Desiderio shook his head. “That won’t work, either. Rylka told the guards to starve me to death. They won’t open my cell door again until it’s time to carry my body out.”
Astrid knew he was right. “I’ve got to show myself then,” she said. “A guard would definitely open the door if he saw me in here. Rylka’s probably promised a big reward to anyone who captures me. I’ll lure him in—”
“And I’ll attack,” Desiderio started to say, some spirit coming back into his eyes. “I’ll make it look like I’m still shackled—”
“—and grab him when he turns his back,” Astrid finished.
They sat down, tails tucked under them, and hastily sketched a diagram in the silt on the cell floor. Warriors both, they were trained to examine their strategies and look for any weaknesses.
“A lot can go wrong. It’s a risky plan,” Desiderio said when they’d finished.
“You have a better one?” Astrid asked.
Before he could answer, they heard the sound of tapping again. An hour had passed. The guard was back on his rounds.
“Ready?” Astrid whispered.
Desiderio nodded. He picked up the iron collar and closed it around his neck, wincing as he did. He threaded the padlock through the collar’s hasp, so it would look right to the guard, but didn’t close it. Then he lay facedown on the floor and became perfectly still.
Astrid took a deep breath. She arranged her face into an expression of fear. It wasn’t hard to do. The tap, when it came, nearly made her jump out of her skin.
“Prisoner 592, show yourself,” the guard droned, peering into the small window.
Astrid swam into view. “The prisoner’s dead. I killed him,” she said. “I’m Astrid Kolfinnsdottir. You’ve got to help me.”
THE GUARD HESITATED. Astrid could see indecision in his small, unintelligent eyes. He glanced down the corridor.
If he goes for backup, we’re done for, she thought. She and Desiderio could overpower one guard, but not several.
“I’ve got currensea on me,” she said, desperate to sway him. She dug in her backpack and pulled out a sharkskin pouch. “A hundred trocii. It’s yours.”
It was a lie—the pouch contained only a few trocii—but it worked. She could read the guard’s intentions on his face. He would take her money, and then he’d turn her over to Rylka and pocket whatever reward she’d offered, too.
The guard nodded at Desiderio. “How did you kill him?” he asked warily.
Astrid hadn’t anticipated that. She thought fast. “I stabbed him in the chest with a dagger,” she said.
“Hand it over.”
Astrid pulled her bone-handled dagger out of her satchel and pushed it through the bars in the door’s small window. The guard took it.
“Now the money.”
Astrid hadn’t seen that coming, either. He wasn’t going to help her. He was going to take her money, leave her in the cell, and fetch Rylka.
“No,” she said. “You open the door and get me out of here, then you get the money.”
“Don’t make me come in there or you’ll be sorry,” the guard threatened.
“We had a deal,” Astrid said.
“The deal is you give me the money. Or else,” the guard said, brandishing his club.
Astrid feigned fear. She backed away from the door to Desiderio’s cot. Come on…come on, she silently urged him. Everything depended on getting him inside the cell.
The guard jammed his key into the lock.
Astrid’s pulse quickened. “That’s it,” she said under her breath. “Keep coming, lumpsucker….”
He’d gotten her dagger off her. He believed Desiderio was dead. And he was greedy. With any luck, all those things would blind him to the fact that Desiderio’s chest was moving ever so slightly.
“Give me the money. Now,” the guard said, advancing on Astrid.
Before he even knew what had hit him, Des looped his chain around the guard’s neck and pulled it tight. The guard thrashed his tail. His face turned bright red as he gasped for water.
“Stop struggling or I’ll choke the life out of you,” Desiderio said.
The guard kept fighting. He was bigger than Desiderio, but Des had better leverage. He pulled the chain tighter and the guard’s face deepened to blue.
“Stop,” Des ordered, and finally the guard gave up. “Hands behind your back.”
Working quickly, he unwound the chain, clapped the iron collar around the guard’s neck, and locked it. He used the laces from Astrid’s vest to bind the guard’s hands and the merman’s own belt to gag him.
“Let’s go,” he said to Astrid when he finished.
They hurried out of the cell. Des pulled the door closed behind them and locked it, then they sped to the far end of the corridor and the exit gate. They had to try several keys in the gate’s lock, but soon had it open. They swam through, locked it again, and raced up the tunnel.
“Where does this lead?” Des asked.
“I’m not sure. Back to the hospital, I hope,” Astrid replied.