Page 90 of MidKnight
“Yeah, last time I went ‘cross the channel, there were fish guts on the floor. They hadn’t even sprayed it down none ‘afore they took on passengers!”
“They charged me double when our delivery was delayed by a rain storm. As if it were my damned fault the sky opened up.”
Another man sipped his flagon. “So, when’s that group gettin’ here with our rally instructions?”
I sucked in a breath. They were already awaiting instructions? Something was already planned? They weren’t just casual supporters?
Sard.
I searched the room for weapons. Other than the normal short knives men carried at their waists, I saw only a few swords. That was good. At least they weren’t getting ready for a full-on attack. What then? A raid? A trip to the harbor to protest Sedara? Hell, I hoped it was merely a demonstration. Or a rally to discuss another rally—
I made it to Quinn, who had managed to get a tankard and was drinking.
Quinn, they’re waiting for instruc—
I know,he cut me off. He took a final swig and set his empty cup on the bar. When his eyes met mine, they were dark with malice.I’m listening. There’s no way my people missed this. Someone in my network must support the rebellion. My network must be sarded to hell. Compromised. The thoughts around us are all about action. They’re excited, not grumbling. They’re ready to do something.
But what something?
Quinn scratched his bulbous, disguised nose.It doesn’t seem like any of them know. From what I can tell, these are mostly sailors. Couple a’ merchants.
I guess that makes sense. They’d have the most interaction with Sedara. The most resentment.Who do you think they’re waiting for?
Quinn shrugged.I’m gonna go toward the back and see if I can hear anything else. The two men behind you are Ryan’s. Stick with them.
I glanced up to see two very tall men eyeing me curiously. I hadn’t even noticed them before. I gave a friendly shrug.
One nodded back and the other simply kept scanning the room. But both moved closer.
The front door swung open. A gust of winter wind blew in, ruffling hair and making people blink.
I turned. And paled. Goosebumps rose on my arms, and they weren’t from the chill.
In strode two women with long flaxen hair. They had lean, tan bodies. Seaweed was woven into their braids and starfish clung to their hair. They hardly wore more than chemises despite the cold night. Their thin dresses clung to every curve. Gold scales lined the backs of their arms and the sides of their necks. Appreciative wolf-whistles went up all around.
I pushed passed a man and tried to get to Quinn. My shadows followed.
“Watch it!” growled the man I’d knocked forward.
“Sorry. Got to piss,” I answered.
The man let me pass and I pushed around someone else. Urgency drove me forward. Quinn and I needed to get out of here before those women spoke. Or worse, sang. Because sirens had just entered the rebel’s tavern. And if I knew one thing from the brothel I’d worked at, it was that sirens (even half-sirens) loved to cause trouble.
I stuffed my handkerchief in one ear and used my hand to cover the other.
Did you see the sirens?I mentally yelled to Quinn.
Hard to miss ‘em. I’ve got wax in my ears already.
I made it to him.Well, share, you oaf.
He handed me a bit of wax from his palm.
You think we should get out of sight?I asked.We’re about the only ones here without a white band on our arms.
Quinn shrugged.Not yet. I want to hear what everyone thinks.
I kept an eye on the sirens as they made their way through the crowd. I wondered how Isla had recruited them. She did have a lot of partial mer-people. But these women were straight from the sea. Full sirens typically stuck to themselves, other than to seek out bedwarmers. Not these sirens. They greeted several people by name. One even took a sip from a man’s flagon.
