“Colorful word choice.” Seth paced around, sizing me up. “If you need a job when this is over, Percy could use a partner.”
“Ha. I’ll think about it.”
He cast me an odd stare, hand on his hip. As my eyes adjusted to the night, his blood-colored irises appeared as red splotches in a sea of black. “Seraphim mentioned your inability to fight. I can teach you, if you’d like. Consider it compensation.”
“I think the word you’re looking for is ‘recompense.’” I corrected. “But I’m not a chthonic.”
“I know plenty of traditional techniques, too. It took years for my magic to manifest.” He leaned back and forth, studying my belt. “You don’t carry any weapons. Do you prefer daggers? Swords?”
I flexed my hands, trying to envision them holding a blade and sweeping through hordes of enemies. A laugh bubbled in my throat, and I held it back.
“Let me think about it.” Staring back toward the camp, I saw Seraphim’s silhouette roll out a mat. “She wantedyou, specifically. Do you know why?”
“You haven’t heard of me?” He drew blood from the bandaged wound on his palm and shaped it into a small dagger. “The infamous butcher of lords and ladies?”
“No. I try to avoid powerful people when I’m not selling them cheap trinkets.” I watched him spin the scarlet blade, mesmerized.
“Perhaps you haven’t noticed, but you’re on a suicide mission.” He flipped the blade and caught its handle. “Typically, those with blackened hearts value their lives above the world, and who besides a criminal set to die would risk their necks on a fool’s errand?”
“I guess you’re an altruist who makes a perfect fit, huh?”
“Well, yes.” He grinned, letting the blade burst into droplets of blood that streamed onto the forest floor. Lowering himself intoa bow, he spoke solemnly. “Forgive me for our unfortunate meeting. I promise to make it up to you, Lady Aethra.”
“Ugh.” I rolled my eyes. “Did Eleos tell you to call me that?”
“He did. Should I not?” He stood, smiling. “But I mean it. I’m not in the interest of hurting innocents. Least of all, allies.”
“I’ll consider forgiving you.” I tilted my head toward the camp. “You’re going to miss your chance to sleep if you stay here with me.”
“Keep your eyes sharp. Rouse us if you hear a hint of danger.” He turned to go.
“Wait,” I called, and he paused, glancing over his shoulder. “What set you down this path?”
“Killing people with no promise of reward?” He tilted his head down, dark hair falling over his eyes. “I lost every reason to care aboutmylife. And in the process of losing myself, I. . . I decidedIcould be justice for the people who would otherwise be denied it.”
Staring into the darkness, I dwelt on my mother, on my father. The man who’d beaten me in the Guild’s punishment room.Ainwir.
“I can understand that,” I said, looking back at him. “On both accounts.”
Lifting his head, Seth nodded. He clicked his tongue, and his shaggy dog rose from its mound of dirt and padded to my side. “Keep her company, boy.” Ruffling the dog’s ears, he returned to camp.
The man wasn’t what I expected, in more ways than one. Eyeing his dog, I bent to meet its eyes. “So, you’re Whisper?”
The dog panted in response. Intelligence gleamed in its sweet eyes, and its swift arrival spoke to its training. Maybe Seth used him to track down his targets.
Sitting beside the dog, I offered a hand and petted Whisper when it didn’t shy away. Wincing, I examined the sheer amount of filth covering the poor boy. Maybe I could find time to bathe it while we were in Serifos.
Rubbing its ears, I leaned forward. “I bet you’ll be handsome once you’re clean.” Its tail swished through piles of leaves.
Sighing, I leaned back, and the hound laid beside me. Though Seth had not meant to insult me, doubt wormed its way into my heart and slowly ate away at my core as the night dragged on.
Seth claimed to kill those who avoided justice, finding vengeance for the wronged and ridding the world of hidden monsters. Eleos had devoted his life to studying the Empty in hopes of saving it, and Seraphim championed the dangerous quest to see it through.
Even Percy, small as it was, sang songs to honor those lost and comfort those left behind.
What did I do? Cheat people out of coin? Arrange meetings and deals to suit the Guild and their clients, happily shutting my eyes and ears to who they might be hurting?
“Aethra!”
