Blue Fire

“What happened?” I asked.

“This.” Danello handed me a folded paper.

I unfolded it and my breath caught.

A poster, with my face on it and a five-thousand-oppa reward underneath.

Five thousand oppas?

Saints! For that much money I’d turn myself in.

THE SHIFTER MERLAINA OSKOV,

WANTED FOR MURDER

I bristled. It wasn’t murder. It had been an accident. . . Zertanik, rubbing his hands eagerly; the Luminary watching with untrusting eyes. Both offering me the lives of Tali and the others if I flashed the League’s pynvium Slab, released the pain it held so they could steal it and sell it to those in need.

I took a deep breath. No, that was a lie. It wasn’t an accident. I’d made the choice. Geveg had needed that Slab, the only pynvium left in the whole city. Without it, we wouldn’t have been able to heal anyone. Healers couldn’t deposit their pain in the metal, where it couldn’t hurt them. Zertanik had never cared about that – he’d been eager to take advantage of those who couldn’t afford real healing. The Luminary should have cared, though. He ran Geveg’s Healers’ League, so it was his responsibility to protect our Healers, not use them.

They were terrible men. I shouldn’t feel guilty about killing them.

I pictured red mist on the walls of the Luminary’s office, all that was left of him and Zertanik after the flash, disintegrated by the pain I’d released from the Slab. My guilt remained. I’d known it would kill us, and I’d done it anyway, to save Tali and the other apprentices.

I’d just honestly thought it would kill me, too.

“At least tey don’t know your real name,” Aylin said, but her voice trembled.

Danello nodded and cupped my cheek in his hand. “And you look different now, too.”

Like Tali, I’d cut my blonde curls short, but I’d dyed them brown. Aylin had dyed her hair Baseeri black, something I didn’t have the stomach to do. Danello had kept his blonde hair, since fewer people had seen him. They weren’t the best disguises, but not many at the League had gotten a good look at our faces. At least not the ones still alive.

“Maybe no one will recognise you,” Aylin said.

“Maybe.” I cursed myself for saying it. I was supposed to be done with maybes. But maybe you were never done with maybes.

“The posters are all over the city,” Aylin said, tossing her hat on the front table of carved wood with onyx inlays. Worth a fortune, perhaps enough to pay the bribes we’d need for passage to the mainland if we ran. Running would be harder now with the reward out there.

“Soldiers are putting them up,” added Danello. “A lot of people aren’t happy about it. We saw one of the shopkeeps tear it down right in front of the soldiers. He called you a hero.”

Hero and murderer, all in the same day.

“They nailed the poster up again and he ripped it down again.” Danello shook his head. “You should have seen him.”

“That’s when they beat him up,” Aylin said. “We got out of there fast after that.”

People I didn’t even know were getting hurt defending me. Some hero. No matter what I did, someone suffered.

“You OK?” Danello asked, taking my hand and rubbing his thumb across my knuckles.

“I didn’t expect this.”

“You knew the Duke was looking for you.”

“No, not that. The shopkeep. People sticking up for me.”

Aylin huffed. “You saved the lives of thirty Healers, stopped the Luminary from stealing Geveg’s pynvium, and basically spat in the Duke’s eye. Of course they’re going to stick up for you.”

“I’d be happier if they didn’t.” I had more responsibility than pockets already. I’d got everyone into this, so I had to protect them. Grannyma used to say, a life saved was a debt owed.

“Well, you’re a hero now, so get used to it.”

Or a murderer, depending on who you asked.

A heavy knock shook the front door.

“Are you expecting anyone?” Danello said in a low voice.

“Soldiers trying to arrest us?” I joked, though it didn’t sound at all funny. Danello motioned me to stay back. I ducked behind a doorway with Aylin while he peeked out the window.

“It’s the rent collector,” he whispered.

My stomach tightened. We’d paid for the whole month just last week.

“Maybe she’ll go away,” I said.

Another hard bang.

“Or maybe not,” said Aylin.

Danello held out both hands. “What should I do?”

More insistent banging. She’d start to draw attention if she kept it up. Soek left the kitchen, a dripping wooden spoon in his hand. He held it like a weapon, and with good cause. He’d been in the spire room with Tali too.

“I know you’re in there,” the rent collector shouted. “Open up and talk to me.”

For the love of Saint Saea, I didn’t need this today.

“Open it,” I said, stepping into the hall.

She didn’t wait to be invited in. Just marched right past Danello and over to me. “Rent’s due.”

“We already paid it.”

“It’s due again. And it’s gone up.”

I folded my arms and tried not to scream my frustration. A handful of jewellery had convinced her that Aylin, Tali and I were Zertanik’s daughters. She’d doubled the rent, probably planning to pocket the extra, but let us stay. She could throw us out if she wanted, and we had nowhere else to go. “How much?”

She grinned and handed me one of the reward posters. “Five thousand oppas.”