Free Ashes of Twilight by Kassy Tayler

Light and night meet. Perhaps I didn’t miss the dawn after all.
    My cheeks flame as I watch. The little boy points and giggles before turning his face up to me to see my reaction. I feel as if I’m intruding on something very private; I drop down so I can’t see them and they can’t see me.
    More questions fill my mind. How long has Lucy known the young man? How long have they been together? One realization comes to the forefront of my thoughts with the same impact as if the alarms sounded again. Alex must have found out. That’s what made him run. He saw Lucy with the young man and called her out. That was when she told him, and that was why he ran. He wanted to prove to her that he was better than the other man. He wanted to win back her affection.
    I steal another look and see that Lucy is gone, undoubtedly into the building with the young man. It is time for me to make my escape. I start back down the alleyway toward the promenade, my head once more spinning with all the things that have happened the day just past.
    Will any of us ever see Lucy again? She has parents, brothers and sisters. Will she ever come visit them? I need someplace to think. I need to find some logic in all that has happened. Even though light fills the dome and the dawning has passed, my body turns automatically to my rooftop hideaway. My mind is so occupied that I do not concentrate on where I am going until I turn a corner and find myself face-to-face with the cadet.
    “Is she your friend?” His very blue eyes shift behind me to the alleyway. There is no way he can know about Lucy. Unless … “Why did you follow her?”
    I sputter at his question, indignant and defensive. “Why are you following me?”
    “You’re a shiner. You’re not supposed to be up here.”
    I check his uniform carefully. It still shows the markings of a cadet, which means he can only observe, not act. “The law does not prohibit shiners from going above. The only place we are not permitted is Park Front.” I cannot keep the sarcasm from my voice. “We wouldn’t want to inconvenience the royals in any way.” His sudden appearance shakes me to my core. I always thought I was being careful. I always felt as if no one would notice me as I walk the surface because I stay to the shadows, where I am most comfortable.
    “You really should stay below.”
    His words challenge me, even though he says them without malice. For some strange reason I feel the need to contradict him at every step. “Why?”
    “The filchers…” He looks away from me. My eyes follow the trail of his gaze. Are there filchers about? Has he betrayed me to them? I am conflicted, torn between the desire to run and the need to know why he followed me. The streets fill up, growing busy with people going about their business. No one pays attention to us, except for an occasional grunt to indicate we are blocking their way. I step closer to the building beside me, finding safety in the dim light beside it. I pull my kerchief up and place my hand on my goggles to pull them down.
    “Don’t,” he says and moves closer to me. “Your eyes…” His cheeks turn red and he hastily looks away. I drop my hand and leave my goggles where they are.
    “I should go,” he says finally.
    “Wait.” Without thought I place my hand on his arm. “Why are the filchers after me?”
    “The enforcers put a bounty on you. They think you know something about your friend. They think there will be others.”
    “I have you to thank for that. You’re the one who pointed me out to the bluecoats.”
    “I wasn’t,” he explains. “I was excusing myself. I told my superior I was going to be sick and didn’t want to do it in front of everyone. I used it as an excuse to talk to you. But you ran and I had no choice but to chase you.”
    “So because I ran the bluecoats think I had something to do with Alex’s escape?”
    “Bluecoats?”
    “The enforcers. It’s what we call you.” I motion to his uniform.