He didn’t have much time left.Before Nalu could free himself, Kai withdrew his knife, gratified when Nalu’s eye locked onto it.
“I am the Warden of Oseidos,” Kai said, in a voice reserved for the lowliest, most insignificant scum.He had never used this voice before.He drew the knife against his palm and gritted his teeth at the sting, the heat of his own blood.
Nalu struggled harder, knowing from experience what Kai was going to do.
“Oseidos is mine.”Kai clamped his hand over Nalu’s mouth.“All who walk upon it are mine.”He gripped, prising Nalu’s jaw open and forcing his head back.Nalu sputtered, bit him, but the fear in his eye told Kai that he’d already drank enough blood for a binding ward to hold.
Kai sheathed his knife and drew the ward in the air before Nalu’s face, quick and messy, but more than enough to allow for one command.“The Moth, too, is mine.Mine to imprison, mine to deal with.”He stood back, his heart racing as the binding ward, invisible to all but him, locked into place around Nalu’s neck.
“You will not speak of this,” Kai told him.“Not in words nor writing.The Moth is mine, and you will not interfere.”
“That’s all?”Nalu huffed out a laugh, his mouth smeared with blood, although rage beyond measure smouldered in his eye.“You’re an idiot.”
Kai straightened to his full height, only an inch taller than Nalu, but his brother despised that inch.“I know, I’m sorry.It’s not as fun as when I made you dance.”He smirked, even as Nalu freed one arm.“But as long as it stops you from running and tugging on Etan’s apron strings – ”
Something cracked, and only after a lightning strike of pain did Kai realise it was his own face.
He awoke on his tiptoes, two great hands around his throat holding him upright.Above him, seagulls swooped, blurry shadows against the cloudy sky, their shrill calls ringing in his ears.
“You think I give a shit about your little ward?”Nalu tightened his grip.“Fat load of good it’ll do you once you’re dead.”He whistled suddenly, the high-pitched blare ricocheting in Kai’s brain.“Don’t you run, little bird!”Nalu shouted: “I’ll find you soon.”
Lina.Kai had forgotten about her.He let out a frail cough, tasting blood, coppery passionflower tea, a loosened tooth.His face tingled with the legs of a thousand silkworms marching just beneath his skin.He spasmed, desperate for breath, but there was no strength left in him to lift a hand, to summon anything.
He heard footsteps, sensed something right behind him.A glimmer of gold swerved around him; Lina, her eyes huge, a knife – his knife – braced against Nalu’s throat.
Nalu froze, his hold on Kai’s neck slackening just enough for him to suck in a breath and slur, hazy with pain, “Good boy, Lulu.Now shtep away or I’ll take out yer other eye.”
Lina blew out a frazzled sigh.“Shutup, Kai.”She dug the blade harder into Nalu’s throat, daring him to move.For a moment she looked like she didn’t know how she got here.“Let go,” she commanded.Then, ridiculously, “Please.”
Kai crashed to the ground.His chest heaved, drawing in blessed air, but his eyelids drooped, dizziness overcoming him.He lifted a tentative hand to his cheekbone, ran his fingertips against hot, swollen skin, and saw stars.
Nalu twisted out of Lina’s hold, roaring a curse when the knife sliced into his jaw.Water surged, but Lina fell back, raised her arms.A blast of fireless heat burst between them, evaporating every drop of water.
Nalu clicked his tongue, amused.“Where’s your fire now?”
Lina swallowed, mustered, “What fire?”
His brother let out a low, disbelieving laugh, his fists balling into bludgeons.
Kai forced himself, groaning against the shimmering pain behind his eye, onto his knees.Noticing him, Nalu changed tack, preparing to kick him – until another blur of colour, rich brown and seleneschal indigo, darted between them.
Nalu grinned, blood trickling down his neck.“You’d defend a traitor?”
River shrugged one shoulder, his sword arm perfectly still, the tip of his rapier pointed at Nalu’s throat.“Apparently.”
The rest was too quick for Kai to track.Nalu went white with rage and batted River’s sword out of the way, charging, but River was faster, sidestepping him and delivering a series of swift slices across Nalu’s arms and legs.Warning shots, each cut shallow but precise, causing just enough pain to stagger, just enough bleeding to distract.
Nalu swung his fists, water rising and freezing into knife-sharp chunks of ice; before Kai could deflect even one, each of them evaporated.
“Bitch,” Nalu howled, lunging for Lina’s neck, but River flew towards him, his sword thrust beneath Nalu’s chin.
He angled the blade, pressed, dared Nalu to move lest he cut his own throat.Finally Nalu, gasping for air and drenched with his own blood, held up both hands in surrender.
River pulled back a little, forcing Nalu to face him.“Lieutenant,” he said, his voice cold, “you sought refuge on Oseidos after what you did in Lodestone, only to repay our kindness by attacking Lady Ione’s attendant and brutalising Oseidos’s warden.”
Kai hauled himself up, dazed.The world swayed.“My precious face, broken!”he managed, still slurring.He blinked, trying to focus his cloudy vision, and registered that one of his eyes had swollen fully shut.“Gods, I hope nothing ter – terri – bad will happen to the ward!”
River didn’t even turn.“Shut up, Kai.”And to Nalu, “Will you see justice for the violence you’ve wrought upon Oseidos’s protector,” he asked, solemn, although Kai could sense his barely-concealed glee, “or will you leave us all in peace?”
