Hatred flooded her, as comforting as her own heartbeat.“Where is she?”
Saros laughed, nearing a step, his movements casual.Behind him, the middle carriage’s door flew open again, slamming against the side.
“Saros.”Kai leapt out, wearing a cloak the colour of moonlight.After him, River, Hilo, and Etan stepped down onto the road.“Not a finger.”
Saros flitted aside with a gentlemanly bow.“You think I’d harm one of my own?”
“I don’t think it,” Kai said, shooting him a look as he muscled past him.“I know it.Now get back inside and stop fucking around.”
Another hearty laugh.“Who’s commanding who?”
“Ineen, for gods’ sakes.”Kai took her arms, his face pale and jaw tight.He sighed, not bothering to ask what she was doing here, and hauled her into a hug.
She felt River’s hand on her back, heard Mikau and Cynthia emerge from anothercarriage, their worried admonishments washing over her.Ione disentangled herself from Kai’s grasp and stared up at him, gripping the sleeves of his coat.“Where is she?”
Kai’s lips pursed.River lowered his eyes, and the other seleneschals shifted, their silence telling.
Her blood ran cold.“Kai, you didn’t – ”
“Good gods, don’t keep her in suspense,” Saros chided him.“Come on out,” he called behind him to the carriages.“Here is far enough.”
Ione’s arms slackened, falling from Kai’s as a team of soldiers and spellcasters filed out from the remaining carriages, swords and ice daggers gleaming in the light as they formed a half-circle around Ione and the others.
And finally, one last pair emerged: Lina, her head high and cloak ripped, and Nalu, one hand pinning Lina’s arms behind her and the other holding a knife to her neck.
Not one person spoke as Nalu walked Lina up to the front, keeping a wide berth from Kai, who had gone very still.
“It is a gamble, keeping the two of them so near,” Saros said mildly.“But I’m a gambler, it seems.”He folded his hands behind his back.“When a god crosses your path, naturally you wouldn’t waste the opportunity.Oh, Malia!”
A woman in a black cloak wove her way through the spellcasters, not lowering herself to look at any of them as she came to stand behind Kai.
“Thank you for gracing us with your presence, although I’m sorry to see you’re still looking so glum.”Saros lifted his arms.“This is it!”he cried: “The end of our struggles, the birth of a new era.A new world, ushered in by your son.”He reached for her hand, seeming perfectly unbothered when she did not take it.
“Cheer up, Mam.”Nalu’s knife glinted as he angled it, forcing Lina to tilt her head back.“You always wanted this kind of glory.And there’s a lot of money in running the new world.”
Malia’s head snapped towards him.“If you think I want you to hold a knife to an innocent girl’s throat, then I have sorely failed you as a mother.”
Ione let them talk, the sound of Saros’s responding laughter grating on her as she edged closer to Lina and Nalu.Kai cast for her, but she whipped her arm back and slipped through the others.
“Don’t do anything hasty,” Nalu said genially as she approached.He jutted his chin and a row of ice spears burst out from the ground between them.
“Nalu,” she heard Kai caution, although he couldn’t get any closer to Lina without risking both of them losing control.
Ione melted the ice without a second thought.“You’re the one who should be worried,” she said, warmed when she heard Cynthia follow her.“You’re threatening a god.”
“Pointlessly, too,” Lina added, smiling as she gazed straight ahead.“I arrived of my own accord and intend to be very good.”
Nalu scoffed.“You think I’m stupid?”
“I didn’t saythat.”
Ione couldn’t help but smile.As hopeless as this all felt, that was Lina.
He pressed the knife into her neck, his mouth twisting into an ugly grin – until he nicked her skin, bringing about a flash of Sowelan’s healing magic bright enough to make him flinch.
“Careful,” Ione said, her heart lifting when Lina smiled.“You’ll incite Sowelan’s wrath.”
“And He has been very moody today,” Lina rejoined – and Nalu dug the knife harder against Lina’s skin, making her stifle a gasp.
