Everything happened in slow motion, the shock that took over her expression unfolding right before my eyes. One moment she had been wrapped in my arms, the next she was scrambling to get away, running towards our visitors in desperation. The flickering fire of a candle defined the sharp edges of her features, lines of light finding their way into the very depths of her eyes as they flitted between the two people in disbelief. There, behind the bars that separated us, stood her childhood mentor, her friend.
"Callista?" The Empress's voice was rough, cracking under the sudden flood of emotions, body trembling and fingers wrapping around the cold bars in front of her.
Next to a very tense Callista stood a horrified Sister Yadav, mouth agape and fingers clutching a familiar music box that hung strapped around her neck, other hand wrapped around a small lantern. I could tell she was looking at me, as was the woman next to her; Callista pinned me with hateful eyes.
"How?" the Empress breathed, as if she couldn't quite believe this to be real.
Callista's gaze shot towards my companion immediately, expression softening. "Emily dear!" She approached the downtrodden Empress, a tortured frown on her face. "Sokolov wrote to me. I came as soon as I could." She paused, eyes darting to the other woman. "I've known Sister Yadav for a very long time... I convinced her of your innocence." She hesitated, gaze flicking between me and her former student. "...However now I'm not too sure myself..."
Sister Yadav stepped in, ignoring my presence as she spoke to Emily directly. "You were so brash with the Outsider, it seemed impossible to me that the two of you could truly be lovers... I… I really wanted to have faith in you, Empress, I wanted to believe in your innocence."
It didn't take a Sokolov to tell the two of them had been put off by what they'd just witnessed; the Empress in the arms of a monster. This made things far more complicated than I had hoped they would be.
The Empress stared at the two women questioningly. "And Sokolov just so happened to write you… a friend of Sister Yadav… who coincidentally works here," she mused out loud, a frown pulling her brows together, gaze switching to me. "You did this, didn't you? You knew all along."
I raised myself into a seated position, eyes locked with the Empress's, mind fighting the rampage of emotion that took place inside of me, preparing myself to act according to plan, banishing the feel of her skin against mine from my mind. "I didn't do anything."
"Bullshit!"
"Lady Emily!" Callista gasped at the foul language.
"This is why you kept telling me not to worry, isn't it? Why you accepted it all?" The hopeful shine in her gaze was enough to tear me apart from the inside out. Why? Why did she continue to insist I be anything other than a curse?
"Come, Your Majesty," Sister Yadav urged the Empress as she held open the gate, keys glinting in the candlelight.
The Empress's gaze flicked between me and the exit, waiting for me to answer her. But I wasn't going to. Instead I watched her with forced indifference. She hesitated, eyes searching mine for a glimpse of the man who had held her only minutes ago. I knew she wouldn't find him—not anymore, I made sure of that—and I watched the hopeful flicker in her gaze die. Disappointed at my passiveness, the Empress turned towards Sister Yadav who awaited her, marching over to the exit in silence. Callista welcomed her in her expecting arms, whispering reassurances into the Empress's hair. I didn't move as Sister Yadav closed the gate again, locking it silently, burning glare never leaving me.
"I thought I'd never see any of you again." I couldn't see the Empress's face, but her voice betrayed enough emotion for me to paint a clear picture, and it hurt me to know I was responsible for all this—wherever I went, suffering and death always followed.
"Ssh, Lady Emily, it's alright. We'll set this straight again, I promise," Callista comforted the woman in her arms, and for a brief moment I was reminded of the two of them, 15 years ago at the Hounds Pits Pub. "We'll get you home." She'd said those same words then, and she'd stuck to them—hopefully she'd stick to them again.
"But how? The people won't accept me..." She stiffened before she turned around, eyes locking with mine. "Why is he still in there? Outsider?" Emily wrestled herself free from Callista's arms, only to be pulled back by the elder.
"We're not taking the Outsider with us, Lady Emily. You as Empress should understand." Callista's voice was loaded with warning, and I didn't miss its judgemental undertone.
Emily fought off the protective hands that restrained her, grasping the bars that separated us, expression hardening. "I won't leave you behind," she assured me, before fully turning to Sister Yadav, posture straight and ever as regal. "Let him out, or I won't come." It was a demand, one loaded with the kind of authority only an Empress could muster.
"Emily! I can't believe this!" Callista stepped forward, again attempting to pull the Empress away from the bars, away from me. "He's the Outsider, he cannot be trusted." Her voice dropped. "He's the one responsible for all this. You'd do well to remember."
The Empress was about to protest again when I stood from the cot, the place we'd just spent our final moments, slowly approaching the desperate girl now separated from me by hard metal bars. "I've had my fun with you." I cocked my head, watching her. "Turns out you're not all that that interesting." From the corner of my eye, I noticed Callista's expression tensing, brows pulling together and lips pressing into a tight line. "Listen to your friends, Empress."
"I don't believe you. I'm not leaving." The words were spoken with such conviction that I couldn't help but believe her, even though I knew she'd have to go, no matter what she wanted. The only other option was death.
"Your Majesty, we only have a short amount of time, we have to go now or else we won't make it out before the guards return." It was Sister Yadav who tried to change her mind, but I could tell from the Empress's gaze she wasn't about to give up—not without a fight.
"He comes, or none of us go." Her eyes burned into mine, stare resolute, and I knew in that instant that she was going to do something incredibly stupid. My gaze flicked towards the woman who held her, Callista, who seemed just as unsure as I was at that moment, then towards the Sister who still tried to convince the Empress to cooperate. Back to the Empress, and I had not missed her sharp intake of breath, the challenging expression she wore. One sound and the guards would come barging in, one scream from her and she would expose us all.
Time slowed to a halt, the fierce flicker of candlelight reflected within those amber depths, and for a moment I swore I felt myself sucked within the violent tilt of those golden waves. Her lips parted, and my heart stopped. Within me I felt the uncontrolled electrical charge of Sokolov's whale oil ignite all throughout my veins. The room lit up around me, sparks whipping against polished metal and hissing with each blow.
Her scream tore through me, and I had to close my eyes to shield them from the bright flashes that erupted from beneath my flesh. I was cognisant enough to notice the horrified gasps of the other two women, but I knew this was the only way, her last damned chance. I leapt, and the floor beneath us rippled like seawater, torn apart by time itself. We all tumbled into the abyssal depth I'd conjured, the years circling around us like a small hurricane.
I felt the impact of hard concrete rip through me, searing pain causing my vision to darken and my ears to ring. The others had been luckier, their bodies rolling across the floor more gently. The room around us stabilised, and I felt what was most likely the last flicker of oil as it burned through me, healing the internal damage I'd suffered from the fall. There'd probably be no more healing after this, no more tricks. My skin was left a charred and smoking mess, the boiling heat of my own veins burned into my arms and face, the smell of charred flesh filling the room accompanied by the wet sounds of dripping blood.
Around me I heard the women whimper, dazed by the sudden vortex that had swallowed them. I tried my best to open my eyes, to rid myself of the ringing that filled my ears, but the more I fought to get up, the more I felt the force of gravity pull me down. The pain was too much, and before I could prepare myself I felt the tell-tale squeeze of my stomach as it emptied itself, bile burning my throat and acid pooling across the floor.
The confused murmur of voices surrounded me, meaning everyone was up and conscious, wondering how they'd ended up wherever they were. Sister Yadav had managed to relight her candle, the crackling sound of fire bouncing off the walls. I felt something move against me, and I realised I was holding onto the Empress, one of my hands covering her mouth and silencing her. As soon as my vision cleared enough to find her face, my eyes staring into her shocked ones, something snapped within me. I pulled my hand from her, hurriedly scrambling away, like some animal. I couldn't believe what I'd just done, what she had made me do. Something hot swept through me, washed away all reasoning.
"You have to be fucking crazy!" I found myself leaping to my feet, stomping over to the shocked Empress in pure unadulterated fury. "To want to endanger the lives of your allies for a piece of shit like me!"
My glare was poison as it burned into hers, and she dared raise her chin at me. "And you have to be an idiot to think I'll allow you to sacrifice yourself for me!"
"It's the only damn way!" I found myself shouting back, unintentionally confirming her assumption, not caring what the other two women thought, not caring what anyone thought anymore. All of my frustrations seemed to spill right at that moment, every single emotion I had been bottling up breaking through my carefully built defences. "No one is going to want to be ruled by some heretical Empress!"
"And you dying changes what exactly?" she questioned, raising herself to a stand and resting her hands on her hips, those damn hips.
"It changes everything! You fucking idiot!" One of my hands pulled at my hair, knuckles turning white from the force. "Who would ever leave their lover behind to die?" My movements were frantic as I gestured to enunciate every single word, the logic so clear in my own head.
"I'm not going to have you killed just to be Empress, I won't have your blood stain my crown." She met my glare head on, even though she was much shorter than me; she made up for that in posture and confidence. "If you think I'm letting you take the easy way out then think again, either we escape together, or none of us do." She poked an accusatory finger at my chest, and I instantly knew it was a threat, one she didn't attempt to hide from anyone. She had figured me out, and she knew she had me there, her angry expression underlined with smug satisfaction.
"I'm dying soon anyway, you might as well use it to your benefit!" I was grasping for straws now, desperate to convince her, to set things straight. She was born an Empress and she shouldn't lose it all over me, some beggar without a name. It was a price too steep, one I had never intended for her to pay.
"I refuse to benefit from abandoning you. No. I refuse to take any responsibility in your slaughter!" She wasn't giving up, dead-set on taking me out of here, and for what?
She was born into wealth and luxury, for her to throw it all away like this, risk it over someone who's life mattered to no one and wouldn't last for much longer, it was insanity. I averted my eyes, found them lingering on my own bloodied fist, the trails of red revealing scars that would hardly be noticeable without them. There was no more room for pretence, no place for games. She had managed to see through it all, forcing me to try and make her understand why I did what I had to do. I needed this; keeping her alive was the only right thing I had ever done.
"I'm not some little boy for you to save, Emily." There was nothing inside of me but bitter dyspathy, the cage of my ribs close to breaking beneath the weight of what I felt. "You want to know who I am?" I held up my palms before her face, voice filled with raw detestation, and for the first time she studied them, a hint of wonder in her eyes. I stared her down as I revealed my skin to her, the edges of a jagged knife imprinted onto my flesh. "The blade I used left these, over 4000 years ago." I stepped closer, the Empress unmoving as she kept on staring at the small scars. The other two women didn't interfere, too wary of the both of us. "I used it to cut up my own mother, hack straight through flesh and bone." I spoke too soft for the others to hear, voice contorted by that strange undertone, coloured with ancient shades, deformed into something I didn't recognise—long forgotten inflections and emotions. "In the end, it killed her." Another small step, and I was only inches away from her, unable to keep my hands from shaking with anger. "I killed her. It was my fault." Her eyes shot up to meet mine, those amber depths pulling me in, embracing me with their warmth. "Let me do this one thing right before I die." My brows knit together, creating weary creases, the bitter aftertaste of both the acid and my own words burning my tongue. "Don't have me ruin more."
Am I clean?
Her hands found my face, cupped my cheeks with enough tenderness to hurt me, my blood sticking to her skin. "Why?" She shook her head, gaze filled with anguish. "What if I think you coming with me is the right thing?"
Her words were like knives, and they gutted me with practiced precision. My heart sank beneath the pull of agony, every single emotion I had fought to banish from my soul had silently and happily come back at her beckoning. My vision had blurred, the straight edges of her face now softened and muddled into something unfamiliar—I was unfamiliar. "I can't."
"Why?" She repeated, louder this time.
Soft words contradicted the visceral inferno that ravaged my insides, my voice no more than a fragile whisper meant for no one. "Because I don't deserve it." Just a few words, built on sentences upon sentences filled with blame, filled with loathing. I was an outsider to all she knew.
I watched as her face crumbled at my evanescent words, fingernails digging into the skin of my neck, hands wrapping around my skull, my face, trying to force me back together—fix the fractures. "Life isn't for those worthy of it," her thumbs traced my cheekbones, wiped away the remnants of blood, "it's for those strong enough to dare continue regardless." There was a sureness to her tone that echoed experience, but she was speaking in spells, in magical and impossible prophecies. Of course an Empress would believe such things, of course her Royal blood would invoke her spirit with such noble nonsense.
I swallowed something hard and bitter, old hurt, and moved away from her, her hands falling to her sides—defeated. I couldn't take it, she was too much. I was overflowing with chaos, soul howling like storm winds. She had won, cornering me until there were no more choices left. I averted my attention in an attempt to brush off my emotions, briefly glancing at the other two women who stared at us in shocked silence, Sister Yadav's fingers clenched around the music box warningly.
Ignoring their strange looks, I took a moment to inspect the place we'd ended up in, in search for something new to focus on. I recognised the interior, the red carpet and draperies that covered both floor and ceiling. I started moving, restless, wanting to get away from her and clear my mind—falling into old patterns at the slightest taste of freedom. I scanned the shelves that lined the walls, noting the changes the room had gone through over the last years. With High Overseer Campbell gone, his secret getaway had been turned into a storage unit, used to hold heretical and occult objects—us ending up here had been no coincidence.
"Emily, dear," Callista quickly ran up to the abandoned Empress, grabbing onto her blood-stained hands, "stop this lunacy, child, this isn't you."
I ignored her, trying to figure out what to do now that my plans had been thoroughly ruined, how to fix this horrifying mess. My eyes found what I'd been looking for, hands reaching to retrieve what was mine. My fingers wrapped around the cool surfaces of my ritual rings, and I instantly felt a familiar calm sweep through me, the tell-tale feel of iron against skin returning a fraction of clarity to my mind.
"What do you think you're doing?" It was Sister Yadav who unexpectedly stood up against me, making a rather pitiful attempt to stop me, voice shaking with fear.
I ignored her, bitterly wrapping my hand around the disgusting talisman Billie had offered me, the promise I wished I couldn't keep.
"Stop that now!" Sister Yadav stepped towards me, holding up the music box with trembling limbs.
I turned to scowl at her, hands working on storing the mummified rat beneath the folds of my tattered clothing, and she was wise enough to stand down beneath my intimidating stare.
"Emily, you cannot be serious, you can't expect us to bring him along." Something cold hit me, something familiar, and I knew it had to be Callista's disapproving glare.
"Well it seems you won't be having a choice, if you all want me alive at least," the Empress hissed angrily. "I'm not leaving without him. I don't care what any of you have to say about that."
My eyes traced the strange collection that cluttered the shelves, the forbidden trinkets confiscated by the ever so diligent Abbey. Some objects I recognised, others I did not. My limbs were pulled towards a familiar dome of glass, a dancing stone floating in its center: a shard of the Void. The more my mind cleared, the more I realised how little control I had. My skin still sang with the feel of hers against it, and I figured that's exactly where all my problems began.
My fingers lifted the glass container, revealing the stone material that had kept me its prisoner for centuries. Here, within the earthly atmosphere of this dimension, it looked less like crystallised death and more like any other shiny rock. My skin was drawn to its cold surface—like the intoxicating attraction of old lovers the poets could never shut up about—and my fingers trembled as they carefully wrapped around the jagged shard.
Something gruelling shot through me, a harrowing ache that tore at the tender meat inside me, yet I didn't pull away. Instead I held onto the onyx material more firmly, the physical pain a strange liberation from the overwhelming psychological hurt. I felt calmed by the sinister stone that grated against my skin, the traces of blood that still stuck to my flesh rubbing off onto it, thick and sticky. I knew that whatever I did now, she would most likely follow me one way or another—foolish as she was.
My eyes traced the obsidian edges, entranced by the patten they drew. Without thinking, I stored the stone fragment inside the folds my shirt, next to the disgusting rat corpse, its surface strangely reassuring against my skin, before turning back to face the Empress. With the ritual rings back in place, the rock against my skin, I felt more like myself, the cold and detached figure that had witnessed enough death to no longer find it all that interesting—and I supposed that was saying something. She met my gaze head on, no doubt to be found within those sharp eyes.
"I'll come," I offered, taking a step towards her, "but you have to make a promise to me." I tilted my head, taking yet another step, noticing the way her hands turned to fists.
She copied my stance, turning her face to match mine, refusing to move away as I continued to approach. "And what would you have me promise?"
I stopped a few inches away from her, entering her personal space and soaking up the warmth that radiated off of her. I ignored Callista's disapproving looks, as well as Sister Yadav's. I kept my gaze locked with hers, eyes staring into hers unflinchingly. Her breath caught in her throat as I bent forward, face nearing hers. Her lips parted to allow a shuddery gasp as I continued to move, headed for the shell of her ear. Her scent enveloped me, welcomed me as I allowed my cheek to bump into hers. My eyes shot over to Callista, who stood only meters away, just able to spot her in my peripheral, before whispering my wish for only the Empress to hear. "Don't keep me around out of pity."
I caught the stutter of her heart, the way her hairs rose and stood on their ends. I closed my eyes briefly, tracing my nose along her skin, her cheek, as I moved back, my breath splaying across her face. I then watched her through lidded eyes, my own heart in my throat. Her gaze followed me, her shoulders squared, as I retreated. The stone sang against my flesh, somehow triggered by our interaction, filling my blood with static. The other two women didn't speak, as if afraid either one of us might lash out again. I righted myself, looking down on the woman before me, eyes drawn to the subtle hint of her collarbones at the nape of her shirt.
"Okay," she said, not a single hint of doubt in her voice, "I promise."
The words liberated me, somehow.
"Your Majesty, I don't know what someone such as the Outsider might desire from you," Sister Yadav stepped in, voice trembling with terror, "but I advise you not to be fooled by his deceptive requests!"
The Empress's eyes didn't leave mine, a glint of wonder dancing within those depths. My eyes followed the curve of her neck, the smooth edge of her jaw. If this was what she wanted, I would at least allow her to see for herself; beggars like me had nothing to offer an Empress.
"Lady Emily... I beg you," Callista tentatively wrapped her thin fingers around the Empress's shoulder, eyebrows pinched together, "you can still save face..." She paused, knuckles turning white as she gripped the Empress more tightly. "You can still honour your mother's legacy."
I watched as something about the woman in front of me changed, something unfamiliar and disconcerting; like a dislocated joint beneath skin. She moved fast, too fast for my eyes to keep up, her arm crashing against Callista's, forcing the limb away from her as she turned, her other hand swiping up to take a hold of it. She halted then, knees bent as if ready to pounce whatever she might deem a threat.
"Do not speak of my mother's legacy," she hissed angrily. "My mother would never sustain her rule through needlessly spilled blood."
Callista's pleading expression faltered, clouding over with doubt and regret. When she spoke her voice was tinged with decades old sadness. "You're a lot like your father, you know." Her weary gaze darted to me, seizing me up before stepping away from the Empress, bowing her head before speaking again. "I recognise a losing battle when I see one..." There was a tightness to her that suggested her ongoing personal disagreement. "I won't allow for you to be executed." She paused, gaze sharpening as it returned to me. "...However, once we escape from here, I won't be helping you any further whilst you continue to dabble in such darkness."
The Empress straightened, raising her chin at her old mentor. All the happiness at being reunited seemed to have forsaken them, the air cold and thick with hostility. "Fine," she spoke, voice detached.
"You really are an idiot." The derisive words left me before I could think them, coming straight from my heart.
The Empress's narrowed eyes found me, an offended tilt to her lips. "I'm the idiot?" Her voice had gone hoarse from all the stress she'd put it through. "You're the one trying to get yourself killed!"
"If anything, I've learned dying is the smartest thing you can do in this world." The stone still sang against my flesh, my eyes drawn to the way her chest rose, the slight part of her lips.
"We really don't have the time for this." Sister Yadav sounded as put off as I'd expect an Oracular Sister to be in my presence. "We best get out of here before anyone sounds the alarm."
"How?" The Empress appeared just a bit too eager to change the subject.
I stepped away from the three, headed towards a chest I knew stood at the end of the room. I hadn't thought this through, not a single bit. In fact, I hadn't expected to be in this situation to begin with. I wasn't used to being unprepared, I hadn't been forced to improvise for centuries. But at the back of my brain I felt the familiar whisperings of faint memories, fragments of the world that shimmered like a sea of forgotten about moments.
Not me though, I rarely forgot anything. My fingers worked the clasp that held the lid in place, quick at opening the large container. Inside I found a pile of uniforms, and most importantly; masks. Within the chest laid several stacks of Overseer clothing, I carefully took a pair of everything, fingers rubbing against the stiff fabric that had opposed my existence with every thread and fiber.
"How did you know?" The Empress had followed me, apparently.
I didn't turn towards her, instead pushing her set into her hands without looking. "I know many things, asking how is almost redundant considering my history." I started on the pants first, pulling them over the pair I was already wearing. "For instance I know this particular uniform belonged to an Overseer who was executed for falling in love with a not so loving colleague." My eyes traced the familiar stitches that held parts of the fabric together, before darting towards the other two women who now stood gathered, whispering conspiringly amongst one another. "I also know Callista thinks of you like a daughter." I took a pair of boots and pulled them over my bare feet, noting how the pants were too short for my long legs. "She's the closest you'd ever have to a maternal presence in your life," I glanced at the woman beside me, noting how her pants were too big. "At least, if you hadn't been such an idiot by ruining nearly every bit of love she has for you."
The Empress frowned at my words, eyes staring at the dark jacket she held between her fingers. I put my arms through the sleeves, the strictures echoing through my mind like curses. "If she truly loved me she would respect my choices."
"You underestimate the hatred towards me ingrained in the people." I found myself glancing at the Empress again, eyes following the way her shirt danced against her frame as she put on the jacket. "She is respecting your choices to the best of her ability by not turning you in."
"She should trust me enough to know I always have the best of intentions."
"Just because I never did anything to hurt you doesn't mean others haven't suffered in my name."
She halted her movements to pin me down with an annoyed glare. "Why are you defending her?"
"I'm not defending her, Empress, I'm trying to tell you I'm not worth it."
She didn't answer that, finishing up quickly instead, pulling her mask into place before turning away. "Let's just get out of here."
It felt strange, holding the shiny mask in my hands, its cold, metallic material rubbing against my skin. The empty eyeholes reminded me of many who had looked through them, had preached their ways behind the protective guise of a religious shield. Now it would protect me. I glanced at the Empress who had joined the other two women, voice muffled behind the mask as she discussed a plan with them. I could tell Sister Yadav was hesitant to cooperate, the only thing keeping her from turning on us now being the Empress's old mentor.
Callista nodded her head stiffly to whatever her former student was telling her, brows pinched together. I sighed before strapping the mask in place, hiding my face from the world—a familiar feeling—before joining the group.
"You can't just walk out the front door like that, the risk is too high! What if you're stopped? What if they ask questions?" Callista pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration, her sentiment echoed by Sister Yadav's nods of disapproval.
"The Outsider could reply, I wouldn't have to say anything."
"The Outsider's voice might be recognised, we don't know who's on guard duty." Sister Yadav seemed deeply offended at the Empress's insistence on bringing me.
"There's a room on the first floor no one uses, its windows lend free access to an abandoned part of the backyard where no guards are to be found. Climb out of it, and we can safely head out to the streets without fear of patrols or security checks," I cut in, knowing this discussion was headed nowhere.
"Why should we trust your word?" Callista turned to scowl at me.
I returned her glare eagerly, even though I knew she couldn't see with the mask in place. "You'd have been arrested if it hadn't been for my intervention. I suggest you either cooperate nicely in getting us out, or I'll just have to see what other tricks I could use to dispose of you." I was bluffing, there were no more powers, I had most likely used up every bit of whale oil just getting us to safety.
"You looked pretty beaten up as is, I doubt you have much left other than empty threats, Outsider ."
"Try me," I cautioned.
"Stop it." The Empress stepped in, pushing a hand against my chest. "We're going to have to work together, so we're going to have to trust each other if we want to get out of here in one piece." Her hand lingered, and I dreaded to think she would be able to tell the way my heart had started skipping beats at her touch.
Callista turned away, shaking her head. "You're asking too much of me, child."
"Sister Yadav, do you know of this room?" The Empress turned her attention to the blindfolded Sister.
"I think I might know what room he means... but I'm not entirely sure," she spoke hesitantly, rubbing her hands together.
The Empress nodded, finally retrieving her hand from where it had been resting over my heart, relief flooding me. "We'll just have to take our chances." She headed for the door, the only exit that had once been a hidden slab of stone, before being replaced by regular wood. Her gloved fingers wrapped around the knob, attempting to turn it before discovering it had been locked from the outside. "Well shit."
I gestured for her to step aside as I joined her at the exit, my own gloved hand pushing against the wood, trying to test it for weak points before assessing the hinges. The others watched me in silence, and I could tell they were sceptical of my approach. I took a few steps back, adjusting my stance and trying my best to conjure up some long forgotten muscle memory. I almost thanked the Empress for her silly lessons on posture as I found my balance, shifting my weight before throwing it all into a single kick, strong enough to break the door away from its post.
"Were you some kind of escape artist in a past life?" she commented, stepping through the passageway, followed by the other two women.
"No," I mumbled beneath my breath, tagging along, sidestepping the fallen door, images of empty homes and hidden food at the back of my mind.
We were headed for the stairs, the Empress and Callista walking side by side, followed by me and Sister Yadav. I could tell she was uncomfortable with being so close to me, but she knew she had to act normal if we were to move through the building undisturbed. I couldn't decipher what the two women ahead were talking about, but I occasionally caught the Empress glancing my way.
"Why did you leave the Void?" Sister Yadav decided to speak to me, even though her tone suggested she rather she hadn't.
"I thought the interrogations were over."
"I'm not here to interrogate you," she argued, clearly offended by the implications. "Did you do it so you could corrupt her?"
"This habit of going off on assumptions, is it a religious thing, or are all religious people born that way and therefore more prone to being religious?" I glanced at her, annoyed at the blindfold that hid most of her expression. "The conundrum has been on my mind for ages now."
"Any fool could tell the poor Empress has been utterly brainwashed by your evil influence—what part of ruining her life satisfies you so?"
I didn't like the things she had to say, and I also didn't like the fact that could turn on us as soon as we left the building. "Did it feel good? Writing your mother that letter?" I avoided her accusatory question, watching her from the corners of my eyeholes. "She never received it, you know. She died of the plague, along with three of your little sisters. I bet they would have thanked you—had they lived, of course."
I didn't miss the offended gasp that escaped her. "You really are a vile demon, aren't you? Inflicting nothing but suffering and agony onto the world!"
I had hit a sensitive spot. Good. "Trust me, the world hardly needs my help with that."
"Humanity is good and sacred, it's you who corrupts the innocent! You turn children into murderers and- and mothers into monsters!"
"I know this might be hard to swallow, but your mother did just fine without my help." We were close to reaching the second door that would lead to the main hall. "She made all those choices herself."
"Liar! Nothing but lies and deceit escape your lips."
"Believe whatever you wish to believe, Sister Yadav, I'm not here to indoctrinate you into my cult."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
We reached the large metal door at the end of the hallway, and the Empress checked the room beyond through the keyhole before opening it. The large hall appeared to be deserted, the marble structures illuminated by nothing but candlelight. Evening had fallen, and it felt strange to finally have a real sense of time again. I ignored Sister Yadav, focusing on our surroundings instead. I had spotted two Overseers guarding the main entrance, but apart from them no one appeared to be present. We made our way towards the other staircase undisturbed, my boots thudding onto the marble floors—I hated the sound.
Callista and the Empress had stopped talking as soon as we'd caught up to them, and it made me suspicious to say the least. I moved to lead the way as soon as we reached the first floor, the group now following me. We passed a few Overseers in the hallways, but they greeted us without paying mind to our little group. We reached the room without disturbance, and I almost couldn't believe it would be this easy. Something had to go wrong still, it was bound to happen. I felt close to paranoid as we shut the door behind us, darkness falling over us without the light of a candle to guide us further.
My eyes adjusted fairly quickly, and I found the room looked the same as it had for years now; greyish walls lined with shelves of old, outdated books. The two windows that allowed for a sliver of moonlight looked out over walls barring the surrounding garden from the public streets. The Empress had already started working on opening them, gloved hands fumbling with the simple, but rusty locks.
"I won't be going any further, you'll be on your own from here on out," Sister Yadav spoke from behind, white-clad figure easy to spot against the wooden door.
Callista was quick to take a hold of the Sister, enveloping her petite frame in an embrace. "Thank you, Sister, I will be forever grateful for your help."
I watched as she returned the embrace, face buried in the crook of Callista's neck. "You know I owe you," she whispered, my sharp hearing just able to pick it up.
Callista took a step back, hands resting on the younger woman's shoulders. "Stay safe, Riya."
Sister Yadav nodded. "The Empress is lucky to have you on her side. Go now," she urged.
Just then I heard the familiar sound of wood sliding against wood, alerting me the Empress had succeeded in opening the window. I took the opportunity to turn away from the two women, joining the Empress where she stood, inspecting the grounds below. She seemed to sense me coming.
"Callista goes down first, then you, then me." Her voice was strange and hollow behind the mask, and I couldn't help the feeling of distrust brought on by the familiar echo.
Still I nodded reluctantly, even though I knew she couldn't see. I could hardly tell it was her anymore, and the absence of familiarity made me long for something that wasn't even truly gone. I knew I could've just not cared about her fate, about what happened to her, but I could hardly deny it anymore. I did care, more than I was truly comfortable admitting—but what was the point in hiding it still? I glanced at my hands, hanging at my sides, covered by the dark Overseer gloves. How was I supposed to forget?
"Outsider?"
"Huh?" When I looked back at the Empress again, I noticed Callista had joined us.
"You weren't responding." She'd been talking?
My eyes shot between the two women. "Oh."
"Take off your jacket," the Empress instructed me, hand open and waiting, gloves removed and jacket already draped across her arm.
I obeyed without question, taking off the dark article and revealing the bloodied prison garb beneath—or what was left of it. I handed the item over, and she started on tying the sleeves together.
"This will bring us closer to the ground, but not much. We'll have to jump the remaining space. I suggest you break your fall by rolling, you know how to roll?"
She was asking me, and I just nodded, knowing full well I had never before jumped from high spaces.
"Good. Callista, you go first. Hold on tightly and I will help you through as much as I can. Do not try to break your fall with either your arms or legs. Roll, or you'll probably break some bones." She turned her attention back to the window, throwing the jackets across the sill, holding on to the end of one of the sleeves.
Callista nodded hesitantly, climbing onto the wooden edge and looking at the Empress for approval. The Royal used one of her hands to guide her, helping Callista move into a good climbing posture.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here to help," she assured her, pushing one of her large boots against the wall to give her some extra support.
Callista lowered herself down the opening, hands wrapped tightly around the thick jackets. Slowly, she allowed herself to slide down, bit by bit, face disappearing behind the wood. I glanced at Sister Yadav, who still stood at the door, listening intently. A soft thud let me know Callista had made it down successfully, meaning it was my turn. I walked up to the Empress—ready to take the makeshift rope into my hands—when I found myself stilling, eyes drawn to the mask that covered her face, its smooth surface shining in the moonlight. The whitish glow brought me back to that hallway, to the night I'm sure we'd both rather forget. It all seemed so far away now, so small and insignificant.
"Go on," she urged me, softly, head moving to glance at the Sister behind us.
My heart was doing it again, dancing in my chest to a beat I couldn't control. We were going to be free. This was it. No more sentence. My shaking hands wrapped around the jacket she held out for me, fingers gripping it tightly. My mind was still trying to comprehend what was happening, how things had unfolded the way they had, how she could still want me near her after my confession. Maybe she was right? Maybe I could start anew, forget about it all and for once be without remorse or sin. But as I was about to climb onto the sill, a sound came from the hallway that made my blood run cold.
"They know!" Sister Yadav panicked, voice barely audible above the sound of the alarm. "Quickly! Go! They'll be checking the rooms!" She stepped away from the door, looking for something to do or somewhere to hide.
I looked back at the Empress, knowing the both of us would never make it out in time. I let go then, hands and arms instead wrapping around the woman before me. I could hear Sister Yadav's gasp as she watched me do what was most likely one of the stupidest things I had done in a long time. Time froze in that instant, and before the Empress could react I threw myself back, the both of us plunging down. The cold air cut into me as we fell, and for a moment I felt freer than I had ever been. The adrenaline that shot through me was dizzying, my heart pounding enough to deafen me. I realised I could die, and I found myself holding on to the woman in my arms more closely, cherishing the knowledge that she had risked it all to keep me around without pity—before the impact hit me, sending waves of nauseating pain through me, bones crying out. My vision was filled with flashes, and I found myself unable to breathe. I wondered if perhaps I was already dying, body incapable of moving, every inch of me filling with an awful sting.
"Fuck! Outsider!"
I felt her tear the mask away from me, agile body quick to crawl off of mine. The cool breeze kissed my skin, and I couldn't help the way my body gasped for air, feeling myself convulse.
"Outsider!" Her face had appeared above mine, eyes shimmering, her own mask gone as well. I couldn't contain my smile as I watched her features, painted by pale light, golden gaze standing out more than ever before. "By the Void, please, we need to go." She was begging, and I felt something wet run down my cheek. I realised she was crying, or more specifically, she was crying for me—right?
Something warm spread through me, and I knew it had to be the whale oil, or what was still left of it. The pain quickly dulled, and I found myself become increasingly more clear headed. I realised how lucky I was I still had some left, and I also realised I had never considered myself lucky before.
"The great Empress Emily Kaldwin, crying over a man?" I croaked from beneath her, chest aching as it moved.
Her eyes widened at the sound of my voice, and the relieved smile that spread across her cheeks was enough to leave me breathless all over again. "You have to be a complete fucking idiot to throw yourself from a window, just to save some spoiled brat."
I found myself chuckling at that, followed by a painful grimace at the pain that shot through me. "I've made worse choices," I assured her breathlessly.
"Lady Emily, quickly, we don't have long." Callista urged from somewhere near us, and I didn't miss the strange tone of her voice.
"Can you walk?" Emily asked, hands shooting up to support me as I tried to get up.
I glanced down at my chest, her fingers splayed out across it. "This feels oddly familiar," I grunted as I fought to lift myself. I couldn't stop the flood of memories; torn wallpaper and burning chairs. I managed to get up with her help, however my body was still painful, even after the whale oil had taken care of the brunt of the damage. I realised our fall had been partly broken by a row of thick bushes. Without it, I probably wouldn't have survived the impact. Lucky, I supposed.
"Come on, we have to get going before anyone sees us," Emily whispered from beside me, arms working on supporting me.
Callista had already started looking for a way out, but I knew the wall surrounding this part hadn't seen any maintenance for a long time. This place was a well-known safe haven to many of the children that lived in the surrounding neighbourhood, a small opening allowing them easy access.
"There," I gestured to an overgrown part of the brickwork, and Callista pulled most of the branches away to reveal a hole large enough for us to crawl through.
"This is creepy," Emily admitted as we moved towards it, the alarm still resounding from the building we just left behind.
Callista was the first to crawl through, hands soon waiting to help me get through as well. I was suspicious of her sudden cooperative attitude, and I eyed her warily as soon as I reached the other side of the wall. She didn't say anything, or acknowledge my looks. Emily quickly followed behind, eyes curiously roaming the new environment. We'd been led into a dark alley, a large building towering above us and sheltering us from prying eyes.
"I have a boat ready, it's waiting along the Wrenhaven," Callista whispered, "I can take you somewhere."
Emily nodded grimly, eyes darting away from her former mentor.
"I can lead us to the river," I offered, almost expecting Callista to reject any further help from me. She surprised me by agreeing.
"Let's go then." Emily's hands pulled at my arm, urging me to hurry. "The Overseers will be looking everywhere for us."
I found myself glancing down at the places she touched me, delicate fingers wrapped around my bloodied limb. I noticed some of my blood had rubbed off on her, her shirt stained red in several places. I quickly forced myself to focus, knowing we were running out of time if we wanted to survive. I lead the two women through the alley, familiar enough with the streets to know exactly where to go. Candlelight burned at the end of our narrow passageway, and the sight felt disturbingly familiar.
The streets were mostly dark in the absence of whale oil, a few candles here and there replacing the usual electrical lighting. It would seem most people didn't go out now that darkness had fallen, probably missing the secure feeling of a well-lit city. I glanced around the street, relieved there was no one there, motioning for the others to follow. We crossed the cobblestoned terrain, our Overseer boots drumming with every step. We passed several streets that way, until the faint echo of music could be heard from nearby.
"Is that a party?" Emily whispered from right behind me, sounding mystified by the thought of such an event taking place, and her question was answered as soon as we turned another corner.
We were greeted with lights, music and lots of people—all mingling and chattering happily, like there wasn't a care in the world, like their Empress hadn't recently been sentenced to execution.
"This is Lord Heaton's place," Emily observed thoughtfully.
"First day of the month of Darkness," I provided, the arrival of the day itself filling me with a strange and empty feeling.
"What?" She sounded outraged, eyes darting between us and the party in confusion. "But I refused funding…"
"Seems someone approved it," Callista offered.
Emily's eyes narrowed as she watched the nobility enjoy their night of luxury, as if the poor weren't struggling, as if the capitol wasn't facing a crisis.
"They have electricity," I remarked, and it seemed this was the only mansion in this street—no, in the entire city of Dunwall—to be well lit. I wondered if it had anything to do with High Overseer Kinley's absence, as well as the lack of torture.
"We have to know how they're getting it and who funded this," Emily sneered, sneaking closer towards the gathering. Still, even if the High Overseer had anything to do with it, this had to be one of the stupidest ideas of the night; we were so close to freedom, who cared where some noble got their money and electricity from?
"I know I might not have a good reputation when it comes to advice, but I strongly advise you to leave it be and get out of here," I urged, grabbing onto her shoulder and stopping her in her tracks.
She glanced my way, and for a moment it seemed as if she was going to agree, until the both of us noticed a shock of blonde hair making its way through the crowd ahead.
"Wyman!" And just like that, my hand was dropped back to my side as she continued onwards, my words falling on deaf ears.
I was about to follow when I was stopped in my tracks, and I was surprised to find Callista sending me an urgent look. "I'm not taking any risks by going in there, keep her safe, please, I know there's no stopping that girl once she sets her mind on something."
At a loss for words, I gave her an uncertain nod, not sure what to make of the woman.
"Tell her to remember what I said." And with that, Callista released me and retreated. "I'll be at the docks, you probably know where."
I watched her disappear in the darkness, her words repeating in my mind over and over again. What had she said? What had the two of them been talking about as we escaped the Abbey? My hand rose to my cheek, tracing the already dried tear that had run down it.
"Outsider?" I heard the Empress whisper, her dark silhouette a sharp contrast to the brightness that lay ahead. "Come on," she urged, before continuing her silent approach.
Lucky for us, the large mansion was surrounded by an even larger garden, exotic trees and plants covering the grounds and lending us with plenty of places to hide. No one noticed the occasional rustling of bushes, too absorbed in casual conversation, most sounds drowned out by the tunes the orchestra played inside. I followed the Empress as she crawled beneath the cover of leaves with a cat-like grace, knowing I couldn't possibly match up to her experienced skills in stealth.
"We have to get inside, somehow," she observed, eyes scanning the sides of the large structure that loomed ahead.
I stopped next to her, leaning in, just close enough to whisper in her ear. "There's an air vent on the right. On nights like this it's opened to help keep the mansion cool, you can use it to climb inside unnoticed. There's a ledge along the walls inside, just below the ceiling, low and wide enough to crawl around. From there, you should have free access to almost every room."
I didn't miss the sharp breath she took, or the way she leaned into me ever so slightly. "I should have had you with me sooner, would have saved me a lot of trouble breaking into places."
"I think that might be considered cheating, Your Majesty," I taunted.
"And heretical Void powers aren't? Who's keeping track anyway?"
She didn't waste the first opening she spotted, using the shadows to make her way towards the vent, body low against the ground. I kept watch as she worked on opening the latch, making sure no one would spot us. As soon as she crawled inside, I followed. Watching others do this made it seem a lot easier than reality proved it to be. Not only was I simply too tall to properly fit inside, I sure wasn't as flexible as the trained woman in front of me. I struggled to keep up with her, joints screaming at me for twisting them in unnatural ways. Below, I heard the ruckus from the party, music penetrating the metal structure, its vibrations causing the material to tremble with every beat. This was the first time I had actually feltmusic in centuries—aside from the music boxes of course, but those hardly counted.
She used the first hole we came across to crawl out the vents, gracefully leaping onto the ledge I'd told her about. I followed, albeit with less grace, and she was quick enough to help stabilise me, hands holding onto my arms and pushing me against the wall behind us. It didn't take me very long to realise just how close we were, her chest almost fully pressed against me, her hair tickling the tip of my nose as she observed the people below.
"There," she pointed towards the familiar mob of blonde curls, the figure of Wyman unmistakable.
They were walking through a nearby hallway, which wouldn't be too hard to reach as long as we managed to stay on the ledges. Lucky for us, the main part of the crowd navigated either the garden or the main hall, leaving the surrounding hallways nearly deserted.
"This way." I took her hand without thinking, leading her along the narrow space, careful not to make a complete fool of myself by falling off.
"I never expected the Outsider to be such a felon. Breaking into fancy parties, wiping his dirty boots all over the expensive stucco." I heard Emily's taunting voice behind me, lightening the mood and easing some of my nerves.
I didn't turn to look her, too focused on keeping my balance as I led the both of us around. "You should see me break into women's bedrooms," I mumbled, eyes darting along the upcoming turns, "drives the Abbey crazy whenever I ruin some poor lady's stucco."
The bubbly sound of her laughter surprised me, and I couldn't help but glance at her—the smile that decorated her features enough to make me lose my composure. She was driving me crazy—no, this entire idea was driving me completely nuts. I wasn't supposed to be sneaking into mansions with her, and I certainly wasn't supposed to enjoy doing so. But for some reason she never tried to pull her hand from mine, and she certainly didn't seem to mind my company.
"There they are," she whispered from behind, hand squeezing mine, causing my insides to squirm.
I followed her gaze, spotting Wyman as they leaned against a wall, all alone, looking more downtrodden than I had ever seen them. Lucky for us, they had chosen a spot near one of the windows, and Emily appeared to pick up on my thoughts, moving towards the draperies.
"I'll jump down and pull Wyman behind the curtains so we can talk, you wait here."
I wasn't sure it was the best approach, but I wasn't about to argue—in fact, I didn't even have the opportunity to do so; she was down before I could utter a single word. The Morley Noble reacted with surprise as they were dragged behind the thick draperies, both their figures disappearing from sight. I could faintly hear them whisper to each other, my eyes scanning the surroundings for any threats, trying my hardest to listen to something else instead of eavesdropping on their reunion.
"By the Outsider, Em! You're here, safe! How?" The sheer relief in the Noble's voice was enough to make me feel queasy. I rolled my eyes, staring ahead at some of the nobility passing by, chatting on about some minor and rather insignificant nonsense.
"It's a long story, but first you need to help me, Wyman," Emily whispered, "you have to tell me who's funding this party?"
Wyman didn't answer right away, most likely still processing the sudden appearance of their lost lover. "What, you don't know? High Overseer Kinley of course; he's the one who's been ruling in your place." They paused, lowering their voice even further. "He's using this event to promote his new source of energy. The Nobility applaud him Em… They think he saved them from your corrupt rule."
"What? That's ridiculous!"
"Shh, Em, they'll hear you." Another pause, and I caught a stirring in the distance. "What did you expect? Associating with the Outsider? They all think you went mad."
There, in an adjoining room, I spotted an Overseer as they made their way through the crowd, headed for our secluded hallway. I reacted on instinct, using the ledge to swing down and roll across the floor until I joined the other two hiding behind the curtain. If I hadn't been in such a hurry, I might have been proud of the manoeuvre.
"By the Void!" Wyman squealed in fear. "You brought him with you?"
"Shhh," I ushered them, covering their mouth with my hand, "someone's coming." I glanced at Emily. "I think they noticed the curtains move." Behind me I could discern the tell-tale sound of Overseer boots, letting me know my suspicion was most likely true. I directed my attention back to Wyman, their eyes wide with fear. "If you want to help Emily then listen to me; see if they still have whale oil around here, smash the vat near me the first chance you get," I instructed before pushing them down against the wall, hiding their presence as well as I could before pulling Emily flush against me, obscuring the noble with our bodies.
A familiar voice spoke out from the other side of the draperies. "Alright, no funny business behind the curtains, this is a-" Overseer Marcus fell silent as he pulled the fabric aside, revealing both me and the former Empress squeezed together. Momentarily dumbfounded, it didn't take him long to recompose himself. "Well, well, well," he whistled, "it seems we have a guest of honour in our midst." He pulled us from our hiding place, throwing us towards a nearby doorway and into full sight of the main hall, not noticing Wyman who knelt below.
Shocked gasps could be heard throughout the crowd as Overseer Marcus kicked us further forward, hand working on retrieving his gun from his holster. The casual sound of music was replaced by surprised whispers and fearful squeals. "Your Majesty, how nice of you to join our humble gathering," he spoke mockingly, pointing the gun at the both of us, urging us to keep moving towards the center of the room. My eyes flitted across it, observing the people that surrounded us, all watching me and their former Empress with contained curiosity.
"Well if it isn't the one and only Emily Kaldwin!" The voice of High Overseer Kinley rang through the room as he stepped forward, flanked by Lord Heaton himself, who—at the sight of us—stuck to his side for protection. "How nice of you to join us, and I see you even brought your heretical little friend. I don't think I've ever heard of the Outsider crashing a party before." He chuckled darkly, the surrounding crowd bursting out in a new orchestra of whispers as they all eyed me with renewed curiosity.
I glanced at the woman next to me, whose posture betrayed nothing of the fear that filled her eyes. I couldn't stop myself from reaching out, hand wrapping around hers protectively, reassuring her that I wouldn't let them hurt her—I would fight every single one of them if I had to.