Tearing the Sky

(3:3:4)

“You shouldn’t be out here without some kind of bodyguard, calut.”

Seih snorted quietly, gazing up the river towards the dam, shading his eyes from the sunlight. “Do you really think someone’s going to try and stab me in broad daylight?”

“Well, with all your talk of supplying the LU with constructs....” The foreman he’d worked with throughout this project—Vendei—folded his arms, chewing some kind of gum.

“If you ask me, we’re going after the wrong people.” Seih wandered alongside the stone edge constructed by the edge of the river, glancing sideways at Ven. “I don’t agree with the stealing, but they wouldn’t have to do it in the first place if we simply had a plan in place to supply the Unity.”

“You don’t get it, boy. There are people out there who believe with every part of their tiny brains that you’re the harbinger of the end.”

“Me. Harbinger of doom. Really.” He cocked an eyebrow at that one.

“They think you’re gonna be the one who enables Petrah and the spiders to swoop down and enslave us all— end our civilisation. That this whole thing’s a fake-out and the Darkness miggery’ll turn out to be nothing but a flag hiding the bull. You’re drawing attention to yourself. You’d better be ready to find your back’s a target.”

Exhaling, he turned his attention to the waters passing swiftly through the channel beside them. All these people, focusing on the wrong thing.... A part of him wouldn’t be surprised if they wanted him dead.

|Seih.|

He twitched as a voice called to him across his soulbind link. Was that Winds? |Winds? What is it—?|

|Head here. Now.| An image of the city spiked behind his eyes, swooping down to a specific part of Kahnin district he didn’t recognise and had never seen before. |Brei is there. Firemount’s peace enforcement is about to storm a building housing the main body of the Constructors, and she is about to walk into it.|

|What?| He groped for the wall blocking off the river, hissing through his teeth as he did his best to force back the pain of having a soul imprint unwillingly shoved into his head. |Why is she—?|

|Why is not important. I can’t go, and you are the only one who won’t turn her over to them. Go.|

“Boy—?”

He waved Ven away, blinking back the afterimage to a more manageable space, pushing himself off the wall. Questions could wait— if she was about to be arrested for being at the wrong place at the wrong time— Whatever reason she had for being there. For being in a place she’d never go to. “Something came up. I just got a message. I need to go.”

Dread rose like a tide, threatening to choke around his windpipe as he left the old man standing flatfooted and broke into a run.

What have you gotten yourself into, Brei?

&&&

Idiot. Idiot.

Brei wedged herself into the narrow space between a crumbling house and a lean-to, heart pounding. Those glowing eyes— What were enforcement Divinations doing here?

She didn’t dare reconnect to her soulbind crown and try to get in contact. She didn’t know who was at the basement right now, she didn’t know if they knew.

Are they here for us? Oh Reyahn this can’t be happening. How did they find us?

There was a crack, like wood splintering, and she flinched. I have to let them know—

Leaning forward, she risked glancing around the edge of the old, warped wood, catching a glimpse of Divinations standing further down the street.

Too late. Voids damn it. They were already breaking in.

A sudden flicker of movement caught her eye, and her breath caught in her throat as they dragged out a familiar boy, his feet skidding and yanking back against the iron grip around his arm. Dais.

Others followed, Ged and Lefei miraculously not with them. Thank Reyahn. A rock still settled in her stomach as her eyes locked back onto Dais, though, struggling for all he was worth while they paraded him down the street, moving to march them all past her.

There has to be something. Something I can do.

A pit of snakes churning inside her chest, she pressed further back in the shadows. Her teeth dug into the inside of her cheek, the taste of blood touching her tongue as she watched helplessly, unable to do a damn thing except cower in the dark.

They marched past, and Dais’s eyes somehow found hers in all his struggling. He froze. The Divination pulling him along twitched, its gaze flicking up, her heart jumping into her mouth—

Its prisoner lunged, headbutting it in the side.

He ended up on the ground half a second later, his jaw clacking together sickeningly hard enough to hear from where she stood. Spitting blood, he gasped in a ragged breath, a garbled hiss spat at the feet of the Divination who dragged him up again like nothing had happened at all, its attention thoroughly, self-sacrificially taken.

A hand landed on her shoulder.

“Ah—!”

“Shh— shh.” A palm slipped over her mouth, moving to drag her back, moving to drag her who knew where, and she yanked her head desperately to the side, pulling away— “Brei, it’s just me. It’s just me.”

Wha— Seih?

She fell limp, letting him guide her back, slipping into some gap she hadn’t noticed—a door that’d been closed—and turned her around to face his worried expression, half-obscured in the dimness. His warm hands held her face, his eyes searching hers. She wondered dimly if they looked as empty and dazed as she suddenly felt.

“Are you okay? Brei?”

“I—” She shook herself, stepping back and pulling away. “What are you doing here?”

He stared at her, his expression struggling for a moment, turning wary. “I was up inspecting the dam. Someone... let me know you were in trouble.”

“Oh, well, that’s just wonderful. And I suppose you thought it was a great idea to abduct me.”

He winced. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want them to notice you.”

“Yes, look... I know. Thank you.” Taking a couple of deep breaths, she folded her arms, trying to contain the twist knifing under her ribs. It had all happened so fast. There had been no warning, no indication that they knew. She was lucky she’d spotted the first Divination at all and hadn’t been dragged away with Dais and the others. And now—

How were they supposed to get in contact? What could they do? She had to get in contact with someone as soon as possible. At least Lefei and Ged knew where she lived....

“Are you one of them, Brei?”

Her eyes twitched up to Seih at his quiet question, her thoughts tumbling to a halt, caught at a dead-end. “I....”

His gaze searched hers, a muscle in his jaw twitching. “So that’s where you’ve been going, all this time.”

“I thought you were for the Constructors.” Setting her jaw, she met his gaze evenly. “Does it matter if I am?”

“It matters that you might get thrown in a dungeon or executed.” His face twisted. “Why didn’t you just tell me?”

“And what were you planning to do, stop me?” She shot back. “Are you a hypocrite like every other Domini?”

“That’s not what I—”

“I’m doing something, Seih! I’m doing something because no one else will, while this entire place does its damned best to wrap its pillow firmly around its own head and pretend everything will just go away if we ignore it hard enough!”

“I’ve never been against doing anything.” He stepped forward, and she stepped back, breathing through her nose. “Brei, I’m with you on this one—”

“Then why can’t you get the Ripple to do anything?”

“Because they won’t listen to me—”

“Then set their felled building on fire! Push harder! Stand up for us instead of just being against—”

“Brei!” His snap cut her off, his eyes flashing. “I’m doing my best with what I have. They won’t listen, and if I push too hard they’ll only throw me out again. For good, if I make too much trouble. I already have enemies— If I’m not careful, they’ll tear me apart. I have to work them around.”

She bit her lip fiercely. “Will that stop the other Constructors from being arrested? Why couldn’t you... why couldn’t you stop them from moving against us? Did you know this was going to happen?”

“No, I didn’t know.” He didn’t move forward again, but he looked like he wanted to. “If I had... I would have warned you.”

“Warned us.” She closed her eyes. “Not even tried to stop it?”

“I’m a lower Domini, Brei. I don’t have a lot of influence. I don’t have the Hand’s ear.” Hesitantly, he reached out to her. When she didn’t pull back, he rested his hand on her shoulder, his warmth seeping through her tunic. “I’m sorry, Brei, I.... I’m trying to do more.”

She let her head fall forward, grinding into his collarbone, and took a shuddering breath. “It’s not enough. Nothing we do is enough.”

Silently, he folded her in a hug, his breath exhaling against her ear. For a long moment he just held her. “I’ll do everything I can to get them released. I promise, Brei....

“It’s not over yet.”