Frowning, I slid from my saddle and collected his horse’s reins, preparing myself for a wait. “If I find out you’re betraying me somehow—”
He cut me off with a wave. “This is a gambling house. It’s where most bets on my fights are managed. The people in there...” He rubbed the stubble on his jaw. “They’re underworld people. Even more than money, they trade in information. Someone in here will know the kind of Magician you’re looking for, or they’ll know where to find one.” He held my gaze. “I know you’re tough. You’re a fighter. But this will go a lot easier and smoother if you let me do it on my own.”
I stroked Brahm’s old horse, scratching long ears that might have once been a lovely chestnut color but were now mostly gray. He seemed to appreciate my attention and nuzzled my shoulder affectionately. If Brahm had meant for the horse to act as camouflage to keep us from attracting attention as we trod through town, it had worked. We blended in among the workaday crowds. “I get your point,” I said. “I might not look much like a queen, but I guess I don’t look like the sort that frequents gambling dens, either.”
“Don’t be so disappointed.” He skipped down three short steps leading to a heavy door crisscrossed in gouges and scratches. “The fact you don’t fit in here is a good thing.”
The door echoed, dull and hollow, as he rapped his knuckles against it in a peculiar beat. Nothing happened, and he repeated the knock, a secret code, if I had to guess. Moments later, something shifted and scraped on the other side. Hinges groaned as the door swung open, allowing the escape of a sickeningly sweet odor—burnt sugar and flowers. Out stepped a tall, dark-skinned woman with black hair woven in long braids tipped in silver charms. She wore a black waistcoat over a man’s white button-up shirt. The fabric strained across her broad shoulders, outlining biceps nearly as thick as Brahm’s.
“Tashiana.” Brahm bent a knee, bowing. His greeting lacked his usual irony and teasing. His respect for this stranger seemed surprisingly genuine. “Always a pleasure.”
Tashiana’s heavy-lidded gaze must have caught some ambient light filtering through the shadows. Her dark eyes glinted as she studied me, head to toe. She jutted her chin at me. “Who is this one?” Her Dreutchish was thick with an accent I couldn’t place.
“Liesl, my cousin,” Brahm said. “Don’t worry about her. She’s minding the horses.”
Her nostrils flared as if smelling his lie. Instead of calling him on it, she turned her back and curled her fingers at him. “Come, my boy. It’s time we settled up.”
Brahm glanced back and gave me an inscrutable look before crossing the threshold and disappearing into the gloom. The door closed behind him with a dull thunk.
Standing alone in the alley, I counted the pigeons cooing at me from surrounding rooftops and listened to the city’s heartbeat—rumbling wheels, shouts and whistles, the steady moaning of industrial machinery puffing foul smoke. The rhythm faded into the background as the morning wore on. The long shadows in the alley drifted as the sun climbed in the sky.
I grew impatient for Brahm’s return and was considering finding a way inside despite his warnings when a cluster of raised voices ruptured the peace. I eased closer to Adaleiz, hiding behind her wide rump. Peeking over her back, I watched a group of burly young men, pushing, shoving, and laughing at each other as they neared.
One young man, a beefy blonde, caught sight of our horses and paused. He elbowed his nearest companion and pointed. “Look, isn’t that Brahm’s old horse?”
A short, slight boy squinted in the direction his friend pointed. “Brahm? What’s he doing here?”
“Obvious, isn’t it? He’s setting up another fight.”
The group roared their approval, and I recognized them as the same gang who’d accompanied Brahm aboard the train. I wasn’t sure if I felt relieved, but I didn’t have the chance to figure it out before the group came close enough to discover my hiding spot—not that Adaleiz’s shadow had been much of a hiding spot.
The blond boy’s forehead furrowed. A frown tugged at his lips. “I know you. You’re the girl Brahm left the train with.”
I raised my chin and held myself straight. “You were with Brahm on the train too. I remember you.”
His suit reminded me of the one he’d worn the last time I saw him—once fine but now tatty and faded. His pant cuffs dragged the ground near his heels. The hem of his jacket sleeves brushed his knuckles. He reminded me of a boy playing dress up in his father’s old clothes.
He studied me then sidestepped and ogled me from another angle, inspecting me like a strange painting that only made sense after staring at it for a while. “You’re not half-bad but not worth abandoning my friends for. You aren’t Brahm’s usual type, either.” The gang sniggered, picking up on some inside joke, I presumed. “So tell me what his interest is in you.”
His question was honest, but malice tainted his tone. “Money.” I said the first thing that popped into my head. “We discovered we had a... mutual friend who owed us both a lot of money. We’re working together to collect it.”
He raised his eyebrows and blinked. “Working together? You and Brahm?” He glanced at his friends, who all gave him matching looks of incredulity.
A tall, lean boy with big ears and a long nose poked his shoulder. “Looks like Brahm’s got a new partner, Kurt.”
Kurt scowled and threw a punch. With an oomph, the tall boy doubled over and clutched his ribs. Sensing the potential for trouble, I tugged with my will, drawing the thunder closer. The winds swelled, stirring debris and dust. Kurt’s thin hair swirled like bits of loose hay. “What’s your name, girl?”
I bobbed a curtsey, but it lacked sincerity, and Kurt’s scowl deepened. His fair cheeks burned red.
“I’m Liesl,” I said. “Pleasure to meet you.”
“Liesl, huh? Are you certain?”
“Why wouldn’t I know my own name?”
“I wonder the same thing, especially when, after you left, another name started swirling through the undercurrents on that train. People murmuring, rumors spinning...” He softened his voice to a whisper. “Lady Thunder.”
My heart leapt into my throat and burned like an icicle—his words confirmed what Brahm had said about the emergence of my myth.
Kurt edged closer, hand rising, fingers curled as if preparing to snatch me. I spread my feet and drew electrical currents close, surrounding myself in a cloak of invisible, tingling energy. Please let him touch me. Oh, please, please let him touch me.
That’s not very sporting of you, Grandfather said, not bothering to hide the amusement in his voice. And you’ll only confirm his suspicions. If you’re hoping to remain anonymous while in the city...
You’re right. To be fair, I’ll only use my powers as a last resort.
Like a snake, Kurt darted and snagged my wrist. Exactly as Niffin and I had practiced, I executed the escape he’d taught me, leaving Kurt surprised and empty handed.
Chuckling at his stunned expression, I taunted him. “Want to try again?”
Before I could serve him another dose of humility, the door behind me swung open, its groaning hinges announcing Brahm’s return. Kurt clamped his jaw shut and stepped back as Brahm cleared the doorway, followed by Tashiana.
Realizing we had company, Brahm froze, posture tense, fists clenched. His gaze roamed the gang of boys surrounding me. “Hello, fellas.” A muscle under his eye jumped. “Kurt.”
Kurt flicked his fingers at Brahm, a gesture of acknowledgement.
“There a problem?” Brahm asked.
Tashiana folded her arms over her broad chest and scanned the crowd. I wondered if she was there to lend Brahm support, or if she was merely hoping to dissuade trouble from setting up camp on her doorstep. Whatever the reason, I was glad for her presence.
