The Fifth City Read Online Free

Meadowcity, watching them, trying to keep them penned in.
    One morning the other week, he was in the back fields readying for the day’s training when Flint came stomping down the perimeter path looking for him.
    The Riftcity native had been the one to first warn them of Skycity’s treachery, and the whole city was grateful for his and Ven’s spectacular—though destructive—entrance that had won the battle against Skycity just before Summer’s End.
    Flint wheezed a little as he neared Ven, who was unloading wooden practice swords out of a chest.  Weapons practice was held every morning at dawn for those who were drafted into the city’s newly formed Defenders, and only recently had they been able to practice outside.
    “She’s leaving today,” Flint said without greeting.
    Ven shut the chest with a bang and looked up at Flint, the burn on his face finally healed, though it left behind its mark, red and mottled.  Just like the one on Sylvia’s leg.
    Ven nodded.  He took a breath after realizing his lungs had stopped for a moment.  He grabbed a pile of swords and headed to the sparring area.
    “Go say goodbye,” Flint prodded, following him.
    Ven nodded again, and threw the swords down onto the ground in sets of two.
    She’s leaving.  The words repeated in a harsh echo inside his head.
    He tried to shove down the empty feeling, wondering at the same time how he could be so selfish.  Sylvia felt bound to protect the city, that was why she was leaving, it had nothing to do with him.  They all had to play their part to keep Meadowcity safe.
    Ven finally looked up at Flint and said, “I need you to start practice,” then, as Flint tried to interrupt, raised his voice, “—You can do it just fine, I’ve seen you.  Just start with the warm-up and split them off into pairs to go over yesterday’s form until I get back.”
    Flint agreed unenthusiastically.  Ven was under the impression that Flint felt like he didn’t belong in Meadowcity—while Ember was fitting in like it was her own home.
    Ven left the fields and hurried over to the Citizen’s Hall, since he knew that’s where she would be.  She had spent all winter holed up in the Hall, making all kinds of plans with Gero.
    As he skidded through the front door, he locked eyes with Ell, the Secretary of the City, who came out from behind his desk to greet him.
    “Follow me,” the balding man said, knowing right away why Ven was here.
    They walked down several hallways that Ven had never seen before, and descended two sets of stairs, the last one hidden behind a door in the corner of a room that clearly didn’t see much use.
    Ell was quiet, and Ven didn’t feel much like talking either.  Actually, he felt somewhat nauseated.  His palms were sweating too.  The past few weeks had all been leading up to this moment, when Sylvia would leave.
    What would happen to her?  Ven was sure she knew the risks of her mission—if she were to get caught, what could happen.
    But if she succeeded, Meadowcity would be closer to understanding what Greyling’s plans were, and where he would act next.  Gero’s wife Anna had told them all about Greyling’s obsession with an unbelievable fifth city; but how did he plan to conquer it?  What was he going to do with Riftcity, and with Lightcity?
    They had finally come to the conclusion that Skycity had probably needed Meadowcity’s skilled woodworkers for something, though they didn’t know what.
    At the bottom of the last staircase, Ell stopped.  “They’re through there,” he said, pointing at a narrow opening in the stone.  “I’d go in, but there’s not much room.”
    Ven gave him an inquisitive look that Ell returned with a face as if to say, You’ll find out .
    Ell headed back up the stairs as Ven slid through the crack, and the knife on his belt scraped against the stone as he did.  The sound tripped his memory— Sylvia’s gift!
    He had only just picked it up from the weaponsmith last night,