Storm of Shadows (Lumineers 1)

CHAPTER 16: THROWING KNIVES

Steiner got a message to Tabby the following morning. Two of her bees had been successful. She was in Elias's workshop finishing another mechanimal commission when the note arrived. Her eyes skimmed its contents before she crumpled it in her fist.

Two more deaths, bringing her total to five. She tossed the note in the forge, watching it burst into flames before returning to her bench. Elias shuffled over shortly and slapped the Chroma Times on the table beside her. "King Alistar is finally on his way out."

"Hmm..." She frowned, skimming the headline and story beneath. "And with it, Prince Edwin's ascension," she said, voicing the conclusion for him. Truthfully, she didn't care who sat on the throne. She wasn't a die-hard Technologist like Elias. Her gaze settled on the black and white image. Prince Edwin shaking hands with dignitaries from Ferrum.

A clean shaven face smiled up at her, with eyes that crinkled along the edges, and hair neatly combed back. He graced the papers more and more these days. There was something warm and familiar about him, about his expression, but more importantly, his eyes. Eyes were the first thing she noticed about a person. When forced to look at masked faces so often, it happened.

Elias grumbled. "Crackdown on prism tech will only get worse. Edwin won't even allow permits to continue. He'll want to monopolize the tech for the military and keep it from the rest of us." The military. Something nagged at the back of her mind, there and gone. "At least King Alistar has been lenient," he huffed.

She barked a laugh. "King Alistar? Lenient? He's been anything but." The memory of the mech-cat, smashed to bits, its prism rolling into the gutter, flashed in her mind.

"Well, he could be worse."

She shook her head, eyes darting over the article again. "Prince Edwin will become king. When he does, he'll use prism tech to crush Candela's rebel forces. Use it to conquer Ipsum and Ferrum."

The door chime sounded, followed by Elias's deep sigh. "Yes, well..." He shook his head before turning away to greet the incoming customers.

She pushed the black and white pages out of sight and returned to her work. At the moment, she didn't care who sat on the damn throne. She had more pressing matters. Especially one in the form of a powerful, stubborn Spect, who also happened to be her master for a few more months, and the largest pain in her arse. Midnight. What was she supposed to do about him? They hadn't spoken, hadn't crossed paths, and she was absolutely certain he was still pissed.

She never expected to make a friend out of him, but she certainly didn't want him as an enemy. If she told him about Prince Albert, he would interfere, breathing down her neck, ensuring she got the job done. But that was the thing. She had no intention of killing Albert Whitlock. None.

Okay, if she failed to defeat the Spectrum, then yes, she'd need a plan. And fast. But she was banking on success. If anything, this kill made her more desperate to succeed. She needed to get the remaining council names. Desperately.

She sighed. By tomorrow night, though, she'd need something. She couldn't appear for her report at the Temple empty-handed. The Council would expect progress.

She could spend tomorrow tracking Albert Whitlock, but she'd rather visit East End's manufactories. Waste was her next target. She sighed, her chest deflating in a smooth motion as she hunched further over her workbench. Time to call in a favor from Steiner. Suppressing a snort, she shoved a cog into place harder than necessary. Steiner's help? The idea disgusted her—seeing his ego inflate. It also meant she'd have to tell him about her mark. Revealing information like this went against everything she knew. But the alternative wasn't much better.