Page 15 of Hymn of Breath and Bone

“I don’t know!” the male screamed as I raised the knife over his thumb again. “I swear on the skies, I don’t know!”

I paused, considering, before I brought the knife down on his thumb amid a fresh wave of screaming and blood.

“We’ll have another little chat in a few days,” I promised, rising from my rickety stool and turning my back on the male. I sheathed the bloodydagger and looked back once as the iron bars of the cell clanged closed behind me. “Pray that I find the Stormcrow before he finds you.”

Upon leaving the dungeon, I allowed myself exactly two minutes to hurl my guts up before going to find Zephyr and Astraios.

Zephyr was where I’d left her, watching over Marina and Ana. In a stroke of good luck, Astraios had just arrived and was about to come find me.

“The Stormcrow?” Zephyr gaped, her voice hushed as I told them what I’d learned. “He’s alive?”

“He can’t be,” Astraios argued. “He drowned. We all saw him drown.”

“If it’s not him, then it’s someone using his name.” I scrubbed a hand over my face. “And causing just as much trouble as he did fifteen years ago.”

“If it’s him, why now?” Zephyr asked, frowning slightly. “If he’s been alive all this time, why wait to strike?”

“I don’t know.” I sighed, glancing back into the room where Ana and Marina were sleeping. “Perhaps because he heard I’m to be mated. It would make sense to strike where I’m weakest. Or perhaps the timing is no coincidence and someone is helping him. I won’t know until I find out for myself if it reallyisthe Stormcrow in the first place.”

“How do you want to play this?” Astraios asked, arms crossed over his chest. He would leave at first light, but he had refused my suggestion that he get some sleep before sailing to the isles. “Should I stay?”

“No.” I rested my head against the stone wall behind me. Fear and exhaustion dragged at me, but I wouldn’t be able to sleep until I knew Marina was out of danger. “We need that meeting. And we have even more reason to go to Nordhavn now.”

“You have to tell her, Cas,” Zephyr warned. “This has gone on for too long. If she’s a target, then you either need to secure the bond and the power that comes with it or get her the fuck away from here.”

“I know,” I snapped, my patience far too thin for my first mate’s scolding. “Skies above, Zephyr, I know that. I was going to tell her everything tonight.”

“That worked out well for you,” Astraios quipped, his smirk not faltering even under my growl. He put a steady hand on my shoulder and squeezed it once. “We’re with you, Cas. Just tell us what you need.”

I sighed again as my anger drained out of me as fast as it had risen. This was fucking exhausting.

“I need you to get Marina’s father to that meeting,” I said. Astraios nodded once, his jaw clenched. “And I need to take care of the Stormcrow or whoever is pretending to be him before that. I can’t fight a war on two fronts.”

“Agreed,” said Zephyr, biting her lower lip. “So we go north?”

“To Nordhavn,” I agreed, closing my eyes as the weight of far too much pressed down on me. “And this time, I’ll make sure Ilya Stormcrow stays dead.”

Chapter 7

“Not again,” I rasped,cracking my eyes open to the warm glow of moonstone shimmering in the walls of an unfamiliar cavern.

“Welcome back, Urchin,” Caspian greeted me, his voice tired and heavy with relief. He was sitting on the edge of the narrow cot, his fingers twisted with mine. He lifted my hand to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss to them. “If you could stop nearly dying,that would be appreciated.”

“I think we’re even now,” I joked, lifting my other hand to cup his cheek. His jaw was scruffy, and his eyes dull with exhaustion. “What with your crash-landing and near-drowning on the island.”

“Fair enough,” he agreed, his hands tightening on mine. “No more, though, I beg you.”

I smiled weakly. “How long?”

“Two days,” he murmured, his thumb stroking the back of my hand. “The healers didn’t want to wake you too early in case you hurt yourself.”

I lifted my hand to the back of my head and felt around gingerly. It was bandaged, a faint throb and tender spot the only sign of injury.

“The bastard cracked your skull,” Caspian growled, his hands gripping mine a little tighter.

“Did you kill him?” I croaked. He nodded grimly. “Good.”

“What happened, Urchin?” Caspian asked quietly, eyes flicking to mine. “Ana told us she heard a siren song and told you to run.”