A large hand thrust Kai’s head into the ash-covered wall for the second time. Pain echoed through his skull. A warm liquid crawled past his torn lip. He tasted it.

  Blood.

  A smile spread across his red lips. A knee evicted the wind from his stomach. Kai would sigh if he had the ability.

  Blows to the head were more efficient. A necessary price. Blows to the stomach were painful, inefficient and annoying.

  Kai stole a gasp of rancid, ash-filled air into his lungs. His gaze fell on the three goons giving him the once-over. The big one, the short one and the average one.

  The big bastard had a scar on his lip and a beard that hid his youth.

  The short one held a cigarette between two pale fingers. He relit the cigarette as it went out. He hadn’t taken a puff of the thing since they started. Would cough for a minute straight if he did.

  And the other one. Average. Disinterested. Forgettable. For most people.

  But Kai had one talent.

  Hooded red cloaks concealed all three goons from prying eyes. Kai felt a twinge of envy as green as his own hooded cloak. A sad, ugly green thing. He preferred red.

  “Your mother hit me harder last night.” Kai spat at the three goons pummelling him.

  He was in the market for a third head smash. A fourth if it came to it. And the big bastard was selling. The big goon’s face twisted into a red grimace. His scarred fist rushed toward Kai’s face.

  “Enough, Kobb.” The small one said.

  Fortunately, a harsh tone couldn’t stop a fist moving at speed.

  A necessary pri—

  Kobb’s fist connected, but it lacked the power Kai needed. The forgettable one.

  Kai’s head rocked back and made contact with the alley wall. His head pounded, but he remained in the alley. The average one held the big one back as the small one shook his head.

  “Kobb, you ashen ape. Are you trying to send him to the Darklands?” The small one said.

  “He’s got it coming to him,” Kobb said. “I’ll give him worse if you’d let me finish.” Kobb glared at Kai, a scarred finger pointed at his target. “He needs teaching a lesson.”

  The small one scoffed. “He’s baiting you! Look at him.” Kai tried to twist his smile into something that seemed more weasly than triumphant.

  “And the dumb bastard went for it.” Kai said.

  Kobb’s face darkened as his fury renewed. But the big one didn’t move to attack him.

  Disappointing.

  He never expected these chumps to be smart enough to catch on. A small smile remained on his face. Maybe they had saved him from himself. But this situation wasn’t much better.

  Either way, Kai wouldn’t leave here with nothing.

  “That’s enough from you.” The small one said as he lit his cigarette once more. “We taught you a lesson, and I hope you’ve learned it. Because, next time,” the short man placed the cigarette in his mouth and didn’t inhale. Smoke without mirrors. “Well, they call us the Carver Mob for a reason.”

  Kai sighed. Further taunts wouldn’t get him what he wanted. He raised his hands. “I get it,” he said. “You got the shards back, right? No harm done.”

  The short one scanned Kai’s face. “The bloody lip and black eye might disagree with you there.” Kai had to concede that point.

  Noll said the warehouse was unguarded. A pile of Darkshards available for the taking. But things were never that easy.

  All he stole was a beating. The five pitiful Darkshards he found were back in the hands of the Carver Mob. But not for long, if Kai had his way.

  He couldn’t fight the goons. Not because he lacked the skill to crush them. But his weak body couldn’t follow through. Brains over brawn then.

  “You won’t see me again.” Kai lied.

  The small goon nodded, and all three turned to leave.

  Kai wiped the blood from his mouth, then stumbled toward the small goon.

  He smeared his bloody hands over the red cloak. His hands distracting and searching. The smell of cigarette smoke assaulted his nose.

  The small one recoiled and shoved Kai into the wall.

  “You dirty fool! Want another beating?”

  “S—sorry. All that punishment made me dizzy.” Kai flinched and lowered his head, appearing suitably pitiful.

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  The goon glanced at his cloak and clicked his tongue.

  “You’re lucky the red blends in…” He walked toward the alley entrance and signalled his companions to follow.

  Kai slumped down with his back against the grey wall after they left the alley. He took a deep breath and opened his palm. The dark glow of the shards he’d stolen back illuminated his body.

  The shards clung to his flesh, trying to burrow through. That strange attraction once made a cheeky smile spread across his childish face at the thought of how easy it’d be to steal. Now, the feeling made his hands sweat.

  Five Darkshards…barely makes a dent.

  Renzo might have finally found a way to kill him. And not in the half-hearted way that would grant him a soul palace and a Gift.

  Kai ran his fingers through his dreadlocks. He’d hoped poison would kill the bastard. But Renzo stopped his daily tea ceremonies before the dosage could do any damage. He called it a detox and continued as if nothing had happened.

  He had a stronger reaction when Kai stole a peek at his secret book collection. A new safe arrived the next day. Too complicated for Kai to crack without being caught.

  Renzo dodged the consequences of every scheme Kai put into action, but he never retaliated, as if he was waiting for something. Then Kai turned twenty, and the gloves came off.

  Now it was his turn to dodge.

  A hundred Darkshards in two days. An impossible task. An excuse to get rid of him. Kai had been confident at first, cocky even. But now, his adoptive father had put him in a dangerous position.

  If he failed, Renzo would have the excuse he needed to get rid of a useless member. The other goons could accept that without wondering if Renzo would come for them next.

  Kai smiled. That only meant he had to succeed. But that was easier said than done. Petty theft wouldn’t cut it; he needed to take a risk.

  Every move played into Renzo’s hands.

  He couldn’t run or hide without the mob finding him. He had to complete the task, but he couldn’t do it alone. A risky move like this needed accomplices.

  And there was only one person he could get on short notice. Though Kai wouldn’t be surprised if the man was Renzo’s spy. Like last time.

  But he didn’t have the luxury of options. He had to be careful. That bastard Noll owed him for this ash up. He couldn’t refuse the mission. No matter the danger.

  Kai rose to his feet, his next move clear.

  Stumbling out of the alley, Kai steadied his legs as a dull ache pounded his head. Five Darkshards was a pitiful reward for a beating. Taking a few deep breaths, he made his way towards the Serpent Mob’s turf.

  He stuck to the shadows, moving at a brisk pace. The air was thick, and the scent of rat piss attacked his nostrils. He kept an eye out for the vicious buggers. A rat bite was a problem he couldn’t afford right now.

  Ignoring the glares aimed his way, Kai pushed onward. Past the one-armed, one-legged, and otherwise carved victims of the local mob. Surgical masks covered their faces - hardly protecting them from the ash-infested air. He ducked into the tunnel, moving carefully to avoid the grime-slick walls. He didn’t want to stay in Carver territory longer than necessary.

  He soon reached the border he was aiming for and inhaled a deep lungful of Serpent territory air.

  Home.

  The smell here wasn’t much of an improvement over the stench of rat piss. Kai wrinkled his nose and kept walking.

  The slums were quiet at night. Sparse propaganda holograms lit the streets. The air was heavy and torturous to breathe. Sweaty bodies, burning wood, vomit, excrement, and all sorts of other delights mixed into a pungent aroma of despair and poverty.

  Kai didn’t know if the air was this inhospitable because of the Old War or the Dark Gates, but everyone in the slums knew the air was borderline toxic. His weak body only made the effects worse for him.

  As he passed the decaying buildings housing the Serpent Mob’s seedy operations, Kai scanned the familiar propaganda holograms.

  [Want a better life? Apply for the Government Protection Force today!]

  Kai scoffed. What slum-dweller could resist a “better life”? Even if less than ten percent of applicants survived, being overworked to death in this maze of alleyways and filth wasn’t much better.

  If Kai didn’t know better, he’d apply too.

  The sound of heavy footsteps interrupted Kai’s thoughts. He scanned the narrow street for dangers. He found one.

  A muscular, grey-haired man in an orange cloak moved towards Kai at a measured pace. He had a smile playing on his lips, and a black duffel bag in his left hand.

  Kai smiled back at the old gentleman. There had always been something off about Old Haggar, but he was friendly enough with Kai.

  “Kai, you’re back…you’ve got something on your face, lad.”

  Kai wiped his face once again. “You know how it is - cost of doing business on hostile ground.”

  Old Haggar’s mouth formed a thin line. “Didn’t go well then?”

  “About as well as I expected. Did you get the—”

  “Yeah, I got what you asked for, but…it’s strange.”

  Kai narrowed his eyes. “What’s strange about it?”

  “Information like this is usually harder to get. You gotta grease palms, rough up a few knees, the normal stuff.”

  “And?”

  “It was too easy. It’s like they wanted someone to find out.” Old Haggar surveyed the narrow street. “I don’t like it.”

  Kai smiled without mirth. “I don’t like it either, but there’s no other choice.”

  Old Haggar shook his head. His large hand grabbed Kai’s shoulder.

  “Be careful, boy.”

  Kai nodded at the enormous man. Most slum-dwellers were shorter than Kai. The old man towered over him.

  “When am I not careful?” Old Haggar raised his eyebrows at that.

  If Kai were careful, he wouldn’t associate with dangerous unknowns like Old Haggar. The elderly man looked healthy and energetic. Strong, even.

  Dusk wasn’t supposed to do that.

  The other slum-dwellers hooked on the mandatory black powder were small, weak and content. Old Haggar was none of these things.

  But the strangest thing was the most obvious.

  Old Haggar was old! Nobody lived long in the slums. The old man had secrets nobody dared pry open.

  Even the mob left him alone.

  The old man gave Kai a serious look. “If I could, I wou—”

  “I know,” Kai replied. “The timing of everything is…suspicious.”

  Kai knew he wouldn’t see Old Haggar for a while. “Thank you anyway.” His lips curved into a small smile. “For everything.”

  Old Hagger squeezed his shoulder lightly. “Don’t be so dramatic. We’ll meet again. In this life or the next.” The old man winked at Kai and handed him a small note.

  He often said strange things like that. Kai hoped they wouldn’t have to wait until the next life to meet again.

  “Don’t read that until you’re secure. Too many eyes.”

  Kai didn’t need the advice. He knew better than most.

  Old Haggar patted Kai’s shoulder one last time. “Your power will reveal itself soon enough. Be patient.” The old man revealed a warm smile and walked past him.

  Kai appreciated the lie. The problem was…Kai turned twenty-one last month, and he still hadn’t awakened any abilities. Marked were supposed to get minor abilities on their twentieth birthday.

  Kai was powerless without the Mark. His future didn’t look promising.

  Kai didn’t know where the old man was going or what he was going to do. Haggar’s task probably wasn’t gonna be easy, but neither was Kai’s. He sighed.

  As he continued on his path, he walked past the grey-skinned husks of the Duskheads, and slipped into a secluded alleyway.

  Kai frowned as he read the note. It laid out the information he needed for his risky plan. Though the last line was a mystery.

  ‘Use the Black Book.’

  What ashen black book?

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