A Sea of Purple Ink Read Online Free PDF Page A

gravity shifter,” Keller said. He looked at Reese pointedly, then reached for the glass bottle of tea. “A high level gravity shifter.
    Reese met his stare, searching for hidden meaning. The one who killed the chief of police?
    Lacewing wrapped an arm around her knees. “He’s been masquerading as a conjuror, a cheap magician, in one of the higher classes.” She tilted her head to one side. “A good disguise, if you ask me. The Inner Circle is the last place they’d look for one of us.”
    “I’d ask Tyrone’s gang to get him out,” Keller added, “but…”
    Reese felt herself tense at the name. She shut down a new string of computations. “He wouldn’t do it,” she said. The candlelight trembled across her bowl of food. Or maybe the bowl was trembling in her hand. Stop being so nervous. “You say Arrow is the reader that found him?” she asked. She glanced from one follower to the other, her mind putting together the pieces. That’s the third time in a row Arrow’s found someone for us.
    She slowly lifted her bowl and took another bite of gruel. The other police have got to have noticed that anyone Arrow finds goes missing before they can be arrested. She rolled the spicy grains in her mouth. If this third time isn’t a trap, the police are a lot stupider than they should be. They have to suspect Arrow.
    “We could use another shifter,” Lacewing said. “I think he’d be a good man to recruit.”
    “Not if we can’t get to him in time,” Keller retorted. He took a sip from the bottle and shoved it toward Lacewing. Candlelight sparkled on the frosted glass.
    We could get to him in time. The question is, should we? Reese slid off the bench. There were too many things to think over. “Let me sleep on it,” she said. “Lace, will you keep an eye on Niela? I’m done.” She stepped towards the hallway, then halted in the open door. “Where in the Circle does he perform?”
    Keller shrugged. “Some new theater in Carning.”
    Carning . Reese felt her inner map puzzling the place out. She nodded goodnight and moved out into the hall. Carning . Before she had a chance to fully wonder why it sounded familiar, the place popped up in her head. Oh. That’s why. She grimaced. Years of my life spent hiding there. There was no stopping the thought process now; she was going to remember whether she liked it or not. With a sigh, she slid a wall panel back and crawled into the hidden space. A green quilt folded up in one corner offered a small measure of comfort.
    Reese settled back to sleep, and to think. Some people had dreams—she could almost imagine them—but she had never found a way to turn off her mind, and the fantasies that other people talked about remained unknowns to her. Asleep or awake, she kept ticking. I suppose it does have its advantages , she thought, settling into the tight, dark space. When I wake up, I’ll know what to do.

PRIVATE
    via Burner 6
    Palace to Reader Division
    Still no sign of Nile. I’m going out with the police. Keep watching the ports. Watch hard. Make sure the others keep his rooms locked. The rest stay alert. I expect to hear from G any day now.
    - S.

5
    “I still say this is a bad idea,” Keller mumbled. He kept stride with Reese as they threaded their way through the back streets of the populated district.
    Like saying it again will make it come true. “We can out-think them,” Reese said. She kept her gloved hands in the pockets of her long black coat and hoped the red scarf tied around her forehead and hair would stay put. As long as the wind doesn’t pick up, I’ll be all right. She took a deep breath, inhaling the old smell of the black leather. She hoped the smell—the scent of her new life—would help her stay focused on this trip into the Circle. There were too many memories.
    “Sending Grant and Lacewing after the doctor was suicide, I hope you know,” the old man added. “That’s almost everyone we know out working at once.” He rubbed his