Chapter Thirty-Eight

 

"We should get moving," said Brazio, handing back the water bottle as they sat upon the rocks where Irina was buried. "I'd hate for you to die by that maetrie's hand after surviving that fight."

"I agree, but I have to get something first," she said, glancing at the pile beneath them.

"Right."

Pandora started pulling the rocks off the body. Brazio helped as he could but he tired quickly. After ten minutes of digging, Pandora reached Irina's body. Using a knife, Pandora cut through the instructor's shirt and rescued the four stones that formed a circle around her belly button: amber, opal, sapphire, and black diamond.

"What are you going to do with that?" he asked.

She dropped them into a little pouch. "Haven't decided."

Brazio's gaze flitted to the vials of Eclipse she'd left near his previous location.

"Not in the mood for attunement right now," she said, prompting a snorting chuckle.

Pandora reached back into the hole, searching for a communication device, but not finding one. So she went back to where she'd first seen Irina. A small backpack had been dropped behind a rock. Inside was a device that looked like a walkie-talkie, but had golden runes around the outside of the casing. When she couldn't get the device to react to her touch, she brought it back to the pile and used Irina's cold hand to unlock it.

After she read the most recent messages, Brazio asked, "What now?"

"Change of plans. I'm taking you to the Pajot."

His eyes widened.

"Your home is no longer yours. The Crows have possession. Some of your clan made it to Big Dave's Town."

"Some?"

Pandora shrugged. "The messages weren't clear. But it's not safe to head across the Undercity, and besides, it's best that you and Daraja have a long talk."

"There's a chance she cuts my throat and makes a deal with the Crows or whoever else is behind them. She's a cunning businesswoman who likes to make a good deal."

"Then I'll be the one who can claim your capture and the killing of a spy."

He tapped on the rocks. "Assuming they believe you. After all, Irina called you a spy too."

She gave him a long look. He stared back with no hint of concern.

"At least we won't have far to go."

"I'm feeling better already," he said, and nearly fell on his rear as he tried to reach his feet. She helped him to stand, after which he nodded his thanks.

They walked in silence. The Undercity was too dangerous at the moment for casual conversation.

Pandora gave the signal—a combination of tongue clicks and whistles—near the outer guard post. She heard the response, which told her the way was clear. The inner station bristled to attention when Brazio appeared with her. One of them was a soldado she knew from the city raid.

"Are you mad? What the fuck is he doing with you?" asked Dane, eyes wide and making a warding sign towards the darkness.

"It's a long story that I'm too exhausted to explain right now." She jutted her chin at the additional numbers at the guard post. Usually there were only three, but as she saw around the corner a full dozen were camped at the entrance. "What's with the party?"

"The Crows hit Razor, might have wiped them out. Other weird shit's been happening. Reports of a firefight outside the Lazona. No one's seen Duro. Place is going mad. Where you takin' him?"

"To Daraja, assuming she's here."

He nodded. "You can't take him alone."

She wasn't about to argue, when on the surface he was right. "You can send some waku with us."

"What about his hands? Why don't you have him tied up?" asked Dane.

Pandora frowned. "Look at him. He's half dead. A breeze would knock him over."

Dane stared at Brazio, who was doing a good job of looking like he might fall at any moment. The dried blood covering his clothes helped. He looked like a war refugee.

"Let me grab some zip ties at least," said Dane.

After they had Brazio's wrists bound together, Dane and a few waku came with them. The Pajot was different from when she'd left that morning. Everyone was traveling around with weapons and in small groups. The clan was on a war footing. Brazio craned his head in all directions as they traveled down the gravel paths.

"I knew there were gardens, but this is impressive," he said.

"Shut up, fool," said Dane, pushing him forward. Brazio fell to his knees which brought laughter. Pandora quickly helped him up, admonishing the group. "It's not for you to decide how he's treated."

Dane inclined his head. "Sorry, Pandora."

The others averted their gaze. The respect shown surprised her. After years of struggling to find her place in the clan, she'd somehow become elevated in their eyes, probably for being seen with Duro. Brazio gave her a knowing nod as they continued through the caverns.

When they reached the main headquarters, near the in-progress processing building, a crowd gathered around Brazio, who seemed ambivalent about his fate. A chant of "Drop! Drop! Drop!" formed in the younger kids, but when they reached the ladders, one of the older men chased them back to their planting responsibilities.

The entourage stayed at the base of the ladders. Brazio climbed on his own with his wrists still bound with the zip ties, but he had to stop frequently and lean against the bars.

Inside the headquarters, of which Pandora had only seen Duro's room, they were led deeper into the structure. Word had been sent ahead, so there were no more questions. A room that looked like it belonged in the top floor of a skyscraper rather than deep in the Undercity was their final location. Plush leather chairs surrounded a long polished wooden table. Blank screens littered the walls. A towel was thrown over the chairs before they were allowed to sit, and a tray of steaming tea was brought. Then it was only the two of them.

"A cup?" she asked.

"Please," he said, bowing his head.

She poured them both a cup. Pandora couldn't sit, so she paced around the back of the room while they waited for Daraja.

The door opened twenty minutes later, revealing the head of the Drops clan. She wore a colorful black, green, and yellow business suit with gold earrings. She entered the room like a whirlwind.

"I hope to the shadows above and below that you have a good story to explain why you've waltzed into our home with this man at your side, when the entire Undercity is in turmoil, and I cannot find my two most important lieutenants."

Pandora shared a glance with Brazio at the last part, receiving a withering stare from Daraja.

"I have much news," said Pandora, bowing her head deeply. "Little of it will be pleasing to hear."

Until Daraja had arrived, Pandora had not decided what to say. There were many things she could explain, and many things she could leave out. But the more secrets she kept, the larger the danger, especially with what Brazio had heard. Before she could begin speaking, the door opened again, revealing the warleader Duro.

"Where have you been?" asked Daraja, the cracking of her voice betraying the strain.

Duro took stock of the room. His eyes creased as his gaze washed over her, but she had no clue to his thoughts. He approached Brazio.

"You look half dead, old man," said Duro with a smirk, inclining his head.

"Three-quarters," said Brazio, matching the gesture. "But getting better."

"We don't really need these, do we?" Duro asked Daraja as he motioned towards the zip ties.

Daraja shook her head, and before anyone could move, Brazio snapped his wrists, popping the plastic wraps from them. When Daraja furrowed her brow at Pandora, Brazio said, "I didn't want to show any disrespect."

Duro poured himself a cup of tea and plopped himself on the table, receiving a frown from Daraja. He took a sip, then stared into the cup with his nose wrinkling.

"You didn't return right away after the errand. Where did you go?" asked Duro with a casualness that had her alarm bells ringing. "And do you know why Irina is missing in this time of need?"

The way he said it suggested he knew more than he was letting on. Pandora had the sudden realization that the reason he'd asked her to join him on his extra missions was to get a better read on her with his amber. He was known as a skillful interrogator. Pandora saw her carefully constructed personality unraveling at the seams.

She considered continuing the ruse, but realized that her story had far too many holes if she went that direction, and having made her choice about who she supported, better the news came out now rather than later on by her mother's hand. That Brazio had heard Irina's accusation, even if it were from the enemy's mouth, was proof enough that her position was in peril.

"I went to the Terreno."

"Why did you do that?" he asked, setting the cup down.

When she'd brought Brazio to Daraja, she'd expected the Razor warleader to be the one interrogated. Either Duro knew something about her past, or suspected and was trying to get it out of her. Given everything that had happened, she knew she had a choice to make, but if it were the wrong one, she'd likely end up dead. She might even end up that way if she did everything right.

"I met my handler. I've been spying on the Drops."

The cold hiss of in-breath had her averting her gaze, not wanting to feel the heat of their recrimination.

"Explain," said Duro in a flat tone.

Daraja held a hand up before she could speak. "Should we have this conversation without him?"

Duro shifted his mouth to the side. "I believe it will be important for Brazio to hear this as well."

"Very well. Continue," she said.

"I was sent to the Undercity to infiltrate one of the clans and spy on them. The day that we first met in the Pale Sun, I planted the gun on that Blue Dagger and remotely fired it."

The news seemed to surprise Daraja, but not Duro, who stared at her with a flat expression.

"My handler owns the Rush. That's where I would meet her. My job was to find cracks in the cohesiveness of the Drops and exploit them, but I failed miserably. I thought I was joining a gang, but I learned it was nothing like what I'd experienced in the light. When she asked me to bomb the processing building, I refused. I never agreed to killing old men and women and children."

Daraja surged forward and grabbed Pandora round the neck, squeezing hard enough to make her choke. Daraja's eyes bulged with anger and spit flew from her lips. "You? I'll have your skin flayed off before I drop you in the canyon to let the scorpics eat you alive!"

With the gentleness of a snake handler, Duro placed his arm between them, leveraging Daraja's hands away from Pandora's throat.

"Let her speak, Daraja. There's more to her story," said Duro.

When her throat was released, Pandora had to take a drink of water before she could speak again. Pandora explained the whole endeavor with the explosives, including Garret's part, and how she'd taken the satchel and hid it afterwards.

Daraja was spitting mad, pacing and squeezing her hands into fists.

"Tell me why we don't have both of these traitors in chains. And who was the real bomber? Or is this all a lie?"

Duro pulled a gold chain from a pocket and tossed it on the table. The necklace slid across the smooth surface before stopping. Pandora recognized the jewelry as one of Garret's, which meant the kid was no longer alive and that Duro already knew most of this story, which made her inhale with relief that she'd chosen the truth.

"I came from questioning him. He confirmed everything she just said."

"Then why was the processing building bombed?"

Pandora bent at the waist. "I can explain, but it is best if I continue the story in order so I don't miss anything."

"Very well," said Daraja. "I am liking this less and less."

Pandora went on to explain how she'd confronted her mother and followed her to the meeting with the Blue Daggers. When she reached the part of the story when Kuma and his friends appeared, Daraja slammed her fist on the table, but Duro waved her off, letting Pandora explain the deal made and then the tracking down of the Blue Daggers and subsequent taking of the Eclipse.

"And where are these elixirs?"

Pandora reached into an inner pocket and produced the vials of electric blue liquid.

"So it wasn't Razor who bombed the processing building?" asked Daraja.

"Nor killed the Razor clan member and carved a 'D' into his chest," said Pandora, which brought a nod of recognition from Brazio. "The clans were being manipulated into attacking each other."

"Are we ever going to learn who planted the bombs?" asked Daraja, clearly annoyed.

"Yes," said Pandora. "After leaving Kuma and his friends, I came straight back, intending to return to the Drops, but then I heard gunfire. I overheard discussion about an ambush and the near killing of Brazio Santos. With everything I learned from my handler, I knew finding him would be important. I managed to track him down and heal him with my opal. I'd intended to bring him back to the Machi, but then Irina found us."

"Finally," said Daraja. "What was my lieutenant up to? I assume she saw your deceit and sent you back here?"

Pandora glanced to Duro, who she guessed already suspected Irina's shattered loyalty.

"Not exactly. Irina was searching for Brazio. She's working for the same people my mother is."

"You lie, girl. Irina would never turn her back on the clan," said Daraja.

"I'm sorry, but it's true. She was promised the position of warleader for whatever new clan is forming. She knew all about the Crows' attack on Razor, and other details."

"Where is she? I want to hear what she has to say about this," said Daraja, looking around as if she expected Irina to walk in at any moment.

"She's dead."

Daraja pounded her fist on the table and glared at Brazio. "Was this you? Is this half-dead thing merely an act?"

Brazio tilted his head towards Pandora. "She killed her."

Even Duro appeared surprised by the news.

"Lies. She was three times the warrior and had more stones."

Pandora pulled out the leather pouch and upended them on the table. The four stones bounced around before coming to a rest. Duro picked out the black diamond immediately, whistling softly.

"I think we're going to need a more detailed explanation," said Duro with an eyebrow raised.

If the earlier reveals had brought anger, this story tempered it with wonder. As much as she could, Pandora left nothing out, starting with the conversation where Irina admitted her connection to the Crows and the bombing of the processing facility. A few times Brazio nodded when she searched for the right explanation, as if he were silently cheering her on. When she got to the point about the black diamond, Daraja began pacing again, a boiling anger right beneath the surface. The final moments of the fight, burying Irina alive in a cairn of rock, resulted in the leader of the Drops plopping into a leather chair.

"Where were you in all of this?" Daraja asked Duro. "You're my warleader. We've been at war it seems, but you've been doing nothing."

"I wasn't sure who to trust. I'd suspected Irina for some time but never had the proof I needed to bring it to you." He gestured to Pandora. "But she helped me see the threads. Enough I could pull on a few and unravel the plot."

"But she's the spy."

Duro furrowed his brow. "Is she?"

Daraja slammed her fist onto the table. "Have you gone soft? Or mad? She's been conspiring with our enemy, whoever they are."

Duro's gaze never left hers. He was calm and serene, which could be really good or bad for her.

"Who are you really?"

The corners of his eyes creased slightly. Did he know? Or was he fishing? It was one thing to be a spy who changed their allegiance but the more links they saw between her and them, the smaller her chances became. But if she had any hope for the Drops to truly become her family, she couldn’t leave anything out. On the other hand, there should be no way that he would know anything about her relation to her mother, or the unusual aspects of her heritage. Those were secrets she could keep even if she were officially switching sides.

"I'm Pandora—"

The explanation died on her tongue. She saw it before she completed her sentence. The trip to the Lazona was a test, but not the one she might have expected. Najani. It wasn't a message from Duro to her, but a chance for the bar owner to meet and examine her. To know who she truly was.

"The handler, the one who owns the Rush. She's my mother. And there's more than that. I know who's behind the attacks, the person driving everything that's been happening in the Undercity, because he's my grandfather, and more than that, he's full-blooded maetrie."

The in-breath of surprise from Daraja was followed by a slow shake of the head, while Duro observed her quietly.

"That's why you sent me to Lazona. So Najani could meet me."

He pursed his lips in thought. "I knew something was different about you. It wasn't until I happened by her bar that it hit me what was different. Your grandmother was human?"

Pandora nodded. "I'm quarter city fae, but pass mostly as human. After my father was killed in a gang shootout, my mother took me to the Eternal City, where I spent my days training to be a spy."

Daraja surged forward, standing before Pandora with a scowl. "Who is your grandfather? Who is this maetrie that has been meddling in the Undercity?"

Pandora opened her mouth with every intention of telling them. The name was poised on her lips. Until recently, she hadn't realized that the loyalty she had for the cause had been trained into her like a dog with a shock collar. They weren't her family as much as a breeder of fighting dogs wasn't either.

"His name is—"

Her throat seized up. The name evaporated as it hit the air, right off her tongue like water on a hot stove.

"Speak, girl, or I'll have your tongue ripped out."

Pandora put a hand to her mouth and tried again. "His name is—"

The second time sent a wave of vertigo through her. They'd enchanted her somehow. Placed a geas in her mind that prevented the reveal. As she reflected on her two years in the Undercity she saw how her mind casually deflected any thoughts about him, or her experiences in the Eternal City. They hadn't wanted her to give away the game too early. They'd never trusted her.

"You'd better tell me that name."

Pandora waved at her mouth. She couldn't even tell them that she wasn't allowed to. The compulsion had taken over. She felt like a stranger in her own body. Her throat closed even more until she could no longer breathe. The world drew in around her and before she knew it, she was on the ground, clawing at her neck. The faces of three waku loomed over her. She heard shouting, felt their hands upon her, but no air was making it past. More than a geas had been placed on her. A fail-safe, which would kill her before she let slip the truth. The dots that were forming in her vision connected until she was buried beneath a blanket of darkness.