worries.”
“The sea?” Hiresha asked.
She lifted the jewel toward her mouth. Again she stopped short when she noticed Sagai’s face reflected in a bronze plate decorating the wall. He’s looking at me. Not with a leer, Hiresha thought, but with something far more chilling. Careful attention to his duty as my jailer.
“Always less boats would come back.” Naroh’s fingers paused on the buttons. “Or sometimes a boat would wash in late, full of hands.”
“Full of what?” Sweat beaded around the topaz in Hiresha’s fist. Did Sagai see me take something from my slipper? Does he guess?
“Hands. Families could tell who they belonged to by their calluses.” Resentment barbed Naroh’s voice. “Or didn’t you know the cost of sea fish?”
“It’s not served at the Academy.” Hiresha’s heart was thumping. “Only hands, you said?”
“Sometimes legs. Or a boat full of heads. Once we found eight fishermen in pieces on the beach. Their limbs were in some kind of pattern, but it was hard to see through all the gulls. There were so many gulls.”
Naroh tapped on Hiresha’s bandaged fist, motioning her to open it so her arm could be pulled out of the dress sleeve. Hiresha shuddered, even though it was her other hand that held the topaz.
“I—I’ve seen specimens from sea serpents. Fangs of all hideous varieties.” Hiresha opened her second hand as well, pressing the jewel to the underside of her palm with her thumb. “But I’ve never heard of such dismemberment.”
Naroh pulled the dress over Hiresha’s head. When the enchantress could see more than just purple skirt, she glanced to Sagai. He was not looking at her or the odd position in which she had held her hand. He stared with unfocused eyes toward a shelf full of colored candles. His breathing was heavy, one arm reaching behind his back to clench his sword hilt.
“It’s called the Murderfish,” he said. “The empire should’ve hunted it down years ago.”
A look of twisting sickness crossed Naroh’s sweet, young face. She bowed to Hiresha. “I should not have said this. I only get so angry, nobody knows anything about fishing villages. Please, tell me how many meals I must fast in penance.”
Hiresha tsked. “Stand up, girl. It was my ignorance that was wrong.”
Naroh managed a weak grin. She folded the purple dress. Unpacking gowns of blue and red, she asked, “Which will you wear tomorrow?”
“The purple again.” Hiresha cupped her hands together. Her fingers worried around the jewel.
The maid lifted the purple dress. “This will be damp if it’s washed tonight.”
“No need. I can clean it when napping.” Hiresha pretended to yawn, slipping the jewel into her mouth. She swallowed, and the topaz’s square edges scraped the back of her throat. It stuck. The gem was too large, her throat too dry. She had to cough it back into her hand.
“Naroh,” Sagai said, “before Hiresha goes to sleep in the evenings, we must change her bandages. And you must search her.”
Hiresha gaped at Sagai as if he had just said to burn her feet with hot candle wax.
“With your forgiveness,” Naroh said.
Not knowing what else to do, Hiresha dropped the topaz behind her onto the ornate rug. Her bare foot stepped forward to hide it.
Naroh opened Hiresha’s hands. The maid frowned at a square indentation on the palm that had held the gem. The following search did not rank in the top thousand of Hiresha’s treasured experiences, but she had survived worse, such as having her throat cut. When Naroh directed Hiresha to move, she pivoted around the topaz and kept it out of sight.
“Lift your feet,” Naroh said.
Heavy with defeat, Hiresha lifted first one foot then the one covering the topaz. As she did she made a kicking motion to scoot the gem under the couch. She hoped she had been subtle.
“Look under the couch,” Sagai said.
Naroh did so. Any moment Hiresha expected the maid’s hand to dart under the blue cushions and lift
“The sea?” Hiresha asked.
She lifted the jewel toward her mouth. Again she stopped short when she noticed Sagai’s face reflected in a bronze plate decorating the wall. He’s looking at me. Not with a leer, Hiresha thought, but with something far more chilling. Careful attention to his duty as my jailer.
“Always less boats would come back.” Naroh’s fingers paused on the buttons. “Or sometimes a boat would wash in late, full of hands.”
“Full of what?” Sweat beaded around the topaz in Hiresha’s fist. Did Sagai see me take something from my slipper? Does he guess?
“Hands. Families could tell who they belonged to by their calluses.” Resentment barbed Naroh’s voice. “Or didn’t you know the cost of sea fish?”
“It’s not served at the Academy.” Hiresha’s heart was thumping. “Only hands, you said?”
“Sometimes legs. Or a boat full of heads. Once we found eight fishermen in pieces on the beach. Their limbs were in some kind of pattern, but it was hard to see through all the gulls. There were so many gulls.”
Naroh tapped on Hiresha’s bandaged fist, motioning her to open it so her arm could be pulled out of the dress sleeve. Hiresha shuddered, even though it was her other hand that held the topaz.
“I—I’ve seen specimens from sea serpents. Fangs of all hideous varieties.” Hiresha opened her second hand as well, pressing the jewel to the underside of her palm with her thumb. “But I’ve never heard of such dismemberment.”
Naroh pulled the dress over Hiresha’s head. When the enchantress could see more than just purple skirt, she glanced to Sagai. He was not looking at her or the odd position in which she had held her hand. He stared with unfocused eyes toward a shelf full of colored candles. His breathing was heavy, one arm reaching behind his back to clench his sword hilt.
“It’s called the Murderfish,” he said. “The empire should’ve hunted it down years ago.”
A look of twisting sickness crossed Naroh’s sweet, young face. She bowed to Hiresha. “I should not have said this. I only get so angry, nobody knows anything about fishing villages. Please, tell me how many meals I must fast in penance.”
Hiresha tsked. “Stand up, girl. It was my ignorance that was wrong.”
Naroh managed a weak grin. She folded the purple dress. Unpacking gowns of blue and red, she asked, “Which will you wear tomorrow?”
“The purple again.” Hiresha cupped her hands together. Her fingers worried around the jewel.
The maid lifted the purple dress. “This will be damp if it’s washed tonight.”
“No need. I can clean it when napping.” Hiresha pretended to yawn, slipping the jewel into her mouth. She swallowed, and the topaz’s square edges scraped the back of her throat. It stuck. The gem was too large, her throat too dry. She had to cough it back into her hand.
“Naroh,” Sagai said, “before Hiresha goes to sleep in the evenings, we must change her bandages. And you must search her.”
Hiresha gaped at Sagai as if he had just said to burn her feet with hot candle wax.
“With your forgiveness,” Naroh said.
Not knowing what else to do, Hiresha dropped the topaz behind her onto the ornate rug. Her bare foot stepped forward to hide it.
Naroh opened Hiresha’s hands. The maid frowned at a square indentation on the palm that had held the gem. The following search did not rank in the top thousand of Hiresha’s treasured experiences, but she had survived worse, such as having her throat cut. When Naroh directed Hiresha to move, she pivoted around the topaz and kept it out of sight.
“Lift your feet,” Naroh said.
Heavy with defeat, Hiresha lifted first one foot then the one covering the topaz. As she did she made a kicking motion to scoot the gem under the couch. She hoped she had been subtle.
“Look under the couch,” Sagai said.
Naroh did so. Any moment Hiresha expected the maid’s hand to dart under the blue cushions and lift
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