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Cela understood immediately what he meant. White men.
They’d picked the basement rooms in Little Africa on purpose. Just south of the Village and not far from Washington Square, the neighborhood had historically been the place where African-descended people lived, going way back to when the Dutch thought they were doing enslaved people a favor by giving them a little land to farm. Recently, the neighborhood had grown more mixed and was known for the black-and-tan dives on Thompson Street that kept the social reformers in a tizzy. But the buildings on those blocks were still predominantly populated by Negroes. Abel and Joshua had enough friends and contacts in the nearby buildings that it had felt like the safest place to stay. Since neither the Order nor the police bothered to recruit Negroes, their patrols couldn’t get close without drawing attention to themselves as outsiders.
“The Order,” Viola said.
Joshua nodded. “Most likely. They’re making their way through the building next door,” Joshua told them. “But word is they’re looking for two specific Mageus.” He looked at Viola. “A Chinese man and an Italian girl.”
“That seems awful specific,” Abel said, cutting his eyes in Cela’s direction. She knew what he was thinking: So much for your protection.
“You have to go,” Cela told Viola. She didn’t know how the Order knew to look for them, but she wasn’t going to sit around letting her friend get caught. She was already tossing their few belongings into a sack.
“We all have to go,” Abel said, firmer than ever now.
“If those men are searching for Jianyu, we can’t just up and leave without him,” Cela explained as she shoved the last few items into the satchel. “What if he runs straight into that patrol? Even if he manages to get around them, he won’t know where we’ve gone if we just disappear.”
“Where is Jianyu?” Abel asked, his hands on his hips.
Cela glanced at Viola. “We don’t exactly know,” Cela said finally, unwilling to lie to her brother. “He didn’t come back last night like we expected him to.”
“What happened last night?” Abel frowned, and when Cela exchanged another silent look with Viola, it was enough to have him scrubbing his hands over his face. “No… Tell me you weren’t out in the middle of the night again, pressing your luck. Not after you promised you’d be more careful.”
“I only waited in the wagon,” Cela said, knowing it wasn’t really an answer.
“You only waited…” Abel looked to be at the end of his patience.
“Nothing happened,” she said. “I got back fine.”
“Jianyu didn’t,” Abel pointed out. “And now there are men out there searching for the two of them. It’s only a matter of time before someone starts looking for you, too.” He shook his head, and Cela could see the temper building. “We’re not waiting.”
“Abel—”
“Jianyu is grown,” Abe told her. “He’s going to have to take care of himself. My job is to keep you safe.”
“I’ll wait for you out front,” Joshua said, clearly uncomfortable with the tension mounting in the small room. “You’ll hear the signal if anything else happens.”
“Thanks,” Abel said, relief roughening the tone of the word. “I owe you.”
“You sure do,” Joshua told him without an ounce of humor. “Hattie would have me by the short hairs if she knew I was wrapped up in another one of your messes.”
Once his friend was gone, Abel turned back to Cela and Viola.
“We’re leaving in the next two minutes.”
“Abel—”
“Two minutes. I’ll give you two minutes to gather whatever you can carry, but if Jianyu doesn’t show up by then, we’re not waiting a second longer.”
“Abe—”
“He’s right,” Jianyu said, appearing out of thin air like some kind of ghost. “You have to go.”
No matter how many times she’d seen him do it, Cela was still thrown off by the unexpectedness of Jianyu’s affinity. She’d known about magic since before she could remember, but seeing it? Feeling it right there in your presence? That was something else altogether. Something like wonder. But this time? Seeing him appear out of thin air, she felt nothing but relief.
Except he didn’t look right. His expression was tight, and his color was off. He looked wan and unsteady on his feet.
“Where have you been?” Viola demanded, her voice sharp with the kind of frustration that grows from fear.
“There is no time for explanations,” Jianyu said. “We have to leave, now.”
