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“Yours for the low price of a finger. Strangely enough, the tome was at the forefront of Boedworth’s mind too when I latched onto it in Mire. Which makes me interested.”
You think it could be a game changer.
I do. As long as we get our hands on it first.
Aeyis cut between two ramshackle houses that looked as though they would collapse with one strong gust of wind. The sight made the holes in her ears itch as if infected. She rubbed at the hardened spots where she’d removed her earrings.
Witnessing how children in tattered, stained clothing pointed at Aeyis and whispered, it was evident Ashens were an anomaly here. Most had sided with Advanth and thus remained on the eastern isles. Tenah fought the urge to shoo the children inside their homes. What if they didn’t have homes? Why else would they be wandering the streets at this late hour?
She peeked up at Aeyis, but he kept his gaze forward, undisturbed by his audience. They stopped when they reached a crooked shack on the corner of a dead intersection. Etched into the wooden sign dangling above the door was the silhouette of a bird in flight.
“Still want to send word to Ruzgorn?” Aeyis asked.
Tenah’s cheeks burned as she withdrew the letter from her pocket. “I need to know where my father is. My uncle could help.”Possibly. Or he could make matters worse.
“I’m not judging,” Aeyis said with a shrug. “Do what you have to do.”
After entrusting her message with a beast master who promised his bird would recognize the arachnid flag of the Ruzgorn, Tenah followed Aeyis through more impoverished streets until they reached a gem of dominating brown marble.
The Embassy had been visible from the villa, its fancy, gold E a symbol of safety or warning, depending on the audience. Gold awnings hung over the windows. Large potted bushes lined the glass front, allowing a full view of the decadent lobby in shades of gold and brown, warmly lit by sconces.
Aeyis turned down the alley beside the Embassy and examined the steel back door under one lone bulb.
Tenah’s brows furrowed. “Wait. The archives aren’t in the Embassy, are they?”
“I thought you enjoyed challenges.” His smile was a bit more animal than Ashen.
“A challenge is one thing. This is a crime. We could be arrested just for stepping foot in there.”
Aeyis rested his lanky frame against the building, nudging away a piece of trash with his foot. “Not if the employees can’t see us.”
A large figure with charged green eyes peeled from the darkness.
“What the hell are you doing?” Renton demanded, glare locked on his brother.
Another shadow materialized behind him, this one nearly half his size and dressed in a tight, black leather suit. Beneath Vesara’s navy cloak, Tenah glimpsed a bandolier of small knives.
Okay, now she was curious too about the number of pointy things this woman carried.
“How you play with fire, wraith,” Vesara said in a singsong voice, tossing a knife into the air and catching it between her fingers.
Aeyis tapped light fingers against the building, oblivious to the heat he was being dished up. His mouth twitched when Gireth skidded into the alley. Krotens jangled in both of his stretched pockets.
Gireth braced his hands on his knees as he gulped in stinky air. “Why didn’t you…summon me…when you called for Tenah…back at the villa?”
“Punishment for gambling.” Aeyis shrugged.
Gireth groaned. “All right. Burned off that entire chocolate pie. What did I miss?”
“If we’re about to do what Ghost Boy wants us to do, you arenotstrutting in there with that,” Vesara said, eyeing his pants.
Gireth looked aghast, placing a hand over his chest. “Can’t blame me for the gift of well-endowment.”
“Disgusting. I meant the ruckus in your pockets.”
“Ruckus?” He made a show of looking up and down the alley. “What ruckus?”
“You didn’t hear yourself running?” Vesara whirled on Renton. “Did they not teach stealth in your hunter camps?”
