Something Strange and Deadly (Something Strange and Deadly #1)(81)

His jaw clenched and his nostrils flared. “And if you think I’ll let you waltz off to find Elijah, then you’re mad. I’m sorry, but he’s not your brother anymore, Empress. He’s a lunatic, and there’s nothing you can do now.”

I scoffed derisively. “I don’t want to meet him for tea! I’m doing what I should have done in the first place.”

“You can’t stop him.” He thrust his face into mine. “Not like this. Not alone. Think, Empress, think!”

“No!” I shouted, a wave of rage and terror rolling down my body. “No! I can’t think. If I think, I’ll lose everything. I won’t be able to stop thinking. Of Clarence, of Elijah, of you, of the walls that surround me everywhere. I can’t!”

Daniel’s face relaxed, and his eyes held pity. I hated it.

“Empress. You know you’re not the only person hurt here. Joseph, Jie, and me? We’re all neck deep in this cesspool too.”

“But I’m the only one to blame.”

“No! The necromancer is to blame—not you.” He wet his lips. “You’re... well, you’re as good and innocent as they come.”

“Enough, Daniel. Just shut pan.” I marched away from him. I pulsed with rejection and fear and a burn to do what needed to be done. I had a real, desperate goal to achieve, and I was furious with myself for forgetting. Furious that Daniel had called me a mistake. Furious that Mama cared nothing for my injuries or Clarence’s death. Furious that my brother was a monster I could not save.

But I was also strong—stronger than Daniel or Mama or Elijah gave me credit for.

I stalked down the street, my energy high and focus clear. Daniel jogged up beside me.

“Fine,” he said. “I can’t stop you, and I won’t try. But no matter what you say, I’m going with you—to help. We do it together, and we do it as a team.”

Joseph and Jie were near Laurel Hill, so Daniel and I left the hired carriage a mile from the cemetery—no driver would go any closer—and walked the rest of the way. We trekked up Ridge Avenue and then into the woods north of Laurel Hill. Daniel’s glowworms offered a dim light to see by, and he spent part of the journey explaining all that had happened in two days.

“Mayor Stokely and the Exhibition board were furious on Monday,” he said. “Lotta damage to the Exhibition, and a hell of a lotta damage to their reputations. It only got worse when they found Junior’s body.”

I exhaled sharply, keeping my eyes focused on the uneven forest floor. I didn’t want to think of Clarence, of his gruesome corpse, of his devastated family. “Then what happened?” I pressed.

“Well, Peger told the mayor that I’d done it—that I had killed Junior. He said the Spirit-Hunters were the hoodlums who’d destroyed the factory, and then to cap the climax, he accused us of bein’ the necromancer. Within an hour, warrants were out for the three of us—thank God Jie sniffed the change in the wind. She got all our stuff packed up in a wagon, and when the news broke that we were wanted criminals, we skedaddled.”

“To Laurel Hill,” I said.

“Yep—watch your step.” He guided me over a jutting tree root. “The Hungry have been breaking through the northern gate, but we intercept ’em—most, anyways. Joseph’s tired, though. Three times now, the spirit has shown up. Joseph barely managed to fight it off the last time.”

I ducked under a low branch and shook my head. “How long will you keep up this ridiculous sentry?”

He didn’t answer me. I supposed he had no answer to give. It reinforced my resolve to end this war tonight. To stop Elijah now.

After what felt like hours of walking and tripping over tree roots, we reached the Spirit-Hunters’ camp just north of Laurel Hill.

If I’d thought the Spirit-Hunters’ accommodations at the Exhibition were crude, it was luxurious compared to their new home. From Daniel’s worktable they had crafted a lean-to against a tree, and next to that they’d stacked what remained of their tattered belongings. A table leg was splintered—the work of the spirit, perhaps?—and the same lone lantern from their lab hung on a branch and illuminated the area. There was no campfire, and I could see no food.

Joseph staggered from beneath the lean-to. I gawked at his appearance. He wore no gloves, no waistcoat, and no hat. The impeccably dressed gentleman I’d come to know was worn away.

He raised an eyebrow at Daniel. “Dare I ask why she is here?”

“She wants to go into Laurel Hill,” Daniel said. He explained to his leader all that had happened since my escape several hours before. Well, not entirely all. He skimmed over the kisses—though I did hear a strain in his voice when he described how he had found me.

When Daniel finished his story, Joseph turned to me. “Is all this true, Miss Fitt?”

“Yes. And call me Eleanor.” I glanced around the tiny camp. “Where’s Jie?”

“Dealing with one of the Dead. It escaped not far from here, and Jie lured it from camp. I...” He swallowed. “I was too tired to electrocute it.”

“I can see you’re exhausted.” I gestured to the lean-to. “You live with too few comforts to stay strong. You can’t keep fighting the Dead when you’re in such bad shape.”

“You’re one to talk,” Daniel retorted. “You were in an explosion!”