Page 51 of The Ashborn

She didn’t waste any time, even if watching him summon items with shadows was unnerving. The cloak did nothing to hide her face, so Tislin wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer to his body as he stepped out onto the street. He stank of burnt leather. Kienna’s nose curled.

Her eyes remained on the ground below them, hoping she didn’t catch anyone prying. The streets of Alverton were a blur of gray stone and mud, filled with the clatter of carts and the hiss of steam from nearby forges. The air smelled of smoke and iron, thick enough to taste. As she dared a glance toward the corner, Tislin’s hand caught her shoulder and shoved her back against the wall. His body closed the distance in a heartbeat. He pressed a finger to his lips. Quiet. Kienna froze, heart hammering as the rhythmic clink of soldiers’ boots echoed down the narrow path. She could feel the heat of his breath near her ear and the pulse of shadow magic still faintly crackling under his skin. The soldiers passed without looking their way, but the unease stayed.

“Normally, I would run through the shadows to remain unseen. We could get there a lot quicker if you’ll let me⁠—”

“No,” Kienna said, then groaned. She was only here because Tislin allowed her to be, not because she had to be. She pushed her head back against the stone wall and said, “Fine, but be qui⁠—”

Tislin gripped her and flew into the darkness. They appeared in another alley, closer to the heart of Alverton. He didn’t wait for another reaction before disappearing and reappearing through the city again. Kienna closed her eyes. She couldn’t handle looking the shadows in the face. When she thought she was going to throw up, he stopped and pushed her into another wall. Her body trembled, swaying back and forth as she found it hard to stand.

“I think that’s enough,” Kienna begged.

“Shh.” Tislin placed his hand over her mouth.

Along the streets, a large man walked by a run-down building with boarded-up planks across the windows. He had a limp in his leg, his foot dragging behind him. A large cigar billowed smoke from his mouth as he screamed orders to someone. “Get those swords inside before that creature shows up again.”

Tislin glanced over his shoulder. Kienna peered through the side of her eye, but she couldn’t see much. She focused her other senses, smelling the iron of freshly forged weapons and the reek of rot of what she assumed were Vaerin’s creatures.

A chill ran through the shadows, and even through the cloak, Kienna shivered.

“I need to go inside,” Tislin whispered. “I must see what they have.”

“And then what?” Kienna asked, pulling his hand from her mouth.

“We need to burn it.” His eyes cut to her hands.

Kienna’s eyes widened. “It’s not strong enough.”

“We’ll see. Stay hidden.”

Tislin disappeared again, taking his warmth with him. She shivered and backed further into the alley. She didn’t know how long the master of shadows intended to be gone, but her mind raced with all the possibilities of what could go wrong while she waited. For one, she only had a carving blade on her. It wouldn’t get her very far if she had to fight an Umbrin—or a Shade, for that matter.

On top of that, Kienna’s mind only rustled with static. Ruva was too far, and Connak too consumed in his own pride. She slid into the farthest corner of the alley and fidgeted her leg to keep from spiraling.

Tislin could have handled this mission on his own. What was she doing here? She glanced around, drumming her fingers into the stone, counting seconds into minutes, and when he’d been gone way too long, Kienna stood and paced.

Then her gloves came off. Her nails dug deep into the cuticles. She couldn’t sit around anymore. She had to get inside. What if Tislin was in danger? She moved to the opening of the alley and scanned her surroundings. Kienna pulled the cloak over her head and crept to the front entrance. She leaned against the door, hoping to hear inside. Nothing registered, but she knew it would be well guarded.

Kienna ran her fingers over the stone of the building, searching for an easy place to scale the wall. She wasn’t a climber like Danek, but she’d do what she had to if it meant making sure Tislin was alright. Moira would be devastated if he wasn’t.

A loose stone caught Kienna’s attention. She gripped it, hoisting herself until she could find a stable place to continue upward. The climb made her muscles ache as she compensated for the lack of grip, and she was certain she’d fall. Her hands screamed while clinging to each crevice until she reached the windowsill on the top floor.

Kienna peeked over the ledge. Men laid weapons upon a long, wooden table—long spears, extended blades, and curved knives that looked forged from the underworld itself. Dark smoke slithered across the surfaces, breathing death into the metal. It curled, sank in, then vanished. What had once been dull iron shimmered like the black of night. No Tislin, though.

Kienna looked to the window on her left. There were no steps or stones she could grip onto to get over. She’d have to swing. Groaning, she rocked her body side to side, the ledge biting into her palms as she built momentum. One misstep and she’d fall. One… Two… She couldn’t let herself reach three, or she’d lose her nerve. At the peak of the swing, she released the ledge and hurled herself into the open air, arms stretching for the stone across the gap.

Her palms only grazed the other ledge, and she was slipping. Until Tislin’s hand reached out the window and clung to the fabric of her sleeves. Her heart sank to her feet as he pulled her into the empty room.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

Kienna closed her eyes and sat. When she looked back up, Tislin held his hand to his abdomen, crimson blood pooling beneath the pressure. “Oh, fuck! Tislin, what happened?”

“There’s a Shade here,” he whispered. “You should not be here.”

“Then let’s go.” She reached for him, but he remained fixed on the cracked door in front of him, watching as the shadows seeped into more weapons. He turned to her for a moment, the blood dripping over his hand and onto the ground. “Burn it.”

Kienna backed away. “I can only produce sparks.”

“Then you are not scared enough.” His eyes drifted back to her hands and stopped on her charm.