“And we’ve got a patrol sniffing around outside,” Finn added.
There was a pause. There was almost always a pause with Swoop. “Check,” he finally said.
The guards looked at each other, and one nodded to the other. The first entered the alley.
“Keep your head down back there, Finn,” Sky said.
Cass heard a commotion on the stairs, someone descending in a hurry.
“There’s someone outside!” Painter called as he came down, but Swoop was already in motion and just pointed for him to get back upstairs.
Cass barely had time to process what Painter had said, before she heard Wick come bursting through the back door. He appeared in the central room a few seconds later, forcing a hooded figure ahead of him. Painter finally seemed to realize what Swoop had meant, and quickly retreated up the stairs again.
“Sorry,” Wick said. “Patrol’s right outside. I told him to keep his eyes closed, his head down, and his mouth shut.” He leaned in and put his mouth nearly against the side of Hood’s head when he said the last part, for emphasis. Hood shrank away from Wick slightly, but the tilt of his head made it seem more from annoyance than fear. Wick forced Hood into a chair near the back of the room and stood in front of him, gripping his shoulder.
Swoop moved in next to Wick, and started asking questions in a low voice, in his steady tone. Somehow the lack of emotion made Swoop more frightening.
Able took a place about midway between Cass and Hood, positioning himself as an additional shield. Gamble kept her spot at the front of the room, but slid off the table to her feet, and casually rested one hand on the grip of her holstered jittergun. She caught Cass’s eye, held a finger up to her lips, and then pointed to Mister Sun’s side room. Cass nodded, and she quietly got up from the table and signaled for North to follow her. But before she reached the other room–
“What’d you do to Painter?” Hood blurted, a little louder than was comfortable. A woman’s voice, vaguely familiar to Cass’s ears. “I saw him with you. You beat him up.”
“What do you care?” Wick said.
“You people,” Hood said, with a strange emphasis on the word. “You think you can just do whatever you want to whoever you want. It’s not right!”
“So you think we roughed Painter up, and then you thought it’d be a good idea to come here, and what?”
Hood didn’t answer. Cass moved closer and motioned to Swoop to pull the hood back. He shook his head and pointed to his eyes with two fingers. Worried that Hood was going to see Cass. But Cass persisted. Swoop drew back the hood, and as he did, a cascade of wavy red hair tumbled out. Hood didn’t raise her head though, just stayed hidden under her fiery mane.
Hood hadn’t sounded scared, and neither did she look it. Cass thought she’d recognized the voice. Now she was sure of it.
“Kit,” Cass said. Swoop glanced at Cass sharply for breaking security and revealing her presence, but Cass held up a hand indicating it was alright. The girl reacted by raising her head slightly, but she still didn’t open her eyes. “Kit, it’s alright, you can open your eyes. It’s Cass.”
Wick let go of Kit’s shoulder and took a step back.
Kit opened her eyes slowly and raised them to meet Cass’s. They shone softly with the light of the Weir and refracted in the tears that pooled at their base. “Miss Cass?” Kit looked around the room then. She was in her mid-twenties, and when she sat up straight, her muscular frame and broad shoulders were apparent. “What’s going on?”
“What’re you doing here, Kit?” Cass asked.
“I saw them with Painter.”
“You shouldn’t have come. It’s very dangerous right now.”
“I thought he was hurt. I thought maybe…” she trailed off, and her eyes darted to Swoop and then down to the floor. “I don’t know what I thought. I just couldn’t do nothing.”
“Well, now that you’re here, ma’am,” Wick said, “we’re going to have to ask you to stay for a little while.” Kit glanced up at him, uncertain. “For security.”
He squatted down so he wasn’t towering over her anymore, and softened his voice. “And don’t worry, Painter’s fine, we didn’t beat him up. Not really. I mean, I guess technically we did, but not for the reason you probably think.”
“Wick, lock it up,” Swoop said. Wick nodded and flashed a quick smile at Kit, reached out and patted her leg, and then stood again. He motioned with his thumb towards the back door and raised his eyebrows, but Swoop shook his head and held up a finger, telling him to wait.
“Sky, status,” Swoop said. He waited for a moment, and then said, “Check.” He subtly shook his head at Wick. Then he turned his attention to Kit. “Ma’am, I’m going to need you to move this room over here.” He pointed towards Mister Sun’s side room.
Kit stood, but didn’t move. “You can’t keep me here,” she said. “I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“You broke curfew.”
Kit shrugged. “Then I’ll go outside and turn myself into the guard.”
“Ma’am.” Swoop said it with an even tone, but there was a warning behind it. Kit was strong, though, and not one easily intimidated.
“It’s not about you, Kit,” Cass said. “It’s for me.”
“Are you in trouble?”
Cass just smiled.
“Then how can I help?”
“For now, you can just do as we ask.”
“OK, sure. If you just ask,” she said, with a pointed look at Swoop. Kit started towards Mister Sun’s room. Able automatically glided over to escort her, and Mister Sun followed closely behind.
“I’ll keep her company,” Mister Sun said.
“Thanks, Mister Sun,” Cass said.
Kit and Mister Sun went into his side room. Able closed the door behind them and stood guard next to it. Gamble returned to her perch on the table in the front, and Swoop disappeared into the back room.
“She’s got a little fire in her, doesn’t she?” Wick said to no one in particular, with a little smile on his face.
“More than a little,” Cass answered, as she returned to her seat. Wren had always said Kit had been the easiest for him to Awaken, that she’d just “sprung open” — like she’d been fighting it on her own already, and just needed a little nudge. For many nights afterwards, in the still, quiet hours, Cass had wondered if anyone could ever free themselves from the Weir — wondered if maybe she could’ve fought harder to recover herself. And if she had, if Three would not be dead now. But no, Wren had assured her there was nothing she could’ve done. No use dwelling on what might’ve been. Especially now, when there was so much else to do. “North, we’ve got to make some decisions.”
North returned to his chair at the table, across from her. “The girl complicates matters.”
“It was already complicated. And she won’t tell anyone we’re here.”
“Not on purpose, perhaps.”
“Well, I’m open to suggestions,” Cass replied.
“I wouldn’t have ever expected to say this, but I believe the safest thing for you… for you and the Governor.” He paused and rubbed his chin with his fingertips. “The safest thing is for you to leave Morningside.”
THIRTEEN
“And go where?” Cass asked.
“It would be better if I did not know,” North answered. “No one can steal information I do not possess.”
The concept struck Cass as both impossible and inevitable. How could they leave Morningside? And yet how could they stay? Members of the Council had gone from quietly attempting assassination and sabotage to a brazen assault. The only logical escalation was open revolution. And there was no telling how far or wide or deep the conspiracy had spread. Connor oversaw the entire contingent of guardsmen. Any one of them might be involved. All of them could be, for that matter.