But as he emerged from the workshop, Kani was waiting for him. “What happened to Rowena?” the girl asked.
“She got taken,” he said, seeing no point in lying to the kid.
Kani’s eyes widened. “Do they think she did something bad? Is there somewhere worse than here?”
Tycho Vega’s private suite.
Aloud, he said, “You’d know better than me. I’m new here.”
“I heard there’s a hole where they dump our bodies,” she said. “But people also say they feed the dead to the great furnace and use the ashes as fertilizer in the mushroom farms.”
Fucking hell.
Slay hoped Kani was wrong true because otherwise, wasn’t that indirect cannibalism? If the people become mushroom food and then the mushrooms become people food? Just thinking about it made his head hurt.
“Well, she didn’t go there—the hole or the furnace.” I hope that’s true. “The guards took her up, somebody important wanted to talk to her.”
Hearing who had summoned Ro might make Kani pee her pants. The Golgoth people seemed to view Tycho Vega as a deity or a devil, depending on who he asked.
Best to leave that detail out.
“She must be scared.” Kani bit her lip and bounced on her toes, like she was hesitant about the next suggestion. “I was wondering if you want to meet my brother?”
The offer surprised Slay since the kid had been frightened of him before. Maybe I proved myself harmless?
“Sure, sounds good.” It wasn’t like he had anything else to do, and he wondered if this sudden invitation had anything to do with the resistance. They couldn’t contact him overtly, so this might be an overture.
Kani said, “He works at the gaming house. He doesn’t like it when I visit him there, but it should be fine since you’re with me.”
Because I’m an adult? That was his best guess anyway.
Mildly curious, he followed Kani until they came to a building smaller than the comfort house but similar in style. It sat across the plaza, offering one-stop convenience for a night of leisure. Most of the workers couldn’t afford such luxuries unless they had enterprises on the side or were reporting to the guards for perks. In some cases, it seemed to be both, from what he’d seen since his capture.
Kani circled around to the side and slipped in through a concealed entrance, beckoning to Slay in urgent motions. “We can’t get caught! There’s a fee—”
“I thought there was no money here,” he cut in.
She shot him a dirty look. “There’s not. You pay in value. Some people bring shrooms, others offer food. I hear they trade in secrets as well, but my brother says I need to be careful or curiosity will get me in trouble.” Sighing, she added, “I never get to do anything but work.”
Sensible words, likely accurate, but they had to be hard for a kid to hear. When Kani called the ‘all clear’, he followed the girl swiftly.
Inside, the gaming house resembled the comfort house, cleaner than the rest of the undercity and decorated with bright furnishings. The art, carpets, paintings, and furniture had probably been smuggled in because no assigned housing had ambiance like this. They stood in a private room with a concealed entrance, likely used for secret meetings.
In the distance, he heard dice being rolled, wheels spinning, and the shuffle of cards, along with the soft cadence of people talking. With hardly a pause, Kani rushed toward the other doorway, guiding him through a series of confusing hallways.
At last they came to offices behind the gaming area. Her brother must work in admin, Slay guessed. But when Kani rang the bell outside the curtain, a familiar voice called, “Enter!”
Soon, Slay confirmed visually. Chantisse was waiting for them inside, along with a young man he didn’t know. Must be Kani’s brother.
“You did well,” Chantisse added.
The girl straightened her shoulders, losing her downtrodden air. “Thank you. He didn’t give me a hard time.”
“You’re resistance,” he guessed. “I didn’t see either of you at the meeting.”
“There’s a reason for that. I’m Nolen, Kani’s brother. She told me you saved her from being injured recently. I appreciate you looking out for her.” The young Gol might be sixteen, maybe twenty factoring in the likelihood that he was small due to lack of nutrition. Nolen was embarrassingly earnest, like he wanted to hug Slay for helping Kani.
Uneasily, Slay rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s fine. Anybody would’ve…” He didn’t complete the thought because the statement didn’t ring true in the undercity. In fact, it was weirder when people stuck their neck out.
But hell, that was no way to live.
“Were you followed?” Chantisse asked Kani.
The girl shook her head. “I was extremely careful.”
“I would’ve clocked it if she didn’t,” Slay put in.
“Excellent. My sources tell me that Rowena’s in the upper city…and I have contacts there as well. We can use that.”
“How do you figure?” Little as Slay liked being separated from Ro, maybe some good could come of this.
Chantisse outlined her plan.
12.
“What’s your name?” Rowena asked the attendant.
As soon as the woman confirmed that they were truly alone, she dropped her nervous act like a dress that didn’t fit. “Yanis. Follow me! We don’t have much time.”
The bathhouse was beautiful, all coppery ceramic tiles with swirls of gold. Even the floors felt warm beneath Rowena’s feet, a complex system of pipes that carried hot water and created an utterly luxurious bath experience. Here and there, Yanis chose products seemingly at random, leading the way to a private washing chamber with a massive tub. Her utter confidence gave lie to the way she’d behaved before. As soon as Yanis got her in the tub, she scrubbed with alacrity, making a great deal of unnecessary noise in the process.
Under the cover of running water, Yanis whispered, “I’m one of Chantisse’s contacts. You’re not alone. Even here, we know things must change. We’re committed to the cause.”
The top of Rowena’s head tingled with excitement. It had been years since the purge, since their first attempt at rebellion failed. But apparently Chantisse hadn’t given up. Instead, she and Hettie had been quietly spinning schemes, making connections and plans, and it would soon be time to strike. Her capture on the battlefield offered the perfect opportunity to finish what she’d started, the misfire that cost so many of her friends their lives.
“Can you give me an update? You must have news from the front.”
“Certainly.” In a low voice, Yanis confided everything she knew—how Prince Alastor had stolen most of the tyrant’s army at Hallowell through the sheer force of his personality and the integrity of his promises. Alastor had sworn to open Golgerra to free travel and trade, permit education to everyone, allow emigration and change. Apparently, he’d even told the soldiers that they didn’t have to fight any more if they didn’t want to; they could choose another path. It was too good an offer to refuse and she wished she could’ve seen the moment when all the Elites dropped to one knee and pledged to his service.