“Where are you taking us?”
I duck before a fallen beam can connect with my skull. Fumbling in the darkness, I try my best to keep up with Lenny’s lanky legs still several steps in front of me. My body aches after a full day of riding, and blindly navigating the backstreets of Dor is not exactly helping.
“You’ll see. Just a little farther,” Lenny calls over his shoulder at the group grumbling behind him.
Leena shoots me a skeptical look while Finn trails behind Kai with a crossbow in hand. We’ve been making our way through the outskirts of the city for nearly an hour now, though we still haven’t been told exactly why.
“Watch your head here,” Lenny warns before ducking through a partially boarded doorway. I spin, taking in the abandoned building we’ve just stepped into. What is left of the walls is draped in shadows, dappled in the moonlight streaming through a slatted roof.
Lenny doesn’t bother slowing the long strides that carry him toward the dark corner. I squint after him, sucking in a breath. Blinking, I can barely make out the figures melting from the shadows Lenny approaches.
I open my mouth to shout a warning, call his name—
“Lenny!”
But it’s another woman’s shout I hear despite it being on the tip of my tongue. A flicker of flame paints the wall, shedding light on the scene. Dozens of bedrolls litter the uneven floorboards, most of which are occupied by groggy men, women, and children. A tall woman stands among them, her short red hair glowing like an ember in the flickering light. Lenny grins, pulling her into a crushing embrace.
“What the hell is going on here?” Finn murmurs beside me. I shake my head, unable to do anything but stare.
“Everyone,” Lenny says after finally being released, “meet my mother.”
We blink at him and the strangers beginning to stir awake. Leena is the first to move, extending a hand to the woman. “Hi. I’m Leena.”
“Meredith,” she says warmly, shaking her hand.
“Mom,” Lenny says, “this is Paedyn and Finn and—”
“And the Enforcer,” she finishes, her lips thin.
“Yes, the Enforcer.” Lenny rubs the back of his neck. “We still aren’t sure what to do with him.”
“Well”—she flicks her brown eyes to me—“you are the Silver Savior, yes?”
“Unfortunately.” I smile slightly.
She doesn’t seem to be scared of me or what I’ve done. Instead, she returns my smile. “Then you use him to earn your freedom. The king needs his right-hand man more than a girl on the run.”
Lenny nods slowly. “That could work. We’d need to figure out the exact plan but—”
“I’m sorry to interrupt,” Finn cuts in, “but where are we? And who are these people?”
There are dozens of them now sleepily stirring in their beds or standing to join the greetings. “This,” Meredith says with a smile, “is a refuge of sorts.”
“Len Len!”
A squealing blur comes charging at Lenny before he scoops it into his arms. The little girl giggles uncontrollably as he spins her around, kissing her on the cheek. “There you are, little dragon!”
“Did you miss me?” she squeals.
“Depends on how much you missed me.” Lenny smiles, pinching her nose.
She grins, eyes bright. “More than a little.”
“Good,” Lenny says. “I missed you more than a little too.”
I watch her swat at his hair before hesitantly asking, “Is this your sister?”
Lenny shrugs. “In a way. Ma found her on the streets of Ilya and knew she couldn’t stay there, so she brought her to live here. We’ve grown more than a little attached to one another.”
“And where is here, exactly?” Leena asks, looking around at the crumbling building.
Meredith smiles. “It’s a place for…” Her eyes land on the bound prince who’s studying the little girl intently. “Well, he’s certainly figured it out.”
Kai takes a step toward the girl before Finn nudges him with the tip of his crossbow. “Easy, Prince.”
The Enforcer ignores him to scrutinize the strangers surrounding us. “They’re… partial. Percentages.” He shakes his head, struggling to sort out what it is he’s sensing.
Meredith nods, smiling slightly. “That’s right. They’re the outcome of Elites and Ordinaries. Some have more power than others, but all of them are here because they belong nowhere else.” She speaks pointedly toward Kai, studying him as he swallows every word. “They cannot risk living in the slums of Ilya because their powers are too weak to be considered Elite, but they cannot live freely in the surrounding cities because the people loathe the power they cannot control.” She steps aside, allowing us full view of the many figures now staring at us. “So, they sleep here and blend in as best they can.”
“Show us what you can do, little dragon,” Lenny whispers into the girl’s ear.
She grins, showing us her palms and wiggling her fingers—the same fingers that suddenly flicker with flame. She smiles up at Lenny, who nods encouragingly. “Go on. Show ’em why you’re my little dragon, Luna.”
She nods, her dark hair streaked with firelight. Then she lifts her flickering fingers toward her mouth, taking a deep breath before blowing it out at the flames. They ripple from her fingers, stretching into the room as though she’s breathing fire.
“Luna comes from a long line of Mixes, for lack of a better term, which is why her fingers are the only place her Blazer ability manifests,” Meredith says softly. “I found her in the slums, no older than a toddler. I knew immediately that she didn’t possess the full power of a Blazer, considering that Elite children can barely contain their abilities for several years. She should have been covered in flames.”
She smiles sadly at the giggling girl in Lenny’s arms. “I knew it wouldn’t be long before it became clear to everyone that she wasn’t fully Elite. And Ilya has no use for those weakened by Ordinaries.” Her eyes skip over the Enforcer. “So I hid her for a while. Most Mixes are still strong enough to blend in with Elites, but Luna is far from the first Mix in her bloodline. Eventually”—she waves a hand to the group behind her—“I found more throughout Loot and took them in. That is, until I couldn’t hold any more and eventually made the trek to Dor, where it is safer for them. Here, they are met with hatred if they are found out. There”—her sharp stare finds the prince—“they are met with death.”
“There aren’t many left in Ilya,” Lenny adds. “Most of them fled to Dor or Tando a generation ago and live among everyone else. But if I happened to find any in the slums when I was stationed there, I’d send them to Ma.”
A man clears his throat, stepping forward from the back of the group. “Lenny found me a few years ago.” His hands are cupped together, holding the small flame that has been illuminating the dark room. “I’m also a partial Blazer. I have to cup my hands together like this, just to make a flame.”
A woman clears her throat, stepping into the dim light. “I’m a partial Veil. So…” Her arms suddenly flicker out, disappearing before our eyes. “The rest of me stays visible.”
Several others walk forward, sharing how they got here and the little they can do. Leena is nearly brought to tears as she profusely thanks Meredith for all that she’s done, hugging her and anyone else who will allow it.
But it’s the Enforcer who holds my attention. He studies them like a puzzle, deciphering the percentage of power each of them possesses. I vaguely wonder how many of these half Elites have passed him in the streets with him none the wiser.
“You’re welcome to stay here as long as you like,” Meredith says sweetly, turning her attention to me. “I can imagine it’s hard to keep you out of trouble with that hair of yours.”
“You have no idea,” I say, smiling slightly.
“Make yourselves comfortable,” Lenny says before turning toward his mother to inform her on where we left the horses while Luna plays with his hair.
I make quick work of unrolling a bedroll while gnawing on some bread Meredith begins passing out to us. “What are we doing with him?” I turn to see Finn nodding the crossbow at the prince.
“Put him by me,” I say sweetly, though my smile is anything but. “We’ll take shifts watching him.”
When he sits down beside me, he’s wearing my least favorite mask at his disposal—indifference. So I lean over, whispering softly in his ear. “Lucky for you, my feet are freezing.”
