Legacy to Zero

11: (Piecing) Fragments of a Ghost (Together)

Harlow

My hands glided around the archive files. It was bad enough that the pages fanned out across the floor. And that they were in the sunlight, which curled the edges and cut through the fading writing. But the worst part was that Astra had written all over them.

Her annotations filled the white spaces until her handwriting became cramped against the bottom of the page and infected the next.

I frowned. Behind me, River entered and bent over to read the file name. "Rachna's keys. That sounds familiar."

"These belong to the archives," I said as I collected the pages into my arms. Moving aside to let River move in, I continued, "Help me out."

She rolled her eyes but joined me on the floor. "We're not here to organize some files."

"Stolen files."

In one motion, River touched her index against her thumb and lifted a stack of papers before stacking them in midair like building blocks. She scoffed. "You're surprised that she stole? The hero whose entire axis revolved around stealing?"

I held the files against my chest. When I didn't answer, River said, "I read that she never bought clothes. Just made replicas of stuff she liked, then paid for it."

Not even close to the same thing. Whatever. Taking the organized pile, I went back into the hallway. There was no way I had the time to absorb it, and anyway, I wasn't here to piece the fragments of a ghost together.

I got about two steps around the corner. At once, a tug against my sweater made the breath fire from my lungs.

"We wasted so much time. Look what happens now," River said as I pulled against my collar, breathing shallowly while she continued to move, taking me back inside the room. Slammed the door behind her without even a blink. "If we hadn't wasted so much—"

Her grip released. I flipped the hair obstructing my vision back. I cut her off and asked, "What?"

"We're being followed, obviously."

"What?" I repeated, as though it would clarify the situation.

Baring her teeth at me, she sank to the floor. As her eyes turned glassy, my chest dropped. Whether it was Prismatrix or not, this had been exactly what I was worried about.

But River could get us out. Although right now, her expression wasn't convincing. Mouth pulled into a grimace, with her sharp canines digging into her brown lipstick.

"Any chance you can take us back the same way we came?" I asked.

By the doorway, her dimension opened. I peered inside. Somehow, it seemed smaller, not at all like the tunnel she'd used before.

"We can hide in there, at least."

That's not an answer. "So, that's a no, then."

With a scowl, she pinched the hole so that it was the size of a marble in her hands. Stalked into the hallway, then bit back, "This thread isn't even meant to be used in this way."

I scanned the rooms. Across from me was Astra's bedroom. Judging by the bed propped against the wall and the side table leaning into it, it was both empty and plain. Her spotless closet held no clothes, and the sheets were without a comforter, the drawer with no handle. She clearly lived in this apartment, but pieces of it felt missing.