“A lie, boy. No ship takes a week to reach our shores from Merroutas.”
Sergio’s more reasonable voice now sounds out. “We docked in Dumor first, to drop off some cargo,” he says.
“I see no Dumorian stamps on your ship. You left Merroutas recently, I wager. Well, some new laws have come into effect here in Campagnia. The Inquisition deems all arriving ships subject to search. Malfettos from other countries are no longer allowed in this city, you see.” He pauses for a moment, as if to peer closer at Magiano. His eyes must not be slitted, because the soldier steps back again. “So if anyone in your crew is a malfetto, I recommend you tell us now.”
“We have none that I can think of, sir.”
“And you wouldn’t happen to have any stowaways?”
“You’re welcome to search,” Magiano pipes up. “Malfettos—a pile of trouble, aren’t they? I still count us lucky that we’d already left Merroutas by the time the incidents down at their pier happened. You heard about that by now, haven’t you?”
I glance at Violetta in the darkness. She stares back. Her mouth puckers into a word. Ready?
Slowly, I weave a web of invisibility across us, changing us into the slants of light on an empty closet floor, the dark grooves of an empty closet’s walls. The voices and footsteps draw steadily closer, until they sound like they’re right on top of us. I peer at the grating through the darkness.
The bottom of a boot suddenly appears over it, then another. They’re directly overhead now. I hold my breath.
“Anyone else on board this ship?” the Inquisitor asks. He’s turned toward who I assume must be Sergio. “Is the entire crew here?”
“All accounted for, sir,” Sergio replies. “Supplies are on the lowest deck.”
More muttering between the soldiers. I stiffen as footsteps now sound out from our deck. Moments later, the door to the dark supply room opens, and someone approaches our closet. I tighten our invisibility illusion. The door flies open.
An Inquisitor squints straight at us. Through us. He looks bored. One of his hands taps restlessly against the hilt of his sword. Violetta’s hand shakes harder, but she doesn’t make a sound.
He peers through us and around the closet for a moment before leaving the door ajar and wandering around to search the rest of the room. His cloak billows past us. I continue to hold my breath. If he tries to step inside this closet after the rest of his search, and he bumps into our bodies, I will have to kill him.
Above us, Magiano’s voice pipes up again. “You’re searching the wrong ship,” he says. His tone has changed from lighthearted innocence to something ominous. “How do I know this?” He digs around in his pocket for a moment before pulling something out and holding it up to the light. Even from down here, I can see the object glinting. It is the pin he stole from the Night King. “Do you see the crest engraved on the side of this beauty? This is the Night King’s very own emblem. We are a crew of his protected fleet from Merroutas, and none are more aggrieved than us by news of his death. But even in death, he is a wealthier and more powerful man than any of you could ever hope to be. If you dare kill one of our crew, just in the futile hopes of finding a fugitive that’s probably making his way as far from Kenettra as possible, I can guarantee you that you will be answering to your Lead Inquisitor and your queen.”
A taunting note enters Magiano’s voice. “After all, think for a moment, if your mind is capable of that. Why would a fugitive who fled Kenettra hide on board a ship that’s now trying to dock back in Kenettra?” He holds his arms out in an exaggerated shrug.
I can’t help feeling a certain gratitude to Magiano for defending us like this. He could have turned us in for a good price. I shake my head. He’s not doing it for you. He’s doing it for himself, for money and survival. Not for you.
For an instant, I think that the Inquisitors will take Magiano’s words to heart. My stare stays on the Inquisitor studying our hiding spot.
Then Sergio’s boots shuffle across the grating. I look up, hoping my illusion doesn’t waver. One of the other soldiers has grabbed Sergio around the neck and pressed a knife to his waist. In a flash, Sergio slips out of the grip and whips out a blade of his own. From down here, I can see the edge flashing in the light. The other Inquisitors draw their weapons. Magiano lets out a groan and an incoherent curse as he takes out a dagger too, and together, they stand off against the Inquisitors.