“Stay away from that one,” I said shortly.
“I already picked my mark. He’s half-asleep or drunk. I’ll stumble into him on our way back.” Ruru shoved his sweaty hair out of his eyes. “You sure you’re all right?”
“I’m fine. Now stop talking before they punish us,” I muttered under my breath as two soldiers approached.
They peered into our buckets as we passed, but said nothing.
The tightly coiled fear in my chest eased a bit when I saw Maz and Nikella were still in the forge, pretending to work. Maz flashed me a smile.
“Is everything ready?” Nikella asked in a low voice as I took my time pouring my sunstone into the pile.
“Bombs, yes. Keys, no,” I said. I quickly told her where the bombs were located.
She gave me a short nod, her brow furrowed. For a moment, I thought I saw a flicker in her eyes of the same fear that was crushing my chest.
If someone discovered the bombs . . . If we couldn’t steal the keys . . . If we couldn’t free the prisoners . . . If our ship didn’t come in . . .
One terrible scenario after another haunted my thoughts as Ruru and I walked back into the cavern.
I joined the line again, but Ruru diverted, aiming for a supervisor who was leaning heavily against the stone wall. A tiny woman holding a bucket of water stood next to him as he slurped from a cup.
Make it quick and smooth, Ruru.
I couldn’t help searching for Aiden as I shuffled forward in line, but I didn’t see him. The loss of his familiar face notched my fear higher.
“Rocks!”
I pressed myself against the wall, cowering under the scaffolding like the others. Rocks showered down. Then a large body smacked into the ground.
I jerked backward, gasping. Several other prisoners whimpered.
The body was a shattered, gory mess. Chains around the ankles.
I swallowed back the urge to vomit. The prisoner must’ve fallen from the scaffolding when the rocks broke free.
The perverse supervisor hurried over, swearing, and kicked the body in disgust. He shifted the helmet on his head to peer up at the scaffolding. “Do you have another to take over?” he bellowed.
“We’ll manage,” someone from above shouted back.
The supervisor glanced around. I made myself small, but it didn’t matter. His dark eyes lit up when they found me.
He jabbed a finger at me and the man in front of me. “You two. Clean this up.”
The other prisoner immediately shuffled forward, his shoulders hunched. I followed, putting him between me and the supervisor.
My stomach pitched and rolled like I was back onMynastra’s Wings.
How am I supposed to clean up a body in pieces?
I shuddered and gingerly picked up a bony arm that separated from the rest of the body with a horrible squelch.
Bile seared past my throat with a vengeance. I coughed it up, tears springing to my eyes.
The supervisor laughed and climbed back onto his platform.
The other prisoner and I carried pieces of the body to a cart that already held several other bodies. I tried not to sob, gently laying the arm in the cart.
I’m sorry we didn’t get here sooner. I hope the gods find your souls and give you peace.
