Lina barely had time to question her before Ione thrust open the shield in one long shaft, leading straight to the surface.A torrent gathered beneath their feet, shooting them both upward, towards the docks, the light of day, safe and solid land.
Closer, closer, closer –
Seawater surged, colder and heavier than she could have imagined; the shock of it pulled the air from her lungs, forcing her to gasp for a breath she couldn’t take.
Lina.Ione threw her arm up, used the last of her consciousness to propel Lina to safety.
If not both of us, then at least Lina.
Fingers grazed her arm, her wrist.Then fell away.
The sea roared.Her body moved of its own accord, plunging, flailing – and then she hit something hard and sun-warmed and she curled, heaving.An arm wrapped around her, propping her up; magic jolted through her and the rest of the water purged itself, saltwater stinging her throat and nose.
Shouts, the thudding of footsteps up and down the docks.Healer!,someone called,Get a healer!
Coughing, Ione opened her eyes, flinching to see Kai’s brother Hilo, his face wreathed with something between fear and fury and confusion.In moments Mikau materialised, eyes huge.“Deep breaths,” they said, laying a hand over her chest.The last remnants of water rattled in her lungs, coming out of her mouth in a burning sputter.
“Lina!”Ami, releasing a choking cry; Ione twisted to look at her, at the blur of crewmen watching from the end of the docks.“My gods, your face – ” Ami reached, but Lina caught her hand.
“I’m fine,” Lina said, inching back and pulling her hood over the sludge of makeup, half washed off, making her appear ghoulish.“It’ll heal.”
“Yourhand,” Ami said then, horrified.“What happened to your fingers?”
“Lady Ione,” Mikau hissed, wrenching Ione’s attention back to them.“Is it difficult to breathe?Does your chest hurt?Take another deep breath – ”
“The prodigal daughter returns.”Hilo again, crouching before them, his expression unamused.His gaze slid to Mikau.“Mind if we have a moment?”
“Absolutely not,” Mikau snapped.“Secondary drowning isextremely– ”
“Oi,pricks,” Hilo shouted behind them to the gaggle of crewmen vying for a good look.“Show’s over.Back to work.”He waited, impatience mounting, as the men dispersed.And then he pinched the bridge of his nose, looking momentarily so like Kai that Ione flinched.
“Arright,” Hilo tried again.“Healer, leave us.You, too, Red.”
Mikau did not budge, and in Ione’s periphery, Lina and Ami tensed.
Go, Ione thought.But what was better – to face Hilo, who knew who Lina was, alone?Or to let the others learn the truth, and hope against hope that their loyalty would lie with her?
“Fine,” he said, deciding for her.He sighed like this was all very taxing for him and motioned mutely to Lina, and then up at Caelos, and then back at Lina.“A-are you fucking insane?”he finally managed: “You brought a Moth here – you broughtthisMoth here?”
No one moved, nor spoke, aside from a tiny, questioning noise from Ami.
Ione heard Lina move, felt her sidle up beside her.Mikau, to their credit, released Ione, let her grasp Lina’s hands in both of hers.She sucked in a laborious breath, her lungs still on fire, but Hilo waved at her to shut up.
“Kai’s already a fucking wreck,” he groused, gesturing again at the shrine looming overhead.“What, you wanna dangle Sowelan in front of him, see what happens?D’you want him to blow his fucking gasket?Because this is how you get the wee bastard to blow his – ”
“Sowelan?”Ami lunged into her line of sight.“Since when?”
Lina lowered her face, shame reddening her cheeks.“Since recently.”
Ami’s shoulders slumped, it seemed, with relief.“I could forgive you for hiding being a Moth,” she said.“I couldn’t forgive you being a god and not even telling me.I’ve known you for almost a year.”
Lina glanced up at Ione, the corners of her mouth twitching.“I didn’t think you’d find it very interesting.”
Ami scoffed.“It’ssointeresting.Does this mean you can make the other Moths leave us alone?”
So they had Ami.Ione sent Mikau an imploring look – they were her healer for years, surely they’d help her – and with a long, pained sigh, Mikau rubbed their face.
“Do no harm,” they said, although their tone implied they wished they’d never taken that oath.
