Page 64 of The Isles of the Gods
Later I’ll check in with her and see if there are any whispers of trouble yet. It’s taken me two years to cultivate her, but the way Ruby’s brows will go up when I casually dropthatdetail…why shouldn’t I enjoy the anticipation? I earned it.
The girl jumps off the boat, her colorful dress trailing out behind her as she plummets toward the water.
No.
I earned it.
—
I make my way through the back hallways on the ground floor, past the kitchens—her expensive Fontesquan chef is deep in discussion with one of her fire magicians, probably talking about roasting something in some new way.
I pause outside the door, push my shoulders back, and knock, rapping out the rhythm we’ve been using since we werekids.
“Come,” she calls, in that same drawl as always, and I walk into her den of gold and dark, polished wood and red velvet, the same at every hour of the day.
I make it to my second step before I stop.
Sister Beris, whom I dropped off at the church not long ago, is already sitting on the couch with Ruby. She turns, unhurried, and stares at me with her pale eyes.
“Laskia,” Ruby says with one of her easy smiles. “Good morning. Sister Beris has been filling me in on your adventures.”
“Oh,” I say stupidly, blinking. She’s givingmyreport. How dare she— But I pull myself together and forward. “Well, I can take care of that now, and—”
Ruby holds up a hand to stop me. “I have all the details that matter,” she says. “Well done. I asked the cook to fix you a proper breakfast. You must be hungry.”
I stare at her, unable to move, unable to speak, my words caught in my throat.
I’m not stupid. I know what this is. I know that tone.
I’m being dismissed.
Ruby never outright tells you to go away—you’re just supposed to understand. But I can’t do that. I need to report to her. Iearnedthis.
“I should catch you up on the specifics,” I try. “We had to—”
She raises the hand again. “I’ve got enough for now. You should be pleased with your work, Laskia. The honey was effective?”
Effective.
I open my mouth, then close it again, something hot building up inside me. She mentions it to take credit for it—as if giving me the honey was the hard part, not standing in place as the crew cheered and poured it onto their breakfast.
As if theideawas the thing, instead of the deed.
I’mthe one who left a ship of corpses anchored off the coast.
“Ruby,” I try again, my voice rising, “I want to stay and—”
She shakes her head, just a fraction. The smallest movement. “We’ll talk soon, Laskia. The sister and I need to talk about our next steps.”
I stare at her in frozen disbelief.The sister and I,while I’m sent to breakfast.
I swing my gaze across to Sister Beris, my throat thick, my words stuck there. She brought me into the church, she told me whatIwas doing would matter, that Macean neededme.And now she’s staring back at me, impassive, waiting for me to leave.
I’ve finally worked out what she reminds me of.
A kid I used to know had a pet snake. It never blinked, just stared. And then it tried to eat you.
Her dress was golden, the girl who jumped into the water. Covered in sequins and fringes, it was like fire already as she arced through the air, legs kicking, arms flung wide.
