The Shifter Part 20

"I got her," Aylin said, dragging me forward and pus.h.i.+ng me against the outer League fence. Danello, Tali, and Soek stood cl.u.s.tered against it, protected from the crowd by the thick pillar and the gate.

Tali pulled me in and hugged me tight, her face streaked with dirt.

Aylin squeezed in near enough to yell over the mob. "My room is closest. Think we can get there?"

We all nodded. Aylin grabbed Danello's hand and wound her way back into the crowd that poured around the pillar. Danello grabbed my hand, I grabbed Tali's, and she took Soek's. We struggled through the crowd, but people kept surging forward, trying to get to the League. Rocks and other debris whizzed past us. Danello took an elbow to the eye, and someone shoved Aylin so hard she crashed into Danello and nearly knocked them both down.

The crowd had clogged up the more narrow entrance where the road led into the League.

"Get ready to shove forward, hard," Aylin called back, then a piercing scream split the air. People startled and froze, heads swiveling. Aylin screamed again and yanked us, darting into the small crack opened by the now-still crowd.

Was everyone in Geveg racing to the League to yell and fight? What could they hope to accomplish? Anger wouldn't bring the Healers back. It would only bring the Duke.

We crawled over a low wall and into someone's garden, clinging to each other as people rushed by.

"I can't believe they're dead," Tali whispered first, but we were all thinking it.

Soek nodded slowly. "We got out just in time."

"You were lucky," Danello added.

Were we? They'd lied about the disease, so what if they were lying again now? Not all the apprentices had been that close to death. Lanelle certainly wasn't, though it was possible she hadn't been counted as "one of the sick Healers."

"What if they killed them?" I said, not wanting to believe it.

Aylin hugged herself, rubbing her arms vigorously. "I believe they'd be that monstrous, but the logistics of it." She shook her head. "Wouldn't it be a lot easier for them to get more pynvium than murder that many people? Where would they even put the bodies?"

Soek nodded. "She's right-it would have to take longer than an hour to do all that. They couldn't have had time."

Danello nudged me and pointed at the street, past the crowd. "Soldiers are coming."

The Governor-General's soldiers shoved their way through, their blue uniforms cheery and bright on a day that wasn't. How many of them remembered the riots during the second year of occupation, when we'd tried to rebel, tried to regain our independence despite the soldiers lining our streets?

"It's going to get bad out here," Aylin said. The look on her face said she remembered those riots too, and the s.h.i.+ps full of new soldiers the Duke had sent to stop them. "We'd better get to my place."

"Yeah, let's go."

I clung to Tali as we hurried, wondering how long it would be before the Duke sent his soldiers to crush us again. And if any of us would survive.

Aylin gave me the last of her dresses, and I went to the washroom and changed out of my filthy clothes. When I got back, Danello and Soek were sitting on opposite sides of the door, with Tali by the window. We barely had room to move with five of us in there.

"How's it look outside?" I asked Tali. She was watching at the window while Aylin rubbed a sweet-smelling salve on our cuts and bruises. Aylin acted embarra.s.sed to own it with so many real Healers in the room, but no one seemed to care.

Tali turned to me. "Smoke's getting thicker near the League. I think one of the market squares is burning. People and soldiers are running past us, but no one is stopping." She pushed sweaty locks off her face. "I guess there's nothing here to loot."

"That'll change," muttered Soek.

"Can you see my neighborhood?" Danello asked from his spot on the floor. "Is there smoke?"

Tali leaned out for a few seconds, then drew back in. "No, I don't think so. It looks like it's all in the Baseeri neighborhoods so far. And around the League itself."

"I'm sure they're okay," I said to Danello, putting my hand on his shoulder. Jovan was a smart boy-he'd keep everyone safe until their father got home.

He nodded absently but still looked worried. I couldn't blame him. If Tali hadn't been with me, I'd be out there trying to get to her. But Danello was smart enough not to risk himself like that. He was older, and probably remembered the riots better than I did. The soldiers hadn't killed just those who were causing trouble.

"It's happening again, isn't it?" Aylin whispered.

"No, it's different this time," I said.

"Only the politics. We're angry again, and you know how this always ends. First the riots, then the denouncements of the Duke. People are already blaming him, and they'll turn on the Governor-General soon. All those soldiers are still in Verlatta. How soon before the Duke sends some here?"

"Maybe the Governor-General will calm everyone down." Even as I said it, I didn't believe it. Soldiers just made everything worse. Blue uniforms stirred up a lot of hatred in Geveg.

"I don't think so," Tali said, gesturing us over to the window. We squeezed in around her and stared out.

Six soldiers were herding people along the street, shoving and yelling at them. Several of the people had b.l.o.o.d.y heads. Those in the street yelled back, grabbing rocks and whatever smashed items were lying around and waving them threateningly. A man dashed forward and threw a broken chair at the soldiers. It hit one on the head and shoulders, and the others lunged over and clubbed the man who'd thrown it. He fell. They left him lying there, and blood slowly pooled beneath his head.

"This is how it started in Verlatta too," said Soek, pulling away from the window. He settled back on the floor near Aylin. "We even had a treaty with the Duke. Didn't matter."

"Maybe we'll win this time?" Tali asked. She didn't understand. She'd been too young to remember.

I shook my head. "We won't. We couldn't win when we had our own soldiers, and plenty of Healers and pynvium. How can we possibly fight without any of that?"

A knock banged on the door, and we all jumped. Aylin started to rise, but Danello waved her back down and went to the door. Soek stood opposite him, but out of sight and ready with a footstool in his other hand if anyone wanted trouble. Danello glanced his way and nodded as if he approved.

"Who is it?" Danello called through the door. He reached over and grabbed his rapier off Aylin's table, though there wasn't much s.p.a.ce to use it if he needed to.

"I'm looking for Aylin." The voice sounded familiar.

"Open it," said Aylin, climbing over the bed.

Danello cracked open the door and peeked out. "Name?"

"Where's Aylin?"

"Kione?" Aylin said, shouldering past Danello and opening the door wider. Soek stepped back before it could thump him in the nose.

Kione took a step inside, but Danello didn't let him in any farther. "I need your friend, the crazy one who kept sneaking into the League."

"Why?" Danello said, moving forward as if he were trying to hide me and Tali. "Aylin, who is this guy?"

Kione took a step closer, and Danello flicked the rapier. I couldn't see much past his back, but I had a feeling the rapier was aimed at Kione's throat.

"Don't skewer him." I jumped up and tugged on Danello's arm until he lowered the weapon. Defending me was a sweet gesture, but Kione might know what had happened at the League. "He helped get Tali out. Kind of."

"Kione, what's going on?" Aylin asked.

"They're lying."

"We know-there's no disease; the pain killed them."

"No, they're lying about them being dead." Kione shoved inside until he was face-to-face with me. "Nya, the apprentices are alive."

SEVENTEEN.

"They're alive?" I repeated, wanting to believe it, but afraid too.

"Most of them. A few died, and I think that's what gave the Luminary the idea to say they all did. Some of his men were seen taking bodies to the morgue."

Tali laughed, relief bright on her flushed cheeks. "That's wonderful! We can still save them then."

"What? No," I said. "If we go back, we're all dead."

"But we have to, Nya. We can't leave them there."

Kione nodded. "That's why I came to find you. They hurt Lanelle. I saw her in the spire room in one of the beds. That Elder, the sick one who wants to cut them up-"

"Vinnot."

"Yeah, Vinnot. He had me carry up some supplies, and I saw Lanelle and and the others. I heard the Luminary tell him they could finish in peace if the Duke thought the Healers were dead. That they could set sail long before he came to investigate." the others. I heard the Luminary tell him they could finish in peace if the Duke thought the Healers were dead. That they could set sail long before he came to investigate."

"The Duke's coming here? here?"

"I'm not sure." He shrugged. "I couldn't quite catch it all, but I got the impression that they expected expected him to, and they wanted to leave before that happened." him to, and they wanted to leave before that happened."

"Why would the Luminary lie?" asked Danello. "Why would they leave leave?"

It didn't make sense. I glanced at the five scared faces in the room. Though cruel, the Luminary wasn't stupid. He had to know telling Geveg the Healers were dead would upset folks, and when Gevegians got upset, riots almost always followed. He wouldn't do that unless- I stiffened. "Could he have caused the riot on purpose?"

Aylin hugged herself. "Why would anyone do that?"

"I don't know." The Luminary had a plan, that much was clear, but beyond that-what he was after was murky as marsh mud.

"Who knows what they're up to over there?" Kione said. "I just know that not long after I overheard them, that announcement was made. Things are really bad now, Nya. You need to go back and save Lanelle."

I bristled at his tone. I I needed to, not him. Not needed to, not him. Not us us.

I shook my head. "We'll never get back inside. The entire League is on alert. There are a thousand people clogging up the streets. Soldiers are all over the place."

"I know. But you got in before-you can do it again."

Saea be d.a.m.ned I would. "Lanelle helped them, Kione. You know that, don't you?"

"She had no choice! I helped them too, but I also helped you you."

I scoffed, and he glanced away.

"Okay, not a lot, but I could have said no."

"Nya," Aylin said, "if you're right and the riot is on purpose, then whatever the Luminary is doing is about more than just Lanelle-or the apprentices," she quickly added. "Look outside. Those people are angry because they were told were told the Healers are dead, not because they actually the Healers are dead, not because they actually are are dead. You heard them yelling-they think that's a lie, that the Duke stole them just like he did in the war." dead. You heard them yelling-they think that's a lie, that the Duke stole them just like he did in the war."

"It is is a lie," Danello said, his fists clenched at his sides. "Does it really matter which lie the Luminary tells?" a lie," Danello said, his fists clenched at his sides. "Does it really matter which lie the Luminary tells?"

My guts said it did. The Luminary was telling a lie to make us angry when he could have just lied to the Duke. There was no reason reason to make us angry unless it somehow aided his plan. Maybe the Luminary thought the Duke wouldn't believe him unless Geveg did too? The Duke had to have spies here, and riots would support the Luminary's claim. to make us angry unless it somehow aided his plan. Maybe the Luminary thought the Duke wouldn't believe him unless Geveg did too? The Duke had to have spies here, and riots would support the Luminary's claim.

But why claim it? I sighed and ran my hands through my hair. The Luminary and Vinnot wanted to do something, and they didn't want the Duke knowing about it. So if the lie was about about the Healers, then that something had to involve the Healers in some way. What value could Healers have to the Luminary that didn't include the Duke? the Healers, then that something had to involve the Healers in some way. What value could Healers have to the Luminary that didn't include the Duke?

Lanelle had said Vinnot was doing "special research" for the Duke, so his creepy symptom list must fit in somewhere as well, though I couldn't see how. The only thing the Duke cared about was pynvium and getting more of it. No, it had to be something both he and and the Luminary would want for themselves. Something valuable enough to risk a citywide riot over. the Luminary would want for themselves. Something valuable enough to risk a citywide riot over.

I jerked my head up and gasped. Of course!

"Unusual Takers!" I cried. No one listened. I climbed onto the bed and shouted it. "He's after the unusual Takers!"

Everyone gaped at me.

"The last few years," I began, "the Duke has cared about only two things-pynvium and unusual Takers. He's spent money and soldiers to get both. The Luminary and Vinnot have been searching for something among the injured apprentices at the Duke's request, something rare enough that they'd risk lying to him to keep it."

"Takers?" Soek said, puzzled.

"Takers like us us. I think the Duke's figured out a way to force Taker abilities to manifest. Tali, you said apprentices were disappearing days before the ferry accident, right?"

"For almost a week."

"And Kione said there were two other rooms with Healers in them. Small rooms, so they were probably set up before the ferry accident as well. He was already already testing for unusual Takers. The accident just gave him an opportunity to test everyone at once." testing for unusual Takers. The accident just gave him an opportunity to test everyone at once."

Aylin looked just as lost as Soek. "Test them how?"

"By giving them pain, and lots of it. It's just like the twins-I didn't sense anything about them until they were carrying pain, but then I did."

Danello paled and held a hand out. "Wait, what twins? My brothers? Jovan and Bahari?"

I bit my lip, sudden guilt quenching my excitement. "Oh, Danello, I'm so sorry. I should have told you before, but I was trying to protect them." I explained what I'd sensed when the twins had been linked and full of pain. How their talents had felt stronger. He paled even further.

Kione wiped a hand across his lip. "Lanelle did say she was ordered to watch several of the apprentices who'd exhibited specific symptoms. She had a whole list of them."

"She was paying a lot of attention to me when I first starting getting better," Soek added softly. "I started pretending I was more hurt than I was, and she stopped."

"But Vinnot works for the Duke," Danello said. "So does the Luminary."