The Burning Chaos Read online

  “Let them.” My words came out muffled against his shoulder. “Just let me hug you for another minute.”

  His arms tightened their hold around me. “Of course, Lark. Of course.”

  “Not to interrupt,” Pelltrock said from the doorway, “but one of my men found someone you’ve been looking for, Captain.”

  I yanked away from Leonid, my face burning.

  “Who?” Leonid asked, straightening.

  “Come see for yourself. He’s creating a commotion in the hallway.” Pelltrock vanished, and we were quick to follow him.

  Farther down the hallway, by the front entrance, a group of soldiers were gathered around someone. Vernen and Aden stood at the edge of the crowd, Vernen’s face brightening as we approached. “Leon, it’s your thief!”

  “What?” My heart leapt with excitement as we pushed through the crowd. Standing in the center, a mean-looking soldier had his hand firmly clamped around a boy’s wrist. The boy was struggling to break free, kicking and punching the soldier as curses rained from his lips. The soldier wasn’t even perturbed; in fact, he was laughing at the boy’s attempts to break free.

  “Let me go, you giant oaf! Let me go!”

  The soldier looked up as Leonid approached. “Found your boy, Captain. He was hanging out a few blocks from here, pelting rocks at me and my friends. We managed to grab this one, and once I took a closer look, I realized it was the boy from your wanted poster.”

  “Good job,” Leonid said. “I’m in the middle of an investigation, so the timing is awful, but just lock him up and I’ll get to him later.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “That’s not a boy,” Vernen said suddenly, his mouth close to my ear.

  “What?” I looked closer, trying to see what Vernen saw, but the boy was wearing a cap low over his eyes, making it hard to see his features.

  The boy was struggling as the soldier tried to yank him into a cell. “You can’t lock me up; I did nothing wrong!”

  “Nothing wrong?” Leonid asked. “You stole something from me—”

  “I’ve never seen you before, Fancy Pants!” The boy lashed out, kicking Leonid in the shins. Swearing sharply, Leonid stumbled, his arm flying out as he tried to catch himself before he fell. His hand hit the boy’s cap, knocking it off, and long dark hair tumbled down the thief’s shoulders.

  Silence descended over the prison as everyone stared in shock.

  “See, I told you,” Vernen said to me. “Leon’s boy is actually a girl.”

  I PUSHED MY WAY TO the center of the crowd, the soldiers surprisingly parting for me. Then again, now that the thief had turned out to be a girl, none of them seemed too anxious to get anywhere near her. I had a feeling if she tried to bolt for the door, no one would stop her.

  Except for Leonid, that is. Rubbing his shin, he loomed over the girl, his scowl in full effect. The girl, however, wasn’t perturbed. She simply picked her hat up from the floor and made a big show of dusting it off before plopping it back on her head. This time she didn’t bother to tuck her dark locks under it. “What?” she said when Leonid continued to stare at her.

  “You might be a girl, but I am not going easy on you—”

  “Leonid.” I stepped between the two, putting a calming hand on his chest. “How about I speak with her?”

  The girl’s face brightened at that. “You’re pretty,” she said. “I like your hair. It’s like the sunset.”

  “Thank you!” I knew she was buttering me up, probably thinking she could use me as a way to escape, but that didn’t stop me from smiling at her words. Leonid frowned even harder, but I ignored him. Kneeling in front of the girl, I said, “I need to ask you a few questions. Can you come with me?”

  “Away from these smelly men? Sure.” The girl looked around, her gaze landing on Aden. Her breathing hitched as her eyes widened. “Except for him. I like him.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “He’s very handsome.”

  Aden turned red.

  “Aden’s got an admirer!” one of the soldiers shouted.

  “Oh, wonderful,” Leonid muttered as the other soldiers began roaring with laughter. A couple of them pounded Aden on the back, which only caused him to blush harder.

  When the girl’s expression turned frosty, I sent Leonid a pointed look. “Don’t you have more people to interview?”

  “Yes, as soon as she gives me back what she stole—”

  “I told you, I don’t have anything of yours!” the girl interrupted hotly. “Stupid Mister Fancy Pants, don’t you listen?”

  I tried to smother a giggle that threatened to erupt. “He’s actually a captain—”

  “Oh, I’m sorry.” The girl put her hands on her hips, her dark brown eyes flashing indignantly. “I should have said Captain Fancy Pants.”

  Leonid looked like he was two seconds away from exploding with anger.

  “Aden, Vernen?” I gestured toward Leonid. “A little help here?”

  “Come on, Leon,” Vernen said. “Irina has this. Let’s go interview the others.”

  Scowling deeply, Leonid allowed them to lead him away.

  “Bye, Aden!” the girl called. Again the other soldiers broke out in catcalls, causing Aden to duck his head as the back of his neck burned a fiery red.

  “Do you have another room I can use?” I asked Pelltrock, who lingered by my side.

  “Take my office.” He led us to a small room, unlocking the door and ushering us in. “Let me know if you need anything.”

  “I will. Thank you.” It looked like he’d gotten over his earlier resentment of me.

  Pelltrock gave me a nod. “Good luck.” He shut the door behind him.

  In the center of the room stood a small desk, the entire surface covered in books, piles of papers, and dirty dishes. I grabbed hold of what I assumed was Pelltrock’s chair and dragged it around the desk, depositing it next to the only other chair in the room. I gestured for the girl to sit before I followed suit.

  She was glancing around the room, her bright eyes taking in everything. When she zoomed in on one of the sheets of papers, I cleared my throat and pushed the papers away from her, worried she would see something considered confidential. “What’s your name?”

  “Quinn.” She took off her cap, resting it in her lap. “It’s short for Quincy, but I don’t like that name. I like Quinn.”

  “That’s fine. I like Quinn, too,” I told her, holding out my hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Irina.”

  She shook my hand, her grip surprisingly firm. “That’s a really pretty name.”

  Again with the compliments. I had no idea if she meant them or not, but it was easy to believe that she did. Too easy, in fact. She stole from Leonid, I reminded myself. Despite her protests, I’d been there. She’d deliberately run into us, and then taken whatever was in Leonid’s pockets.

  I wondered if she could tell me what had been stolen. Curiosity gnawed at me, but I pushed it aside. If I wanted her help, I needed to gain her trust first.

  “How old are you?”

  “Twelve.” She was looking around the room again, distracted.

  “Do you live in Way? With your family?”

  “I live in Way, but not with my family. There were too many of us, so I left.” She was staring at a map on the wall when she answered, so I couldn’t see the expression on her face.

  And maybe it was a good thing she couldn’t see the one on mine. It wasn’t like I’d never heard about families letting some of their kids go when they couldn’t afford to care for them, but it still hurt. Way may have been infinitely better than the Slums, but it still had its hardships. “Quinn, do you live on the streets?”

  “Nah.” She finally turned to look at me. “I have a gang—we have a place on Treemont that we use.” Quinn’s eyes widened. “Wait, you’re not going to tell that soldier, are you? Is he going to make us leave? It was abandoned. No one was using it, I swear!” Her voice rose in pitch, echoing off the walls of the small room.

  “No
one is going to make you leave,” I reassured her. “That’s not why you’re here.” I paused, waiting for her to meet my eye. “You know why you’re here, Quinn.”

  “Because I took something,” she mumbled.

  I was happy to hear her admit to it. Leonid was a little imposing when you first met him, so I couldn’t blame her for the way she’d acted in front of him. Keeping my voice light, I said, “It was something very important to the captain. Do you still have it?”

  Quinn shook her head, and my heart sank.

  “Did you sell it?”

  “The lady asked for it. She told me to take something from him, and I did.” Quinn stared at the cap in her lap, her expression miserable. “I don’t usually steal, but she wouldn’t let me say no.”

  A woman had set her up? Had she threatened Quinn when the girl said no? I felt my anger rising and fought to keep control of my temper. “What woman?” My voice shook slightly.

  Quinn was staring at the desk again. When she didn’t answer, I repeated my question. “That one.” She pointed to a paper resting in between a dirty cup and an open book.

  I stood, leaning over the desk to pick up the paper. Glancing at it, I gasped, and the paper fell from my fingertips.

  The woman from the magic show stared up at me from the floor. Trembling, I reached down to retrieve it. “This woman, Quinn? Are you absolutely certain?”

  “Uh-huh.” Swinging her legs back and forth, Quinn nodded. “That’s her. She has that mean captain’s thing right now, unless she sold it.”

  “Thing?” I asked despite myself. “Do you know what it was?”

  “No, it was in a pouch, and I didn’t look. I just wanted to give it to her and go. She was scary.” Quinn blew out a breath and looked behind her. “Can I go now? The others are probably wondering where I am.”

  “No, not yet. I’m sorry,” I quickly added as she started to frown, “but I need you to take me to this woman, Quinn. It’s very important.”

  “Is it so you can get that thing back for the captain?” Her eyes widened. “Is he your lover?”

  She said the word “lover” it like it was a scandalous secret, and I started blushing. “Yes, I want to get that back for him, but...” I tapped the paper. “I asked to have this picture drawn. I have something I want to ask her, which is why the soldiers have been looking for her.” I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that the two whose pictures I’d had West draw knew each other. But then again, maybe this woman wanted me to find her.

  There was so much I needed to ask her. Quinn hadn’t answered me, and I had to fight to control my impatience. “Can you take me to her now? Please, Quinn?”

  Biting her lip, Quinn nodded slowly. “All right. I’ll take you.”

  We went back into the hallway, and I spotted Leonid at the end of it by the interrogation room. He was speaking to one of the servants, a woman, but the moment he saw us, he excused himself to come over.

  Quinn started frowning. “I don’t like him. Is he going to come with us?”

  “Did you find out anything?” Leonid asked before I could answer her.

  I grabbed him by his sleeve and pulled him away from Quinn, out of earshot, so I could fill him in on what I’d learned.

  “I’m going with you,” he said immediately. When I opened my mouth, he talked over me. “No, you’re not going alone. This woman targeted us, and I want to know why. She could be working for someone. She could be dangerous.” His eyes narrowed. “Plus, she has something that belongs to me, and I want it back.”

  “I wasn’t going to tell you not to come.” I fixed him a look. “I was going to tell you to behave. Quinn won’t take us to the woman if you keep yelling at her.”

  He scowled. “She picked my pockets and assaulted me! You can’t blame me for being a little angry, Lark!”

  I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “Leonid, she’s twelve.”

  “Exactly.” He nodded like we were in agreement. “She should know better.”

  Now I did roll my eyes. “Listen, if you can’t behave, I’m going to take Aden. Quinn seems to like him.”

  One of Leonid’s eyes started twitching. Muttering curses under his breath, he ran a hand through his hair. “Fine.”

  “Fine, what?” I asked, trying not to show how much I was enjoying this. It was really hard, like trying not to smile when you heard a baby’s laughter.

  “I’ll behave.” His words were so low, I had to strain to catch them.

  “Good. Now apologize to her and we’ll head out.”

  “Apologize?” Leonid stared at me like I’d lost my mind.

  I gazed back at him, tapping my foot. “I guess this thing you lost isn’t that important, Leonid?”

  “You… Lark…” He worked on controlling his breathing. “You are still the most infuriating woman I’ve ever known.”

  “Good. I’m glad to hear that.” I kissed him on the cheek, and a few of the soldiers who were lingering in the hallway whistled loudly. “If you knew someone more infuriating than me, I’d worry about being replaced.”

  His face went serious. “Never, Lark. Never.” And then he pulled me into his arms, ignoring the catcalls from his soldiers as he kissed me right there, in front of everyone.

  WE LEFT THE PRISON AND made our way south. At first Leonid kept close to Quinn, his entire body tense as he watched her like a cat watches its prey before pouncing. When it became clear she wasn’t going to run away, he relaxed ever so slightly, taking my hand and tucking it into the crook of his elbow. I was grateful for this moment with him. For a short while I could forget the horrors of the morning. Parnaby would be furious to discover we’d left in the middle of investigating, but I didn’t care. What we were doing was equally, if not more, important.

  Besides, I knew Leonid. There would be no sleep for my captain until he solved the case. Taking a few hours off wouldn’t make a difference in the end.

  Quinn’s hair was tucked under her cap once more and from behind, in her trousers and dark, ratty coat, she looked like a boy. It was only when you saw her up close that you realized her features were softer, more feminine. It was amazing Vernen had noticed so easily, back in the prison, when no one else had. Then again, maybe it wasn’t so surprising after all. Vernen had always been observant, and dying hadn’t put a stop to that, it seemed.

  The girl continued heading south, guiding us down twisting roads that grew narrower the farther we traveled. Here, the buildings weren’t as tall, but they were crammed together, as if the original builders hadn’t wanted to waste any space. In the distance I could see the river that separated Way from the slums, and my stomach churned nervously. The last time I stood on that other side of the river, I’d been four, and I’d just watched my mother die.

  My feet faltered, and Leonid stopped, concern etched on his face. “Quinn,” he called, his eyes never leaving my face. “Wait one moment.”

  “What is it?”

  “Are we headed for the slums?” he asked her.

  “No. It’s right on the border, though.” She rocked from one foot to the other, clearly impatient to get moving again. And who could blame her? The sooner she delivered us to the mysterious woman, the sooner she could be on her way home. “It’s not that much farther. Don’t you want to get there before the sun sets?”

  Her words made sense, but they did little to calm my racing heart. I tried taking deep, slow breaths like Vernen had instructed the day we’d gone to the church to find out about the Essence, but it didn’t help. There were so many awful memories connected to the slums. Even though I wanted to help the people living there, I didn’t want to go back. Did that make me a horrible person?

  “Lark.” Leonid pulled me into his arms and began rubbing circles on my back. “I know it’s impossible to forget your past, but you need to focus on the present. The life you have now.” He pressed his forehead against mine. “The one you share with me.”

  It was so hard to push away my old fears. For years I’d worried Ban
their would tire of me and throw me out, forcing me to return to the slums. Or we wouldn’t make enough money from our shows to pay the rent, and we’d be kicked out of our house, the only home I’d ever really known. How many times had I woken up in the middle of the night, convinced my new life in Way had simply been a dream? Even now I still had moments where I thought this life would burst like a soap bubble, and I’d find myself on the streets once more, begging for a few scraps of food.

  “Irina?” I looked down to see Quinn hovering by my side, biting her lip worriedly. “Nothing bad is going to happen to you. I promise.”

  I wiped at my eyes and managed a smile. “Then I guess that’s true, if you say it is.”

  “I mean,” she said with a sideways glance at Leonid, “Captain Fancy over here might get his shiny boots or expensive coat dirty, which I know will be the end of the world for him, but nothing bad will happen to you.”

  “End of the world?” Leonid repeated. “Why does she think I’m some rich noble from Rise?”

  I fixed him with a look. “Maybe because you are.”

  “I am not!” he protested. “I gave all of that up!”

  “You didn’t give up the money,” I pointed out.

  “Ah.” Leonid at least had the decency to look sheepish. “Well, money is important…”

  Quinn pointed an accusing finger at him. “I knew you were a rich snob from Rise!”

  “I’m not a snob!” Leonid threw his hands up in the air. “Why am I arguing with a child?”

  “Because you’re a rich snob?” I offered unhelpfully.

  “Can we please just see this woman?” he asked through clenched teeth. “This conversation is making me ache for a drink, and I won’t be able to work if I’m drunk.”

  Taking pity on him, I gestured for Quinn to continue on her way. My fears were still there, but they had abated somewhat. I can do this, I told myself. Leonid was right. What I had right here and right now was what I needed to focus on.

  I needed to cherish every moment of it.

  Before we reached the river, Quinn led us down a deserted side street, stopping in front of a fortune teller’s shop. Faded gauzy curtains the color of lilacs hung in the windows, blocking our view of the inside. The outside wasn’t impressive. The door had a crack running down the length of it, and the building’s paint, which must have been blue at one time, was bleached white from the sun and peeling. It looked abandoned, but smoke rose from the chimney. Someone was inside.