Black City (Black City #1) 1

I do and pull Evangeline into my arms. She cries silently against my chest.

A High Priest enters the room, dressed in floor-length green robes.

“I must prepare her for So’Kamor,” he says.

I don’t want to leave her here alone with all these strangers, except I realize now they’re not strangers. She had a whole life here. She knew these people.

We all go outside. Sigur runs a tired hand over his brow. He looks utterly shattered. Evangeline catches me staring at him.

“Things have gotten worse since you visited last weekend,” she says.

“So I’ve seen,” I reply.

“That’s not the worst of it,” she says.

“What do you mean?” I ask.

Sigur wearily indicates for us to follow him. We head to the hospital that Evangeline took me to the first time I came here. The stench hits me first. Decay. Death. Wrath.

“The virus has mutated,” Evangeline says as we enter the ward. “Three of the Darklings in here were perfectly healthy last week, and now they’re in the last stages of the disease. Somehow the symptoms have been accelerated, and we don’t know how.”

She indicates the three Darklings that are lying in the metal beds nearest us. They stretch their hands, crying out, “Kill me,” in their own language. Their eyes are yellowed, their skin beginning to rot. The first Darkling is a male, his bitten face a ghoulish green color. Beside him are twin Nordin girls with nubby stumps on their shoulder blades where their wings should be. Their once-flowing white hair is now lank, creating bald patches on their heads. I recognize all three victims; they were at Mr. Tubs’s the first time I went there with Natalie.

I begin to shake as the truth crashes over me in waves.

“I know what’s in the Golden Haze,” I say, my voice quaking.

I look at Sigur.

“It’s Wrath.”

31

NATALIE

I LOOK AT THE SICK DARKLINGS on the gurney, my mind spinning.

“Bastet venom causes the Wrath?” I blurt out, disbelieving.

Everyone stares at me, even the Darklings lying in the hospital beds.

“What are you talking about?” Ash says.

“I think the Golden Haze is poisoned with Bastet venom,” I admit.

“That doesn’t make sense,” Evangeline says. “Bastet venom is toxic to Darklings. It kills us instantly. We wouldn’t live long enough to contract the Wrath virus from it.”

“We would if the venom had been diluted with something. Like Haze or blood,” Ash says darkly.

“It explains why Wraths suffer from necrosis,” I add meekly, remembering what I read about Bastets at the museum. Their venom contains a flesh-eating bacteria, Vibrio necrosis, which causes tissue death.

A horrible thought occurs to me. The first Darklings to contract the Wrath virus were the ones sent to the concentration camps during the war. Had the Sentry been testing the effects of Bastet venom on Darklings even back then? Is that how they discovered the venom caused the Wrath virus in the first place?

Ash turns to me, alarm registering on his face. “How did you know the Golden Haze was poisoned with Bastet venom?”

I bite my lip.

“Tell me!” he demands.

“Ash, please . . .” My voice quivers.

“The Emissary did this, didn’t she?” Sigur says. “She guessed we tested the Synth-O-Blood for poisons, so she had to find another way to infect us with the Wrath. So they created Golden Haze and supplied it to the drug dens—”

“The humans got infected and passed the virus on to the Darklings who fed off them,” Evangeline finishes. “Except the Golden Haze has been killing the humans too. That’s why the Emissary has been trying to blame their deaths on us.”

Ash lets out a pained sound, like a wounded animal.

“Ash, I’m so sorry,” I say.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he says.

“I tried to tell you earlier today, then Sebastian turned up and—”

“You should’ve tried harder!” he snaps.

Sigur snarls at me. “They deliberately poisoned us. They killed Annora.”

I barely have time to react as Sigur grabs me by the throat, crushing the air out of my windpipe.

“I should throw you to the Wraths,” he says.

“No, please!” I gasp, clawing at his hands.

“Let her go!” Ash demands.

“Have mercy, Sigur! She’s just a child,” Minister Fisher pleads.

“Her mother killed our children! What is it you say? An eye for an eye?” Sigur says to him.

The Darklings in the ward howl in unison, a bloodthirsty sound.

“If you kill her, I’ll never forgive you. My mom would never let you do this, you know it,” Ash says.

This seems to strike a chord with Sigur. He drops me, and I fall hard. Minister Fisher pulls me into his arms.

“You need to leave,” Ash says to me, his voice flat, cold.

“Ash, I’m so sorry. Please forgive me,” I say.

“Just go, before Sigur changes his mind,” he replies.

Minister Fisher drags me out of the room.

“Let me go!” I protest. “I need to go back.”

“Don’t be stupid, child. They’ll kill you,” he says.

He looks so much like Ash right now. I hadn’t noticed before because his face was obscured by a disheveled beard. They have the same shape eyes, the same high cheekbones, the same straight nose. It’s hard not to listen to him when he reminds me so much of Ash.

We take the boat back to the shantytown by the entrance to the Boundary Wall. The guards escort us to the gates, holding on to my arms with more force than necessary. The news has already started to spread through the compound like a virus. I hear them muttering to each other. I don’t understand what they’re saying, but their fury is loud and clear. They spit at me as I pass. The iron gates swing open, and I’m tossed out like garbage. Minister Fisher stays inside.

I stare at the gates, praying that Ash will run out after me. Please don’t let this be over. Please, please, please.

But the gates stay closed.

32

ASH

THE FUNERAL CHAMBER is near dark. Only the silvery outlines of the other Darklings are visible in the gloom as they stand around Mom’s shrouded body. I hold Dad’s hand, keeping him close—he won’t be able to see as well as I can.

Evangeline gives me a wisp of a smile. My heart aches, wishing Natalie were here. I shouldn’t have snapped at her earlier, but I was upset. Even so, it was wrong of me not to escort her to the boundary gates and let her know things are still okay between us, especially since we made love just a few hours ago. She must be so confused right now.

The High Priest begins to sing. I vaguely recognize the tune and sing the bits I know, which isn’t much. I wish I’d spent more time learning about this side of my culture, but there never seemed much point.

The singing stops, and the High Priest ushers us forward.

“What are we supposed to do?” I ask Evangeline.

“We all need to say the thing we’ll remember the most about Annora, to help keep her in our minds.”

Sigur is first. “I will remember your kiss.”

Evangeline can barely get her words out. “I will remember your kindness.”

Dad is next. “I will remember your laughter.”

Then the High Priest calls on me. I look at Mom’s body, thinking of something to say. What will I remember the most about her? The way she sang me to sleep? How she read me The Wooden Boy each night, even though she must’ve been sick to death of it? How she wrote me a birthday card every year, even when she couldn’t send it?

“I will remember that you are always with me,” I say.

The High Priest picks up the urn I saw earlier, passing it to Sigur. Then he unsheathes a ceremonial knife from around his belt.

“What are they doing?” I whisper.

“You shouldn’t look at this,” Evangeline says.

The High Priest raises the knife over Mom’s body.

“No!” I yell.

The priest plunges the dagger into Mom’s chest.

“It’s part of the ritual,” Evangeline explains. “Her dual heart is harvested and given to her Blood Mate.”

I bury my face in Dad’s shoulder. Evangeline was right; I don’t want to see this. He pats my back.

“It’s done,” Dad whispers to me a minute later.

I risk a look at Mom. She’s been covered again. Sigur places the lid on the urn and offers it to Dad.

Dad shakes his head. “I have Ash. He’s the best part of Annora. You keep her heart; it belongs to you. It always did.”

Sigur gives a weak smile and clutches the urn to his chest.

The door opens, casting a sliver of light over the altar as Evangeline slips out of the room. Dad and Sigur are busy talking to each other; they won’t notice if I leave for a few minutes. I could do with some air anyway.

I find Evangeline outside beside the empty ape enclosure. We stroll through the zoo, passing the cages. At some point during the walk, Evangeline takes my hand, and I lace my fingers through hers, needing the comfort. Although it feels nice, natural, I still wish it were Natalie who was here with me now.

“It was a moving funeral. Annora would’ve been pleased with it.” Evangeline wipes the tears from her eyes. “I can’t believe she’s gone.”

I don’t know what to say to comfort her.

“I was the one who brought your mother back to your house, you know?” she says.

“Thanks,” I say.

“It was the least I could do. She looked after me for so long. I loved her.”

“Why did you never tell Sigur that my mom was sick?” I say.

She lowers her lashes. “I was scared he’d blame me.”

“Why? How did Mom get bitten?” I ask. I’d been wondering this for weeks.

“It was one of the Wraths in the hospital. I was working in the ward, and she came to say good-bye to me after her argument with Sigur. The Wrath attacked her—it was so quick. It’s my fault. If she hadn’t come to say good-bye . . .”

“It’s not your fault. Besides, it’s not what killed her in the end,” I say, rage boiling inside me as I think about Gregory. “What will they do with her now?”

“They’ll take her body outside just before dawn. The sun will cremate her remains.”

I cringe at the thought.

“She’s in the Elsewhere now, in a better place,” Evangeline says.

“Do you really believe that?”

She nods.

A bird flies overhead, reminding me of the crow that flew over me and Natalie when we sat on the roof of Sentry HQ. My heart aches, thinking about that day, how it felt having her in my arms, how she kissed me.

“What are you going to do now?” Evangeline asks.

“What do you mean?” I say.

“Are you going back, or are you staying with us?”

I hadn’t even considered staying with the Legion, but why shouldn’t I? What’s keeping me on the human side of the wall? My mom’s gone, Dad would be safer without me, and Beetle would understand. There’s only one reason to go back. Natalie.

“You’re thinking about her, aren’t you?” Evangeline says.

“Is it that obvious?”

“It is to me.” Evangeline’s eyes narrow into slits. “Don’t you understand her betrayal? She knew about the Bastet venom, but she didn’t tell you.”

“Natalie said she didn’t have the opportunity—”

“Don’t be naive, Ash. She was clearly protecting her mother. Natalie’s Sentry through and through, and don’t you forget it,” Evangeline replies.

“That’s not true. She’s not like the others.”

“Don’t be suckered in by her lies. She’s played you for a fool.”

“I don’t believe that,” I say.

“How can you still want to be with her?” Evangeline asks.

“Because I still love her,” I say.

“You don’t love her. You just think you do because she has my heart.”

“She may have your heart, but that’s not the reason I love her,” I say. “It’s not just a physical connection. It’s something deeper. You may be my Blood Mate, but she’s my Soul Mate. That’s just as powerful.”

Evangeline touches my chest. “We could have that connection, Ash, if you just give me a chance. I’d never lie to you or betray you. She can’t be trusted—she’s dangerous.”

She looks at me with wide, expectant eyes. Her inky-black hair ripples around her pale, beautiful face.

I move her hand away. “And you’re not dangerous? You killed a man, or did you forget? His name was Malcolm.”

She lets out an irritated sound. “He was just a meat sack.”

“You see, that’s where you and Natalie differ. She’d never let a Darkling get hurt if she could prevent it, while you have no regard for human life at all.”

“Maybe if they ripped your heart out like they did mine, you wouldn’t feel so warm and fuzzy about humans either,” she says.

I sigh. We sit down on a stone bench beside the abandoned lions’ den. White flowers bloom around our feet, their petals the same color as Evangeline’s iridescent skin.

“So, are you going to stay with us?” she says, her eyes sparkling with hope.

I look at the Boundary Wall in the distance, and for the first time ever, I’m yearning to be back on the other side.