“You are not supposed to save the world alone,” Alain reminded her. “The prophecy says that the daugh— says that you will unite Mechanics, Mages, and common folk into one force to change the world.”
“Well, that ought to be easy enough,” Mari groused. “After all, it’s not like the Mechanics, the Mages, and the common folk don’t all hate each other with enough passion to melt high-grade steel.”
Alain puzzled over her words, though of course his expression did not reveal his confusion. Mage acolytes were taught, using the most severe forms of punishment, never to reveal emotion, and Alain retained much of that despite his time with Mari. “They all do hate each other.”
She sighed heavily. “That was sarcasm again, Alain. Thank you, though, for not calling me by that name. Everyone else is going to call me the daughter, but I need you to remember that I’m Mari.”
The wind was picking up, blowing the snow sideways and moaning through the ruins they had almost reached. Alain tried to smile reassuringly at Mari, a very difficult task since any kind of smile was hard for him. “You have already begun to change the world. You have a Mage following you.”
“You don’t count,” Mari said. “You’re in love with me.”
“And the common folk in the university, those we just left. And the soldiers of Alexdria and General Flyn.”
“Who will not last a day if the Great Guilds focus their attention on them!” Mari gestured at the blowing snow. “The longer we keep everyone else in the dark that I’m the— that person, the better. I need time, Alain. Maybe with enough time I’ll even figure out why everyone wants to follow me without knowing whether I’ll lead them off a cliff!” She scowled as the wind gusted. “The storm noise is going to make it harder for us to make out if those barbarians start whistling to call all of their friends after us again.”
“It will also make it harder for them to hear us.” Alain glanced up at the leaden sky. “The university masters do not believe that the barbarians maintain watch of the university very often, and when they do they usually watch the main gate on the other side of the university.”
“I’m still not sure I believe that,” Mari said.
“It is prudent not to assume our foes watch only one place, but I think what the university masters told us is likely, Mari. You saw how thin were the barbarians we encountered before we reached the university. Those creatures can barely survive in this city, and could not afford to have any of their numbers devoted to a task such as watching the university when that would not provide food.”
“I hope you’re right. I don’t want to run into them again. But assuming they’re not watching us is what we want to believe, and Professor S’san always warned me about assumptions that you want to believe. It’s too easy to accept them.” Mari shuddered, but not from the cold. “Alain…” Her hand went to her coat as if preparing to reach inside it, and lines of pain furrowed her brow. “I don’t know if I can…”
“You do not know if you can once again use your weapon against the barbarians?” Alain asked.
“Don’t!” Mari bit her lip. “I’m sorry. You sounded so emotionless when you said that, like it didn’t matter.”
“I am trying to put feelings into my voice again. You have said I am getting better at it.”
“Yes, you are, and I have no right to accuse you of not caring.” Mari swallowed, her expression miserable now. “I haven’t told you, but I am really, really scared of having to draw and fire this weapon at people again. I don’t want to… to…”
“Kill them.” Alain said it not because he did not understand her distress, but because he thought it must be said. “It happened. Not by our choice. You were forced to defend yourself. You know what your fate would have been in the hands of the barbarians.”
Mari shuddered again, more violently than the cold could account for. “I know.” She took a deep breath, her expression smoothing out. “I’ll handle it, Alain. I won’t let you down if you need me.”
“I never doubted that, my Lady Mechanic. I know how difficult those memories are for you. I have similar ones. As General Flyn told me, it is a hard thing to carry throughout a life.” Alain cast about for something to divert her attention from the pain those memories brought, finally remembering something which Mari had mentioned in passing a few days ago. “I forgot to say this earlier. Happy birthday. Is that how it is said?”
Mari gave him a startled look, then laughed softly. “Oh, yeah. I’d almost forgotten myself. I never dreamed that on my nineteenth birthday I’d be sneaking out of a ruined city on my way to try to change the world.”
“With a Mage,” Alain added.
“Right. I keep finding myself with you in very unpleasant circumstances.” Mari smiled wryly as she said that. “But having you along makes those circumstances endurable as well as survivable.” Her smile faded. “Alain, when I turned eighteen I was a Mechanic in good standing. I’d never met a Mage, and I had never questioned my loyalty to the Guild. Now I’m working against the leaders of my Guild and I’ve found out that I’m… that person in the prophecy. It’s been quite a year.” She glanced at him. “That’s not even counting how many times I almost got killed in the last year.”
“I have no gift for you,” Alain said.
“We could always count one of those times you saved my life. You know, on your eighteenth birthday I said the same thing about not having a gift, and you said some nonsense about how my being with you was the greatest gift you could imagine.”
“Yes,” Alain agreed. “You told me I must be easy to please.”
She gave him a sidelong glance. “You didn’t have to remember that. Well, as far as I’m concerned having you with me is the greatest gift anyone could wish for, and I know you won’t accuse me of being easy to please.”
“Because you are difficult,” Alain said.
“I never pretended otherwise, my Mage.” They reached the verge of the ruins and Mari paused next to a shattered wall rearing above their heads, then pulled him close and kissed Alain, holding the kiss a long time before breaking it. “I don’t know when we’ll have our next chance to do that. The other thing that’s happened since I was eighteen was falling in love with you, and yes, that is the greatest gift I’ve ever received.”
She cautiously leaned against the tottering wall while they caught their breath after the fast hike across the open area. “Alain, you need to promise me something. If I die while we’re trying to get out of this city or through the Imperial quarantine, you are to leave and find a place to hide your half of the banned Mechanics Guild texts. Then try to get in touch with Professor S’san or Mechanic Calu. If neither of them can be reached, try Mechanic Alli in Danalee.”
He felt a deeper chill inside at the thought of Mari dying. “I will not leave you. You never leave anyone behind, and I will not leave you.”
Mari gave him a thin-lipped, sad smile. “Alain, I’d never choose to leave you, either, but if I’m dead, I’ve already left you. The best thing you can do at that point is save yourself, because that’s what I would want. If you manage to get those texts to any of my friends, there might still be a chance to change the world, a chance to stop that storm of chaos that will destroy everything. Now promise me.”
Alain looked at her, fighting the emotions he still found unfamiliar and hard to control after so many years of training as a Mage to deny all feelings. The prophecy said that the daughter of Jules would overthrow the Great Guilds and change the world. It did not say that she would survive her victory. “Mari—”
Her face hardened, her voice unyielding. “Promise me, Alain. Promise you won’t throw away your life if I’m already dead.”