Marks of the Past - 27

Chapter 27

Climbing the side of a skyscraper was definitely not my most intelligent idea ever. 

From below, it seemed to be thousands of stories higher than I’d originally thought. With the snow falling faster and darkness washing over the city, I definitely didn’t want to risk a climb.

I brushed my fingers over the stone absentmindedly. There had to be fire escapes, right? Surely I could climb up one of those - although I didn’t think that it would probably extend the whole way to the roof. 

Going inside wasn’t an option either. I didn’t need the restaurant owner to tell me that. 

“Ma’m, what are you doing here?” came a voice from behind me. I spun wildly, prepared to draw a knife. 

Instead, I found only a worried looking patrolman. I was surprised at his young age too - until he cleared his throat and reminded me that I needed to craft a believable lie before I was escorted off of the premises. 

“I’m the new secretary at one of the mansions.” A vague lie, one I could expand if needed. 

“Which one?”

“It belongs to a young man named James, actually. His father just died.” Because I was the one to kill him. 

The patrolman frowned. “They hired a secretary? I’m sorry, miss, but you’re quite … young to be a secretary. I’m afraid I’ll need to see some papers. I assume that’s what you have in your bag?”

No, it’s filled with weapons. But he couldn’t know that. Distract him, Leila. 

“You really think I’m that young,” I asked, pressing a hand to my chest. “I’m flattered, sir. Truly.” 

Another frown. He held out his hand for the papers. “You look familiar.”

Because my face was on every wanted poster for a good week or so. “Really? I’m not from around here, so…” 

“Papers,” he repeated, all friendliness gone from his demeanor. 

I reluctantly unslung my bag from my back. Maybe I could get my weapons out and launch an attack before he realized what was happening. 

“Relax, Kenneth. She’s with me. She’s who she says she is.” 

I tensed at the voice I knew so well. I didn’t even have to look back, I knew it was James before he appeared at my side. 

The patrolman - Kenneth - slumped a little, just enough to tell us he let his guard down. 

“She’s your secretary?” he asked with a raised eyebrow. I could tell he had a lot of questions but he wasn’t sure if it was his place to say them in front of a rich boy. 

James turned to me, his eyes reflecting a bit of confusion. “Then I guess she did lie after all.” He wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me just a smidge closer to him. Blush flooded to my cheeks but I forced myself to stay still. “Meredith and I have been together for a few months now.”

Kenneth blinked, probably trying to calculate how long we’d ‘been together’ and if he’d seen me before. I assumed that Kenneth and James had been in the same class as kids, but I wondered how far that friendship actually went.”

“Well what are you two doing here then?” Kenneth asked, crossing his arms. 

I spoke before James could have a chance, hoping he’d get the message. “James wanted to show me the view of the Republic. He said … he said the Court building was the best place in the whole city.” I turned to James, trying to summon a bit of confusion. “I thought you said we were allowed on the roof.” For good measure, I jutted out my bottom lip and pretended to pout. 

James sighed. “I know, I know.” He met Kenneth’s stern gaze, which softened just a little as his eyes took in James’s arm wrapped around me. “C’mon, man, just this once? I’ll say I went to the office.”

Kenneth grumbled something but gave a reluctant nod. “Fine. Just - for ghosts sake - try to behave. I didn’t see you.” He slipped back into the shadows. 

I exhaled a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding the second Kenneth was out of sight. Stepping away from James, I pulled my bag back over my head. “Thanks for saving me back there. But Meredith?”

James sounded hurt when he said,” It was my grandmother’s name.”

“Oh.” 

Leave it to me to insult his grandmother within five minutes of meeting him. At least I hadn’t tripped, fallen, nearly killed him, and then actually killed him like I had with Aron. 

“So, why exactly are we going to the roof?”

“The Court building is built on top of the ruins of an ancient temple devoted to Mark, and tomorrow is the Day of Death.”

“And?”

“Put the dots together, James,” I mumbled, crossing his arms when he pressed a finger to his chin, feigning confusion. 

“What dots?”

I shoved him into a wall where he collapsed into a fit of giggles. The only thing I could do was watch in mild disgust and genuine confusion this time. “Are you good?”

“Me? Never.” 

“I take back what I said about thanking you,” I grumbled, beginning to walk away from that … that mess. 

“No takesy-backsies,” he said with a smile, wagging his finger at me. “There’s only one way to reverse the debt.”

“The debt?”

He gave a solemn nod that almost made me shove him into the wall again - this time head first. I only managed to restrain with the thought that Kenneth would have to clean up the mess. 

“You have to save me like I did you,” he continued. 

I rolled my eyes. “Not happening. There’s too much world-ending stuff going on right now so your petty little debt is going to have to wait.”

He looked truly scandalized and I had to appreciate his talent in acting and lying. I knew first hand how convincing those lies had been, which dropped my mood back to its normal state of coldness.

Silently, we made our way to the front of the Court building, slipping through the doors and past the sleeping lady at the desk. 

The staircase never seemed to end as we climbed higher and higher, my stomach becoming more knotted with every step. I slowed about halfway to distribute some of my weapons to James. 

“It would be better if you stayed here,” I advised him as he slashed at imaginary enemies in the stairwell - using the wrong grip of course.

He gave me a dark look. “Mark is the one who - in theory - was the actual murderer of my parents. I’m not passing up the opportunity to get justice. Besides, I can’t let you go up there alone.”

I crossed my arms. “You don’t think I can handle myself?”

“Oh, I know you can. But just in case you manage to lose your upper hand, I’ll be at your side.”

It was a dangerous position for him to be in. But then again, the same was true for me. 

“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked me, voice quiet. I met his eyes and saw a glimpse of that scared boy he kept hidden beneath. James had every right to be afraid, and yet there was nothing I could say to reassure him.  

“I don’t have a choice,” I whispered back. I saw this several weeks ago in a dream. The only thing I can hope is that it doesn’t end the same way. “Try not to die, okay?”

He flashed a grin at me. “Fine, I’ll at least try not to put myself in danger.” 

And with that, we continued our journey up the stairs. 

“This is slightly disappointing,” James mumbled when we reached the top to find a single door labelled with emergency only in red letters. “I was expecting some sort of portal or a skull door knob at the least.” 

“It might set off an alarm if we open it,” I offered with a shrug. “Then everyone in the building will know we’re here.” 

He was quiet for a moment. “Do you think we should have asked anyone to evacuate?”

I shook my head no. It would’ve been suspicious if two people supposedly on a “date” warned everyone to leave. Hopefully I could take Mark out quickly and no one would be injured. 

“So what, we barge right in and attack?” James asked. 

“To be honest, I didn’t plan for that,” I admitted. Would it be best to just run up to Mark and stab him? Hi, how’s it going? Whoops, sorry I stabbed you. Bye now! “But I guess that’s our best chance. The element of surprise, y’know?” 

Also simply because I knew that our chances were slim otherwise.

If James doubted us, he didn’t show it but I could tell he was a little bit nervous by the way he clutched his knife with white knuckles. 

I sucked in a breath, trying to calm my trembling fingers before throwing open the door to the roof. Cold wind blasted me immediately but I caught sight of a figure perched on the edge of the roof, looking out over the city. 

No hesitation. The blade left my fingers, spinning as I exhaled. I could see its perfect path, arcing towards Mark’s chest with the grace of a bird. 

Mark’s face turned to mine just as the knife found its place in his torso. There was no blood, only a moment of emotion that welled up in my throat as he stared down at the weapon. His shock was more than enough to reward me. 

Until he ripped the blade from his chest with no visible sign of injury. 

I stumbled backwards, James at my side as I struggled to breathe. How could he not be dead? The knife had hit him in the chest, it should’ve killed him. He should be dead, how was he not dead.

Mark gave an unnerving grin and I unsheathed my other knife, prepared to throw that one too. 

Before I could act, though, Mark raised one hand and the ground beneath me rumbled. Somehow, ghostly forms began to pour from the roof. I didn’t recognize any of them in particular, but I assumed they were actual ghosts under Mark’s control. 

Two of them caught me before my knees could give out while a handful of others grabbed James in a similar fashion and dragged him away, pinning him against the tiny shed that housed the door. I tried to lunge for him but the ghost warriors tightened their grip, eyes still focused on Mark. 

It was odd to see him in real life, his body pale and unnatural as if one could tell it wasn’t of this world. 

“I see you’ve finally come to face your fears.” His voice was smooth as he twirled my knife around with his fingers. I met his gaze, eyes so dark that they seemed as though they’d been taken from the night sky itself. That smile practically dripped off his face. I wondered how I’d ever thought trusting him would be a good idea. My oblivious soul had chosen to believe all those lies he’d told me because I couldn’t bear the thought of someone lying to me.

The ghosts restraining me began to pat me down as I refused to respond. They tossed my remaining blades aside and I winced as they clattered to the ground. Not far away, the ghosts repeated the process with James, though he struggled considerably less.

“I’m really surprised you had the courage to show up,” Mark continued, finally standing. He crossed the roof with a leisurely pace, his form relaxed. He didn’t think I was capable of injuring him now - and I didn’t think that was underestimation at this point. I’d yet to master the Hidden Arts, so weaponless I posed no threat to him. 

He stopped when he was standing right in front of me, hands in the pockets of his pants. “It’ll all be over soon, Leila. I promise.”

I spat at his feet, not trusting myself to speak. 

He shook his head in disgust. “I’m not going to waste my time with you, Leila. You had your chance - and you’ve made your stance on my position clear.”

The movement was so quick that for a second I thought I hallucinated it. One second the blade was in Mark’s fingers, dancing across his hand. The next, it was embedded in James’s chest, the exact place I’d struck Mark. 

Blood trickled from the wound, much like with Aron’s. The ghosts let go of James as he crumpled and someone screamed. I think it was me. It had to be me but it sounded like a monster.

I burst from the ghosts holding me though they did nothing to stop me as I raced to his side. His breathing was already labored, chest rising and falling in uneven rhythms. His eyes found mine, gaze so cool and so different from Mark’s. 

His fingers found mine too, already as cold as marble. 

A sob built in my throat as he whispered, “I see them again, Leila. I see them.” His voice cracked. His beautiful voice, the one that had drawn me in from the very day we’d met. 

Because he’d been there for me when no one else was. I saw that day in the rain when he’d held me close and promised to protect me. And in his mother’s office when he comforted me when it should’ve been the other way around. 

James had been right all along. We weren’t meant to be together, and when we tried, the world found a way to pull us apart again. 

His fingers twitched, snapping me back to the present. Was he scared, or was he welcoming this death? I opened my mouth to comfort him, to assure him it would all be okay just as his chest fell a final time. 

Gone. I could feel the life leaving him and I snatched for it, reaching and grabbing and trying everything I could to bring him back. 

That sliver of life, floating out on the wind. I could see it now, a silvery wisp of humanity - disappearing. 

You can bring him back, I told myself. You have a power over the dead. 

I pulled back on his life force, harder and harder. I wrestled with it, tugging it back to the roof and forcing it into his limp body. 

Something in the back of my mind was telling me it was wrong when his eyes fluttered back open. The previous warmth from his pale gaze was gone, replaced with an icy coldness and unfamiliarity that took my heart and slammed it into a thousand more pieces. 

I looked up to see if Mark was bothered by this, bothered by the prospect that he’d worked so hard to come back to life while it took me mere seconds to reanimate James. 

But he was grinning, grinning with that malicious smile that told me I’d played right into his hands. On cue, a scream sounded in the distance. I felt it pull at my gut and knew exactly who it was. 

A six year old girl named Genivieve, found dead in her bed the next morning, her mouth open in a silent scream as though someone had squeezed her heart just enough for it to stop beating. 

Sirens wailed and I swore I could hear the sobbing of two mourning parents too. 

James’s eyes shut again and this time I let them close, wringing my fingers together and rocking back and forth slowly. He’s just sleeping. He’s just sleeping. He’s just sleeping. That little girl’s life was enough to pay for his. 

The rational part of me knew that I was a terrible person. You would burn down the entire world for me? That’s the problem, he’d said. 

Because I was willing to sacrifice the entire country to save one person who’d wronged me more times than I could count. The world was a cyclone of terror, of chaos, of horror - and at the center of it was me and my conflicting emotions and thoughts. 

Mark must’ve wrongly interpreted the situation when I scrambled backwards from James’s body. “You’re more powerful than you could ever know, Leila. The entire city is at your mercy - and you can bring him back. Think about all of those people who’ve hurt you” You, I wanted to say. You used me to commit necromancy. “-who’ve discriminated against you because of a scar on your face-” A scar you gave me and forced me to live with. “-all those whose sole purpose has been to destroy you. And you can force them all to pay by bringing back someone you love dearly.” 

That’s where Mark made the mistake. I didn’t love James - I loved the idea of him. The idea of someone who would be there for me, take care of me when no one else would, be there for me when everyone else was gone. 

I could see the world in a whole new light now as though someone had slipped a lens over my vision. I could see the tiny pulses of silver in my chest and in Mark’s - though his was interlaced with black spikes. I could see the absence of the silvery substance from James but I could see it weaving through the air around us. 

Like the Whip. 

When my mother’d been talking about the Whip being the cost of lives, she hadn’t actually been talking about the flowers - she’d also meant these tiny streams of life that danced through the air around me. Somehow she’d known - or at least referenced it, whether intentionally or not.

And if I were to pull these strings … 

I reached through the air, fingers outstretched as I reached for the tiny string of silver that connected to Mark’s chest. It was cool under my touch and I yanked hard. 

Mark toppled forward, not dead but in the same condition that I’d left James and Nik in down at the docks. A death coma in its proper form, I thought to myself, feeling just the slightest bit of accomplishment. 

My breathing was heavy as the ghosts around me dispersed without Mark to lead them. His unconscious form was vulnerable only yards away and I could now access my weapons. 

Yet as I drew closer to him, my hands only shook harder. His lips were open in surprise, his eyes closed. He looked peaceful at last, as though he’d finally come to rest. Killing him felt wrong when he was defenseless… 

You just murdered a little girl, I realized, biting my lip to keep from crying out. 

I had no right to be playing with these streams of life, to be moving them around.

This had to end with me. I wouldn’t let anyone else make the same mistake I had which meant Mark needed to be put in his place. 

One last time, I promised myself. Then no more magic - for good. 

I placed my hands on his temples, preparing myself to send him back to the world of the dead as painlessly as possible. 

His eyes opened at my touch, deep and dark as the ocean. “Leila…”

“You can’t change my mind,” I said before he could speak. C’mon, magic, just hurry up and do your thing. I could see the strings now-

“We’re not so different, you and I,” Mark continued as though he hadn’t heard me. His voice was filled with tension, begging and pleading for my mercy. “I never wanted immortality - I did it for a lover.”

“James and I were not in love,” I hissed in denial. 

Mark raised an eyebrow but made now comment. “She was beautiful, Helene was. She was killed way too early by my own uncontrolled power. My court was filled with potential usurpers and when I did what was necessary, she became angry. I killed her by accident. Sound familiar?”

“I didn’t kill James, you did.” I knew what he was getting at now and I wasn’t going to let him get away with it. 

Mark gave a nervous shrug. “My point, Leila, is that you are just like me. You could bring down this city and everyone who has wronged us. You can control who leaves this world and who enters it. You can find me Helene and you can find yourself James. It doesn’t have to end with my death.” 

“Us,” I repeated, spitting the word. 

Mark paled. 

“There was never an us,” I growled. “It was always about you, Mark. And now I’m doing this for you. Say hello to James for me.”

I reached deep down into his soul for those tiny silver strings and I snapped them. 

Mark gave a horrible shudder as his heart began to slow. His hand snaked out from under him, the metal of the blade gleaming in his fingers. I didn’t even try to deflect the blow. His knife sank into my side just as he finally fell still - a death centuries overdue. 

I knew he was gone now - I knew that there was no coming back from this. I could feel his life fade away beneath my fingertips and the second I knew he was dead, the reality of the situation crashed down on me. 

My side burned and I bit back a cry when I pulled my hand away to find it soaked in blood. So I’d killed Mark only to now bleed out on the roof in the cold. 

C’mon, Leila, it’s not that far. Do you want to be up here when they find the bodies? 

I gripped my side with both hands and tried to crawl my way to safety. The fire was too much though and I made it about three feet before collapsing. A slow drizzle started just moments later. The world turned freezing with the exception of the burning in my side. 

I couldn’t hold on any longer, and I slipped into unconsciousness.

Author's Note

This is kinda supposed to be like the final battle type thing - I dunno if it's actually supposed to be "sad" though, so let me know what you think. Also my spell checker decided to apparently start working now, so I've realized that every single previous chapters has mistakes that spell check neglected - and I apologize for any confusion that caused. Thanks for reading!