Tell me more, he said to the bat. I think it’s getting through to her.
The bat kept talking in a series of images and words that only Mace would ever be able to interpret. And he continued to translate the bat’s story, giving Keiko the only part of him that wasn’t tainted by evil and death—the freaky little rodent that shared his DNA. “The perfume of the night differs from the day. During the day, the sun warms the flowers, encouraging them to release their scent. But at night, blossoms don’t need such encouragement. They willingly open their petals and release their fragrance. It’s subtler than the flowers that enjoy the sun, because there’s less competition at night with so few flowers that bloom in the darkness.”
Keiko’s breathing began to slow under his touch, and he continued to gently stroke her back. He swallowed hard, his throat tightening at the signs she might be coming back. He hardly dared hope.
“Sound travels farther in the dark. One call can echo for miles. And if you listen hard enough, you can tell whether the call is a warning or an invitation. Because in the night, the creatures are always searching. They look for food or comfort. But they’re always searching. During the day, creatures, people, often sit and watch the world. You can’t do that at night, because the darkness brings out the predators, and you have to be careful.”
Her breathing slowed beneath his hand, and Mace held her a little tighter. A little closer.
“The best time is twilight, when the world hovers between day and night and colors fade to gentler shades while the songs become softer. If you time it right, you can glide in the airstream between the warm day and the cooler night. It’s like floating on a wave. The silver shades of twilight surround you, and the air fills with joy as the night creatures wake. It’s paradise. A secret world that only a few explore.”
There was a stirring, a soft movement, and Keiko’s slender fingers splayed across the dip in the middle of his chest.
A surge of hope shot through him, and he gently brushed her hair back from her face. “Are you back with me, baby?”
There was no reply; she just pressed her palm to his bare skin. Branding him with her touch.
The bat resumed its story, and Mace whispered it to Keiko. “The blackest, darkest part of the night is the most secret of all. It’s the time when creatures tiptoe and hold their breath for fear of discovery. It’s the time when magic happens.”
Is she okay now? The bat sounded worried.
I think she’s coming back to us.
“What kind of magic?” Keiko’s tiny voice said.
Every muscle in Mace’s body went taut, and he forced them to relax. “Hey, you’re with me again. That’s great.” He put a finger under her chin and tipped her face up. Her pupils weren’t as large as they’d been, and color edged into her cheeks. “You had me worried there for a minute.”
Her cute little nose scrunched as she tried to remember what had happened and how she’d ended up on the floor, in his arms.
He didn’t want her going there—the sudden uncovering of a memory could send a person straight back into shock. “You’re fine now. It’s gone.”
She jerked upright, lifting her toes to study them. Her bottom lip trembled. “I can s
till feel it on my skin.”
“I wish there were something I could do about that.” He meant every word.
“I-I stood in a dead person’s blood.” It was barely a whisper.
“Yes, you did. But it’s over now. It’s gone.” He gently turned her face so she was looking at him and not her feet. “We’re in trouble here, princess. If we aren’t careful, we could end up stuck in the middle of a war. It’s just a matter of time before Enforcement storms the building to take out Freedom. You don’t have time to process what happened. You need to put it all in a box and lock that shit up tight. Don’t even think about opening it until this is all over and we’re far from this building.”
She searched his eyes. “Is that what you do?”
Mace snorted. “I’ve got trunks filled with shit stored in my head. I don’t plan to ever open those suckers up. As far as I’m concerned, denial is way cheaper and more effective than therapy.”
She gave him a tremulous smile. “I don’t think I can cope with this, Mace.” She whispered her confession. “I thought I could, but I’d never seen a dead person until today. I’ve never been around violence. I’ve never been in danger. I watched my friend being murdered, and then I stood in the blood of another person who’d died just as violently. I can’t get it out of my head. I don’t know what to do or how to behave. I feel like, any minute, I’m going to break completely.”
“I won’t let that happen.”
“You can’t stop it, though, can you?”
“Yes, I can. And I can do that by getting you out of here and taking you to a place where you can heal.” He took a deep breath. “Sitting around and trying to guess what’s going to happen isn’t doing us any favors. I hate to ask, princess, but I need you to go back into the security room, access the panel, and shut down surveillance. Otherwise, Freedom will still be able to watch us when we try to sneak out of this building.”
She froze, her eyes widened, and she visibly swallowed. He expected protests. Screams. Arguments. Instead, he saw a flicker of determination and the bravery he’d come to expect from her.
“I-I can’t walk in there again. You’ll have to carry me. Or find me some shoes.” Her voice shook.
He looked around the room. It was long and divided into two parts—the first a restroom, the second a changing area. And where there was a changing area, there were lockers. He shifted her to her feet.