Shadows in Amber

By Thomas K. Carpenter

The two major clans of the Undercity, Razor and Drops, are at a fragile peace after decades of conflict.

When Pandora is sent to the Undercity to infiltrate the clans and uncover the source of the faez crystals—unusual gemstones that give Undercity warriors magical abilities allowing them to run up walls or move heavy object with a gesture—she joins the Drops clan after saving the life of its warleader.

Kuma Santos, son of Razor's clan leader, has been training to be a warrior of the Undercity his entire life, but his lineage creates expectations that make him a target for his rivals.

Tensions rise between the clans as young warriors clash on neutral ground to uphold their honor bound ways, bringing together Kuma and Pandora who discover an inconvenient attraction. Conflict turns violent as rumors of a spy send waves of distrust through both clans. With storm clouds on the horizon and control of the Undercity—and the faez crystal trade—at stake, it'll only take one spark to trigger the war.

Set in the Hundred Hall Universe, the Crystal Halls series is perfect for urban fantasy fans who enjoy epic adventures, fantastic families, and an enemies-to-lovers romance in the shadows of an underground criminal network. Pick up book 1, Shadows in Amber, today!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Carpenter
• Release date: Oct 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215673249

Thomas K. Carpenter

Thomas K. Carpenter resides in Colorado with his wife Rachel. When he’s not busy writing his next book, he's out hiking or skiing or getting beat by his wife at cards. Visit him online at www.thomaskcarpenter.com, or sign up for his newsletter at https://www.subscribepage.com/trialsofmagic.

Book preview

Shadows in Amber

Book One of The Crystal Halls

By

Thomas K. Carpenter

Copyright Information

Shadows in Amber

Book One of The Crystal Halls

A Hundred Halls Universe Series

Copyright © 2023 by Thomas K. Carpenter

Published by Black Moon Books

www.blackmoonbooks.com

Cover Design: G&S Cover Design Studio

Discover other titles by this author at:

www.thomaskcarpenter.com

This is a novel work of fiction. All characters, places, and incidents described in this publication are used fictitiously, or are entirely fictional.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, except by an authorized retailer, or with written permission of the publisher. Inquiries may be addressed via email at [e-mail]

CONTENTS

Shadows in Amber

Foreword

The Emerald Eclipse Sample

About the Author

Special Thanks

The Crystal Halls Background

Hundred Halls Background

Hundred Halls Books

Other Works

Copyright

Start Reading Now

Foreword

Greetings Gentle Reader,

As I get into the meat of the forward, let me say that this could also be called What Came Before. If you are new to the Hundred Halls, which this series is apart of, and you plan on going back to the books from Season One, then you might want to skip this part as it might spoil some critical things for you. I would also like to point out that you do not need to have read Season One to enjoy this series. Each and every series is meant to stand alone. You don't need to have read the other books to understand what's going on. There will, of course, be characters and events that overlap between them, but those little goodies only add to the overall experience.

If you are okay with a little spoilage, or if you've read Season One, and want a recap before you dive into the first series of Season Two, then read on, Gentle Reader. Otherwise, skip to Chapter One…

Okay, for those of you still around, let's recap. In the Hundred Halls, the world's only magical university, we learn of a few critical elements about the school. One, that the use of faez—which is the raw stuff of magic—is breaking down the barriers between our realm and the infernal realm. The wells of power, which exist in the Undercity, are monitored by the Patrons of the Halls. Even in the worst of the infighting between the Halls, the Patrons recognize that the wells must be protected at all times, but this grows infinitely harder as the school grows bigger and faez is more widely used.

Cue the Silverthorne sisters, Aurie and Pi. After surviving their five years of the university during which they rescued Head Patron Invictus from his failed exploratory adventure into the infernal realm and saved the Halls from internal strife, they're thrown back into conflict. Seeing he has a couple of powerful mages in the works (and probably also wanting to keep them from causing trouble he's not aware of), Invictus invites them into the Order of Merlin, which is an organization set up to protect the school from threats like the infernal realm.

In the Order of Merlin trilogy, the sisters recruit other members that we got to know in the other Hundred Halls series: Zayn Carter, Pax Nygard, Alex Duke, and Moriganne Charmer. Together, and with a little help from some of their friends, the Order eventually realizes that the Demon Lord Elosian wants to break down the barrier between realms—essentially invading the Hundred Halls and destroying everything our beloved characters know and love. After a lot of investigations and battles, including a dangerous trip into the infernal realm, the Order manages to protect the city after the invasion happens, destroying Elosian once and for all.

This momentous occasion has a couple of repercussions. The first is that the infernal realm is no longer bumping up against our realm. Due to the destruction of the bridge, which was holding them together, the two realms shift apart. That means that other realms might move closer, but we won't get into that just yet. The second important event is that breaking the barrier brought about the formation of faez crystals. Basically, they're condensed magic in the form of a crystal that can be used in unexpected ways. As we learned in the Order of Merlin trilogy, the infernal realm isn't a fiery place, or a knock-off of the religious Hell, but a precursor realm made from raw magic where creation is both easy and dangerous. When the two realms were overlapping, the faez crystals formed and were deposited in the Undercity to be found by curious mages afterwards.

This brings us to the beginning of Season Two, Shadows in Amber, which starts our adventures three years after the demonic horde invaded the city of sorcery. Much has changed including the honored position the Hundred Halls had in the world—and realms—but we won't be to getting how the school has been tarnished by those events just yet. To tell the tale of Season Two, we really have to start from the place that things really changed, and that means heading deep beneath the city, into the darkness of the Undercity, where even the most hardened mage fears to tread. To do that, we have to start with the people that live in the shadows, those that were long ago forced from the surface, to survive in only the way they could. We have to start with the criminal clans of the Undercity...

Chapter One

The shadows moved. Not the kind of movement that the clan brothers and sisters called the flicker, which surfaced during the long watches when the mind grew restless. Kuma would have asked Carlos if he'd seen it, but he'd gone for a piss ten minutes ago and was probably nosing around the ladies at the bar in the Pale Sun.

No, this was a different type of movement. The kind with teeth and claws, or maybe a knife. Kuma reached for the curved blade in his jacket, wishing guns weren't forbidden in the Terreno. If he were a waku, it wouldn’t matter as much, as he’d be able to wield stones that would make him powerful. Even an amber stone, which would give him the capacity to see in near-darkness and hear a single drip of water from two caverns away, would be enough for him. For now, anyway. Certainly he'd wish to be like his uncle Brazio, who carried four stones. No one carried more.

Kuma leaned forward, studying the shades of darkness that permeated the caverns, looking for the glint of whiteness that he'd seen briefly at the edge of his vision. There were three kinds of shadows, all of them dangerous in their own way. The first held the quick death. Creatures born of the Undercity, or the people living on the edges that hunted in the darkness. These shadows were the easiest to avoid, or frighten away with numbers or light.

The second was at his back inside the Terreno. The shadows that flowed from great men and women like his father, or the head of the Drops. When the inhabitants of the Undercity spoke of the clans, or RZR, they were speaking of his father, Niran Santos. Since the discovery of the stones and the forging of the waku, his power had grown. So too had the power of their rivals, the Drops, and even the smaller clans that operated in the northwest regions. Now their shadows reached aboveground, where the power of the mages and the school no longer held the sway that it had before the Awakening. The people that lived above them called it the Invasion, or the Sundering. While it had brought trouble and lessening for them, it had been a boon for the clans, even if the Undercity was more dangerous now. It was the reason the clans had come together on this evening, to end the petty battles and divide the Undercity between them, so each could gather profit on their own terms.

The final shadows were the ones his father said held the greatest danger. The unknown. The shadows behind the shadows, and the reason Niran had reached out to the other clans to make a deal. The discovery of the stones had brought interest from outside the Undercity. It was these shadows that he'd said would prove to be the biggest danger. Best to bulwark their defenses while they had time and space.

But it was the first shadow that was threatening Kuma now. He kept his back to the passage, not wanting anything to sneak by him, even as he desired to creep forward to investigate the shift in the darkness. It would be a blow to his honor if he, the clan leader's son, let intruders into the Terreno during this critical night.

Keeping one hand firmly gripped around the wrapped hilt of his curved blade, Kuma used his other to cup his ear, focusing his hearing towards the shadows. He calmed his breathing, using the circular technique to slow his heart until it was one lonesome beat after another.

There. He heard the scraping of two rocks together. Barely perceptible. Whoever—or whatever—it was, was at the back of the cavern, probably fifty feet from his location. This was a back entrance near the Umbra, which was a bar loyal to the RZR clan. Kuma crouched down and picked up a small stone. He side-armed the rock into the cavern, hoping to spook any critters, if that's what it was. The rock bounced against the back wall.

Nothing.

As Kuma took a step forward to investigate further, the tip of a blade pressed into the tender part of his back. He made himself relax, deciding if he should spin forward and knock away the blade, or try to slip backward along the length of the intruder's arm and attempt to break their wrist against his knee. The first maneuver was safer, but would leave him facing an unknown foe with a potential intruder at his back. The second was riskier as there was a good chance he would get cut.

When the blade was pressed further into his flesh, Kuma shifted backward, the edge slicing through his shirt. He grabbed the arm at the same time as he slammed his foot down on their boot, then lifted his knee to break the wrist. The arm didn't budge. Before he could decide on another maneuver, the blade was pressed against his throat.

Good, but not good enough, Little Bear, growled Carlos' pack-a-day voice.

He pushed Kuma away. The older clan member, a topaz waku, spun the blade in his fist before shoving it into the hilt on his hip.

It's your topaz, said Kuma.

Carlos scoffed and knocked the wave of greasy black hair that hung over his forehead out of his eyes. He pulled a cigarette from an inside pocket, tossed it in his mouth, and fired up a lighter. The tip glowed bright orange before fading to dullness. He blew a cloud of smoke over his shoulder.

You gave it away. I saw your shoulder lift in anticipation of the wrist break. I could have stepped away and countered with a punch to the throat, or just jammed the blade in before you could spin. Either way, you were dead. His eyes glinted in the dim light. Why didn't you move forward? It would have been the better move, Little Bear.

I've got twenty pounds on you, Carlos.

You ain't waku yet, so you little to me, said his clan brother with a smirk.

Kuma turned his head towards the back of the cavern. Thought I saw something, or someone. Didn't want to place myself between two threats.

Carlos made a fist, the clan slang for understand. In the darkness of the Undercity, the difference between living and dying could be boiled down to how much noise you made. All the clans had their hand signals, though most were similar enough to decipher.

What took you so long? Trying to snag some skirts? asked Kuma as he placed his back against the wall and probed the slice in his shirt. The blade had creased a line across his flesh but not drawn blood.

The head of Drops and her fists showed up.

What's she look like? asked Kuma, jutting his chin out.

Carlos lifted a shoulder. Dunno. She wore a mask. Black and gold.

She's afraid to show her face, not like my father, said Kuma.

May the shadows keep you safe, said Carlos with a shit-eating grin.

I know, but this is the Undercity. If you can't show your face here, then you don't have any power.

Carlos lifted his eyebrows towards the cavern ceiling, indicating the city above.

They say she's a big dog up top. Owns businesses and has her tendrils in all sorts of shit. Wants to stay legit in the eyes of the light.

May the light keep her blind, said Kuma.

Carlos slapped him lightly on the shoulder. Don't say that. This peace will be good for all sides. We don’t want things to unravel because someone ran their mouth.

No one's here.

Carlos gestured towards the back of the cavern. Didn't you just say you thought you saw something?

Heat rose to Kuma's cheeks. He'd let himself get too worked up. Niran was always cautioning him that emotions were a threat to his safety. Best to understand them, but then let them pass through unheeded. Easier said than done.

I wish I could be there.

It's not going to be interesting, said Carlos. All the details were worked out ahead of time. Tonight is a formality.

It's a bad idea, getting all the heads together at the same time. What if something happened? asked Kuma.

That's why we're here, so nothing happens.

Do you think they'll really keep the peace? That everyone will stay in their regions and not meddle in each other's business? asked Kuma.

Even though Carlos was only three years older, because he was a waku, it seemed like it was a decade or more. It'd only been recently that Kuma had been allowed to be involved with clan business. Unlike the Drops, they didn't use their kids as mules or workers.

For now? Yeah. The scraps have been bad for business, which is the only reason all sides have come together. But eventually, someone will see an advantage in breaking the peace, and then we'll be scrapping again. Carlos jammed his finger in Kuma's chest. Which means you'd better be ready. I know you start training next week. Keep that in mind. Stay focused.

Kuma hated being reminded, as if he didn't know already. It was hard enough as the son of the clan leader. Everyone was always looking for him to screw up, which would damage his father's position. Since his father had proved to be a null—no stones would work for him—and his brother Brazio could use four, there'd been tension in the clan. Uncle Brazio was looking for an excuse to leverage his brother out of his position, another reason why Niran had proposed the truce between clans. The loss of profits was only hurting his status.

When did you know? he asked Carlos.

The older clan member hunched his forehead, before understanding smoothed the skin flat. He placed his hand on Kuma's shoulder and gave a firm squeeze.

Don’t worry, Little Bear. I'm sure you'll be waku. At the least, you'll be an amber, maybe even a two-stones like me.

And if I'm not?

Carlos' gaze hardened. He gave a tight shake of the head as he looked away. Focus on the training. Nothing else matters.

That's what worried Kuma. There were three kinds of shadows, and all of them wanted to kill his family.

Chapter Two

Pandora returned to the Goblin's Romp for the second time in a week. The outside of the building looked new even if she knew the clientele inside were old and worn with smoke-stained fingers, rope-like scars, and faded tattoos. Murals on the outer brick walls depicted scenes from the Invasion three years ago when demons had broken through the barrier between realms. The bar had been the point that the demons had surfaced into the city, making it infamous. The painting nearest the entrance showed the huge flying creature that had landed on the Glitterdome, destroying it when it died from the heroics of countless mages, many who lost their lives when the structure collapsed.

She checked back to the city. Light was fading. The Spire was mostly in shadow. It'd be the last time she'd see the sun for a while. Or ever if things went sideways.

The interior was the equivalent of taking a nice bottle of scotch and smashing it to stab into someone's neck. The stage was protected with mesh, sawdust and old popcorn littered the floor, and the bartender had ochre skin and gold eyes that followed her when she entered. He recognized her, which was good, as the next part wasn't going to work if they didn't remember her from a few days prior.

Pandora walked through the room with three pool tables, catching a whistle from a biker leaning over to strike the cue ball. Five balls on the table. Eleven pool sticks in the rack on the wall. Seventeen people in the bar on a Tuesday afternoon. Focus, Pandora. She squeezed her eyes shut momentarily, receiving a funny look from the biker as he struck the ball with a clean stroke, the nine ball going into the side pocket with a satisfying clunk.

In the back of the Goblin's Romp, a brick archway covered in metal bars signaled the entrance to the Undercity. Three years ago there were numerous ways to get below, stairwells and elevators that took one down nine hundred feet to the lightless caverns that most people in the city rarely thought about. Now, most of those entrances were gone, as interest had grown in what was happening beneath the streets. The seemingly endless spiral staircases turned to scrap metal and the stone passages filled with concrete or deadly traps. The clans that ruled the shadows had decided to cut off easy access, which meant one of the few places to enter the Undercity in relative safety was through the back of the bar. Assuming they'd let her through.

Three guards stood at the portcullis. One on the near side, and two beyond the metal bars. The tallest had bleached hair, dark eyebrows, and the neon RZR tattoo on his forearm. The presence of the clan member complicated things, but she couldn't back out.

Go away, said the guard on her side of the barrier, barely looking up as he thumbed through his phone.

Pandora stopped a few feet away. She stared at the second guard, the one behind the bars, but not in the RZR clan. He made a kissing face and elbowed his buddy, before looking back to her. She never broke eye contact.

You don’t want to go this way, girl. It leads to the Undercity, which is clan territory. Not a place for tourists, said the guard behind the bars.

You mute or something? asked the first guard, tilting his head as he shoved the phone into the back of his jeans.

She kept staring at the same guard, who swallowed uncomfortably. Eventually he narrowed his gaze.

I recognize you.

The first guard said, You do?

Yeah, she kicked the shit out of four dudes last week, Friday I think. Tore 'em a new one. Left with bloody faces and tails between their legs. She didn't have a hair out of place when it was over.

The mood of the standoff changed. The three guards were quietly piecing together the facts of what they were seeing. A young woman, probably no older than twenty, had approached the Undercity gate. Her outfit—all black, no sleeves, skirt, lots of buckles and buttons, black neck wrap—marked her as a well-dressed waitress, or a prostitute. But adding the news about her physical prowess had changed the calculation. She was no longer prey, but a hunter. They were curious.

The second guard, the one that she'd been staring at, was looking mighty uncomfortable. He kept trying to look away, but knew that he shouldn't. She heard him whisper to the RZR clan member, She's got cold, fucking black eyes. It's like the time I ran into that gray folk. Couldn't scrub his gaze off fast enough.

The RZR clan member lifted his chin. You gonna stand there all day like that? Or you gonna tell us why you need to get through this gate?

No.

Whoa, she speaks, said the bleached blond clan member to his buddies. Which question were you answering?

Both.

It was their turn to be quiet. She amused herself by counting the bars and the buttons on his jacket. Eleven and thirteen, respectively.

I think we're supposed to let her through, said the second guard after a long, uncomfortable silence.

Yeah, fine, whatever, said the clan member. Just get her the fuck out of here. I don't like her staring at us like that.

The gate was unlocked from the other side. She strode past, leaving them in her wake. The way down was a long, wide ramp. As the sounds of the bar disappeared behind her, there was nothing but the steady clop of her heels on the concrete. She killed the time thinking about how easy it'd been to pay those four guys to lose a fight with her. Sure, she could have taken them, but not as cleanly as it'd looked.

At the bottom of the ramp was a settlement called Big Dave's Town. It was owned by Razor clan, which was the largest and most respected of the clans in the Undercity. The kidney-shaped cavern glowed with electric lights, including a pink neon sign for the Devil's Lipstick at the far end. Pandora passed a guy in a black leather jacket with horns on his forehead—newish implants by the angry red flesh around them, the latest fetish for those that didn't give a crap about fitting into normal society. She saw a mix of non-humans and RZR clan members in the streets. Not as busy as she understood it used to be, but given the stinginess of the guards letting people into the Undercity, it was to be expected. It used to be a place that was avoided, except for those that had nowhere else to go, but now it was becoming more interesting, which was why she'd been sent.

Pandora spotted a pair of RZR members speaking into walkie-talkies. They'd probably been warned about her from above. The clan didn't let anyone in their area that they didn't know without keeping an eye on them.

The main avenue was wide, but the side streets were narrow and jagged, following the piecemeal construction of the town, which had had a third of its buildings rebuilt. She found Barely Edible at the end of a zigzagging street with colorful awnings and metal bars over the windowed doors. The store was butted against the cavern wall. Inside, she found glass jars filled with dried meats labeled as modrats, Cthulhu jellies, and other exotic creatures. The carcass of a bony, pale creature that looked like a miniature manticore hung from the ceiling, spinning slowly from the breeze she'd made coming through the door.

A customer, what a nice surprise on this slow day.

An older woman with steel gray hair entered from the back. A wicked scar bisected her right cheek, making Pandora think about her mother, which only clenched her right hand into a fist.

The old woman's eyes widened when she saw Pandora. Oh, it's you. I'd forgotten what day it was.

Do you have black mamba jerky? asked Pandora, forcing her hand to loosen.

The older woman blinked. Oh, right. No black mamba, but we have some nice strips of ur-bear. Come on back, I'll show you the jars.

Pandora followed the woman through the blanket that served to block the back area. There were shelves covered in jars, mostly empty, and a desk covered in papers and a chessboard in the middle of a game. The pieces looked like miniature versions of the Halls. The woman stepped to a bookshelf on the back wall and pulled it forward, exposing a tunnel heading into the darkness. A black duffle bag was waiting for her.

There's been a problem, said the old woman.

Pandora crouched down and unzipped the duffle bag. There always are. She checked the contents, seeing everything she needed was inside.

There's a big meeting going on tonight. Between all the clan leaders.

You should have passed that information on, said Pandora as she slung the black bag over her shoulder.

I would have, but it was hush-hush until today. The only reason I know about it is because there were people headed to the Terreno, only to get turned away. It's only clan members and the workers inside.

Pandora turned her head. Why?

No one knows, but the guess is that they're making peace. They've been warring for months now. Dozens dead on every side. Probably decided it was too hard on business. Does this change things for you?

Probably.

Going to abort?

No.

The older woman squinted. Aren't you a little young for this business?

There were a lot of answers she could give. None that would satisfy the woman so she wouldn't ask any more questions.

Black checkmates white in three moves, said Pandora before she headed into the tunnel.

Huh? The older woman checked back to the chessboard as she squinted. Well I'll be damned.

A short time later she heard the hidden entrance close. Pandora slipped the headlamp on. The light exposed dust floating in the air in the few dozen feet of tunnel ahead. She had an elixir that would help her see in the dark, but didn’t want to take it until she reached her destination.

During the walk, Pandora mused on the new information the woman had given her. A few years ago, she would have aborted and checked back with the Mod for new orders, but not today. The importance of her mission had been clear by the resources marshalled on her behalf. Completing it would require some improvisation. The Mod, her handler, would not take failure lightly.

An hour later, the hidden tunnel spit her out into a cavern with a clear path through the middle. The litter of travelers—old cigarette butts, candy wrappers, a plastic soda bottle—lay amid the glittering rocks. Pandora could smell meat being cooked somewhere ahead.

The Terreno was supposed to be neutral ground for the clans. It was a place they could come for food or entertainment and not worry about getting attacked. Few that lived above knew about it, as the clans had kept it a secret for decades, but as the faez crystal trade had appeared out of the ashes of the Invasion, the Undercity had become a much more interesting place. The idea had been to acquire an invite to one of the two major clans, but given the nature of the meeting happening in the Terreno, her previous plan wasn't viable. Any aggressive moves would be met with overwhelming force. Not a good way to engender sympathy and gain an invite. She'd have to improvise a new plan once she got inside.

Following the map she'd memorized, Pandora cut through the rocky section of the cavern. Once she found the narrow crevice in the wall, she switched off her headlamp and let her eyes adjust to the darkness. The urge to drink the elixir was strong, but she hesitated to have any enchantments on her body. Moving through the split in the wall required slipping sideways and using her hands as her eyes. Eventually she would come out in an area that was lighted.

The dim illumination from ahead helped her see the exit to the passage. It was something she was going to have to get used to if she was successful: living in the darkness, having billions of tons of rock above her head, and always being in danger. The last part she was used to after the last few years.

Pandora craned her neck to the side to see what was down the passage. She saw a man standing near the tunnel that went into the back of the Umbra, which was all she needed to know that he was Razor clan. There was no reason she should have stayed in that location. The hidden passage into the Terreno required climbing up through a chimney and then across and into the back of the Pale Sun.

But as he turned, she caught his profile.

He was handsome, young—probably around her age—and excessively fit. Not the kind that came in the gym, but the harder to earn version from studying martial arts. The gym version was bulky, and a detriment when it came to the face-to-face fighting that happened in the Undercity between the clans. He was part Japanese, but that wasn't a surprise as the Razor clan had descended from some Yakuza that had mixed with a Brazilian gang. Until that moment she hadn't cared which clan she was able to get into, but she was suddenly incentivized to join Razor.

There are worse ways to pass the time.

He turned his head in her direction and she was sure he'd seen her. Pandora leaned out of view, sucking in her breath as not to give herself away. She didn't know if he had any faez crystals on him, but if he had an amber, he'd be sure to sense her. She cursed her curiosity.

She heard him take a few steps forward. It wasn't far from her location. If he came to investigate, he'd probably see her stuck in the crack of the wall. Pandora held her breath.

A light scuffle was followed by the gravelly voice of a second person.

Good, but not good enough, Little Bear.

Pandora wanted to take a quick peek, but knew she was running out of time. She grabbed the handhold and pulled herself upward, taking care not to make a single noise. She scrambled into the chimney and then was crawling through the cut shaft, pushing the black duffle bag ahead.

The hidden passage came out behind the apartments the workers from the Terreno lived in. Pandora pulled a key out of her pocket and slipped into the building. The apartment had been rented for her weeks ago, but no one knew she hadn't been living in it yet.

As she slipped down the hallway across an ugly swirled carpet, a door opened up. A blonde girl with smudged mascara and an unfocused two-hundred-yard stare wandered the other way. Pandora found the apartment, pushed into the room, and locked the door behind her.

Pandora changed into the all-black waitress outfit with a short skirt that was carefully folded in the duffle bag. She removed the few other clothes in the bag and placed them in a drawer. The unusual gun she pulled out next. She checked to make sure it was properly loaded. It could be fired in two ways—manually, or by a small remote that she placed in her apron pocket.

Beneath her skirt, she strapped the weapon to the inside of her thigh. It wouldn't survive a thorough inspection, but it was the best she could do on short notice. Had she been given more warning, she would have found a way to hide the weapon on the premises.

Pandora left the apartment, but she paused at the next door, leaning her ear against the thick wood. Nothing. Using a pick, she worked the lock. A click later and she was into the woman's apartment.

It looked like a bomb had gone off, with clothes lying on the bed, light blue powders on a tray next to the couch, and crumpled cans everywhere. The place stank of old beer. A badge for the Pale Sun was half stuck under a popular book about the Invasion called The Magic of Betrayal. The girl's name was Leslie Carmichael. She looked much better in the picture.

This won't do.

Pandora found a trash bag under the sink and quickly cleaned up the cans and wrappers. Then she piled the clothes in a