They saw moreLeviathosiin the noisy plaza, coarse men shouting at one another over heavy crates or sacks of supplies.Kai’s mood darkened, a whiplash change; his eyes darted as he and River skirted past market stalls and throngs of people, doubtless searching for Nalu, for any hint of another fight.
“Breathe,” River commanded quietly.
“Iambreathing.”
“Well, do it slower.You’re fine.You’re alive.”He glimpsed a faint movement, found Kai silently counting his fingers.“And you’re awake.”
Kai buried his hands in his pockets.“I got a couple hours last night,” he mumbled.“Better than most.Guess that passionflower shit’s finally doing something.”
River jutted his chin.“Then you’ll be wide awake if Nalu does blow a fuse again.And you’ll jump in and save the day and you won’t owe me anymore.”
His smile was wan, more candid than usual.“And not a moment too soon.My bones creak under the burden of our debt-induced friendship.”
They spotted Hilo staring up at an old altar to Menon in a shaded corner of the plaza, a palm-sized sketchbook in hand.He no longer wore the fine embroidered shirt River remembered him in when he saw him last, but now dressed like he’d taken a short break from his work to come here, thick coveralls knotted around his waist and a worn shirt smudged with paint.When he saw his brother, Hilo slipped a pencil stub into the messy bun at the back of his head and pocketed the sketchbook.
“The hell’d you do to your ear?”he asked Kai by way of greeting.
Kai shrugged, calmer now with Nalu nowhere in sight.“Ask Nalu.It’s why I have my bodyguard with me.Say hi, River.”
“Hi, River,” River said.
Hilo scoffed and crossed his arms, his brown eyes sliding from River to Kai and back again.While he shared Kai’s colouring, the similarities ended there: Hilo had to be half a foot taller than his brother, limbs gangly and rough-hewn, his features blunt.The smirk was the same, however, as was the sly, curious tone: “Bodyguard, huh?Since when d’you need one of them?”
“Since Kai decided the best way to win a fight was to stand there and take a hit,” River said matter-of-factly.
“Ididwin.”
“Lina and I won it for you.”
Hilo laughed and said to Kai in the gods’ tongue, “I like him.But mind yourself, he looks like he’d return whatever bullshit you give him threefold.”
Kai reddened and emitted a nervous laugh.“He can speak the gods’ tongue, you lanky bitch.”
A pair of Leviathos henchmen shouldered past, a long crate balanced between them; its back corner knocked into the altar, scratching it and sending a spray of old plaster and mother-of-pearl flakes snowing to the ground.
“Careful, you wankers!”Hilo shouted after them.He knelt, inspected the mark.“Pricks.Couple of pretty words from Archpriest Saros and suddenly Nalu’s bending over backwards lugging shit up to Caelos and breakingmynice things.”
Kai drew a line through the dusting of plaster with his boot.“Changed his tune, has he?”
Hilo stood and brushed out his clothes.“You’d think them boxes were filled with snow with the way he’s looking after them.It’s just furniture and books and junk Saros wants stored in his new quarters at Caelos.”
River frowned.“New quarters?”
“Hey, speaking of snow,” Kai said, but Hilo punched him in the arm.
“I’m cutting you off of that shit,” he snapped.Then, to River, “Holiday home or something, I dunno, he wants a suite for himself overlooking Lodestone.I’m only here today to show him some window sketches.Something fancy, I was thinking of going all-out with the tracery, haven’t decided on lancet or full moon style – ”
“I can envision it now,” Kai said, yawning.
MoreLeviathosimarched through, followed by Nalu, his expression controlled.He nodded to Hilo but didn’t spare Kai and River a glance as he passed, and despite River supposedly being Kai’s bodyguard, it was Kai who moved, subtly, to stand between them.Maybe he was serious about repaying his supposed debt.
Hilo scowled once Nalu had disappeared into the market day crowd.“Real important man now, him.”He cracked his knuckles and pivoted, striding up the steps to the altarhouse.“Keep an eye on him from here,” he called behind him to Kai.“Don’t let him forget his chain of command,Warden.”
Kai followed, his mouth tight, and River waited for the smart comment, the unnecessary joke.
But for once, Kai said nothing.
River plinked away at his piano that afternoon, thinking about what Hilo had said, about the contemptuous sneer on Nalu’s face.About Saros, furnishing rooms for himself in Caelos.
