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He smiled back, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “It’s been a long time since we had a daughter of the moon attend one ofour sermons,” he told me in a conspiratorial voice as he took my hand.
My mouth dropped open at the knowing twinkle in his eye, and I nearly snatched my hand back. “What do you—”
“Don’t worry.” He gave me a reassuring smile. “Allies of the rebel movement are always welcome in Phaeros’s halls. Your secret is safe with me.”
Allies of the rebel movement?It took me a second to realize he was talking about the human stronghold in Ferae, and hope surged in my chest. That had to mean there were witches there—and that those witches sometimes came here, to Lumina.
“I’ve been traveling for a long time, and I just arrived in Lumina,” I confessed, trying to spin a cover story I hoped would sound plausible. “Have any other witches come here recently?”
“Not that I’m aware of,” the priest said gravely. “But you may find more news of that nature at the Red Tavern.”
“Thank you,” I said, even though I had no clue what the Red Tavern was. I left before I could say something that would blow my cover, my mind whirling. Perhaps I could ask Sparrow if he knew about the Red Tavern—but what if it was a rebel hideout, and I inadvertently revealed it to him? Just because Maximillian and his cohort turned a blind eye to human worship of the sun god didn’t mean they held the same attitude toward rebels. The last thing I wanted to do was compromise them.
The young woman I’d seen before was standing in the shadow of another airship, talking with two friends. She waved excitedly when she saw me, and I approached, a little nervous, but also excited. Perhaps making friends with the human slaves herewould get me answers I wouldn’t find in the sterile environment of the Tower compound.
“Friend!” she called, and her two companions turned to meet me. One was a factory worker like her, wearing a similar uniform, and the other appeared to be some kind of clerk, dressed in neat, slightly worn attire: a buttoned-up shirt, a vest that had seen better days, and trousers that were well-pressed but faded. They all smiled, though the clerk seemed wary as he took in my duster and the black outfit I wore beneath. I silently cursed Sparrow for not telling me where we were going—if I’d known I was going to a temple sermon, I would have worn clothes to blend in better with the human slaves.
“The sermon was wonderful, wasn’t it?” she said in a rush, her eyes sparkling. “My name is Hannah, by the way, and this is Simon and Raina. Guys, this is—” she paused, then blushed. “Actually, I didn’t get your name, did I?”
“I was just about to ask you for yours.” I smiled, charmed by her bubbly enthusiasm. It was a testament to the priest’s sermons that she could maintain any kind of sunny disposition, given the dire circumstances she and her fellow humans lived with. “I’m Catherine.”
“Nice to meet you, Catherine.” Simon stuck out his hand, giving me a critical once over as I shook it. “Whose house do you work in? I’ve never seen you before.”
“Simon!” Raina cried, a scandalized expression on her face. “Don’t be so rude.”
“What?” He shot back, his moss-green eyes sparking. “It’s a fair question, given what she’s wearing.” He looked me overagain, his lips thinning. “You look like the vampire hunters my grandmother used to tell stories about.”
“And so what if she is one?” Hannah retorted, smacking Simon on the arm. “Imogen could have used the help of a slayer.”
“What are you talking about?” My interest sharpened.
“Nothing,” Simon said quickly, but Raina spoke right over him. “Our friend Imogen went missing a few months ago. She lives in the same tenement as I do, and one night she just didn’t come home.”
“We went to our local barrister,” Hannah added, a bitter note in her voice, “but he did nothing. Just said she probably ran off to join the rebels in the east. But that’s impossible. She never would have left without telling us!”
“Of course he didn’t do anything,” Simon scoffed. “All they care about is making sure the power plants and the blood banks and the weapons factory keep running. One human disappearing isn’t worth their time.”
“But it’s not just one human,” Raina said hotly. “There was also Mamie’s brother—”
“Oi!” a gruff-looking man hissed. His threadbare coat flapped behind him as he stalked our way, looking like he was ready to box some ears. “Will you lot stop gossiping so loudly, and get a move on! If a patrol comes by and finds out we’ve been congregating here, they’ll burn this whole place down!”
“Sorry!” Hannah squeaked. She grabbed me by the sleeve, and the four of us scurried off, heading for an opening in the wire fence. We clambered through it one by one and headed down a steep hill leading to a main road that would take us back intothe city proper. I remembered from studying a map of Lumina that the airshipyard was located closer to the outskirts of the city—it was a good six-mile walk back to the Tower from here. No wonder it had taken so long to get here. Sparrow was a real bastard, leaving me here on my own like this. How did he know if I’d be able to get back?
“I’m sorry if I sound ignorant,” I said in a low voice as we walked, passing rows of dilapidated homes and businesses that looked as though they’d once been part of thriving communities “But do you know about a place called The Red Tavern? I heard someone mention it as a possible hangout, and I thought it might be fun to check out.”
I held my breath, hoping that my hunch about the place was right, and that I didn’t just blow my cover. The three human slaves exchanged glances, and then Hannah slowly said, “I’ve heard of it, but I’m not sure it’s the kind of place you want to frequent.”
Simon snorted, gesturing to my outfit as we walked. “Are you kidding me? She looks like she’ll fit right in.” At my quizzical look, he said, “It’s a gambling den, frequented by both humans and vampires.”
“Humansandvampires?” I frowned. “But what do the humans gamble with?”
“Coin, if they’re lucky to have it,” Raina said with a shrug. “But in lieu of that, blood. A cover charge has to be paid at the door to enter, but you get a free drink, so it’s worth it. It’s the only place in the city where humans can get alcohol, so it’s a popular establishment if you’re willing to pay the price.”
I bit back a curse. As slaves, humans didn’t earn coin. As I understood it, some vampire masters deigned to give their humans an allowance, but that was a rarity, and they certainly didn’t get enough to gamble with. Factory workers like Hannah and Raina didn’t have an owner—they were property of the city, so there was no master to receive an allowance from.
It made complete sense for humans to use their blood as currency, but there was no way I could engage in that sort of trade. I didn’t dare, not when the very scent of my blood would reveal my identity. I didn’t think the proprietor would take kindly to me showing up with bloodbane in my veins either—one whiff, and he would probably throw me out on my ass.
But could I really afford to pass up the opportunity to learn more about the rebel movement, especially if it meant I could potentially connect with a fellow witch?
