The Weir fell back before him, and some collapsed to the ground. The warriors that had stood with Cass surged forward, many unable to perceive what had caused the change, but determined to press their temporary advantage. Cass fought with strength renewed, and the Weir melted away and fled back into the night.
The survivors all stood in shocked silence after the assault ended. No one could really believe it was over. The ground was strewn with corpses, many Weir, and many of Cass’s own people. The loss was too great to seem like a victory. But the number of slain Weir scattered around them was astonishing.
She glanced up at the wall and saw the guards arrayed along it. They had lent their aid after all.
A voice was crying out from the top, “Open the gates! Open the gates!” She recognized the deep baritone. It was North.
The gates clanked and groaned open, and as soon as they did the citizens pressed against it began flooding back inside the city wall. Cass looked down to find Wren standing before her, once again himself, knife in hand.
“We did it, Mama,” he said.
She picked him up and hugged him. “We did, baby. We did.”
“Maybe now they’ll listen.”
“I hope so.”
“Hey,” came a voice behind her. “Sorry we’re late.” Gamble. She looked grim and exhausted, but Cass thought she’d never been more beautiful. She set Wren down and embraced Gamble. The whole team was there, even Wick, pale and eyes heavily shadowed. Cass greeted them all, as did Wren.
Lil joined them, with nine of her warriors.
“I can’t believe you came,” Cass said.
Lil smiled. “Gamble can be very persuasive.”
“We should get inside,” Gamble said. “They might’ve run off, but there are still a lot of ’em left.”
Cass nodded and picked Wren up again. Together they all started towards the gate, but Finn, Mouse, Able, and Sky broke off from the group and started checking bodies. Whenever they found one that wasn’t a Weir, two would work together to lift the body and carry it back inside the city. Once others realized what they were doing, they too came to help reclaim the fallen, before the Weir could do so. Aron, and Kit, and even Mister Sun joined in.
There was one man just sitting on the ground, staring off in the direction that the Weir had gone. A ridiculous number of Weir lay sprawled around him, and he sat amongst them, paying no heed. Cass approached to see if he was all right, and realized it was Swoop. He was so covered in ichor, she hadn’t recognized him at first, and she went to his side.
“Swoop, you OK?”
He didn’t answer, but just stared ahead. Cass put her hand on his shoulder, and when she did, he slumped slightly towards her. “Oh, Swoop…” she said, and she cradled him and wept softly.
After a time, she called the rest of the team over, and they paid their respects, and took care of the body. Able let his tears fall freely, though he did it almost without other expression. Mouse, too, was clearly upset. But the others seemed to swallow their emotion for now. Finn said there’d be time to hurt later, but now wasn’t it.
There was still work to do, and it was heavy. Most of the people Cass helped carry, she didn’t know. She didn’t know which was worse. To carry the body of a fallen friend, or to have fought alongside someone and lost them without ever having known their name. But these were heroes, all. People who had willingly laid down their lives for their own. She would see to it that they were honored as such, no matter what their station in life had been.
North was there at the gate, assisting, giving directions, keeping order. He had a natural command that provided some comfort in times of crisis. Cass had just laid a body inside the wall. An Awakened whose name she just couldn’t place at that moment, and she felt terrible for the fact. She was just turning to go talk to North when a terrible sound came from the outskirts beyond the wall.
It was a cold, mocking laughter, echoing from the darkness. It was Painter’s voice, but Cass knew in her heart it was Asher who laughed. He was toying with them.
“Get them back inside,” she called. “Get everyone back inside!”
Most of the people were already gathered back within the city, but three or four remained outside, still searching the bodies. Aron among them. When the laughter started, they stood, stunned at the sound. But then from out of the night, a horrible sound rose and swallowed the laughing. At first it sounded like rushing water, or some swarm of insects, but as the noise grew, it sharpened and became electric. And out there beyond the gate, the streets filled with Weir. Hundreds. Thousands. A number beyond comprehension.
“Close the gates!” North roared. “Seal the gates!”
The massive gates began to roll closed, and two of the people broke and ran towards them.
“Aron!” Cass called. “Aron, run!”
But he was the farthest out. He turned back when he heard his name called, but when they made eye contact, they both knew it was too far. Aron gave a nod and hoisted his rifle. It thundered as the gates closed. And then it was silent.
Moments later the gates rang with the impact, and people scattered. North dashed up the stairs to the top of the wall, and the guards at the top fired wildly down into the throngs below.
Wren caught Cass’s hand. “Mama, I’ve got to get to the machine!”
It was hard to process with everything happening around her, but she nodded and called for Gamble.
“We’ve got to get to the compound!” she said. “We’ve got to get Wren inside!”
Gamble nodded and called to her team. Cass picked Wren up, and together they all raced to the governor’s compound. People in the streets were panicking, even those who hadn’t been in any danger of relocation. The sounds of the battle spilled over the walls and carried through the streets, and the echoing cry of the Weir drove people to madness.
But Gamble’s team spread out in a protective ring around Cass and Wren, and cleared a way through. When they reached the compound, Cass was aghast. Not surprised, but aghast. The gates were sealed, and the number of guards tripled. All of them were needed on the wall, and yet here they remained, guarding the compound against nothing.
“You’ve got to let us in,” Cass called as they approached. “We’ve got to get inside!”
The captain at the gate waved her off. “Gate’s sealed by the Council’s orders,” he said. “No one’s getting in or out tonight.”
“The city’s under attack!” Gamble yelled. “Your men should be on the wall!”
“We have our orders, ma’am.”
Gamble actually reached through the bars and caught the man’s uniform. She jerked him forward and smashed his face against the bars.
“Open this gate, or we’ll blow it open.”
Powerful floodlights switched on and bore down upon Cass and her crew. No one could see beyond them, but the sound of coilguns and other weapons spinning up was unmistakable.
Gamble released the captain.
“I recommend you folks move off,” the captain said. “If I see you approach the compound again, I’ll have no choice but to open fire.”
“The whole city’s in trouble,” Cass said. “There’s a very real chance we’re going to lose the gate. Let the people come here.”
“I’ll give you ten seconds.”
“Please,” Wren said. But the captain wouldn’t be moved.
“Seven.”
Gamble seemed like she was considering taking the shot anyway, but Cass called her off, and they all withdrew across the street.
“So, what’s with the machine?” Gamble asked.
“Wren thinks he might be able to stop Asher through it,” Cass said.
“But you have to be near it, or what?”
Wren nodded. “I’ve tried to connect to it, but I just can’t. It’s too… slippery. I can’t keep it.”