Eira passed up the opportunity to further inflate the pirate’s ego, instead asking, “What do you need us to do about the gate?”
“Open it,” she said casually.
“It’s already open,” Yonlin pointed out.
“Your powers of observation are truly astounding.” Adela began to walk again. “Best not to delay.” She held up three fingers, not looking back. “Three.”
“Delay what?” Eira exchanged a confused glance with Olivin.
“Two.” Adela lowered a finger.
“Adela—”
“One.” As Adela’s hand lowered, so, too, did the gate. It came crashing down with a thunderous splash that seemed to rattle the whole city. Adela glanced over her shoulder. “You three had better hurry. If the boat makes it to that gate before you do, then everyone on it is going to be stuck in the river—easy pickings for the Pillars and guards.”
15
The scene of what was to come played out in Eira’s mind in conjunction with everything that was unfolding in the city around her.
The ship her friends were on was swiftly moving down the river, toward the closed gate. If the gate wasn’t opened, they’d be forced to make a hard stop right underneath that towering archway where guards and Pillars could rain destruction down on Eira’s friends. There weren’t any docking points positioned that close to the gate—just high walls. Docking would be just as risky. And the ship wasn’t letting up any speed. There was nothing but faith that Adela would see to it that they had a way out.
There were no other options.
Olivin and Yonlin rushed around her. They exchanged words between each other, plotting their tactics and approach. But it was just noise. She stared up at the pirate queen, glaring.
“You don’t care about anyone but yourself, do you?” Eira looked Adela dead in the eyes. “You didn’t have any intentions of keeping my friends safe. You were just holding on to them because Cullen could make the boat launch from a dead stop. Because Noelle is a good combatant and Alyss can repair thevessel.” Eira thrust her hand in the direction Olivin and Yonlin had sped off in. “You didn’t care about helping me save them; you wanted to separate me from my friends because youknewthat if I was with you, if they saw me trusting you, then they would help your crew without question.”
A slow, evil smile worked its way across Adela’s lips. It split her face, the expression allowing the woman’s true nature to shine in the lamplight as the rain soaked them both.
“Loyalty is a heavy burden, Eira.”
A chill stole her breath, one that had nothing to do with magic. Eira’s whole body was numb.
“I’ve been a tool for you, haven’t I?” she whispered. “This whole time, I was a tool to help you figure out magic. A tool to hold my friends as leverage so we could do your dirty work for you…that way your hands could stay clean here on Meru. You’re not the one attacking the gate, we are. You’re not the one who’s commanding a swift departure from the Pillars, I am.”
“Very astute, Eira.” Adela tilted her head slightly to the side. “Now what will you do with this information? Choose quickly. Your friends’ lives are in the balance.”
Eira had no doubt now that there was some kind of signal Adela could send that would cause her crew to kill her friends where they stood. They’d never suspect it. Perhaps Ducot was in on it…perhaps not. Either way, they were outnumbered.
“Fine.” Eira took a step closer to the woman. Anger was lubricating her joints; hot rage fought against the cold horror that had tried to consume her. “But once we are in the ocean, no more stalling. You return my magic to me.”
“We’ll see.”
“Swear to me.”
“And what is my word worth?” Adela held out her hands with a shrug. “Trust me or don’t. Help your friends or don’t. It matters little to me. I know I’m not dying tonight.”
Eira wanted to scream. She had known from the start that tangling with Adela was a dangerous game. But they hadn’t had any other choice. The draw of the mystery of her parentage aside, there was her magic. And even if Eira could let that all that go…even if she could consign herself to being a Commons for the rest of her days…it was safer with Adela than out in Meru for them. The Pillars had already tracked them this far. If they’d been on foot, they probably would’ve already been dead.
“You might be wicked, but you’re at least a wickedness I know,” Eira said more to herself than Adela. She turned. But before Eira could sprint after Olivin and Yonlin—already lost to the night and the pounding rain—a frosty hand encircled her wrist. She twisted, meeting Adela’s cruel, familiar eyes.
“I will see your magic returned,” Adela vowed.
“More empty lies,” Eira shot back, even though the words echoed with unexpected sincerity.
“No.” Adela slowly shook her head. “You possess a gift, girl. A might that could make the world tremble if you learned how to wield it. It would be a shame to see talent like that go to waste. I will teach you, or kill you, that I swear.”
Eira’s heart pounded louder than the rain. Louder than the rising shouts and screams coming from the river and from the direction Olivin and Yonlin had run off in. Everything seemed still, suspended.
