Chapter Eight
River
As usual, River heard Kai before he saw him.
“What,” Kai complained somewhere down a side passage in the altarhouse, “yous didn’t even clean up after yourselves?”
River stole behind a statue of Llyr, a bad habit he’d picked up from Ione.Still he remained, ears straining, the cold wall seeping into his back.Bad habit or no, one really could learn more from eavesdropping.
One of Kai’s brothers shoved him back a step, forcing him to walk behind them.“The ice’ll melt on its own.”
“And until then,” said the second brother, “it’ll serve as a fair warning to think twice before they cross us again.”
Their voices quieted, dissipating into the shadows further down the passage.His breath held, River slinked after them, keeping himself flat against the wall.
It was unnecessary – the Mahinas, corrupt as they were, were still allies – but something in the voices of Kai’s elder brothers unnerved him.Proximity and an abundance of empty threats had forced River to lower his guard around Kai: even at his meanest, Kai was no worse than a mangy dog, either craving attention or demanding to be left alone.
But Kai’s brothers screamed danger.
“You’ll’ve only pissed them off,” Kai groused, trailing after them.“They’re already after sending scouts to test the ward.I had to sweep a body out to sea just last week.”
River’s breath caught.Did Saros know this?Why had no one told him?
Etan and Nalu Mahina halted, and River ducked into a narrow alcove.When he peeked out, they had turned, and despite being around Kai’s height, they both seemed about seven feet tall as they stared their youngest brother down.
“Don’t you worry about the Moths,” one of them said – Etan, River gathered, from the captain’s brooch decorating his dark blue uniform.“We’ll handle them.”
“You keep playing house with the Artem brat,” Nalu added, pinching Kai’s cheek.“Let your brothers do all the hard work while you strive for the charmed life of a concubine.”
Kai jerked his head back.“Watch yourself, Nalu,” he warned.“Once the Warden of Oseidos and Menon Incarnate unite, you will find yourself suddenly bereft of allies.”
Nalu laughed.“Big words from our clan’s greatest failure.”
“Bereft isn’t that big of a word, Lulu.”
Etan clamped a hand over Nalu’s shoulder, murmured something, but Nalu shook him off.
“Does our Menon Incarnate know what you did?”Without warning he grabbed Kai’s ear, twisted it like he was a child.Kai didn’t so much as flinch.“Has She forgiven you your sins?”
Etan sighed.“Nalu, leave it.”
Kai bent, but his fists remained clenched at his sides.“We’re all murderers,” he muttered.“Not just me.”
A concentrated blast of magic pierced the air, powerful enough that River felt the chill of it all the way to his end of the hall.Nalu released Kai, chuckling when Kai staggered back a step, clasping the side of his head.
“That’s enough.”Etan gripped the collar of Nalu’s uniform and yanked him back.“Mam’ll be pissed if the pair of yous fight again.She’s still not over yous capsizing the Hydros.”He hauled Nalu away with him, both of them stalking shoulder-to-shoulder down the hall and through the door to the high priests’ wing.
Kai made no move to follow.Gradually he straightened, his hand falling from his ear; he stared after them, fury palpable as frost condensed and melted around his fists, waiting for the command to sharpen into blades.
It seemed unwise to approach, but curiosity won out and had River slinking out of his hiding place.Kai did not budge, even as River crept into his line of sight – and then Kai’s eyes were on him, wide with directionless rage.He reeled, one fist raised and brimming with razor-sharp icicles.
River froze, more startled than afraid, and Kai blinked, his arm dropping like lead.“Swords,” he managed, shaky.“Menon wept, don’t sneak up on me.”He let out a breath, a long, exhaustedwoosh, and forced out a nervous laugh.“Ione’s still got you following me around, huh?”
River clenched his jaw, his neck hot.But then Kai raked his hair back with another anaemic laugh, revealing the ear Nalu had grabbed, black and red with frostbite.
“Ah, that.Brinicle.Not sure who taught Nalu that wee trick.”Kai fingered his ear, wincing; a blackened piece of cartilage cracked at his touch, leaving a thumbprint-sized void.Kai held the chunk of cartilage on his palm, mute with shock, before he pivoted and hurled it down the hall.“Fucking hurt.You know, Etan’s always all,Be good, don’t fight, but then he goes and lets Nalu get in the first hit.What’s with that?”
River genuinely couldn’t think of a response for that, for any of it.
