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“Would you like to come in, Nadia?”
I jolt a little. I thought the voice outside the room sounded familiar, but I hadn’t realized it was Nadia. It seems too big a coincidence, but what do I know? Maybe her job is delivering food to patrons who stay overnight.
Maura steps back just enough to allow the other woman in but uses her body to block my sight through the open door.
And to block anyone from seeing me.
Nadia walks to the small table tucked against a side wall, seemingly unconcerned with the fact she’s presented Maura with her back and Maura is touching her sword in a clear threat. She sets the tray down and turns to face us. “Well, this is a right mess.”
“Speak fast, or I’ll slit your throat.”
“Maura.”
Nadia raises her brows. “You’d never make it off the island alive. Eloise is protective of her people.”
I shiver. “Maura, that’s enough. I know we’re in a bad spot, but that doesn’t change the fact there’s no way the…” I pause. I’m not one to cleave to superstitious fears, but it seems a bad idea to name the group hunting me. “He can’t know what I look like. We walk out the front door and keep walking.”
“It’s a gamble, and I won’t gamble with your life. There are portraits of you all over that castle, and if the old bastard hunter knows who stole from him, it’s easy enough to pass along one of those with the news of the theft. That’s not even getting into magical means of tracking.” Maura shakes her head sharply. “We’re leaving, but we’re doing it stealthily.”
Nadia props her hands on her hips. “I have a suggestion.”
“More like a trap,” Maura snaps.
I swallow my frustration. Maura is only trying to protect me, and I very much do not want to die. I can’t pretend I’ve been in many situations where my life was at risk. There were the assassination attempts a few months back, but my father took care of those and then removed me as heir. After that, I wasn’t worth enough to murder. They left their mark, though. I don’t sleep nearly as deeply as I used to.
Nadia seems entirely unaffected by Maura’s animosity. “If Eloise wanted to hand you over, she would have done it while you were distracted downstairs. You’d be a fool to reject help right now.”
“Maura, she’s right.” I keep my voice even. I was distantly aware that stealing from the Cwn Annwn was a risk, but it had barely felt real. It still doesn’t feel real, but I’m not foolish enough to wait until there’s a literal sword over my neck before I take things seriously. “We need help. Unless we want to take our chances on a portal or sailing away without the exit spell in place, we can’t do this alone.”
Maura curses and spins to face Nadia. “Fine. I’m listening.”
“Bowen has to present himself to the monarch and get permission to hunt on the island. He’s leaving shortly, which will give you time to slip out.”
“What about his crew? Surely he didn’t come here alone.”
“Of course not.” Nadia smiles, the expression cold and unlike the warm, teasing woman I met last night. “But Atlanteans don’t take kindly to the Cwn Annwn stomping over what’s ours. It makes people nervous, and nervous people do foolish and violent things. His crew will stay on his ship for the duration of the hunt on the island.” She shrugs. “The same can’t be said for open water. The sooner you leave, the better.”
It’s a lot to take in.
I swallow hard. “But the monarch will let…Bowen…hunt on the island?”
“Yes,” she says simply. “There’s an arrangement that goes back beyond memory. The hunters leave us in peace and preserve something of a sanctuary here for inter-realm travelers. But the trade-off for that freedom is that when they come hunting a specific person, permission is usually granted as a courtesy.”
Well, shit. I kind of hoped since the monarch seems to like me, they might hesitate to let me be hunted and potentially murdered on the island. It was a long shot anyway.
In the distance, there’s a tinkling of many small bells. Nadia smooths back her hair. “He’s left. Gather your things, and I’ll take you to the back door.”
Maura’s already moving, slipping her many weapons back into place. It feels a bit like magic, watching them disappear. I don’t understand how she’s carrying so many.
“Can you secure us an exit spell?” she asks without turning around.
Nadia shakes her head. “No. Eloise prefers to stay out of that thread of business, and none of her people will cross that decision. Your best bet is Seiko at The Siren’s Call, the bar down the street. Very few people on the island will turn you over to the Cwn Annwn if they have any other choice, but she has a particular vendetta against them. She’ll give you a good deal.”
