The Bone Shard Daughter (The Drowning Empire, #1)(84)

Finally, I wound my way back to the drinking hall. It was nestled into the cobblestones, a set of steps leading to a narrow door. Water dripped onto the stoop from the floor above. As Gio had promised, the air wafting from the door smelled strongly of salt, oil, and the sharp scent of cooked squid. I placed my hand on the door and then something prompted me to look to my left.

A construct sat on the street, watching me.

I’d seen spy constructs before – small things with watchful eyes and an ability to climb. This one looked to be made of mouse and bird pieces with little claws that scratched the stone as it scampered away.

The putty disguising my nose was still in place, though that didn’t stop me from checking again. I ducked into the drinking hall before I could second-guess myself. The man at the counter barely glanced at me as I ordered a plate of the fried squid. I surveyed the tables. There were three corners with tables in them. Two of them had single occupants. Both were middle-aged men in uniforms.

I couldn’t think of enough curses to attach to Gio’s name.

As I waited, I studied each of the men. Both were full-blooded Empirean men, their straight black hair streaked with gray. As I watched, they both lifted their mugs to their lips, nearly at the same time. Not helpful. I searched for other details. The uniform of the one on the left was slightly rumpled, his boots scuffed. The one on the right looked like he’d gotten a little more sun.

“Here you are.” The man at the counter handed me a plate piled high with battered and fried squid. I checked the price and handed over some coins.

I had to choose a seat unless I wanted to stand out.

I adjusted the hat Gio had given me, the brim scratching my forehead. It bought me only a little time. What did I know? Our informant knew the best way to the governor’s rooms. He was sympathetic to the cause. If the man on the right had gotten more sun, he probably spent more time outdoors. A wall guard then? Or the doors? The rumpled uniform and the scuffed boots of the man on the left spoke of less wealth, more struggling.

If I were wrong, I might be making a fatal mistake. Not for me – I could fight my way out of this – but for all the Shardless back in their cavern. I took a deep breath, walked to the corner and sat at the table of the man on the left. He glanced at me over his mug and frowned. “The fish were jumpy today,” I said, as though that explained anything.

His brow furrowed along familiar lines; he didn’t seem the friendly type. The plate of squid no longer smelled appetizing.

And then he reached over and took a piece of squid. “I told you before, you’re using garbage for bait. How’s your sister?”

I know what you’re here for, his feigned familiarity said.

Relief weakened my spine and I slumped a little in my chair. I knew this sort of dance. So I played along. “She barely speaks to me,” I said. “How would I know? Have you seen her lately?”

“Fickle woman,” the guard said. “You know how I feel about her. Asked her to have a drink with me in this very spot. She said she would, but never showed.”

My chest tightened, but I grabbed a few pieces of squid to hide anything that might be plain on my face. The spy Gio had sent had never even arrived. I didn’t dare look across the room to see if the other guard was watching us, though I did check the ceiling beams for spy constructs as I tipped the squid into my mouth. Nothing.

We made small talk for longer than I would have liked, but I supposed we had to keep up the proper appearances. Finally, he pulled a piece of folded parchment from his pocket. “I thought you’d be needing this from last time we talked. As promised – my mother’s bait recipe. It never fails. You’ll have fish jumping into your ship tomorrow morning.”

“My thanks,” I said, taking it and sliding it into my purse. I wasn’t fool enough to look at it now.

“Just tell your sister I’d still like to have that drink with her if you see her again.”

I rose. “I will.” And I made for the door. The air outside felt fresher and I filled my lungs with it. I could manage as a smuggler when it was only my life on the line. Always cared more than I should have.

I’d taken two steps when something seized me by the arm. Before I could react, it dragged me out of the stairwell and into the alley next to the hall. My knees cracked against the stone; my head whipped to the side. It took me a moment to register – it was not a human hand.

Claws dug into my arm, and the pain told me they’d pierced skin.

Glimpses filtered through my rattled mind: yellowed teeth, yellowed eyes, patchy dark fur. A whiff of musky animal scent. A low, guttural growl. A construct.

I reached for the thrum in my bones, the strength to throw the creature off of me. The will to make the ground shake. My heartbeat roared in my ears, but my bones stayed silent.

Nothing.

I was alone.





31





Lin


Imperial Island

I balanced on the palace roof, staring down into the courtyard and wishing I could see through the paving stones. Ilith’s lair lay somewhere beneath the very bowels of the palace. It had taken me a fair bit of time to puzzle things out. I’d gone to the courtyard first, watching the little spy constructs, one after another, leap into the little hole beneath the boulder. I went to that boulder, stared into the hole, listened at it, even shone a lamp down it at night when I could be sure no one watched me. Each of these exercises was fruitless. I couldn’t shrink myself to follow the spy constructs to their master. And Father wouldn’t let Ilith be completely inaccessible. There were times he disappeared, and even Bayan didn’t seem to know where he was. If I found out where he went during these times, I would find Ilith’s lair, I was certain of it.