The cord dripped down from the other hand. She paused next to the closed door, her hand with the cord now on the handle. She took a deep breath, then another, before she surged into the room.
Steam hung heavy in the air. A man lay in thefreestanding tub near the center of the space, a hand gripping each side. His neck was tense, holding up his head nervously. He was probably wondering what was going on in the outer room. Very strange that he wouldn’t get up, get dressed, and either go investigate or climb out the fucking window. There were a lot better options than nakedly waiting for an attacker to find you.
“What the hell do you want?” he growled, but he couldn’t hide the uneasy quiver in his voice.
He released the fingers of one hand from the side of the bathtub. Daisy worried he might mean to do magic.
She rushed him, using all her speed. Her blade bit into his shoulder. His eyes rounded. Deep crimson oozed into the clear water. He thrashed, swinging his hands forward to protect his middle.
She ripped the dagger from his body and tossed it out of the way with one hand while looping the cord around his wrist with the other. He grabbed for her, faster than expected. Ares magic, maybe? Too soon to tell.
She leapt over the rear of the tub and yanked the cord with her. His free hand lost purchase on the slick porcelain, and his body jerked toward her sideways in the water. She ran to the base, dragging the cord with her and getting his arm at the correct angle. She didn’t have the muscle to easily counter this guy. She had to rely on leverage and positioning.
No matter. She was used to it from training with big, powerful guys.
His arm went straight behind him but his legs were bending. He couldn’t get his knees under him or it would be a different kind of fight. A harder kind of fight.
She stepped into the filthy, bloodstained water as she yanked on that cord, keeping the pressure. Her shoes and pants went soggy with the lukewarm water. Her foot fit nicely in the crease of his back, and she stepped with all her body weight, pushing his face into the water. This was a risky move. Any of Kieran’s inner magical crew, her trainers, would ignore the danger of drowning and buck while twisting to throw her off. She was banking on this guy not being as good under pressure.
He continued to thrash. She pulled on his wrist, forcing his elbow to bend. His arm worked up his back. Good news. She grabbed the other, gripping the edge of the bathtub near his head. He finally bucked, his butt coming up and throwing her forward.
Her head crashed against the edge. Fuckingow.
“Piece of shit…” she grumbled, struggling to get back into the right position. She was suddenly rethinking this whole strategy.
He twisted. His captured hand almost pulled free as his other hand pushed under him to lift his body into the air.
“Yes, exactly, that’s what I needed,” she grunted asshe pulled up both knees and rammed them into the center of his back.
His body met his hand on the bottom. That elbow bent, and she quickly grabbed it, putting all her effort into wrestling it back with the other.
“You…are not…making this…easy,” she groused as she shoved both hands as far up his back as she could get before wrapping the cord around his wrists and forearms and tying it off. Red bathwater sloshed and spilled over the sides. She still had about ten feet of cord dangling from the knot.
She pushed to standing and grabbed part of it, breathing heavily. The guy started to turn over, having gone without breath for a while now. The only thing on his mind would be getting air.
She set about tying his ankles as he turned, flapping his legs like a merman, since he couldn’t use his arms. Those tied together, she then roped up to his knees until the cord was all used up. That really oughta hold him.
By the time he got a sweet mouthful of air, he realized her switchblade was pressing against his balls.
Zorn glided farther into the room, liquid stealth. He lifted an eyebrow at the water drenching half her clothes.
“Yeah,” she panted tiredly. “That really could’ve gone better. I still don’t even know what kind of magic he has.”
“Wh-what do you want?” The man’s eyes werewild with fear upon seeing Zorn. He always stole the show.
“We have a few questions,” Daisy said, flicking her blade to get his attention.
He flinched, but his eyes didn’t leave Zorn.
Zorn leaned against the wall, content to watch.
“What sort of work does Randall do?” she asked.
“Special antiques, collector’s items, art. H-he acquires hard-to-find pieces that have a specific value to our customers.”
“Hestealshard-to-find pieces, you mean.”
The man’s eyes got cagey.
