Chasing the Valley by Skye Melki-Wegner

unless . . .’ I say. ‘Maybe the pilot got out of the plane before it crashed. Maybe he had an emergency parachute, or maybe his proclivity was Wind or Air or Darkness or something, and he just floated down into the trees.’
    â€˜Oh, that’s just fantastic,’ says Clementine, glancing around with a nervous twitch. ‘Another enemy to worry about.’
    â€˜Why was there a plane around, anyway?’ says Teddy, frowning. ‘I mean, if I had a plane I’d go for joy-flights too, but I reckon it was a bit dark to see much.’
    â€˜There were heaps of planes over Rourton last night,’ says Clementine impatiently. ‘Or have you already forgotten we got bombed ?’
    Teddy scowls at her. ‘I’m not stupid, richie! But the bombing finished back when we were still in the sewers. Why the hell would a single plane hang around and check out the view?’
    â€˜To report on the damage?’
    â€˜There are hundreds of guards in Rourton – any one of them could report that stuff. I still don’t see why this plane needed to hang around after the bombings.’
    There is silence as we all mull this over. If this lone plane had its own, secret mission, and I shot it down before it could complete it . . . 
    Someone nudges me. I turn to see Clementine’s quiet twin tilting her head as though to ask permission to pass.
    â€˜May I have a look?’ she says, so shyly that I barely make out her words.
    â€˜Go ahead,’ I say, and make space for her to squeeze between the trees.
    She bends down to examine the plane, a frown upon her face. For a second I think she doesn’t believe me – that she’s about to search the cabin for the pilot’s body. But instead she peers beneath a broken wing.
    â€˜Six bombs,’ she says.
    â€˜What?’
    She straightens up and looks at Clementine. ‘There are still six alchemy bombs, ready to launch. That’s the maximum these biplanes can carry, isn’t it?’
    We all nod. Even in years when the bombs don’t fall, we’re regularly treated to displays of biplanes soaring overhead. They’re a constant threat to ensure we behave, so we make damn sure to learn as much about them as possible. Everyone knows these biplanes carry six bombs each: no more.
    â€˜So,’ I say, ‘this pilot was part of the bombing crew. He had a full load of alchemy bombs. But he didn’t drop them on the city, and he waited around afterwards for . . . what?’
    Radnor gazes at the smoking metal. ‘Must’ve had a special mission. Maybe he was going to bomb the survivors, to take us out when we thought it was safe again.’
    Silence. I feel a little sick. In the aftermath of the bombing, so many people were out on the streets. If this plane was waiting to launch a second strike . . . 
    â€˜You might have saved a lot of lives, Danika,’ says Teddy. ‘Hey, we should throw a plane-smashing party! Can you believe it, what you’ve just done? You’ve taken out one of the king’s own biplanes.’ He grins. ‘Anyone got a bottle of wine?’
    The impact of his words hits me hard in the throat. ‘Oh no.’
    â€˜What’s wrong? Don’t you see, this is awesome!’ Teddy raises his fist in a pump of triumph. ‘This must be the best blow that anyone’s struck against the palace in decades.’
    I shake my head, trying to hide the fear that’s just taken seed in my gut. ‘And don’t you think the palace has noticed?’
    Teddy’s grin fades and he drops his fist. ‘Oh.’
    â€˜We might’ve struck a blow against the palace,’ I say, ‘but we’ve also blown ourselves to the top of the palace’s kill list.’
    â€˜Every hunter in the land is going to be gunning for us,’ says Radnor tightly, glancing between the wreckage and my face.