The story so far…
Jem and Kinley broke Sergeant Jere from prison as part of a desperate attempt to escape the time-locked city of Aeon. Jere and Kinley ran free, but Jem was captured. At the same time, Jem’s ex-lover, Lilian, is embedded with the Aeon nobles, hoping she can safely find a way through the mess. Her patron, Lord Aridius, has just won the secret agreement of the nobles to move the time machine from Gowan’s Tower and call up the militia. Aside from politics, Aridius works as the defence counsel in Aeon’s main law court, where he is called the Shield. Lilian is there as his personal scribe.
You can read the last post here or start from the beginning with The City On The Other Side. The links at the bottom of each piece will jump you straight to the next chapter.
*
Update note: I owe an apology to longer-term readers of this serial. My spell-checker keeps amending “Kinley” to “Finley,” it did so a few weeks back across the jailbreak post. I have updated the name, and I am sorry if it confused you.
Jem sighed, slumping back against the wall.
“I got caught,” she admitted. “Kinley talked me into breaking Jere free, but a guard grabbed me on the way out.” Her forehead creased in disappointment and shame.
Lilian bit back a curse word. “Kinley should’ve known better,” she said harshly.”He’s the cautious one out of us, after all.”
Jem shrugged. “We were between a rock and a hard place. The soldiers had a plan to get home and a reason to get rid of us if we didn’t help out. We took our chances.”
Lilian huffed and stood back, placing her hands on her hips. “No, you just took Jere’s place. I don’t think they will be lenient on you for a first offence like they were for me.”
Jem bit her lip. “He shot someone when he escaped, Lil, with a pistol I’d given him.”
“Shemba! Does anyone know you did that?”
“Yes. The clerk saw it all.”
Lilian heard the clomp of boots on the stairs from outside the courtroom.
“Offer information,” she said, almost gabbling. “Anything that gets their interest. Keep yourself alive until I can fix this.”
Jem gave her a rictus grin.
“Of course,” she said. Her eyes were slightly glassy, but the tears didn’t spill. “Look, keep this for me until it’s over. Please?” She grabbed the rucksack by her feet and pushed it carefully through the bars.
Lilian caught it, unthinking. “They let you keep it?”
Jem laughed, raising her chin. Despite the rough outfit and distress on her face, she had never looked more dangerous or noble. “It has my emotional support skull inside. He told them to swive off and cited a dozen precedents.”
Lilian shook her face in disbelief and stepped back into the judge’s circle. As the first guard entered, she dropped it discretely by the clerk’s desk. Aside from that and the judge’s seat, there was no furniture within the court’s circle.
Within seconds, the room bustled with guards, clerks and court officials. Lord Aridius strode by, grave-faced, and took his position on the Shield’s podium, snapping his blue mask into place. Augusta followed, fidgeting with her blue sash. It clashed with the bright purple dress she had chosen today. As the city’s Sword, she would lead the prosecution and Lilian’s heart sank at the number of witnesses that followed her in. It looked like everyone from the courts or clerking ward was there.
Aridius gestured at one of the hovering staff. “Please get a stool and a small desk for my scribe here,” he requested smoothly. “I have a feeling we will need a second transcript outside of the Judge’s notes.” As they bustled to do his bidding, he touched Lilian’s shoulder before murmuring in her ear.
“This is your Lady?”
“Yes,” she breathed back. “Can you help her?”
He paused, and she felt her heart speed up to fill the space.
“No. It’s associated murder and the dead man is a City Official.”
He turned away, and she grabbed his wrist. Aridius glanced back at her, his eyes resembling ice chips in the mask.
“She’s Gowans heir,” she whispered urgently. Across the circle, Augusta was glaring at them both. “Save her, and you can unlock the machine!”
“Magistum present!” someone yelled from the doorway. Aridius wrenched free his wrist and took his place in front of the Judge’s chair. Lilian took one last despairing glance at Jem and sank down on her borrowed seat.
*
Kinley watched for guards from the upper window as Jere changed into fresh clothes. They were in a boarding house, using a dressing room where the squad rented a chest for fresh clothes.
“What’ll they do to her?” he asked the sergeant.
Jere buttoned up his shirt and pulled out a multicoloured sash. He started to tie it around his waist, over the belt loops of his trousers.
“Execution,” he grunted.”We can’t go back.”
Kinley glared at him. “‘Course we do, mate. Jem’s a Diamous. Forget any plans you have about livin’ if her pa finds out yer let her die.”
Jere shrugged. “First he has to find out. Besides, they won’t execute her before sunset, so we’ve got time to work.”
There was a rap at the door, and a maid poked her head in. Like most of Aeon’s servants, she wore simple linen and her employer’s symbol - a heart on a chain around her neck. “You need to get out,” she whispered. “Mistress is coming.”
“Heartfelt gratitude, Nuchik,” Jere said cheerfully. He leaned over to kiss her on the lips. “I don’t know how to thank you.”
She rewarded him with a brief smile. “You know how,” she said coquettishly.
Jere nodded before reaching into the chest to pull out a fresh hat. The tricorn brim reminded Kinley of the ferrymen back home in Alinakard.
“Later,” he promised her. He went over to the window and started to climb up the outside lattice-work to the roof - the same way as he’d entered earlier. Kinley gave Nuchik an uncertain salute and followed the rogue.
“What kinda caps did you sell ta her?” he asked suspiciously when they were safely balanced on the roof tiles.
Jere shrugged. “A fresh start and a family. She’s not going to get that here. Did you know servants can’t marry who they like? They must get permission first, and their patrons charge for the privilege.”
“What! Why?”
Jere grunted as they jumped across a narrow valley between the houses. He was fitter than Kinley had given him credit for, but the violent escape and the long night in the cells were catching up with the man. “There’s a limit on food and space here. They can’t stop people from wandering over, but they can regulate who lives, dies, and swives. Why d’you think we’re so popular with the lower ranks? They’re fed up with being treated like cattle. They want to break free and go to Alinakard.”
“Righto,” Kinley said, still shocked.
“It’s all going to be over in a few hours. I just need my notebook first.”
Kinley blinked. “Notebook?”
“Yes. I wrote down the ghoul’s inscription on it. Fortunately, that little courtesan of yours - Lilian, was it? - has the book, and I know she’s working for Lord Ariduis. We’re going over to his residence to retrieve it.”
Kinley gaped at the soldier. His jaw was literally swingin’ loose, and he’d swear his tongue had unrolled. “Lemme lay this out,” he said at last. “We’re on the run, havin’ shot a guard on the court steps, an’ you wanna go to a busy noble’s house to get a book off Lilian.”
Jere paused and peeked over the edge of their current roof. From the sounds and smell, they were above a food shop.
“Oh no,” he said. “Not us. Just you.”