Free Web NovelChapter 26: Siren Stronghold [ 22 ]
They walked in silence for a while, navigating the streets of Lumen as the city woke up around them. Nacho noticed that people stepped aside for Sera without being asked, a combination of respect and fear that carved a path through even the densest crowds.
"How do I get to the Mortal World?" he asked eventually. "Lizbeth mentioned something about it being above us, but I never got the full picture."
Sera nodded toward the massive spiraling columns that rose from the center of Lumen, disappearing into the waters above.
"The Ascent Pillars. They connect the Ocean to the Mortal World. There are checkpoints at each level, controlled by the Empire. To pass through legally, you need documentation that identifies you as a registered trade envoy or diplomatic representative."
"And illegally?"
"Illegally, you need to either bribe the checkpoint guards, fight your way through, or find one of the smuggler routes that bypass the official channels." She glanced at him. "Given your abilities, I’d recommend the third option. Less attention, fewer bodies."
"You say that like you expect me to leave bodies either way."
"I’ve read your file. The one I compiled after our first meeting." Her pale eyes held his. "You’ve killed at least three people since arriving in Lumen. Four if we count the Siren you lightning struck before entering the city. I’m not under any illusions about who I’m working with."
Nacho didn’t bother denying it. What would be the point?
"Does that bother you?"
"It makes you useful." She stopped at a corner and turned to face him fully. "The Mortal World isn’t like down here. The power structures are different, the rules are different, and the people who succeed are the ones who don’t hesitate when hesitation gets you killed. I’m sending you up there because I need someone who can operate in that environment without freezing up."
"And because you can’t go yourself."
"No. I can’t." The words came out flat, but through Mind Fortress Nacho caught a flash of something underneath. Frustration. Helplessness. The particular kind of anger that came from being trapped by circumstances beyond your control.
Commander Vael. The expedition that failed. The missing general who was her closest peer.
He didn’t mention it. Some things weren’t meant to be poked at.
"When do I leave?" he asked instead.
"Tomorrow night. I’ll arrange documentation for you as a trade envoy carrying goods from Lumen to the surface markets. It won’t hold up under scrutiny, but it should get you through the first checkpoint."
"And after that?"
"After that, you’re on your own until you establish contact with our network in the Empire." She reached into a pouch at her belt and pulled out a small crystal, about the size of a marble. It glowed faintly blue in her palm. "This is a communication stone. One use only. Activate it when you have something worth reporting, and it will create a temporary link between us."
Nacho took the crystal and turned it over in his fingers. It was warm to the touch, pulsing with some kind of internal energy.
"One use seems limiting." freёwebnoѵel.com
"One use is all I can arrange without the Elders noticing. Additional communication will have to go through more traditional channels." She started walking again, then paused.
"A month after you leave for the Mortal World, I’ll be following you up there. That means we’ll be traveling around together for a little while. Oh, and escaping won’t really work. They might not know where you are, but I’ve got a Talent that lets me locate you wherever you are. It’s our little secret."
"...So you can do something like that, huh?" Nacho mumbled.
I knew she had some stuff up her sleeve, but tracking? Without telling the elders too? Touche.
Sera’s smile faded into something more businesslike, and she turned away from him without another word. Her boots clicked against the wet stone as she walked, her posture straight despite the injuries she was still nursing underneath that cracked armor.
Nacho watched her go for a moment, then let out a long breath.
So I’ve got one day to wrap things up here.
He looked up at the spiraling pillars in the distance, their pale stone catching the morning light. Somewhere up there was the Mortal World. New people. New Talents. New problems.
But first, he had something more immediate to deal with.
The Old Willow Inn was busy when he got back. Lizbeth had already opened for the morning rush, and three women were sitting at the new tables, picking at plates of food while casting not-so-subtle glances toward the back room door.
Nacho slipped in through the window of his massage room, shifted into the old man disguise, and then walked out into the main hall like he’d been there the whole time.
"Morning, Lizbeth."
She looked up from behind the counter, her pale emerald hair tied back in a messy bun. Dark circles under her eyes told him she hadn’t slept well.
"Where were you? I knocked on your door this morning and you weren’t there."
"Had some business to take care of." He grabbed an apron from the hook by the kitchen and tied it around his waist. "Anything I can help with?"
She stared at him for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Then she sighed and gestured toward a stack of dirty plates.
"Those need washing. And table two wants more bread."
"Got it."
He fell into the rhythm of work without thinking about it. Plates in the sink, bread to table two, refill the water pitchers, wipe down the counter. It was mindless and repetitive and exactly what he needed right now.
His thoughts kept drifting back to the council meeting. To the way Voss had looked at those daggers. To the mention of Rhea and her miraculous massage.
I really need to be more careful about who I’m tentacling.
The morning crowd thinned out around noon, and Nacho found himself standing by the window, watching the streets of Lumen go by. The city looked different now that he knew he was leaving it. Smaller somehow. Less intimidating.
"Hey." frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
He turned to find Lizbeth standing behind him, her arms crossed over her chest.
"You’re leaving, aren’t you?"
Nacho blinked. "What makes you say that?"
"You’ve got that look. The one people get when they’re about to walk out the door and never come back." She uncrossed her arms and let them fall to her sides. "My father had it the day before he died. Not that he knew he was going to die, but still. The look was there."
Damn. She’s sharper than I gave her credit for.
