A Sea of Blood and Magic

Chapter Nineteen

"Are we going to have to kill her?" Nik asked.

"I'm not sure," I replied. "If we can sneak out somehow, maybe not. But if she catches on... I really hope not, though."

"I hate killing people," he said, low-voiced.

Automatically, I reached for him, but stopped myself in time. "I do too. It's horrible." I wanted to say, are you okay? again, but it was a stupid question. He probably didn't think he'd ever be okay. To be honest, I wasn't sure if he would either. Tremors shook his body as if he were tearing apart.

In spite of what I'd just said, fury lit a fuse that ran through my bones, setting me alight with murderous intent. This was all Cyneburg's fault. She would pay for every mark Nik bore, including the ones that had disappeared when he shifted forms. "Actually, let's go out. They've cleared out of the inner sanctum for the night, and I think Cyneburg and Patil's men were the only ones who knew what was going on. We can get our watches back before she checks on the others. Can you pretend to be the Englishman?"

"I'm a pretty decent mimic," he replied, slipping off the shoes one corpse wore and putting them on his own feet. "And she won't be expecting a man who isn't him."

"She'll be able to smell me." I fit the armband not in the Englishman's neck around my wrist, holding it like a weapon, pointed end out. My vision was slowly returning to normal, though it had to readjust with every blink.

"Wash off in the brass sea and then keep your mouth shut. If she asks I'll cover for you."

That was uncharacteristically harsh for Nik, but I couldn't muster up any hurt over it. He had been through too much for me to feel protective of myself. "Good idea."

After peeking to make sure the chamber was still deserted, we tiptoed out. While I ducked my head into the water, Nik retrieved our talismans from Manu. Moved by impulse, I swallowed some of the brine and then choked, but to my surprise my throat felt better instantly. Even though Sirens weren't creatures of the sea, they clearly had an affinity for it. I dunked my hands and watched the metallic green sheen appear on my skin.

Cyneburg swaggered through the double doors from the outer courtyard, slamming them shut behind her with confidence even though her eyes were tightly bandaged. Blind as Justice, graceful as a Muse, and deadly as a Harpy. I wanted more than anything else in that moment to ruin her appearance to match her heart.

Halting, she flared her patrician nostrils and asked, "Is it done?"

"They're dead," Nik replied, doing a passable imitation of the Englishman's self-consciously posh accent.

"You sound odd," she said, but not in a suspicious way.

I felt my face blanch, but Nik stayed on the ball. "The little bitch elbowed me in the neck."

"Ha! Well, they're no fun if they don't put up a fight. Why does your man stink of the other? And where is the third?"

"He's in the room where we held them, disposing of the bodies."

She smiled, face still lovely despite the wrappings over her eyes. "Tell him to leave their heads for me. I love the brains."

"Very well. And this one smells like the other girl because she fought him hard. Got her blood all over him and knocked him into the water during the struggle."

"Fiery wench. It's too bad she had to die. I would've liked keeping her as a pet." She addressed me, head turned unerringly toward my face though I hadn't moved since she entered. "What's your name, man?"

Nik answered before I could think of a response. "He's koi nahiin." I gave him a questioning look; he rolled his eyes and mouthed Nobody to me. Slapping a hand to my mouth, I stifled a hysterical giggle.