Page 41 of Rebel in the Deep

I’m so caught up in the process of running that I almost miss the safe house entirely. Bastian has to smack my shoulder to gain my attention. I circle back along the pebbled beach and cut into the narrow crevice that leads back to the house built partially into the cliffs. If I remember correctly, this is the same safe house that Nox sent Bowen and Evelyn to after they were cast ashore. We have people in Kanghri who ensure that it stays stocked for anyone who may need it, and I’m not surprised in the least to find nondescript clothing in a variety of sizes.

While Bastian changes, I pack a small bag with pants, a shirt, and boots, and loop it around my neck. He comes back into the room, his hair still windswept and cheeks still flushed.“There were a couple times back there that I thought you forgot I was on your back.”

I clear my throat. “I sort of did.”

He laughs a little. “It’s good to see you like this, Siobhan.” He moves closer and cups my face, urging me down until our breathing mingles. “Wild and reckless andfree.”

“It feels good,” I whisper. I kiss him hard, desire punching me in the stomach. It would be so easy to…Except, no. We don’t have the freedom of time. I exhale shakily. “I missed you, Bastian.”

“I missed you, too.” He tugs my hair until I move back. “We have to go.”

“I know.” I brush one last kiss to his lips and retreat. “Let’s go get our wayward captain.” This time, it’s even easier to shift. As easy as breathing. I race along the beach and then cut inward toward the city. Even at this distance, I can smell it. All cities have a particularly rancid scent of human waste, garbage, and all the smells that come with a populace living in close quarters. Kanghri is no different, for all that it’s a relatively small city: larger than a village, but perpetually striving to match the expanding pace of Mairi—and perpetually coming up short.

Night has only just fallen when I stop outside the city and change back to my human form so I can dress. Bastian stumbles over to sit on a rock while I do. “I’m out of shape. I haven’t ridden since Lyari and…”

The thrill of the run still has me giddy. “You’ve ridden me plenty of times over the last year.”

“Well, uh, I, yes.” He clears his throat. “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

“I do.” I pull on boots and straighten to pull my hood upover my head to conceal my features. “You know, it strikes me that part of the reason joy has shadowed my steps since leaving theAudacityis that I’m finally able tomove. Even though we’ll be returning to the ship shortly, even though my presence here will be helpful but not fully necessary, it still feels good to take action. I’m not built for sitting back and letting others make decisions and take risks.”

“I know.” He moves to stand next to me. “I feel the same way.”

“Let’s go.” I don’t bother trying to track Nox and the others. My nose is nowhere near as good in this form, and even if it was, the city shields all when it comes to that particular sensory experience. I don’t need to anyway. I know where they’re going. Even if they don’t yet.

My most recent information on Dia places her with Cato, one of the few healers doing good work in Kanghri, despite it being a mostly thankless task. Ze also somehow manages to straddle the line of providing services for both the rebellionandthe Cwn Annwn. It means the latter overlooks a whole host of sins—and the prices ze charges them funds services for those who can’t afford it.

Hopefully Dia hasn’t moved on since my last update.

To my relief, when I knock on the door with a series of raps to indicate that I’m friend, not foe, it’s Dia herself who opens it to allow me in. She’s a short, wizened old woman with medium-brown skin and twinkling eyes. She grins up at me. “I wondered when you’d come around.”

“Hello, Dia.” I don’t point out that there is absolutely no possibility she could be expecting me. Dia is a weather mage, which is distinctly different from elemental users. She has no ability to control the weather itself, but she has an almost unprecedentedforesight when it comes to weather patterns. It made her a navigator of unparalleled success when she was among the crew of theCrimson Hag. “There are others following behind us. Once they arrive, we’d like to ask you some questions.”

“By all means.” She opens the door wider to allow me and Bastian inside. “It was getting time to move on anyway. Cato is getting cranky about having to share zir space.”

There’s nothing else to do but step inside…and wait.

Chapter21

Nox

It takes far less effortthan I expected to sneak into the city. It’s been a few months since we’ve sailed this way, and that time hasn’t been kind to Kanghri. Trash is piled high on the edges of the road, and everyone moves around with shadows in their eyes and furtive looks over their shoulders.

At my side Bowen makes a rumbling sound of displeasure. “What happened here?”

I shake my head. “I don’t know.” There are no signs of an attack. If someone had come for the city, I would have heard about it. All of the Cwn Annwn would have turned out to defend it. Or at least that’s the theory. They’re supposed to protect the civilians in Threshold, but how many times have I seen the Cwn Annwn themselves be the perpetrators of harm? Even so, surely the Council wouldn’t allow this…

I fall back and let Bowen lead the way. We agreed the best route to find Dia’s current residence is to talk to one of Bowen’scontacts in the city. I’ve never personally dealt with zir, but the healer Cato has a reputation for being a pain in the ass.

Our route takes us from the outskirts of the city down toward the docks. Every step has tension riding higher in my body. I’m not dressed in my customary crimson—I haven’t been since we switched over the sails—but I still feel too exposed out here. Even with the buildings pressing close on either side of the narrow street we move along. Both Lyari and Mairi have neighborhoods around their respective docks that are run-down and dangerous to travel through after dark. Kanghri’s has always been more dangerous than both of them combined. Even so, I watch four different people be pickpocketed in the space of ten minutes. “That’s new.”

Next to me, Evelyn shivers. “It wasn’t like this even a few months ago.”

In response, Bowen puts an arm around her shoulders and tucks her in against his much larger body. If he was anyone else, the move would leave him open to attack, but when your mind is the weapon, I suppose you don’t need your arms as much. Or at least a normal person would view it that way. Even though he’s one of the most powerful people in Threshold—at least to my knowledge—he’s achingly aware that if something happened to his power, he would still need to be able to defend himself, so he’s nearly as fearsome with a sword as he is with his magic.

We finally stop before a door that looks identical to the others around us. Bowen doesn’t release Evelyn, but he shifts her slightly behind him so if something happens when he opens the door, he’ll take the brunt of the hit. Then he knocks in a series that I instantly memorize.

It isn’t the healer who opens the door to allow us entry. It’sSiobhan. And she doesn’t look happy to see me. Over her shoulder, I catch sight of an equally furious Bastian. “How?” I actually take a step back before I catch myself. I have no reason for the guilt that flowers in my throat, but no amount of logic can curtail the emotion…or the sudden desire to apologize.

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