“Oh, there’s no issue on our end. When your father first disappeared, we all knew something was wrong in Skull’s Row. We had no problem hiding rather than sitting like an open ship at sea. We were all mostly curious to meetyou.” I don’t even know how to reply to something like that, so instead, I just sit there while staring her down. She crinkles her forehead while raising her brows, looking off again. “Plus, we know what’s out there, now. We’ve known since we took up residence down here. It’s unified us.”
“You’re talking about Misery?”
She dips her head in affirmation, not looking my way. “Cypress keeps us informed, with what little information she gives. The Eyeless have seen the miasma around Blackwell, so they knowthat’strue, at least.”
I tilt my head slightly to the side, as if it’ll help me re-hear what she just said. “Eyeless?”
She vaguely points to one of her dark eyes. “The ones with a milky eye.”
“Oh,” I say, sitting straighter. “So you’re all aware of that, then? What does it do?”
She tilts her head back and forth like she’s considering what to say. “Well, where someone like Soren can feel and sense things, they canseethe auras, especially with a patch over the normal eye. The world through the mirk is quite blurry and colorless, but they can see the energies. Whatever that means. It’s some witchy shit they did over the Black Sea. It’s not as intuitive as a Sensor, but they make incredible guards.”
My intrigue is so momentary. Normally, I’d be more nosy, but it just feels like something else I don’t want to worry about right now. “I still don’t understand why everyone ishere? Why not just leave and get as far away from this as possible?”
“Why not just tell a hurricane to blow right over you?” she retorts, as if my acumen disappoints her. “You can’t do that. Misery takes over, andallour families are dead, and since Cypress declares you’re to play one of the most critical roles in stopping him… well, we’ve been waiting for you. Otherwise, we’d have to uprooteveryonewho lives on these coasts, and even then, it would only be a matter of time before Misery’s reign or torment leeches into other lands, and by then, he’ll be so powerful it would be nearly impossible to kill him.”
I rub my eye hard enough to see little lingering spots, wishing more than ever for my mother, to ask her what I do. To confide in somebody abouteverything. “I feel like I needmonthsto catch up and process.”
“Well, we don’t have that. We have a fewweeks, maximum. And then it will all likely happen at once, like it usually does. If it makes you feel better, weareleaving soon. We just want to do so with caution. There’s a man known by the name of Basilisk and he was spotted recently. Histrueform.”
“Who in the hells is the Basilisk? And what’s a true form?”
“You really lived under a rock, didn’t you?” Her scrutinous gaze really irks me.
“Yeah, I did. It’s called Coalfell. Any other obvious questions?”
She snorts. “Fine, fine. I’m only teasing. I’m just used to most people knowing about the Basilisk. He’sfromhere, but I guess it’s been almost two decades since he roamed these lands. He’s akin to a Zenith, but over the seas. His golden eyes got him that name, and how if you look into them, there’s a good chance you’re dead. Mostly because he’s so accomplished he doesn’t do his dirty work anymore, so if he shows up, you’re not going to be alive for much longer. A master swordsmith, honestly. His personal circle is harder to get into than your father’s.”
I roll a hand, feeling like I’m back as a child and being taught about the history of the world. “And what doestrue formmean?”
“Right. He’s got someone shifting into his skin out in the Crimson Isles for some reason, while therealone is here. Your father doesn’t like the uncertainty in that. Once it’s ironed out, we’rethenmaking our move. If Basilisk is here to claim you, then we want to avoidanyconfrontation.”
“Why the fuck wouldheclaim me—” I raise both hands in the air, palms out, stopping when a sickening sensation weighs down my stomach; what if Basilisk is here tokillme? To cull Misery’s revival in the exact way Cypress warned against?In that, I can see why I shouldn’t tellanyonethat Misery needsme, even if I don’t know why myself.
“Take that up with Misery for making you so interesting to everyone. Maybe Basilisk wants to see the world burn and prefers to stand among the ashes rather than suffocate, so getting ahead of the curb, really. Wouldn’t put it past him. Either way, we’re taking no chances. Not with Cypress’s protection being taken off of you.”
I rub my chin, noting that she doesn’t seem to be aware that my death would be a swift way to buy all these people a lot of peace—even if temporary. “So, what has Cypress said about me? I didn’t get much myself,” I ask, seeing what insight she truly has.
I know how to lie if I need to.
She looks surprised. “That’s annoying she didn’t say much, considering we were relying on that… she mostly just said the Scorpion’s daughter will be what we need to overcome Misery, like you’re some kind of key or tool, and that your safety is the priority of everyone. You know, because if you die, then we lose our chance to use whatever it is she has planned.”
Ah, shit. I hate to think everyone is being misled. It’s like the siren’s promise all over again.
I look back down at my lap. “That’s the gist of what I got.” I sigh heavily. “I’m sure she’ll reveal it to me, one way or another.”
Fuck. I really didn’t consider the way it would make me feel to lie to all these people, or at least, to lie to theirhope.
The sharp rhythm of five knocks comes to the wooden doorframe, and Donna seems to be entirely expecting it as she turns around and heads to the door. A guard stands there, one hand lowering from rapping his knuckles and the other near the hilt of his weapon. “All clear?” she asks the man.
“Aye,” he firmly answers with a practiced formality.
Anotherthing I’m growing rather tired of is all this waiting until someone permits me to leave a damn room. Oh, how I miss walking to the Perch when I felt like it and the freedom that the dirt road promised at night.
Kathleen…
It’s her consideration that moves me forward without question, as I need to tell my father that her safety is non-negotiable. And also ask him about this Basilisk asshole, whoever he is.
