Eira held her hand over her mouth, holding her breath, waiting for them to pass. Wiping away blood from her split lips and praying to the Mother, Yargen, whatever god or goddess might be listening against all odds that the Pillars simply…moved on. Eventually, the voices faded, and everything was still.
“Good thinking back there.” Even underground, Ducot still kept his voice down. They were taking no chances of something echoing back to the house at the other end of the tunnel.
“I do what I can.” Eira pushed herself off the ground. It was harder to stand than before. Even though the Lightspinning had helped mend her flesh, it couldn’t cure exhaustion and she was fading fast.
“Impressive that you’re still useful without magic.” Ducot began climbing the ladder.
The words stung, but they were true. She had no magic, and as hard as that was to accept, she had to, otherwise she’d putherself in dangerous situations expecting her powers to help her get out of them. Eira forced the thoughts away, for now, and rummaged through the bag that she thankfully hadn’t lost to produce one of Cullen’s shirts and her cloak as Ducot created the tunnel cover once more with a pulse of magic.
“Elegant design…” he murmured. “Down to it being easy to shift.”
“Alyss is pretty incredible,” Eira agreed as he pushed aside the opening and scrambled up. She tossed up the shirt before climbing behind him. “I know you’re bigger than Cullen, but it’s better than nothing.”
“They’re going to be looking for us.” He readily accepted the clothing.
“Do you think they’ve found Adela?” Eira half hoped they had. Delicious thoughts of the pirate queen ending the Pillars then and there filled her.
“For our sakes, let’s hope not.” Ducot pushed the stone disk back into place.
“Our sakes?”
“If she senses trouble, or anyone knowing she’s here, she’ll flee.”
“Some mighty pirate queen,” Eira mumbled.
“I don’t know what scared her away from Meru, but it was something significant,” he said with a note of severity. “And anything that scares Adela is worth heeding.”
“Could it be Ulvarth and the Pillars?”
Ducot shook his head. “Ulvarth was around in my childhood and she had no problem pillaging Meru’s coastline then.”
“Do you have any idea what it might have been?” The mystery of something scaring Adela that much intrigued her. If it wasn’t Ulvarth himself, perhaps it was something, or someone, they could use against him.
He shook his head. “But I do know it’s not important right now.”
“Agreed, we should keep moving.” Eira held out her hand. “Want me to lead?”
“Thanks for the offer, but I’m fine for now. I’ll take it if I need to.” Ducot motioned for her to carry on.
“Right.” Eira started out of the alleyway.
They didn’t speak a word the entire way back. The docks were quieter than the last time they’d passed through. But Ducot still took her hand when the smoke got thick. The few people out looked more like looters than Pillars. Still, Eira took a few winding back alleyways after the docks, trying to make sure no one was following them. Once or twice, she thought she saw movement out of the corners of her eyes. But it ended up as nothing.
She breathed a sigh of relief that still tasted like a campfire the moment she saw Fen. Eira never thought one of Adela’s pirates could be so comforting by presence alone. But when the alternative was the Pillars, she’d take the pirates.
“I’ll have you both know, I waited an extra”—Fen checked his pocket watch—“ten minutes.”
“Does your generosity know no bounds?” Ducot asked, panting softly from their speedy trek out of town.
“Only when it comes to you.” Fen patted Ducot on the cheek and Ducot waved the other man’s hand away. “Right, then, you have them?”
“I do.” Eira shifted the bag still on her shoulder.
“And then some, it looks like.” Fen had a hungry gleam to his eyes that made Eira keenly aware that Western rubies the size of coins were on her person.
“Nothing for you to be concerned with,” Eira said coolly. “Now let’s go, we don’t want to keep Adela waiting.”
“Oh, Adela?” Fen repeated. “I thought those from Oparium still didn’t say her name for fear of hercurse.” The way he emphasized the word showed just how ridiculous he found the notion.
