Rivers of Orion by Dana Kelly (a court of thorns and roses ebook free .TXT) 📕

approached as he exited the building. Her name was Mackenzie, and her metallic purple eye shadow flashed under the erratic lamplight. She wore a bright-red waterfall perm. “Knox got you,” she said just loud enough to be heard. “Didn’t he?”

“You mean Constable Knox?” asked Orin.

She nodded, her expression sympathetic. “He got me too.”

“I barely grazed the back of his hand!” said Orin.

“That’s all it takes. He’s a graft, and that means he can’t control his powers. Anyone he touches ends up here.” She introduced herself, and her trench coat ruffled in the breeze. “What’s your name?”

“I’m Orin.” He furrowed his brow. “What’s a graft?”

“Don’t know exactly, but he explained it as him receiving donor blood from a UBA,” said Mackenzie. “Something in the blood bonded with him, and ever since he’s been able to do this. Whatever this is.”

Orin took a deep breath and sat on a brick ledge. “How long have you been stuck here?”

“About two weeks. Or has it been two months?” Shaking her head, she looked pained as she tried to remember, and she studied a black smudge on her palm. “Yes, two weeks. It’s been two weeks.”

“Are we dead?”

“Don’t think so. I’ve seen dead people around. People that starved or took the twilight express—if you fancy the saying.” Mackenzie glanced away. “They don’t rot here, though. Don’t know why. They just don’t.”

For a moment, Orin heard echoes of familiar voices. Fire roared in the windows. He saw Shona reflected in the shadows, and he reached for her, but he touched nothing, and the image disappeared.

“Those are phantoms,” said Mackenzie. “You can’t catch them. Not any of them. It’ll drive you crazy if you try.”

Orin shivered and rubbed his hands together. “Why did Knox send you here?”

“I think because Lord Blösch was one of my regulars.” She put her hands in her pockets and forced a smile. “I guess he got tired of me. Told Knox to get rid of me. It just really sucks because Knox was always nice to me.” Mackenzie sniffed and shrugged slightly. “I thought we were friends.”

“Why didn’t Blösch just fire you? I mean, why get rid of you?”

She smiled warmly and tilted her head slightly. “People in my line of work don’t exactly get fired. I’m an escort.”

“Oh,” said Orin, and he nodded. “Maybe his wife gave the order.”

“Not Andrea,” said Mackenzie. “Florin may have been a regular, but Andrea was my best customer.”

“Nice.” Orin chuckled. “I’m sorry you ended up here. Do you think there’s any way back?”

“Don’t know.” She sat down on the ledge beside him. Shrugging out of her coat, she draped it across their backs. “I hope so.” She held his gaze with a caring smile, and her pale blue eyes caught the lamplight. “I bet that feels better.”

“Thanks,” said Orin. “It’s very cold here.”

Mackenzie rested her head against his shoulder. “I can tell you what I’ve learned about this place if you want.”

Orin glanced her way. “Sure, tell me.”

“Well, the distance between things is always changing, especially between different parts of the city. I was over by the dome when I first heard you, and suddenly I’m here.” Absently, she kicked her feet. “Some things you can take, some things you can’t. You can eat some packaged food, but only the stuff in the back, and never anything that’s being cooked. If it’s been out for a while, then it’s fair game. So is almost anything you can find in a refrigerator. You can open some doors, but only if no one’s home.”

“Interesting.”

“I guess,” said Mackenzie. “Why? What are you thinking?”

“I’m not sure yet,” said Orin, and they lingered awhile in the warmth of her trench coat. Suddenly, his expression brightened, and he removed the coat from his shoulders. With a smile, he passed it back to her as he stood and took Mackenzie by the hands. “I think I know where we are.”

She looked doubtful. “You mean besides this ledge?”

“I mean…” He indicated everything around them. “…here! I think I know where Knox sent us.”

Mackenzie regarded Orin with growing hope as she put her trench coat back on. “I’m listening.”

“I think we’re in the future!”

Her shoulders sank, and she shook her head. “You didn’t last long.”

“No, no, think about it! You said we can open some doors, but only if no one’s home. Who isn’t a little unsure if they left their door unlocked? And the food, and the other items—out of sight, out of mind! Even the shifting nature of distance fits my theory. Depending on how you travel, it could be five minutes or an hour between here and the dome! We exist in the future, because the future is unknown, and it’s always changing.”

“I’m glad that makes sense to you,” she said, and she stared pointedly into his eyes.

“What?” asked Orin.

She smiled slightly. “Well, you look stable.”

“I am,” said Orin. “I’ve got on idea, and if it works, I’ll be back to help you and everyone else that’s stuck here.” He closed his eyes and embraced the forces that churned within a black hole’s event horizon. His body flickered.

Mackenzie took a step back. “Orin, are you okay?”

He allowed the singularity to fill his senses. Crossing through the barrier, he felt time begin to slow. With every step he took, time slowed further, and further still, until… time… stopped… completely.

◆◆◆

Orin opened his eyes and found his friends facing off against Schurke, neither side moving a muscle. Frozen fire grazed Shona’s clothing as she stood near Nathaniel’s body. Behind her, Meteor Mo lay dead on the sidewalk. He saw no sign of Simicron, and Lafuega lay face-down on the street.

“Jesus,” muttered Orin. “How long was I gone?”

“Not that long,” said Casey. Standing across from him, she covered up using her hands, as a prismatic aura wreathed her naked form. “I saw you get disintegrated. What is going on?”

“I was out of phase. Banished a few seconds into the future, I think. I must’ve caught you in my time distortion,” said Orin.

“Time distortion? Is that