Page 63 of The Isles of the Gods
We made our way down the coast to Port Naranda by auto before dawn, and the first light appeared an hour ago, hints of silver painting the city lighter in color as it stretches out before me. I can make out the curved roof of the church from here, still a shadow in a matte black.
I’ll attend a service this afternoon, after I’ve checked in on how my various pots simmered on the stove in my absence. Already I’m looking forward to the familiar chants, the softscent of the incense in the air, the patterns of rising to stand, sinking to kneel.
Sometimes I wonder if it’s different in Alinor, where their goddess is present in their temple. What it will be like in ours, when Macean awakens.
Still, the ritual always soothes me, centers me, and there’s a tension in my core, a burning in my gut that won’t go away. I need to settle myself.
I haven’t slept yet, apart from a short doze in the rattling auto, and my eyes are aching with tiredness. But I couldn’t now if I tried. So instead I duck into the shower, tipping my head back as the hot water hits my face, and taking my time as I methodically scrub myself from head to toe.
I press my fingers into my skin, smooth away sore muscles, and watch the soap swirl away down the drain as I think. I need my report to Ruby to be detailed but concise. I need to keep emotion out of it.
The sequence of events has to be clear—what happened, and when? What time? How many? I need to assure her everything was done, just as I promised. That Jude confirmed it.
Most of the work was in the doing of the deed, but now I need to bring it across the finish line—to show her how well I handled it.
I sent Jude home to his mother—he wasn’t going to put up a reassuring front for Ruby. His Lordship doesn’t have what it takes, however hard he punches in his bare-knuckled boxing rings. It was perfectly safe to keep him from joining the others for breakfast, though—he’s bound to us by what he’s done now, as much as by the doctor Ruby sends to his mother. And he might have useful information on the Alinorish, still.
Ruby says nothing worth having ever comes clean. That if the good stuff was easy, everyone would claim it. So it doesn’t matter if you find it hard, doing what’s necessary.Thatisn’t what makes you weak.
You’re only weak if you turn away from the hard parts.
I willnotbe weak.
An image of a girl floats up in my mind, like a body surfacing after it’s been dragged underwater. All I can see is the instant she jumped off her burning ship, her colorful dress trailing through the air behind her, and splashed into the water. She surfaced, hair plastered to her face, and looked around desperately, realizing there was no safe place to swim.
Then the water around her, covered in oil, caught fire.
And so did she.
I square my jaw and shove the image away, beneath the waves.
What’s done is done.
I step out of the shower and wipe the mist from the mirror with my palm, the surface cold beneath my skin. I look tired, disheveled, but stronger than I was before. I didn’t turn away.
I reach for a towel and keep rehearsing my report as I get dressed: a tailored suit, polished shoes. I fasten my ruby pin to my lapel. Carefully I dry my hair, then rub wax between my palms to warm it before I see to my curls. They need to look as sharp as they ever have, because this is it.
This is my moment.
I’m about to deliver everything Ruby could ever want, and I’ll be the one who made it happen for her.
She’ll have her power—she’ll see off her rivals. And even ifshe doesn’t come to church, she’ll know her sister did what it took to awaken agod.
I take one last look around the room and walk over to twitch the bedcovers straight, smoothing them down. Then I let myself out, locking the door behind me, and slip the key into my pocket.
The wooden stairs creak beneath my feet as I start down them, mouthing my report to myself. This meeting is going to kick off so many big things for me, and I’m ready for them all.
When the war begins, we’ll expand our weapons import arm. There’ll be demand, and we’ve already got supply lined up. I know Ruby’s stockpiled other things that will become scarce as well, from food to fabric. There’s a constant jostle among the gangs of Port Naranda for the kind of influence that comes with owning a part of the market, and Ruby and I both know what it’s like when you don’t have it.
This moment—being there with what’s needed when nobody else is—it’ll seal her place at the top. And aligning herself with the green sisters while she does it? She’ll be invincible. She’ll be a playmaker.
Ruby saw this war coming a long way back. ButI’mthe one who figured out how to bring it forward, and now I’ve pulled off exactly what I promised. I’ve earned a bigger part in her operations, and it couldn’t come at a better time—the war I’m giving her will mean more work than she can do alone.
Between everything Ruby will need from me and all the work that lies before Sister Beris—work I’ll be there to help with, ready for the day when Macean awakens and witnesses our faith—it’ll be a long time now before I rest.
So after I talk to her this morning, I’m going to get a fewhours of sleep—then I’ve got work to do before church. I need to check in on what I missed while I was gone. I have contacts all over the city, kids like I once was, who know to bring me what they learn for a coin.
And I have more than that—more than even Ruby knows. A junior staffer at the Alinorish ambassador’s residence, for a start. A girl with bright eyes and dimples, who made the mistake of taking a few dollars for pieces of inconsequential gossip inside the embassy. Who then took a few more. Who now has no choice but to take more, and tell me more each time.
