*
Winter wasn’t sure what to expect when Sothe led them to the harbor. Experience told her that things rarely worked out quite so conveniently, but if they were walking into a trap, she couldn’t figure out why. Sothe was an expert assassin, as Winter could personally attest. If she wanted to kill me, walking up and announcing herself doesn’t seem like the right way to do it. And, as best as Winter had been able to tell, Sothe was utterly devoted to Raesinia.
Unless she’s been taken by the Beast. But this close, she ought to be able to sense if Sothe was a red-?eye. Infernivore was uneasy, but no more than usual in the company of Alex and Abraham. Just to be certain, she caught Alex’s eye, indicating Sothe. Alex raised an eyebrow and then, understanding, shook her head.
The harbor was mobbed, a press of humanity that set Winter’s teeth on edge. Fishermen had set up shop along the waterfront, dumping loads of still-?flopping fish in the mud and accepting shouted bids. Armed guards stood alongside them, bearing swords and cudgels. More guards maintained a strip of clear space in front of the stone piers where the smaller ships were docked. Sailors worked, loading or unloading cargo, deaf to the shouted pleas from the refugees who crammed as close as they dared. We’re not the only ones who want a way out of here.
Out in the bay, larger ships were anchored, and small boats were rowed back and forth. From here, Winter could see the tip of the chain of barrier islands, where the largest of the desolate rocks had been converted into a stone-?walled fortress. Murnskai flags flew above its walls, and from the mast of the warship lying at anchor just below it. She wondered what sort of reception Dobraev had gotten when he reported to the commander.
Sothe slipped easily through the press, never shoving but hardly slowed at all, and Winter had to work hard to keep up. They seemed to be headed to the end of the row of smaller vessels, where a sleek, two-?masted ship was being watched by a particularly unfriendly set of thugs. Looking at it, Winter felt something shift at the back of her mind, a slight change in Infernivore’s attention. She grabbed Alex and pointed. Alex paused for a moment, eyes narrowing. Then she nodded grimly.
After a few more minutes of difficult progress, Winter pushed free of the last rank of refugees, emerging onto the muddy strip of ground the thugs guarded so jealously. Sothe stood between two of the men, speaking quietly and pointing to Winter and the others, and the guards raised no objection as Winter came forward. Alex was a step behind her, and had one hand on Abraham’s shoulder.
“This is your ship?” Winter said.
“This is the Swallow,” Sothe said. “Captain Kerrak... owes me a favor.”
“You trust him?”
Sothe cocked her head, considering. “Let’s say that I trust him to know where his interests lie.”
“And they lie in taking us to Vordan?”
“If I tell him they do, yes.” Her smile was disturbingly predatory.
Winter stepped forward, away from the line of guards, and lowered her voice. “And are you aware that you have a demon aboard?” This close, it was unmistakable.
“Of course,” Sothe said blandly. “How do you think I knew where to find you?”
Winter gave her a blank look, then glanced back at her companions.
“I think,” she said carefully, “that you had better explain.”
*
The Swallow was long and narrow, with smooth, clean lines. Winter, who knew nothing about ships, got the impression of speed and power, and the crew worked with practiced efficiency. Sothe led them across the deck, which was littered with boxes, ropes, and nautical paraphernalia, and through a narrow doorway into a cabin at the rear of the ship. It held a large table, bolted to the floor, a couple of locked cabinets, and a few chairs. A round window gave a view of the bay.
“We’re taking on fresh supplies,” Sothe said. “But the captain assures me we’ll be ready to sail by the evening tide.”
“Is it true that the Borelgai navy is stopping Murnskai shipping?” Alex said. “Will we be able to get through?”
“I’m not sure,” Sothe said. “But it shouldn’t be a problem. Swallow has a Borelgai flag and papers if we need them. And, if it comes to it, I don’t think any warship could catch us.”
“The demon,” Winter said. “And what you’re doing here.”
“Of course,” Sothe said. “Wait here for a moment. I’ll get her.”
She slipped out through the narrow door. Winter looked at her companions.
“I don’t need to say that this feels suspicious, do I?” Abraham said.
“She’s not a red-?eye,” Alex said. “And neither is the demon here, I think. It doesn’t feel the same as the Beast.”
“If this is a trap,” Winter said, “it’s a very strange one. The Beast wants to kill me, so why lure us all the way here?” She hesitated, then added, “Sothe is an assassin, and a damned good one. If she wanted us dead, she’s chosen a very roundabout method.”
“Just because she’s not working for the Beast doesn’t mean she’s on our side,” Abraham said. “Be careful.”
Alex flexed her fingers ostentatiously, and Winter nodded.
“If it comes to that,” she whispered, “I’ll take the demon. Don’t take your eyes off Sothe.”
She straightened at the sound of footsteps in the hall. Sothe reappeared, followed by a slender young woman in a long gray robe. She was thin to the point of illness, sallow and hollow-?cheeked, with dark hair cut boyishly short. A fading bruise colored one side of her face an ugly yellow-?green. Old knife scars surrounded her eyes, and her eyelids hung slack over empty sockets. Sothe held her wrist and guided her forward until her outstretched hand found the back of a chair.
“This is Ennika,” Sothe said, shutting the door behind them. “She’s a Penitent Damned.”
Winter tensed. Deep in her mind, Infernivore thrashed and strained. But this sick-?looking blind girl was a far cry from the masked killers of the Church she’d faced before, and she forced the demon down. “I assume she’s not dangerous?”
“I’m not dangerous,” Ennika said in fluent Murnskai. “I’m broken. Useless.” She felt her way around the chair and sat down. Winter did likewise, and the others followed suit. Sothe patted Ennika’s shoulder gently as she went by.
“I’m going to assume,” Sothe said, “that you don’t have much information about what happened to the army after you left.”
Winter shook her head. “I know there was some kind of peace, and then Janus declared himself emperor, but that’s about it.”
“The full story will have to wait for another time,” Sothe said. “Suffice to say, we came to an accommodation with the Borelgai after the weather forced us to retreat. Certain elements in the Borelgai camp were unhappy about this, most especially Duke Orlanko.”