Chapter 38: Toward Dustfall
The next morning, Bonnie checked herself in the mirror while getting ready for what lay ahead. She put on the new clothes she had bought with Evelyn before everything had gone to hell, and finally set her new hat on her head. With everything that had happened, she'd left her old one behind at the circus when Thieving Cat knocked her out cold.
Realistically, her outfit looked an awful lot like Evelyn's — close enough that you might call them identical. The white shirt, the half-corset, the accessories on her revolver belt, the hat with the feather. If there was anything different about it, it was that her boots weren't quite as cowboy-style as the outlaw's, since they were the same ones she'd worn with her yellow dress.
Even after everything, that bloodstained dress, full of misfortune, still sat folded inside her satchel. She glanced at the bag — a small scrap of fabric peeked out from beneath the closed latch, dragging up memories she didn't want. Her face twisted into an uneasy smile.
'Should I burn it? I feel like it brings me bad luck…'
Bad luck and a girl following the Outlaw's Ballad weren't exactly a great combination. But if she was going to burn that, she'd also have to throw away the gun that once belonged to Caleb — and somehow, she couldn't bring herself to do that, since it had become something like a symbol of her fight for freedom. It was what had made her an outlaw in the first place.
She sat on the bed, still undecided, and looked out at the view between the buildings, bathed in the bright sun pouring through the window.
'I'll burn it whenever I get the chance. I still have a few things to buy, things to look into… things to remember…'
She stayed quiet for several long seconds before letting out a long sigh. She got up, gathered her things, took one last look around the room, and with a faint, tired smile, walked out.
A little later, she found the others waiting outside the hotel, right at the edge of the street. Capella stood beside them and looked far happier to see her rider in better shape than the day before. That sent Bonnie running straight toward the mare, dropping her bags at her sides and pulling her into a hug.
"Aww… Capella. I missed you so much, girl."
Evelyn, already mounted on her horse, watched her cheerfully, then glanced toward Victoria and Lady, both seated on their own horses beside her. Neither of them looked bothered in the slightest, which was good news for Bonnie.
"Quit spoiling that mare so much or she'll end up just as spoiled as you, Bonnie," said Evelyn.
"That's not true," Bonnie shot back.
"Fine, fine. Stop making that pouty raccoon face and get on your horse. And since we're all here — I talked to Victoria and Lady last night. I told them you wouldn't be a problem riding with us. Isn't that right, girls?"
Victoria sighed, looking out toward the road with a bored expression.
"As long as she pulls her own weight, I don't see a problem letting her ride with us for a town or two."
"It's always nice to have someone new to talk to," Lady added. "Besides, you'll be helping me out with a few things along the way."
"Oh… Sure. I don't mind that."
Bonnie strapped her bags onto the saddle and climbed onto her horse. She gripped the reins gently and looked out over the city with a heavy heart. She was about to ride out — but it still weighed on her chest, knowing that everyone in this city had no idea at all about what had been happening in the shadows, and might never find out.
Would more girls keep disappearing? Would there be more mysterious deaths tied to that vile cult? Whatever the answer was, she didn't have nearly enough power to face that darkness head-on, or even to dig deeper into it on her own. She was defenseless, and for now, there was no way to change that.
Victoria urged her horse forward and rode out. Lady followed, while Evelyn looked back at Bonnie.
"Come on, sweetheart. Don't just sit there with your mouth hanging open," she said, heading after Lady.
Bonnie still had her doubts — they were written all over her face — but she nodded in response to Evelyn anyway, gave Capella's mane a fond stroke, and rode forward to join the Sisters of the Horizon.
They rode at an easy pace through the streets of Steam City. People went about their business as usual. Steam curled up toward the clouds, machines hummed away at their work, and all manner of "technological" wonders filled their place inside and outside the buildings for everyone's convenience.
Then there was Adam's shop, shuttered and sitting in complete silence. Bonnie pressed a hand to her mouth, sick with unease, and felt the sudden urge to turn back — but she closed her eyes tight, pulled her thoughts into order, and by the time she opened them again, her expression had hardened into something cold and distant.
Evelyn kept an eye on her for a moment before turning her attention back to Victoria. She studied her with a flicker of suspicion for a second, then shook her head, brushing the thought aside. She smiled, calm again, and turned to Lady.
"Since we won't need to work for a while, are we taking a break in Dustfall? My wounds are healing up fast, but I haven't gotten a real rest since… everything happened."
Bonnie sighed.
'Well, if we hadn't stayed up talking half the night, we both could've gotten some actual rest,' she thought, deciding it would be rude to say that out loud.
"We'll spend the night in Dustfall, barring anything unexpected. After that, we'll be ready to leave the state," said Lady.
Evelyn nodded.
"Sounds good to me. We could grab a few drinks to unwind."
"Sorry to interrupt, but," Bonnie added. "Why are you all trying to cross the border?"
Victoria cleared her throat.
"We're wanted in a few counties across New Providence, so it's always smarter to keep moving so we don't get caught. Steam City's included in that — but I have an arrangement with the sheriff here that lets us stay as long as we don't cause any trouble."
"Did you hear that, Evelyn?" said Lady.
Thieving Cat looked away.
"Yeah, yeah. I won't go smashing up any more shops or stealing from anybody here. Learned my lesson that day, you know? If people would just stop bringing it up to annoy me, everything would be so much easier."
"At least your screwup is what got us our arrangement with the sheriff," Victoria said with a faint smile. "We got something good out of it, at least."
"The sheriff…" Bonnie murmured.
If she remembered right, she'd seen the sheriff of Warlock County a handful of times. He'd always been an exceptionally quiet, busy man who spent most of his time away from Ironwood, chasing down some seriously dangerous criminals.
Add the Desert Ballads into the equation, and the odds that man had a Ballad of his own seemed pretty high. A lot of what used to show up in the papers suddenly made a lot more sense with that in mind.
'If the sheriff of this county is making deals with outlaws, what kind of person is he, really?'
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His boots struck the damp ground. His black hat tilted slightly out of place from the abrupt movement of dismounting, but he set it straight again as he walked into one of the circus's many tents. Cigarette in hand, he approached four white sheets laid out across the floor. Beside them, through an unpleasant smell that twisted the smoking man's face into disgust, stood Bader, watching him with a cold, even gaze.
"We're glad you came in person, Sheriff Marcus," said the exorcist. "I'm afraid the ritual site has already been destroyed by our organization, but we've gathered everything necessary for you to continue your work."
Marcus exhaled a slow stream of smoke. He crouched down and lifted one of the sheets to look beneath it. Unflinching, he closed his eyes and murmured:
"Rest in peace."
He stood back up, his blue eyes settling on Bader.
"Do you have the city surrounded?"
"Yes. The Midnight Hunters arrived not long ago. If any of the cultists are still inside the city, the Hunters will find them and bring them to Father Michael. That way we can put a stop to the disappearances, the same way we did in Dustfall."
"Good. Then give me everything you've got and I'll handle the rest on my own."
"Of course. First thing you should know — the circus owner has been in contact with the Devil's Cult for several months now. Some of the performers are recent members of the cult, though none of them know anything substantial. Until this case is closed, the circus will remain here, but it won't be allowed to host any more shows. We also have it on record that one of their most popular performers fled on his own. He's allegedly the one with the strongest ties to the cult."
"Then my job's to track him down and squeeze everything he's got out of him."
"That's right — but be careful. Scaramuccia, as they call him, has years of experience as a hired killer. Even though both of your Ballads weaken each other when you're close, that doesn't change the fact that he's a skilled assassin."
"Yeah, sure, whatever. I've faced down cowards before. I'll handle mine, you handle yours. See you around."
"We hope your work goes smoothly. That's exactly what you're paid for."
Marcus walked out of the tent and glanced toward the one across from him. Adam stood there with Richard. The sheriff barely spared them a glance before climbing back onto his horse.