“Actually, I do have another question. Ipy is missing. You two haven’t seen her, have you?”
Rowan looked thoughtful. “I passed them this morning. They were all wearing swimsuits, so I gathered they were coming here.”
“They did, but Ipy left shortly thereafter and hasn’t been seen since. And the captain”—I shot a disparaging look toward the bridge—“insists that she’s just sleeping off a hangover. But that’s not like Ipy. She takes her guard duties very seriously.”
“We can have a look around,” Rowan said, getting to his feet.
We made it down to the main saloon on the floor below before one of the crewmen staggered into the room, a blanket-covered form in his arms. I didn’t have to see under the blanket to recognize what it was—a body.
“Oh, dear goddess, no,” I said, my stomach twisting around on itself. “No, not Ipy. Tell me that’s not Ipy!”
Another crewman followed with a second blanketed bundle, this one much smaller. Both men looked faintly green. “Get the captain,” the first one said to the second, who promptly put down his small bundle, ran to a wastebasket, and threw up violently and noisily.
“I don’t want to know what that is, do I?” I asked Rowan, tears making my throat hurt.
He glanced at the small bundle to which I was pointing and shook his head. “Go back to the cabin.”
I thought about arguing, but decided this was one time I wasn’t going to fight for equality in dealing with difficult situations.
I ran out of the room, almost mowing down May and Gilly as they were coming upstairs.
“Come with me, both of you,” I said quietly and, taking Gilly by the arm, steered her down to the cabin.
“What is it? Did you find Ipy? Is she ill?” Gilly asked when we closed the door behind us. My throat was still aching with the need to cry… not cry, scream. Rail. Wail and sob and generally grieve as loudly as I could. But I knew if I gave in, the others would as well. Control, that’s what was needed here. Compassion for the feeling of the priestesses, yes, but I had to remain in control to ensure Mrs. P was kept safe.
“Yes, we found her. Come along—I only want to do this once.”
May looked concerned, but said nothing as we entered Mrs. P’s room. Several of the ladies were lying on makeshift pallets on the floor, one or two reading, one playing on a tablet computer, and a couple with eyeshades on, clearly having a nap. Mrs. P was sitting with Bunefer, having an intricate henna tattoo applied to the back of her hand.
“Ladies—” My voice broke. I cleared it and tried again. “Ladies, I have some very bad news. Tragic news. Ipy has been… she’s passed away.”
“What?” Gilly screeched and grabbed my arm. “How can she? She’s like the rest of us—immortal. She can’t just die.”
I tried to forget that image of the smaller second bundle. “I think… I think someone did a grievous injury to her.”
Silence filled the room for a few seconds, then I was peppered with questions. What had happened? Where was Ipy now? How had she been killed?
Although I expected the questions, what I didn’t expect were the dry eyes and relative sense of calm.
“I…” I stopped and shook my head. “I don’t want to sound callous, or like I’m judging how you’re grieving, because I know from my husband’s death that everyone grieves differently, but aren’t you guys… upset?”
“Why should we be?” Mrs. P asked as Bunefer continued inking a fanciful pattern.
“Because one of your dear sisters just died,” I said, my hands on my hips. “Great Caesar’s balls, woman—one of your fellow priestesses is no more!”
“She’ll be back,” Mrs. P said, giving me pause.
“She will?”
May’s gaze was on nothing as she clearly thought through the situation. At last, her eyebrows rose, and she gave a little nod. “I see. She died in the Underworld.”
“Ahh,” I said, enlightenment dawning. “You mean she’s in the prefect place to be… reborn?”
“Most likely in spirit form, I’d imagine,” May said, glancing at Mrs. P, who nodded.
“She should be along shortly, full of fire for what happened,” Gilly said. “I can’t imagine who would be idiot enough to kill someone in the one place where death has no meaning. Not in that way.”
“Well, at least we’ll find out who did it to her,” I said, my mind thinking of that smaller bundle. I shuddered despite the relatively happy ending to the tragedy.
“Most likely so.”
May and I left shortly thereafter. May’s demeanor was slightly ruffled, and she murmured something about finding Gabriel and talking to him about the possibility of it being a demon attack. I decided to find Rowan and demand some solace when Mrs. P poked her head out of the bedroom and gestured toward me.