The Twilight City Read online

  With her lavender hair, rust-colored eyes that burned with a tiny reddish ember behind each, and her rune-carved horns ornamented with jewelry, Nera shouldn’t be hard to miss once he found her. Fortunately, he had magical means of locating her.

  He concentrated for a moment, fighting through the haze of the alcohol until he found his focus. He pushed his senses outward and felt the faint pull of his ring. Nera’s essence was surprisingly strong, likely a result of her heritage and magical nature. She was a few blocks from the alleyway. He could feel others approaching as well—the cutthroats from the tavern, he guessed.

  I have to get the ring back from her. He didn’t want to harm Nera but would if he had to. In such a foreign city, the need to mask his powers was vital. Despite the tremendous magical essence pervading the city, he didn’t doubt he’d draw the wrong kind of attention by using magic. He felt a sense of dread, as if some powerful, ancient entity was watching over Nexus, aware of everything that went on within its walls. Malek shivered at the power resonating through the city. He briefly wondered how bad things could get if he unleashed his powers in this strange place.

  Nera’s essence was slipping out of the range of Malek’s senses. I’d best hurry to keep up with her. She won’t expect me to follow.

  With a curse, he stumbled off in pursuit of his stolen valuables.

  Chapter 6

  Nera whistled quietly to herself as she made her way down the street. Easy half hour worth of work. That poor boy didn’t know what hit him. She tried not to think of how he’d end up by morning.

  She slipped in with the thickening crowds, and other locals streamed around her as she entered the market. A city like Nexus never slept. The Twilight City, it was sometimes called because it never really had a daytime or nighttime, just a persistent dusky gloom. Glowing pillars known as chroniker masts contained illuminated runes indicating the time. Most businesses, at least the more respectable types, wound down during the evening, but there were always food stalls open at the Magelight Market. Unsavory business never wound down. The blue magical fire issuing from the streetlights cast a soft glow over the plaza, for which it was named.

  Deciding to splurge after her easy score, Nera purchased a leg of turkey and a fresh loaf of bread in the market. She bought a small bottle of mulled wine to wash them down with.

  As she was leaving, she felt a tingle on the back of her neck. Someone’s following me. She slipped around the corner of a booth and took a quick peek. The human mage was about fifty paces away, eyes scanning the market.

  Balor’s balls! How the hell did he find me? He must have some locator spell. Either that or dumb luck. Her fingers caressed the heavy ring in her pocket, and she briefly wondered whether he could track it somehow.

  Nera darted around a couple stalls, putting them between her and Malek. She sprinted out of the market and took the first alley off the main street. Unfortunately, it dead-ended a hundred paces away at a brick wall. She could’ve sworn the alley cut through to the next main thoroughfare. The city must have reoriented itself—it did that occasionally. Cursing, she slipped into the shadows and hoped the young mage wouldn’t find her.

  ***

  Malek marveled at the marketplace. Even at what he determined was a late hour by the time pillar, the square was lively. A variety of races mingled about, purchasing all manner of goods from the stalls, simple food or exotic animals, clothing and furs, and all manner of trinkets. The raw magical power of the unusual streetlamps illuminating the market were bright sparks to his senses. Such a glut of magical power in this place.

  His musings were cut short as Nera’s essence suddenly moved rapidly away from him. “She must know I’m here.” Malek wasn’t surprised as the thief had good instincts—rogues didn’t have very successful careers without them.

  I wonder if I can bluff her into giving my possessions back. I don’t want to hurt her if I don’t have to. He shook his head at his own foolishness in trusting the woman. He had made an easy mark of himself. It wouldn’t happen again.

  ***

  Nera was just swallowing a bite of the warm, juicy turkey leg when a shadow blocked the light entering the alley. She recognized the young mage. So he can track the ring somehow. She cursed quietly to herself. Foolish mistake—never underestimate a mage, even if they are young and green. She’d made that mistake before, and it had turned out badly—enough to have a noose put around her neck.

  Malek entered the alley a few paces, looking around as he searched for her. After a moment, he put his hands to his temples and squeezed his eyes shut. His head swiveled, and he reopened his eyes, staring right at her hiding spot. “I know you’re there. Just give me my ring and my coin back, and I’ll let you go your way. I don’t want to hurt you, but I’ll cast a spell if I have to.”

  He seemed cool and collected. Although he was young, Nera wondered if he truly had the magical skills to back up his threat.

  Ninety-eight more years. I need this ring… I can’t keep working at the foundry that much longer.

  Her mind made up, Nera concentrated on the space between her and the mage, who was now a mere dozen feet away. The shadows billowed and flowed out from the walls as if a vial of ink was spilling over the alley. The alleyway was enveloped in a magical darkness. Although the darkness was absolute for others, she could see his shape as if through a muddy window. Nera moved as quickly as she could past the mage, her footsteps silent. No way he can see me now.

  “Nice trick, plane-cursed. I don’t want to fight you. I just want what is mine.”

  The darkness was suddenly swept away as if a blast of wind scoured it away although it seemed to be absorbed into Malek somehow. A trick of the light, perhaps. Malek was standing an arm’s length away from her, and he reached out and seized her arm.

  That nagging feeling that something was different… wrong, even, with the man surged back, and Nera was suddenly aware that she might have pissed off the wrong mage.

  “Oi! What have we here?” called a man with a gruff voice from the mouth of the alley.

  At first, Nera felt a moment of panic, thinking it might be the Nexus Watch, but she was somewhat relieved to see the three thugs from the tavern. Nexus Watch spelled big trouble if they found out she was still thieving. The gang members were a different type of trouble altogether. They held weapons and were advancing. Somehow, they had managed to follow the two of them. Must have spotted the green back in the market.

  “You’d better defend yourself,” Nera muttered, twisting out of the mage’s grasp.

  Her hand went instinctively to her belt for her daggers, but they weren’t there, of course. The conditions of her parole prevented her from wielding weapons, which made her buggered in a situation like this—a situation she wouldn’t have been in, had she not been foolish enough to reengage in thievery. She cursed her stupidity for getting involved.

  “It’s not your concern. Leave now, and I won’t be forced to use my magic on you,” Malek told the cutthroats.

  The young man looked scared, and Nera thought he was bluffing. Great, a mage who isn’t only green but also worthless in a fight. That nagging feeling about him still bothered her, though. She instinctively knew he was somehow dangerous.

  “Sod off, arseholes,” Nera told them. “You don’t want to get magicked by this wizard, do you?”

  The three thugs approached, smiling. “I think you’d a done somethin’ already if you were goin’ to,” a scrawny human said with a nasty grin revealing missing teeth. “The boy’s green as a leaf. He can’t do shite.”

  “Why don’t you piss off, demon bitch?” The larger man scowled at her. “We don’t want to cross yer gang—get the hell outta here. We’re after the green mage’s purse is all. That and the shiny ring he’s got.”

  The half-orc leered at Nera and smacked the haft of a spiked cudgel against his hand.

  “Good thing you aren’t as dumb as you look. You don’t want to cross the Night Wraiths,” Nera replied, referring to the th
ieves’ guild she belonged to. “It’s your lucky day, arseholes. I woulda made you three sorry.” She tossed her hair back and swaggered past the three.

  “Yeah, yeah. Get yer arse outta here before we change our minds,” the scrawny man snapped. His beady eyes were focused on Malek. The other two thugs glared at Nera but let her walk away.

  She could feel Malek’s eyes on her back. Sorry, but most greens don’t make it past the first day here.

  ***

  The three thugs closed in on Malek. He watched Nera leave the alley and sighed. The rogue seemed as though she could handle herself, and for a moment he thought she would stand beside him. However, when given an out, she jumped at the chance to extricate herself from the situation. Not that he blamed her. A nobody like him wasn’t worth risking one’s life for.

  “All right, cough up the clink and jewelry, and maybe we let you walk outta here alive,” said the scrawny thug, apparently the leader.

  “Sorry to disappoint, but she already robbed me,” Malek replied. He saw Nera glance over her shoulder briefly before she turned the corner. He wondered what his chances were of just getting beaten but left alive. Not that good.

  “Aye, we’ll see about that,” the leader said. “Grab him!”

  The half-orc took a swing at him just as Malek released the mana he had absorbed from Nera’s magical darkness. It wasn’t a lot but enough for a distraction. A sheet of yellow fire crackled from his fingertips, singeing the half-orc thug’s face. He yelped and tried to backpedal but fell on his backside. The large human shielded his face and ducked back.

  Malek made a break for it. He dodged past the two large cutthroats, but just as he was about to get free, the leader tripped him. Malek fell hard onto the cobblestones. His wrist twisted awkwardly, and he smacked his chin on the stones. He barely had time to debate and decide against drawing a large amount of power before the thugs were on him.

  Kicks rained down on Malek’s back and ribs. He curled up, trying to shield himself from their blows, but he knew doing so was hopeless. Then, the half-orc slammed him on the shoulder with the spiked cudgel. Malek howled in pain as the crude nails tore through his robes and into his flesh.

  “Hey, arseholes! Get off him!” someone shouted.

  ***

  Nera turned the corner, and guilt shot through her. You were supposed to save that boy from the cutthroats, not let him die in an alleyway, said a voice in her mind. You even took his ring—maybe he needed that to defend himself.

  “Damn it, what a pain in the arse a conscience is,” she said with a sigh. “I’m probably going to end up just as dead as him, without any weapons.”

  Nonetheless, she found herself entering the alleyway again just in time to see fire flare from Malek’s fingertips. He tried to flee, but the wiry man tripped him up, and then they were on him, punching and kicking at him.

  “Hey, arseholes! Get off him!” The words were out of her mouth before she knew what she was doing.

  “Bitch, you were warned. Teach her a lesson!” the scrawny man yelled.

  Nera ducked past the large human’s grasp, kicking him in the back of the knee and sending him sprawling. The half-orc charged at her, swinging the nasty cudgel. Nera dodged past him and tugged free a small knife sheathed in the half-orc’s boot. In the same motion, she expertly flung the knife underhand at the leader. The knife was barely out of her hand when the collar registered her hostile action. It flared brightly, and electricity crackled. Nera growled in pain and fell to one knee.

  The small thug gurgled and pitched forward with the knife lodged in his throat.

  “You demon bitch!” someone roared. A large boot caught her in the back. Nera rolled with the blow, coming back to her feet to face the other two. The cudgel swept past her ear as the half-orc swung at her. She managed to duck and came up inside the thug’s guard, landing a knee to his groin. The half-orc groaned and stumbled away.

  Strong arms wrapped around Nera as the burly thug grabbed her and lifted her off the ground. She screamed and struggled, kicking out wildly, but the big man held her firmly.

  “Shut yer mouth, or I’ll ram yer pretty face through that wall,” the thug growled. As Nera calmed, he continued, “Maybe I’ll do that anyway. I don’t need to look at yer face to have fun with you. Yer arse looks plenty good to me.” His laugh was an ugly sound.

  Nera leaned her head down and bit the man on the meaty forearm. Hot blood filled her mouth as her sharp teeth pierced his skin. The man screamed, and his grip loosened. Nera wriggled free and kicked him in the groin as well. She spat the blood from her mouth.

  “Your boss is dead. I suggest you two whoresons take your worthless hides back from whence you came, or I’ll finish you off.”

  She wasn’t sure if the threat scared them off or the fact that their leader had bled out, a knife through his throat. Nevertheless, they exchanged glances and, deciding to fight another day, hobbled away.

  Malek was sitting on the ground watching the exchange. Their eyes met, and he just nodded his thanks.

  “Well? Don’t just sit there. It isn’t every day I save some green’s arse,” Nera snapped. She walked over and grabbed his arm, pulling him to his feet. When Malek winced, she saw blood running down his shoulder. “Ooh, that half-orc tagged you with his cudgel, huh? Come on, let’s get out of here. I’ll get you cleaned up, but you owe me. Big time—as in the form of some clink.” She rubbed her fingers together so he’d get the hint.

  “Thanks for coming back to help me. I knew I shouldn’t have doubted the initial impression I had of you.”

  “Aye, well don’t count on that. First thing in the morning, you’re gone, you hear me?”

  Malek didn’t argue as she led him out of the alley and to her hovel.

  Chapter 7

  Waresh Hammerhelm planted his boot on the chest of the fresh corpse. The dwarf tugged on his axe, which came free from the sternum with a sharp crack. Mud squelched beneath his feet as he turned to face his remaining quarry.

  “Please, sir, have mercy!” the peasant woman pleaded, kneeling on the muddy ground. Her rough dress was soaked midway up her thighs from the puddle beneath her. She trembled from either fear or the cold drizzle.

  Probably both, Waresh decided. I hate having to come here to this world—the damn constant rain. He sized up the human woman and her child. The woman was thin and malnourished but not unattractive. Her son was about nine or ten, with a wild shock of blond hair. He watched Waresh with wide eyes, innocent but not fearful.

  “My husband was just protecting us… He’s the one you wanted, right, sir? My son and I have committed no crimes. Nexus is no place to raise a child.” Her brown eyes were pleading. “Will you have mercy on a poor, starving widow and her fatherless son and let us go free?”

  Nexus is no place to raise a child—I don’t disagree with that. Now I reckon it’s time for the tears.

  But to the widow’s credit, she didn’t break down. She just regarded Waresh hopefully, clutching her child to her chest.

  And now I have to extinguish that spark of hope, he thought sourly.

  “Blake Tannerson’s arrest is ordered for theft and attempted bribery of a public official,” Waresh glanced at the corpse and continued reciting the charges from the warrant by memory, “and for assaulting a retrieval officer acting on behalf of the Special Judiciary. Since the accused is now deceased, his next of kin are responsible for appearing in front of a magistrate for trial and serving out whatever sentence is deemed necessary.” There would be a sentence—Waresh had never during his years acting as a retrieval officer seen a person deemed innocent following retrieval. That was simply the way Nexus worked.

  Tannerson’s widow sighed loudly and hugged her child tighter, the hope fading from her eyes. “Can you at least find a home for my son? I don’t want him to grow up under the Nexus government’s tutelage.”

  “Care will be arranged for yer child per the magistrate’s discretion,” Waresh said automatically, hating himself
for it. Focus on reducing yer sentence… That’s all ye can do.

  Waresh rotated a dial on his collar, activating a return portal. The glowing blue runes reflected in the eyes of the widow and her son. With a tearing sound, a portal appeared in the fabric of the world. An oval of pure blackness appeared in the air ten feet away, edged by crackling purple fire.

  “Come now, madam,” he said gently, hand extended. “We must go back. I don’t want to have to harm ye or yer child.”

  The widow must have taken heart from the minor flash of kindness on Waresh’s face, for she took his rough hand and allowed him to help her to her feet. Both mother and child were shivering, chilled to the bone.

  Waresh slung his battle-axe over his back and removed a coil of rope from his belt. He looped one end loosely around the woman’s wrists and the other around the child’s. The magical rope tightened on its own, knotting around their wrists and tying them together. He hoisted Tannerson’s body over his broad shoulder and gripped the woman’s arm, gently guiding the two of them over to the portal. The blistering cold of the rift radiated outward, and ice crunched beneath Waresh’s boots as he approached.

  “Please take my son somewhere safe,” she whispered. “I implore you, sir.”

  “I’m sorry, but I cannot,” he replied gruffly. “Yer lad will be seen to.” He stepped into the portal with the two in tow.

  The cold was bone-numbingly intense for a fraction of a second, and then they were standing in a warm building. Behind them, the portal shut with a soft whump. The massive expanse of the judiciary hall stretched around them, stone walls extending in all directions. A solid oaken door was closed in front of them, beside which sat a clerk behind a desk with an open ledger. Most notably for Waresh, the hall was warm and dry. He could feel the subtle thrumming vibrations of Nexus through the stones beneath his feet once again.