Page 50 of Heir

“Jibaut,” she finally said, naming the city where the entire bleeding Kegari reserve force was stationed. Damn her to the hells.

“I travel to Jibaut,” she went on. “And I would be delighted to have an escort.”

15

Sirsha

The Kegari sky-rat flew far above the little Martial shabka, disappearing at night but always reappearing around midday. On the first day out of Navium, Sirsha saw a few pirate ships approaching the Empire’s southern coast. By the third day, she’d seen dozens. She braced for an attack, but the Kegari Sail above served as a warning. The pirates stayed away.

They weren’t the only ones. Quil, Sufiyan, and Arelia had steadfastly ignored her. Still angry that she’d taken them west instead of south, as they’d wished.

From Sirsha’s position at the helm of the Effie, as she’d taken to calling the ship, she could see the whole deck. Including Quil, mending a ripped sail, and Sufiyan and Arelia, arguing about whether fish should be caught with a line or the trap Arelia had rigged up.

As she watched them, a strange feeling crept through her, like smoke filling her chest.

Guilt.

She harumphed. Why in the skies should she feel guilty? If she’d listened to Quil and his friends, they’d have sailed into Kegari territory. Sirsha would have lost the killer’s trail.

Even thinking about it made her oath coin burn, a reminder that she had to see this hunt through.

Sirsha resolutely looked west. Just ten days left in the journey. She’d simply ignore them right back.

Except at that exact moment, Quil approached.

Rather stupidly, she looked over her shoulder. Was he intending to talk to her, or did he have some other business on the quarterdeck?

“Tracker.” He stopped before her, arms crossed. A bracelet on his wrist caught the sun, flashing in her view. “I need to discuss something with you.”

Sirsha refused to look at him. He was too tall, for one. Sirsha was only a few inches shy of six feet herself, but she still had to look up at him. His very body, beautiful and hard and graceful, seemed to issue Sirsha a direct, insouciant challenge.You might not like me, but try to look away. I dare you.

“Finally willing to chat, are we?” She sniffed. “Sorry, not in the mood.”

“You said Elias gave you a mission to track down a murderer.”

Ugh. His voice. Deep and warm and sure, belying those unreadable eyes. She hated him a little.

“I wanted you to unbind me. I told you what I had to.” Eight years alone had taught Sirsha it was best not to discuss her jobs too much. She didn’t need anyone blabbing about her mission to the wrong ears.

“Why are you fidgeting like that?” Arelia came up behind Quil, regarding Sirsha suspiciously. “You don’t have lice, do you? Sufiyan, tell me you know a cure for lice.”

“Nolgh root and ground sap beetle wings. Stinks like horse dung,” Sufiyan said as he joined from Quil’s other side. “Who’s got lice?”

“She does—”

“I donothave lice,” Sirsha snapped. “I am fidgeting because—”

“Because you’re lying,” Quil said. “Eliasdidgive you a mission to hunt down a killer.”

“What’s it to any of you?”

Sufiyan looked surprised. Then desolate. “It was my brother who died.” His voice was horribly flat. “My little brother. The killer murdered him first.”

There was a long silence, and Sirsha told herself to count to three before speaking, instead of shoving her foot in her mouth. “I’m verysorry,” she said. “Elias didn’t mention that.” She sighed. They already knew. She might as well admit it. “He hired me to hunt down the murderer. Didn’t tell me it was because his son was killed. Nor that the killer was magical in nature.”

Sirsha took in the shock on their faces. “You didn’t know that either.”

“You hunt magic, then,” Quil said. “How? Can you…sense it in people?”

---