THAAN.
Yes.
Where’s my sister?
She’s with me.
Where?
Where do you think?
Standing still under his hold was agony. My body suddenly needed to pace. To shake and rage. To shove and kick and bite. I stood like a statue in the center of the room, my body at the mercy of Thaan’s whim.
Inside, I was a restless wind, caught in the jaws of stone and ire.
Why would you take Selena to Venusia? What are you doing?
I felt him leave again. I wondered what was happening—was it happening now?
Thaan wouldn’t hurt Selena.
He wouldn’t. He wouldn’t. He wouldn’t.
He needed us. Didn’t he?
I don’t, really.
I hadn’t realized I’d thought the question across to him until he answered.
You’re bluffing,I raged at him.You need us. We’re yourPrizivac Vodes. I’m your best water-caller. Selena’s your bestincanter. You need us just like you need Pheolix.
I don’t need you. And I killed Pheolix this morning.
The need to pace froze inside me. Ice trickled through my veins.Liar.
But Thaan rarely lied.
Ask Deimos.
The Naiad was still watching me. He hadn’t looked away.
“Did Thaan kill Pheolix?” I asked, my voice tight.
“Yes.”
I’d never heard him speak before. His voice didn’t even croak with disuse as I might have imagined it would. It was soft. Apologetic, even. Pitying.
“I don’t believe you,” I ground out. “I know Thaan is in your head just like he’s in mine. Swear it in blood.” Thaan could force Deimos to speak.He could force him to draw blood. But he couldn’t force him to swear on it. Theia protected us from a forced vow.
The silent siren lifted his hand, sliding his blade across the flesh of his palm. Scarlet drained, dropping to the floor, splattering quietly below him.
“I swear on my blood. Thaan killed Pheolix this morning.” He looked as though he wanted to say more as the small strike of light gleamed through his cut, but he didn’t. I took a step back.
Thaan had been angry last night. Had he been angry enough to kill Pheolix? He’d saved Selena on that table. Had he saved her only to use her as a lure for Aegir?
Was that the entire purpose behind taking us?
Steps echoed faintly from the servants’ passage a floor above. All the air in my apartment collapsed, and I stood gasping for breath. What was he planning with us? What was he planning in Venusia?
