Mermaid Tear (The Fated #2)

49 | Four Bells

After forcing himself to reign in his worries--as fretting over what would happen weeks from now would do them no good at the moment--Kain sent Isidor away to pack what he could of his things. Hesitation swept through him as he turned to do the same for himself.

They needed to hurry.

The quicker they left, the less chance there was of them being caught. That meant that the less they carried the better their chances were. Isidor's belongings couldn't be left behind. A witch's powers were invaluably boosted by their collection of herbs and other materials.

Kain's things weren't as important. In the end, he seized what little money he had left, before shoving it into his bag. The coins were followed by the most expensive looking articles of clothing Alekos' had gifted him. The inevitable wrinkles would detract from their price, but they would still fetch him more for their weight than any of the heavy valuables sitting around his room.

The dresses the ladies had been given would be far too heavy. The more simple jewels wouldn't be, however. They could trade them at the next merchant house they passed for money to replace what they'd had to leave behind. Luckily, Eol was drowning in merchants.

Kain pulled his tattered leather armor over his nightclothes and stepped into the hall. He found where Natia had taken up guard further along and gestured her closer.

"Go get what you can't leave behind. I'll watch the hall for now," he told her in a soft voice.

The wolf cocked her head, a quiet whine escaping her throat. Despite the situation, Kain smiled wryly as he guessed the reason behind her protest. His hand ruffled the fur on her head, heart clenching as she didn't pull away.

"My hearing may not be as good as yours, but it's still better than the average. Get your things, then stop by Melitta and Rhode's quarters. Grab whatever lightweight jewels they have. Don't worry about your dresses--we'll buy you new ones when we get elsewhere."

He would make sure of it. Natia deserved nice things. She was too young for all of this.

She yipped then slipped past him. Just as he realized she might need him to grab the door, he turned to find her already human. She didn't seem to notice his attention as she opened her room and disappeared inside. Her shoulders were too small for the weights they kept placing on them.

He would have to make sure she walked in the center of the group. Nightmare or not, the child deserved all the protection they could give her.

Kain turned his attention back to the hall. His heart seemed to pound in his ears as silence hung in the air. His fauxly confident reassurance to Natia aside, the situation had him on edge. His plans were dependent on the idea that Alekos' body wouldn't be discovered anytime soon. If someone went looking for him...

He shuddered, then nearly jumped out of his skin as Callias and Melitta soundlessly stepped into the hall. Relief followed his surprise as his eyes skimmed Melitta and found her nightgown no worse-for-wear than it'd been before their separation. Callias, on the other hand, had a distinct line of crimson down the arm of his suit--which was torn in a predictable way.

"Only one guard noticed us," he reported upon sighting Kain. "She'll live. The others were dealt with silently."

And likely bloodlessly if their near-clean states were considered. Kain relaxed, relief swirling through him. At least they wouldn't have any other deaths encouraging the manhunt.

Callias offered him a sword and sheath, leading Kain to study the other weapons they'd gathered. The merman had attached a similar weapon to his belt, as well as a bow over his shoulder. The strap of the quiver hung over his arm, telling Kain he didn't intend to keep the weapon for himself. Melitta had another bow in her hands, as well as a sword and dagger. It was enough to arm all of them.