I snorted. “That would be fitting if the goal was to frighten every sailor in Marseille and half the Mediterranean.”
He grinned, then tossed it aside and reached for something darker, more severe. “Come. Let’s not linger too long.”
Still, it was impossible not to be swept away a little. I ran my fingers over velvet capes, flowing skirts, and coats with pearl buttons. Something about it made me dizzy with sudden freedom.
We tried on the absurd things at first. Emrys emerged from behind a curtain, wearing a red cravat and a waistcoat that was two sizes too small. “What do you think?”
“Like a rakish opera villain,” I said. “Needs some eyeliner.”
I found a glittering gold turban and struck a pose. “The Duchess of Cairo.”
He adjusted the diamond necklace I’d taken from Duskmere Manor, his fingers brushing my neck. I stiffened, but he playfully gave a half-bow. “Charmed, Your Grace.”
In the end, I chose a sleek traveling dress in forest green paired with a long gray cloak lined with satin. Sturdy but comfortable boots. Emrys found a coat that made him look like a disgraced nobleman in exile—black, high-collared, with silver embroidery over the sleeves.
“Very brooding,” I said. “Ten out of ten.”
He looked in the mirror, adjusted the collar, and then muttered, “I’ll send them gold later.”
I raised a brow. “You’re sending money? What happened to good old-fashioned thievery?”
“I may be many things, Miss Daphne,” he said and brushed lint from his sleeve, “but I’m not a common thief. That’s your area of expertise.”
I shrugged. “Says the man who just looted a three-piece suit.” His smile was so disarming I was sure the shop owner would let him keep the clothes for free. “Come on, little thief. Time to go. Dawn will break soon.”
We snuck out the same way we came in. Sweet baby Jesus, how much more comfortable this dress was. A shape fluttered from the night sky above. I jumped back, instinct kicking in.
“About time,” said a familiar, smug little voice.
“Good that you found us, Nibble.” Emrys stretched his arm. The bat landed on it with a sound resembling a purr. “Were you safe?”
I walked to them and scratched Nibble behind the ears. It was so good to see someone who didn’t want to kill you on sight. Nibble’s fur was silky soft, and he made that heart-melting sound again.
He spread his wings dramatically and winked at me. “I know my way across the realms. That’s why they call me Shadow! But they’re everywhere. Some of them heading this way, too.”
Emrys frowned. “The Renegade?”
“Yes.”
I looked around; the dark street corners suddenly seemed alive, as if countless malevolent eyes peered at us from the gloom.
“I guess your ritual was unsuccessful,” Nibble said.
“We were overrun. Twisted Ones walk among us.”
“Then you should be very cautious, Master.” I never knew a furry face could express concern, but there it was.
Emrys looked at the sky, where the stars were already fading. “Listen to me carefully, Nibble. You can find your way across. Find Camille. Tell her to meet us in Cairo. We’ll repeat the ritual in Egypt. The next Surge is at the pyramids.” His voice turned low, urgent.
My stomach clenched with dread. “Excuse me?” Stepping closer, I waved a hand in front of his face. “Egypt?” I repeated.
It all came back. The screams of my mother, then those terrible bubbles. The rush of water over my head. My father’s hand slipping from mine. “No. No, I’m not doing that again.”
I’m not getting on a ship again. Not when I saw what—who—was waiting for me in the depths.
“Ooh–ooh,” Nibble exclaimed, and I suddenly got the desire to growl at him.
Emrys looked at me, his dark brows locked. “If you want your freedom, Daphne, this is the way to go. The next Surge is in two weeks, at the pyramids. It’s our only chance.”
