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The radio almost fell from my hands. I stopped pacing and gripped the mast, cursing my luck. I didn’t dare to say another word. If he hadn’t recognized my voice yet, I couldn’t give him the chance.
“Merrick?” asked Cael.
I fumbled with the radio and switched it off, silencing him.
Cait emerged from the cabin, her eyes still swollen from sleep. “What happened?”
“Cael was on the other end,” I whispered.
“Shit,” she said. “Did he know it was you?”
“I don’t think so.”
Cait grabbed the radio and switched it back on.
I reached for it, afraid of what she might do.
“Trust me!” She pushed my hand back. “I’ll do the talking.”
I frowned, then agreed, realizing it was our best option.
“Merrick?” Cael’s voice blared. “Are you there?”
“Yes, Immortal Ruskin,” said Cait. Her voice was confident, commanding, and a little bit raspy—impressively similar to Merrick’s, as far as I could remember. “I apologize for the delay.”
“I admit I was worried about you,” said Cael. “Have the prisoners told you anything yet? Have you ascertained where Brennin’s body might be?”
Cait paused and looked at me with a question on her face.
“Cael knows all about Graham’s abduction. What are we supposed to say?”
“Depends,” said Cait. “What do you want from him?”
“I want him to keep my father safe,” I said. This was one of the few reasons I liked the idea of Cael being in power. He had always been close to my father, though I had resented that fact.
Cait lifted the radio. “Despite our efforts, Stroud refuses to speak until we tell her where her father is being held. Do we have permission to pass on that information if it accelerates the investigation?”
“The stubborn girl,” said Cael. “The truth is, he’s still under house arrest until we can confirm whether or not he was involved in Brennin’s abduction.”
House arrest. I exhaled. This gave me hope. Apparently, he hadn’t admitted to anything yet, and I didn’t imagine he would.
“That said,” Cael continued, “here’s all I want you to tell her: if she doesn’t cooperate and answer all our questions coherently and honestly, her father will be taken to a true prison, and we’ll do anything necessary to extract information from him. If she attempts to make any outlandish accusations—implicating upstanding nobles, for example—don’t hesitate to threaten herwith potential harm to her father. I believe that will keep her in line.”
“Understood, sir,” said Cait.
“Has the prisoner expressed any knowledge regarding the missing Enforcers’ whereabouts?” Cael asked.
Cael was already perfectly aware of what happened to them—he just had to pretend not to know. Cael’s entire investigation was an act for the sake of the Academy.
“Just tell him,” I said with a sigh. “In case he has any suspicion about you, it might be best to give him something.”
Cait held the radio to her mouth. “She claims the Enforcers were stranded on Ash Island due to theft of their vessel by the islanders.”
“It’s unlikely she’s telling the truth,” said Cael, “but in any event, I’ll dispatch a search party.”
“Excellent choice, sir,” said Cait. “You are exceedingly wise.”
When she released the button, I laughed. She had no hint of mockery in her tone, but her eye roll revealed her complete sarcasm.
