The twisting alleys of the Dust Quarter were both a refuge and a trap. Aeryn and Liran wove through them with practiced ease, their footsteps muffled by the uneven cobblestones. The night was alive with distant sounds: the hum of factory machinery, the occasional shout from a tavern, and the ever-present murmur of the city. Above them, the stars were barely visible, obscured by the haze of smoke and the glow of Lumirith's wealthier districts.
Aeryn's satchel bumped against her hip as she moved, her mind racing with possibilities. She had questions for Liran—why the Council's trackers were here, how much they knew, and who had drawn their attention—but now wasn't the time to ask. The urgency in Liran's voice had been enough to convince her that every second counted.
"Where are we going?" she whispered, glancing over her shoulder. The pendant beneath her shirt felt heavier than before, its faint warmth a reminder of its unsettling power.
"Out of the Quarter," Liran replied, his voice barely audible. "There's a safe house near the Old Canal. They won't follow us there."
"They won't?" Aeryn's tone was skeptical. The Council didn't strike her as the type to respect boundaries, especially when it came to the Dust Quarter.
"Trust me," Liran insisted. "It's… complicated. Just keep moving."
They rounded a corner, and Aeryn nearly collided with a group of men hauling crates. She ducked her head, murmuring a quick apology as they passed. Liran led her into a narrower alley, its walls so close she could feel the rough stone scrape her elbows. She wondered how he knew so much about the trackers, but the question remained lodged in her throat. Right now, survival took precedence over curiosity.
The Old Canal was a relic of Lumirith's past, a once-bustling waterway now choked with debris and forgotten by all but the desperate. The safe house was a dilapidated building on its edge, its windows boarded up and its roof sagging under the weight of neglect. Liran knocked twice on the door, then paused before knocking three more times in quick succession. The sound echoed in the stillness, and Aeryn's pulse quickened.
A moment later, the door creaked open, revealing a woman dressed in dark, tailored clothing. Her posture was rigid, her eyes sharp and appraising. She couldn't have been much older than Aeryn, but there was an air of authority about her that made Aeryn straighten instinctively.
"Who's this?" the woman asked, her gaze locking onto Aeryn. Her voice was low and clipped, each word carrying a weight that made it clear she was used to being obeyed.
"A friend," Liran said quickly. "She's clean. Just needs a place to lay low."
The woman's eyes narrowed. "We don't take strays."
"I'm not a stray," Aeryn snapped before she could stop herself. She didn't like the way this woman looked at her, like she was something that had crawled out of the canal. "And I don't need your charity. If this is a problem, I'll leave."
The woman's lips quirked into a faint, humorless smile. "Feisty. Fine, come in. But if you cause trouble, you're out."
Liran shot Aeryn a warning look as they stepped inside. The safe house's interior was sparse but functional. A single lantern hung from the ceiling, casting a flickering light over the room. A wooden table occupied the center, surrounded by mismatched chairs. Maps and documents were scattered across its surface, alongside a dagger and an empty mug.
"What's the plan?" Liran asked, his tone deferential. Aeryn noted the shift in his demeanor with interest. Whoever this woman was, she clearly commanded respect.
"The plan," the woman said, turning her gaze to Aeryn, "is to figure out why she's here. What's your story, boy?"
Aeryn bristled but didn't correct her. "No story. Just trying to stay alive."
The woman stepped closer, her piercing eyes searching Aeryn's face. "You're hiding something."
"And you're prying," Aeryn shot back. "I didn't ask to be here. Your friend dragged me along."
Liran winced, but the woman only chuckled, a low, throaty sound that was more unsettling than reassuring. "Fair enough," she said, stepping back. "Name's Selene. Don't make me regret letting you in."
Aeryn sat on the edge of a cot in the corner, her satchel clutched tightly in her lap. Selene had retreated to the table, where she and Liran spoke in hushed tones. Aeryn couldn't hear what they were saying, but she caught snippets: "trackers," "sweeps," and "safe passage."
Her fingers brushed against the pendant beneath her shirt, its surface cool and smooth. She didn't know why she'd brought it with her—instinct, maybe, or some deeper sense she didn't yet understand. Whatever the reason, she couldn't shake the feeling that it was important, that it was connected to everything happening around her.
"You're staring."
Aeryn looked up to find Selene watching her from across the room. The woman's expression was unreadable, her eyes glinting like polished steel. "Got something to say?"
"Yeah," Aeryn said, straightening. "Why do you care what I'm hiding? You don't even know me."
Selene's mouth twitched into something that wasn't quite a smile. "Because secrets have a way of getting people killed. If you're carrying something dangerous, I need to know."
"Dangerous?" Aeryn echoed, her hand tightening around the pendant. "I'm just trying to survive, same as you."
Selene stepped closer, her movements deliberate and controlled. "Survival doesn't usually come with a side of arrogance," she said, her voice low. "So either you're lying, or you're too stupid to know the difference."
Aeryn's temper flared, but before she could respond, Liran stepped between them, his hands raised in a placating gesture. "Alright, that's enough," he said, his tone tense. "We're all on the same side here."
Selene backed off, her eyes never leaving Aeryn. "We'll see about that."
Later, as the safe house settled into an uneasy quiet, Aeryn lay awake on the cot, her mind racing. Selene's words had struck a nerve, though she didn't want to admit it. The pendant felt heavier than ever, its faint warmth pulsing in time with her heartbeat.
Whatever was happening, she knew one thing for certain: this was only the beginning. And if Selene thought she could intimidate her into revealing her secrets, she had another thing coming.
The city of Lumirith loomed outside, vast and unyielding. Somewhere in its labyrinth of stone and shadow, answers awaited. And Aeryn would find them, no matter what it took.