28

When I awoke, it was to comparable bliss. Don’t get me wrong. My back ached, my hand throbbed, my eyes itched, a dull ache pounded at the back of my skull, and I desperately needed a throat lozenge and a dozen glasses of water, but on the bright side, I wasn’t immersed in smoke, surrounded by weasel stink, or actively being punched, kicked, beaten, bitten, clawed, or bored into with petrification-strength demon eyes by a monster out of legend. And I was alive, so overall, it was a win.

I winced as I sat up, taking stock of my surroundings. I was in a small room, dark but with an outward facing window that let in a smidgen of moonlight. I sat on a steel-framed bed—not an uncomfortable one, to be honest—but other than that, my furnishings were limited to a narrow washbasin pushed against the far wall.

I stood, my legs complaining but working as intended, and crossed over to it. I plunged my hand into the basin, but no cool water met my touch. I sighed.

I moved to the window, or as close to it as I could get. The glass panes were recessed, kept out of reach by a thick iron grating. I tested them, but they didn’t budge.

I gazed through the glass. Clouds covered the majority of the sky, but enough moonlight got through for me to get a gist of where I was.

Wind whistled through trees two stories below me. I spotted a gravel path, dark vegetation, snippets of tile and carved stone. It reminded me of the view from the vast expanse of the Aldermont, the luxurious estate belonging to the Vanderfellers where Shay and I had been tasked with the mysterious disappearance of the home’s matron. It wasn’t as big as the Vanderfellers’ place, or didn’t appear to be in the darkness, but it was a manor nonetheless, not an underground dungeon. That surprised me.

I held my left hand to the window, trying to inspect it in the moon’s dim glow. Dried blood coated most of it, and I could vaguely make out puncture wounds set in a neat curve. I couldn’t have been lucky enough to avoid breaking any bones, could I? I flexed my hand and stopped halfway, the pain nearly crippling me. Guess not… I’d need to sterilize it. Who knew what germs resided in a basilisk's mouth?

I looked around, once again wishing for water in the basin. Or even better, a drink of the alcoholic variety. Not that I was lapsing to a darker period in my life, but the alcohol would dull the pain and help clean my hand.

I crossed to the door at the front of the room and tested the handle. It rattled, but didn’t budge.

I tried knocking. “Hello? Anyone there?”

A not-too-nice voice responded, muffled by the wall. “Best be quiet lest you want a beating.”

I heard another voice, this one quieter, then a chuckle from the first voice. Two guards, it would appear?

I checked my belt only to find it gone. Surprisingly enough, Cobb and Bonesaw had left me my jacket, though they’d cleaned that out, too. I thought back to Daisy, lying in the back of the King’s Theater, cold and alone.

I blinked the thought away. I enjoyed anthropomorphism as much as the next guy, but now wasn’t the time to be worried about a truncheon.

“You with the Winds of Change?” I called.

“Told you to shut it.”

I lifted the corner of my mattress, but there wasn’t anything of use down there, either. I couldn’t pull the bed apart in search of a makeshift weapon. It was welded steel and brass.

I glanced at the washbasin. It was mostly wooden, but I wouldn’t be able to pry it apart with my bare fingers, not with my left hand in its current state. I’d be defenseless if I antagonized my jailers into coming in after me, but what choice did I have? I needed to get out, and I couldn’t do so through the window. Besides, they wouldn’t kill me, would they? They hadn’t so far.

“Could I at least get some water?” I said. “My throat’s killing me.”

I heard a grunt. “You asked for it, pal.”

I heard the scrape of a chair and a rattle of keys. That was followed by a whack and a thump, then a series of thuds interspersed with a faint grunt or two, all while the keys continued to jingle.

I took a step back from the door, suddenly nervous. “You know, on second thought, I don’t need—”

A latch clacked, and the door opened. Someone slipped into the darkness, closing the door behind them. Someone wearing a familiar pair of boots and tight leather pants.

“Kyra?”

She stepped into the wan moonlight, her body tense and her face drawn. “Good to see you’re awake, and mobile. I wasn’t sure you’d be after everything you’ve been through.”

“Everything I’ve been through?”

“Come on, Jake. You’re quicker on the uptake than this. How do you think I found you?”

“You were following me?” I said. “The whole time?”

“Not the whole time,” she said. “I hid at the King’s Theater. I mean, I’m the one who told you where the meeting would be, if you remember. Hell of a scene you made. I knew you were a badass, but you took down a basilisk.”

I pictured our second meeting. Kyra teasing me, coming onto me, spurning me. Had I missed something? “Why are you here?”

“I owe you my life. I’m paying back the debt.”

“A point I made to you multiple times already. Didn’t seem to sway you at the time.”

“I changed my mind.” She looked away. “As it turns out, maybe you are able to bring out the good in people. Even me.”

I wasn’t totally sure I bought it. “What happened after I got knocked out?”

“Bonesaw grabbed you, slung you over his shoulder, and followed Cobb out of the theater, them and a few of the remaining thugs. I followed the lot of you here. I was trying to figure out a good way to spring you when you distracted the guards.”

“And where is here?”

“A mansion in Brentwood. Not sure whose.”

“And my friends?” I asked. “Rodgers, Quinto. The Captain. The rest of the police strike teams?”

“Not sure,” said Kyra. “I was focused on you, not them. I imagine they’re still at the theater. Not sure if you noticed, but all hell broke loose after Cobb sicced that creature on the gang leaders. He timed it so several of his hidden teams of goons attacked the remaining gang troops right after it went down.”

“I noticed.”

“Then you know as much as I do. Could’ve been worse for your friends, I guess. I can’t imagine there were many of the bad guys left once your pals went in.” Kyra glanced toward the door. “Either way, it’s time to go. I haven’t scouted this place as well as I should’ve, certainly not as much as I would’ve if I were breaking in. There could be more guards here any minute.”

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” I said.

“What?”

“Shay. Where is she?”

“How would I know? I followed you, not her.”

“Kyra…”

She sighed. “I overheard the guards mention another prisoner on the ground floor. I don’t know if it’s her. That’s all I have.”

“You’re a life-saver.”

“Technically true, but not if you keep up your current pace. Daggers, I was at the theater. I saw what you pulled off—or not, exactly. Those smoke bombs were a nice trick. But you can’t keep it up. Look at you. You’re a mess. I’m surprised you’re still standing. You need to get out while you can.”

“You know I can’t do that,” I said. “I have to save Shay. I have to stop Cobb.”

“Oh, now you’ve upped your ambitions? You won’t stop until the whole city is safe?”

“It’s my job, Kyra. I know I may be in homicide, and most of the citizens I work with tend to be of the formerly living variety, but I do what I do to protect people. To save people. To make a difference.”

Kyra snorted. “Gods, you really are a golden boy.”

“Good thing you like golden boys. I mean…that is why you’re here, isn’t it?”

Kyra stepped closer to me. “You think I’d come between you and your partner? After you told me you loved her?”

“Maybe,” I said. “Or maybe you came back for proof.”

“Proof of what?”

“Proof that guys like me exist. Guys that would do anything for the people they love. Guys that would stand up for what’s right, even if it means putting their own necks on the line. Maybe you came back for validation. For a glimmer of hope.”

“You know, you’re not just a golden boy,” said Kyra, moving even closer. “You’re a hopeless romantic. Don’t worry. I like those, too.”

She leaned in and kissed me. Not on the cheek, either. On the lips. Soft and tender, yet strong at the same time. It didn’t last forever. Maybe a few seconds, but when Kyra pulled back, she was out of breath all the same.

“Sorry. Needed something else to remember you by. Go and get her, champ. And don’t forget about me, okay?”

“How could I forget you?” I said.

Kyra smiled. “Oh, I don’t mean in general. I meant when you send out the wedding invitations.”

I snorted. “And where would I send them?”

“I’ll be back—assuming you save the city from Cobb, that is.” She opened the door. “Take care, Jake. And watch out for guards. I didn’t clear them all out for you.”