Two bodies swathed in black lay in a tangled mass at the mouth of the tunnel. Kiera pulled up short when she saw them.
Maz chuckled, patting the whistler strapped to his hip. “They can’t bite when they’re asleep.”
“Why not kill them?” she asked.
Maz’s eyebrows shot upward. “A wee bit bloodthirsty, are you? I like that in a woman. But no, we don’t need to attract any more attention than we are.” He gave me a significant glance.
My jaw clenched. Attention was unavoidable. But we’d evaded Renwell and his Wolves for years. We only needed to stay ahead of them for a little while longer.
“Loose the rope,” I commanded, leaping into the dinghy closest to the cave entrance—a shadowy crack in the rock face.
Maz obeyed while I threaded the oars through their locks. A large, thick ring was bolted to the bottom of the boat, marking it for what the boat was usually used for—prisoner transport. I peeled off my chains and dropped them next to the ring.
Kiera watched us, a frown creasing her brow. “How did you know about this cave?” She turned to Maz, eyeing his wet clothing. “Did youswimin here?”
Gods, the incessant questions. Though perhaps she’d been sheltered in her life as a palace guard.
Maz puffed out his chest. “I’ve swum greater distances than that. And through some water that was a lot bloody colder?—”
“Maz,” I warned.
Kiera’s gaze darted toward me. She could glare all she wanted, but she didn’t need any more details of who we were. The barb about Twaryn still needled me.
“More secrets?”
I clambered out of the dinghy to stand in front of her. “Always. But none that concerns our current escape. Now, get in.” I held out my hand to help her.
Her eyes narrowed as if I’d offered her a snake. Brushing past me, she jumped into the boat. She wobbled a bit then sat down hard on one of the benches. I smirked.
But the expression faded when I caught Maz watching me with a curious glint in his eyes. I jerked my head. “I’ll shove off.”
He leapt into the boat, considerably more graceful than Kiera, despite his bulk. I waited until he was seated in the middle with oars in hand before I gripped the bow and gave it a gentle push.
Kiera’s eyes widened at something behind me. “Aiden!” Her shout clattered around the cave like a bell.
I whirled around just as a gloved fist swung at my face. I leaned back, but the fist still glanced off my cheek and sent me spinning. The world went hazy. I blinked furiously, trying to clear it.
Maz was cursing, but I roared, “Get out of here!”
The Wolf wrapped an arm around my neck and squeezed while his other hand brought a long sunstone knife plunging to my chest.
I seized his wrist. The blade tip scraped along my skin. My worn muscles screamed. If only I’d kept the damn chains.
I was weakened. But so was he.
I gave his wrist a vicious twist, even as black specks darted over my vision. He grunted and loosened his chokehold on my neck, but didn’t drop the knife. I swung his knife arm down, burying the blade in his thigh.
He screamed and released me. I kicked backward, my heel jabbing his abdomen. His body thudded to the dock.
More shouts echoed. I glanced up, my breath searing my lungs. The other Shadow-Wolf had also woken and was swimming to where Maz and Kiera floated away from the dock. Maz brandished his small axe, the boat rocking with his movement. Kiera stood shakily behind him, her chains gripped in her hands and her jaw set.
My bare feet slipped through a pool of blood to seize the sunstone knife from the Wolf’s drained body. At least my aim had been true. Then I leapt into the dark water. I slipped the blade’s handle between my teeth and paddled hard. The Wolf had caught up to the boat and was trying to climb in.
Maz swung for the Wolf’s neck, but the Wolf blocked the axe with his sunstone blade. A screech of shattered steel and Maz’s axe fell in pieces to the water. Maz bellowed and tackled the Wolfoff the boat. They both splashed into the water. I spat my knife into my hand.
“Fucking Four, Maz, break!” I shouted, trying to separate the thrashing bodies.
Maz reared back, narrowly avoiding a swipe from the Wolf’s knife. I lunged. My blade sank into the Wolf’s shoulder. He grunted and elbowed me in the jaw, but his reactions were slow in the water wearing so much clothing.
