55
ISLA
“What a welcome committee,” I say, looking from my Ice King, to Elio, to Sofiya, to Aodhan, Izolda, Vance, Mestyla, Lachlano.
“Do you mind staying with Mestyla while Lach flies me and Elio to Immy?” Vance asks me, his undereye circles rivaling the orbs that shine above them.
“Of course,” I say, standing with the help of Konstantin. “Get out of here already. And tell her how much she’s missed out on. She’ll positively hate it and regain consciousness much quicker.”
A tired smile tugs at his mouth. Lachlano’s lips, too, bend, but the frailty of his smile constricts my chest.
“Blasted bullets,” he mutters in Shabbin, throat rolling.
“Blasted bullets,” I repeat in Crow, as Konstantin dips his arm underneath my soiled jacket and curls it around my waist, crinkling the silk I intend to burn this very night.
“Blasted bullets,” Sofiya echoes in Nebban. New words she picked up from Elio?
In Lucin, Aodhan says, “Blastedfuckingbullets.”
Konstantin’s fingers caress my waist, a quiet smile tipping his lips as he uses Glacin to rasp, “Blasted bullets.”
“I feel a little left out,” Izolda says as Aodhan finally sets her on her feet.
“It’s the sort of club you want to be left out of,kohanosh.” He binds his arms around her waist.
“Blasteddaggers?” Mestyla contributes timidly.
Izolda startles at the unfamiliar voice, then peels herself off Aodhan and squints. “Mestyla?”
Her niece freezes.
Izolda rubs her eyes as though to rub her vision clean of confusion. “Is she…real?”
“Yes, Iz,” Konstantin murmurs. “Our niece is real, and a Serpent now.”
Mestyla slings her attention onto Vance, who’s still patiently waiting on Lachlano and Elio. The older Serpent must sense my poor friends need a minute, because he doesn’t rush them. He uses this minute to reassure his progeny that Izolda won’t hurt her.
“Never!” Izolda’s interjection is all breath.
When he finally departs with Elio and Lachlano, the railcar feels vast and forbidding.
“Any chance we can trial Ksenia elsewhere?” I ask.
“Yes. Let’s head back to the castle.” Izolda squints at the window. “Have we traveled very far from it?”
I think of all the dead bodies littering the halls. Has Konstantin seen them? When his fingers jerk, and his eyes snap to mine, I take it that he hasn’t—but he knows of them now.
I’ve only seen…He inhales deeply, heartache hoarsening his pitch.Salom’s.
I wind myself into his chest and press my cheek against the place where his talisman used to rest. “I’m so sorry.”
His heavy exhale plumes against my black locks, blowing away the clumps of soot tangled into them.
“Never thought I’d suggest this,” Sofiya says, “but any chance we could fly instead of ride the trolley of horrors?”
“I can carry two on my back and one in my talons,” Aodhan offers.
“I call your back!” Sofiya says, bounding off the bed before dropping right back onto the mattress. “Ugh.”
