Voidbreaker by David Dalglish

Author:David Dalglish [Dalglish, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Orbit
Published: 2021-01-19T00:00:00+00:00

Brittany walked streets that should have been familiar to her. Was it the passage of time that made them seem foreign, or had the city truly changed so much with the awakening of the old forgotten world of magic and monsters? She abandoned any specific destination and merely wandered, annoyed by the rapid pace she had to move her arms and legs to pass through the city at her preferred speed. Anwyn bless her, what she’d give to have her old long legs back. The air was thick with smoke, a burning layer adding to the city’s newfound mystery. She walked the dark, wishing to be alone. She wasn’t.

“This body’s muscles may be weak, but my eyes still work fine,” she said, halting before an elaborate collection of tents crowding an alleyway that had cropped up to house refugees. The tents were empty, their canvases torn. “Care to come down from there?”

Her trailing shadow hesitated a moment before descending from one of the nearby rooftops. Brit wasn’t surprised by her identity in the slightest. Though her clothes were dark, and much of her face hidden with a cloak, the bright scarf about Jacaranda’s mouth and neck might as well have her name written upon it.

“I was trained well to shadow a person,” Jacaranda said as she pulled the scarf down to speak. “Yet you spotted me with ease.”

Brit jammed the long handle of her axe to the stone and leaned her weight upon it with her arms crossed over her chest. She took in Jacaranda’s demeanor as an awkward silence fell over them both. She observed the way she stood, the practiced stance so her weight remained balanced at all times. How her hands were never far from her weapons. How her eyes never quite focused on Brit’s, as if enemies might lurk in every unseen corner of Londheim. Those lovely, soft violet eyes and her pale skin crowned with a shock of red hair…

“You’re prettier than my old body was,” Brit said, and she cracked a smile.

The tension broke between them, and an embarrassed blush filled Jacaranda’s face.

“I’m sorry to have followed you,” she said. “I’m still learning to resist my curiosity.”

“It kills cats, you know.”

“I’m sorry?”

Brit pulled her axe free and slung it over one of her shoulders.

“Don’t worry about it. So you found me, Jacaranda. Is your curiosity sated? Or would you like to play a few games of ten questions to learn more about yours truly?”

“It seems odd to play such a game standing in the middle of the street,” she said, gesturing to the houses on either side of them.

“You’re right. So let’s walk.”

Brit resumed her aimless walking. After a moment’s hesitation, Jacaranda slid in beside her. For long moments they said nothing, merely walked. It felt strangely good to Brittany, having her there. Seeing this woman, this replacement, equally confused and nervous validated her own jumbled tempest of feelings. Most importantly of all, she sensed no animosity or resentment, which impressed her. Most people would consider Brittany’s return a threat, and rightly so.

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