The Bone Shard Daughter (The Drowning Empire, #1)(116)

I hesitated before whispering back to her. “Gio was going to kill Phalue. Keep your eyes open and watch your back.”

She gave no indication she’d heard me, but then I’d not expected her to.

Gio’s parting message was far more cryptic. “Keep Mephi close,” he said. “You’ll need him.”

I studied his face. As far as they knew, Mephi was merely a beloved pet. Gio knew more, though I didn’t know how.

“Did you say anything to Gio?” I asked Mephi.

His eyes opened. “You said not to say anything.”

“Did you?”

“No.” He turned from me, bounded to the railing and dove into the ocean. He did that a lot now. The first time he’d done it after he’d come out of his sickness, I’d panicked, counting time as he remained beneath the waves. At last, when he’d popped his head above the water, a fish in his jaws, I’d nearly wept with relief. Mephi was providing me with more food now than the other way around. He ate ravenously, but was a proficient hunter. He’d even once returned with a squid, its tentacles still wriggling as he’d tossed it aboard. I’d cooked it and shared it with him, and he’d hummed with pleasure.

I feared for him less now that he was so much larger. There were bigger and more dangerous things in the Endless Sea, but Mephi was quick as a dolphin in the water. His fur slicked against his skin, forming a smooth, thick barrier. And I couldn’t loom over him like an anxious mother for ever.

The wind ruffled my hair. The rebels had suggested I straighten it before going to the palace, but I wasn’t keen on hiding who I was. I’d gotten into the Navigators’ Academy and had graduated without hiding my heritage. I wasn’t a fool. I’d only been a fool over Emahla, and love addled everyone’s mind. It had addled my heart too, leaving an ache that I felt would never fade. I’d clung to her memory for so long. I didn’t know what life was like without hope of finding her, but I would have to find out.

The rain had increased the closer I sailed to Imperial. I’d been fortunate this morning, with no rain as of yet. By the look of the skies, I wouldn’t be lucky for long.

Mephi scrabbled back onto the deck, a large fish in his mouth. He began to devour it, organs and all. He stopped, his bloody muzzle pointed to the north. I followed his gaze. There, in the distance, I saw the green, sloping mountains of Imperial. He looked to me, his whiskers twitching. “Plan?”

I ran a hand through my hair. “I don’t know.” I’d thought of this over and over. I didn’t want to leave Mephi again, and despite my misgivings about Gio’s motives, his words rang true to me. How would I explain this at the palace? What could I offer?

They’d know I was Jovis. The Emperor or one of his lackeys had ordered the portraits of me made. If I was to keep my appearance and keep Mephi, the only way I could infiltrate the palace was as a prisoner. It could still work. They’d find me harder to kill than they’d first considered. And I had information they’d want. I knew where Kaphra and all the highest Ioph Carn were hidden.

It was the only plan I had. “I give myself up,” I said to Mephi. “I offer my services.”

He strode over to me and pressed his forehead against my hip. “We do it together. I’ve done things they wouldn’t like too.”

“So you have.” I ruffled the fur on the top of his head. His language skills seemed to be improving.

It began to rain in earnest as we arrived at Imperial’s harbor. I pulled on an oilskin jacket, though rain still blew beneath the hood and trickled down my neck. Mephi trotted beside me, leaning his head back and opening his mouth to catch the rain. He licked his nose and shook his head, showering me with even more moisture. “At least one of us is enjoying the weather,” I said.

He huffed something that sounded like a laugh.

I paid the dockworker construct and headed into the city. Imperial was lavish by any island’s standards. The buildings rose several stories, all topped with tiled roofs. After the rebuilding, Imperial had been the first city to rise. It showed in the sculptures that adorned some of the stoops and the gutters. I kept Mephi close to me. In this weather, he could be mistaken for a dog. And people here were used to all the Emperor’s constructs. Another strange creature didn’t warrant much attention.

I leaned on my staff as I climbed the streets toward the palace. How would I do it? Knock on the great doors and ask to see the Emperor? I could look for one of those posters and take it with me in case anyone was unsure of who I was. I glanced up.

And my heart froze. A figure walked up the street ahead of me, cloaked in dark gray. It was unnaturally tall, just like the one I’d seen on the blue-sailed boat. Had the blue-sailed boat been in the harbor? I hadn’t looked for it, and the weather had obscured the other ships. Around us, people went about their business, glancing into the figure’s hood and then looking away, their heads down.

“Hey,” I called out. “You, in front of me.”

The figure didn’t stop or even pause. They climbed the slope faster, broad shoulders moving as they pumped their arms.

“Wait! I need to talk to you.”

But the figure only moved away, toward the palace. I wove through the people in the streets, rain running into my eyes. So many times I’d seen that infernal boat, only to have it slip away from me despite my best efforts. I couldn’t let this be the same.