush. Like Gold Rush. When gold was found in the west it was the people selling shovels and packs that made all the money, not the ones digging in the ground."

"Who is she?"

"She's a fence, buys and sells stolen goods. The store is a front, though it's probably a pretty profitable one given how things are changing down here. Did she let you see her?"

"No. Wore a bulky cloak and a mask. What's wrong with her?"

Pandora assumed the story she used hadn't changed. "Unhappy customer threw acid on her. Tore her up pretty bad. Doesn't like anyone to see her face, or really anything."

"That's awful."

"It was." Pandora forced herself to smile. "Thanks, Garret. I have to get to the Academy."

"See ya around."

Away from the young maintenance worker, her lips broke into a scowl. She kept glancing at the black pebble as she made long strides towards her destination. Between the message and having to lie about her mother's condition, Pandora had to do everything she could to keep moving. Any thoughts she had about her past only brought the threats of the clicker, the endless brutal training that had made her who she was.

The past wasn't important, they'd told her. Thinking about it would only reveal truths better left hidden. Only the mission mattered. Only the way forward.

But the smooth black pebble was a message, telling her they weren't happy about her progress. They wanted intel and sabotage. The loss to Kuma at Shade's End hadn't helped. It'd made her look weak and undermined her position, and if she wasn't useful they would get rid of her.

A flash of tight spaces and choking black smoke had her frozen on the path, sweat beading on her forehead. Pandora stared at the terraces. Twenty-three workers. Five levels. Two water tanks. One stone.

She stared at the object on her palm. The urge to throw it across the cavern was strong.

"The map," she whispered to herself.

The information she'd seen on the map would be useful to them. It was the kind of intel she'd been sent to acquire. But she hadn't been allowed back at the Terreno since the duel. She needed to find a way to get there, even if she had to sneak out. The message was a reminder that they were running out of patience and she was nearly out of time.