She lifted her gaze and perhaps caught sight of the blade pressed to my head, because her jaw fell slack.
She regained her composure quickly. “Let Lysi go or your friend is dead, mister.”
“Mister?”said Nestor. He tried to turn his head, but Meela pushed the blade harder into his skin.
“She was in the Battle for Eriana Kwai,” said Spio. “She’s spent too much time around humans.”
A muscle in Meela’s jaw twitched.
“Ha,” said Thetis at my ear. “You’re the Eriana girl, aren’t you?”
“And?” she said.
“Thetis, just let her go,” said Nestor in a strangled voice.
Thetis tightened his hold on me. “We’ve got orders.”
“I don’t care. I’m not dying today.”
Thetis pressed his blade harder against my temple, the point sharp and stinging. I didn’t know it had broken through the thin flesh until I saw the ribbon of blood waving like seaweed in the water.
We were at an impasse, Meela’s arm around Nestor’s throat and Thetis’ arm around mine.
Spio looked back and forth between us, calculating.
“Nestor, we can turn them both over,” said Thetis.
“Hey,” said Spio. “What about me?”
We all looked at him.
“I tried just as hard to get the king to snuff it, you know,” said Spio. “I deserve to have a price on my head, too.”
Seizing the opportunity, I reached up and grabbed Thetis’ hair. With a roar, I pulled him over my shoulder and twisted out of his grip. Before he could retaliate, I punched him in the face. A cloud of blood burst from his nose.
Three more quick punches and he went limp.
I disentangled myself from the ropes.Finally.My skin burned where the ropes had been rubbing all day. When I looked up, Meela and Spio were staring.
Nestor made a choking sound. Meela eased off the blade, which she’d been driving into his chin.
“All right!” he blurted. “Go. I won’t say a thing.”
I must have been a terrifying sight. The pressure in my eyes and the ache from my fangs cutting into my lips reached a peak. I was stained hair to tail in blood, most of it not mine.
It dawned on me where the bag of guts had come from. Of course. I should have known Spio was behind that ridiculous plan.
“I have a family,” said Nestor. “Please. I’ll stay quiet.”
I tried to decide if he was a liar, a coward, or if he was possibly on our side.
Meela and Spio looked to me.
“We need information,” I said, voice flat. “What do you know about Adaro?”
Nestor swallowed. His chin was bleeding. “He’s been attacking human settlements along the coast.”
“We know. Do better.”
