Fated

‘Um …’ Luna whispered. ‘What just happened?’

‘I have no idea.’ I shook myself awake. ‘Cinder and that woman are still out there. Let’s move.’

‘Now where?’ Luna asked as we set off again through the crowd.

‘Out.’

‘We’re leaving?’

‘I think we’ve pushed our luck far enough.’ I checked and looked down at Luna. ‘Wait, are you disappointed?’

‘Um …’ Luna looked away and I shook my head.

The ball was in full swing, and the hall was filled with the chatter of voices. A match was being fought in the duelling arenas behind us, and I could hear shouts and cheers. I could sense that Cinder and Deleo were still looking for us, and I shifted direction towards the angle where it was least likely they’d spot us. Beyond was a short flight of stairs leading up to an exit directly opposite to the one by which we’d entered. I took Luna’s hand and led her up the stairs. ‘Quick,’ I said. ‘If we can get out without them spotting us—’

I felt the futures shift and looked over my shoulder. Deleo had climbed up onto the sill of one of the fountains and was scanning the floor, her masked face lifted above the crowd. We spotted each other at exactly the same time and our eyes made contact with a jolt before she spun and started shouting something, her voice lost in the noise.

‘Oh, for crying out loud,’ I muttered. ‘Can’t they just leave us alone?’

‘Let me guess.’ Luna sounded resigned. ‘They’re chasing us again.’

‘Change of plans.’ I led Luna at a run up the stairs and into the foyer beyond. I scanned ahead quickly. The corridors to the right led to a bank of lifts that would take us down to the lower floors, but looking ahead I could see that Cinder was already moving to block that direction off. He and Deleo had split up and were trying to pincer us. It might have worked if I hadn’t seen it coming. ‘This way.’

‘Are your nights out always like this?’ Luna asked as we hurried down the corridor.

‘Later, all right?’ The corridor opened up into a wide corner room. Ahead and to the left, windows looked down over the night city, and in the corner was a lift made of glass. I walked inside and hit the button. The doors hissed shut and the lift began to climb. Below, I could sense Cinder and Deleo, but they were going the wrong way. By the time they realised we were going up instead of down it would be too late. I leant against the corner with a sigh. ‘All right. We’re safe for a while.’

‘Oh, that reminds me,’ Luna said. ‘There was someone near the dance floor called Talisid. He seemed like he really wanted to speak to you.’

‘Yeah, I met him. Those guys interrupted us.’

‘Well, maybe we can find him later.’

I looked at Luna in disbelief. She had turned away to watch the view, and I had to admit it was worth watching. The top set of lifts in Canary Wharf run along the edge of the tower and, unlike the ones that serve the office complex below, they’re designed for sightseeing rather than speed. The lift was drifting upwards at a lazy pace, and from our position we could look down on all of London. The landmarks of the city glowed in the distance: the square shape of Centre Point, the double red lights of the BT tower, the shifting wheel of coloured light that marked the London Eye. The other skyscrapers of the Docklands were falling away below us. The sounds of the ball had faded away, and we were alone in a silent world.

‘Luna?’ I said at last. ‘Why do you want to be here?’

I felt Luna go still. ‘Don’t get me wrong,’ I said. ‘You’re handling this well. Maybe a bit too well. Why aren’t you scared?’

Luna stayed as she was for a long moment, looking out over the city. ‘What would I be scared of?’ she said at last. Her voice was light, and there was something strange about it.

‘From these people? You want a list?’

‘Do you know why I came looking for your shop that first time?’

I frowned. Luna was turned away, her fingers resting lightly against the transparent wall. ‘Why?’

‘It was a few weeks before.’ Luna didn’t turn to face me. I could just make out the outline of her face in the reflection off the glass. ‘On a Saturday. I woke up late. I’d been sleeping longer and longer, then. I lay there and I listened to the birds singing and I couldn’t think of any reason to get up. There wasn’t anything I was looking forward to. That day, that month, ever.’ Luna fell silent a moment, then went on, her voice absent. ‘That was when I realised that if I didn’t do something I was going to die. Just from not caring.’

Luna looked down at the floor, not meeting my gaze. ‘I don’t have anything else,’ she said quietly. ‘Your world is all I have. If that doesn’t work, nothing else matters.’

I looked at Luna, and for once I couldn’t think of a single thing to say.

The silence dragged out for a long minute, then Luna seemed to shake herself, and when she looked at me her face was normal. ‘What was going on back there? With that girl?’

‘I— What do you mean?’

‘Was she a mage?’

I threw off the weight of what Luna had just told me, stored it away for another time. Somehow I knew that right now, sympathy was the last thing she needed. ‘No. Probably not.’

‘But you knew who she was?’

‘I didn’t know her.’

‘But you knew something,’ Luna persisted.