“We cannot tell you, sire,” I said, again ignoring the widening of eyes around me.
I thought I saw Alric mouth my name.
“We cannot tell you until you promise us all quarter. Your highness.”
Hinnom drew himself close again, speaking down into my face, both hands now caressing my braid, tilting my head back. “And, Lady Edie, who will feed and clothe these women? How will they earn their shelter in my Shark’s Keep? Or even in my grand city of Pikestully? Will you whore yourselves out? We have many fine brothels. Will you scale my fish? Will you scrub my floors? Will you shine my boots? Will you warm my cold, cold bed, lovely Edie, with your round hips and splendid breasts?”
I swallowed the spit in my mouth and I answered him. “Whatever keeps us alive, your highness.All of usalive.”
He bellowed with laughter, falling away from me, his hand on his chest. “She is a treasure, Alric! Whether you were fooled by her priestess ruse or fell for her fair face, I do not care! Do not worry, priestess,” he said, turning towards me. “I am no plunderer. You will not be ravaged, not one of you.”
A thought that it was too late for Helena crossed my mind.
“However,” he continued, now approaching Alric. “You have failed me, Captain Procurer. A great failure, indeed. And it must be punished. Also,” and he paused and pointed a finger on either side of Alric, to Perch and to Thatcher. “Did your sergeants fall for this priestess ruse as well?”
“We did, sire,” answered an earnest Thatcher. Perch bowed his head.
Alric met Hinnom’s scouring stare head on, but his chin was dipped down with a show of regard for his king.
“I see.” Hinnom crossed his arms and turned back towards the steps leading up to the shark’s jaw, but he did not step up all the way to his throne. Now that he was somewhat higher than all assembled, he faced his audience, eyes roving over the room and began to speak. “You will be very busy, captain. I see the coming moons as a time of trial for you. Not only must you host Procurer trials to replace the loss of your man, which, if I’m not mistaken, you cut down yourself? Ha! I would love to watch you explain that to his family. Had he a wife?”
No one answered the king and I thought, they must know his moods, intuiting which questions were for a theatrical purpose and which begged answering.
The king continued. “Not only that but you must bear your sentence, my good man. And I hereby sentence you, captain.” Hinnom crossed his arms again, his former nonchalance replaced with a somber consideration. “Thus will be the punishment of Captain Alric Angler and his two sergeants. Alric, you will fund the citizenship, housing and clothing of these nine women. If it leaves you bereft, it leaves you bereft. I expect them all to be gainfully employed by day’s end tomorrow. Your two men will assist in this. We already know what this lady will do. She will train as an acolyte under Cian in the temple of Mother Earth. So that is one less thing for you to manage.”
“That is the height of grace, my king,” said Alric, his tone without emotion.
“I’m not finished,” said Hinnom, waving his pointer finger at the captain. “Your sergeants will each pick one of these women to wed this winter at the time of our sharks’ mating season. And you, Alric, will marry the Lady Edie on the morrow. And keep her as your lifelong bride, this holy temptress who lured you into her spurious temple.”
22. Rumors
We were ushered out of the throne room by guards and by Zinnia for whom Hinnom called. I refused to look at the captain or his Procurers and did not even consciously follow Zinnia and her women, not thinking of the turns in the keep’s corridors or where they led. We were again back in the long room that was a dormitory of sorts. Zinnia and her women said they would return shortly. I was sitting on a bed, my heart thudding in my chest, the women around me bursting into chatter, Mischa asking me why I had never said anything regarding earth magic, Catrin and Maureen exclaiming that I had to marry the Procurer captain, River telling her lover that the hall of the Shark King was spectacular whilst Quinn tried to shush her, Bronwyn and Eefa also upset by it all and wondering what their fates were.
“Quiet,” snapped Helena, pallid, her hand on her lower back.
They all fell silent and looked at her. She had not spoken out loud like that since before her attack in the mist.
Helena lowered herself to sit down next to me, her induced courses having made her start to shake. “Agnes help me, this paste is a hell on its own,” she sighed. She put her left hand on my right shoulder and leaned into my right ear and said, only for me, “you will do what you have to do to survive. And I know you can do it.”
“Thank you,” I whispered, turning my face towards her.
“You will be strong, Edie Finch,” she said, again, only for me. Then she turned her ashen face towards the rest of them. “Let Edie breathe. This is a shock for all of us. Now we know we are safe. Our deaths are no longer imminent.”
“You’re right,” said Mischa, Quinn and Catrin murmuring their agreement.
“What paste are you talking about?” asked Maureen.
There was a pause and then Helena looked up at her daughter. “To induce my courses. So I did not quicken with a babe. It will pass, girl.”
Maureen’s face crumpled and Mischa put her arms around her.
“So, you are magical though?” asked Catrin, eyes widened at me.
I opened my mouth to explain that I had no idea what the man named Cian meant when he said that, but Helena lifted her hand. “Catrin, we have to let Edie breathe. She is bearing a great burden for all of us.”
“How is marrying a man a burden?” challenged Eefa. “And we will all have kitchen work while she gets to lay about some temple.”
“That’s enough,” her grandmother warned.
