Read Online River Road by Suzanne Johnson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Suzanne Johnson
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vacation. His remaining brown eye stared at the sky, registering shock at the indignity of his final moments.
“The tips of his fingers have been cut off, and the entire ring finger of his left hand,” Alex said.
“Think he had an angry wife?” I looked away, gazed over the grassy marshland, and tried to settle my churning guts. “You sure an animal didn’t do it? You know, bite the … stuff off?”
“Nope, it was human—or prete. Look to your left.”
The missing parts were lined up in a neat row on the bank a few feet from the body, and were already covered in ants and flies. The finger still had a wedding ring on it. My head swam at the horror, and I couldn’t imagine the fury or madness that would spur someone to do such things. I hoped the poor guy was dead before the chopping started.
I’d never been squeamish before, but it seemed like a good time to start. I turned my back and took a deep breath to stop the horizon from spinning. A deep breath turned out to be a bad idea. I couldn’t wimp out now. This was something only I could do, and I needed to do it.
I knelt near the man’s feet with my back to him, swallowed hard, and forced a hand down to rest fingertips on his ankle. The skin felt cold and immobile. Somehow, it helped that it didn’t feel like flesh. I cleared my thoughts, letting my mind process the sensations as sunlight and shadow played across my eyelids. A faint trace of familiar magic pulsed in the air, and it wasn’t coming from me.
I opened my eyes and swiveled to stare at what was left of the man’s bloody face.
“What is it?” Alex put a steadying hand on my shoulder as if he expected me to collapse in a mewling heap. I might when I got home, alone, but not now.
“He’s a wizard,” I said. “Or either he’s human and another wizard was here recently—I mean a wizard other than me. The sensation is fading, but I’m sure of it.”
Alex and I both turned to study the pair of mermen on the boat, who’d stopped glaring at each other so they could watch us. Jean sat behind them, making a big show of polishing a dagger on the hem of his shirt. I suspected he was keeping it close at hand in case the mers started fighting.
“I can’t speak for the other two but I’m sure it wasn’t Jean,” I whispered, hoping they couldn’t hear me. “Ritual murder’s not his style. He’s more direct.” There was a famous story of another pirate, only one, who dared question Jean’s authority, calling him out while Jean was having his dinner. The pirate Lafitte walked outside his house, shot the guy in the heart with barely a blink, then went back inside and resumed his dinner. No added drama. No wasted effort.
Alex looked at Jean. “I agree. He’d have slit the guy’s throat and let him bleed out. This kind of slaughter takes rage, and our mers have plenty of rage. Be nice if we knew whether our vic was a wizard or if we should add a wizard to our suspect list.”
We needed to search the area—with at least one fewer witness. Jean and Rene couldn’t leave because we needed them to get home, but Denis’s continued presence only increased the likelihood of a fight.
“I’m going to put a tracking charm on Denis so he can’t disappear back into the Beyond or the swamps, unless you need him to stay here,” I said, standing. “It’ll make keeping the peace a lot easier.”
“Yeah, long as you’re sure we’ll be able to find him when we need him. He better not make me chase him down.” Alex jingled the shotgun shells in his pocket. “Tell him I’m keeping the gun till he’s cleared. And tell Rene we’re going to be here a while.”
I’d be really popular with the mers once I delivered all those messages. “I think I’ll see if Rene will still get the water samples for us since he has to hang around anyway.” I could fill a couple of vials in the shallows, but I wanted water from the deep areas where the mers got sick.
I made my way back into the water,
“The tips of his fingers have been cut off, and the entire ring finger of his left hand,” Alex said.
“Think he had an angry wife?” I looked away, gazed over the grassy marshland, and tried to settle my churning guts. “You sure an animal didn’t do it? You know, bite the … stuff off?”
“Nope, it was human—or prete. Look to your left.”
The missing parts were lined up in a neat row on the bank a few feet from the body, and were already covered in ants and flies. The finger still had a wedding ring on it. My head swam at the horror, and I couldn’t imagine the fury or madness that would spur someone to do such things. I hoped the poor guy was dead before the chopping started.
I’d never been squeamish before, but it seemed like a good time to start. I turned my back and took a deep breath to stop the horizon from spinning. A deep breath turned out to be a bad idea. I couldn’t wimp out now. This was something only I could do, and I needed to do it.
I knelt near the man’s feet with my back to him, swallowed hard, and forced a hand down to rest fingertips on his ankle. The skin felt cold and immobile. Somehow, it helped that it didn’t feel like flesh. I cleared my thoughts, letting my mind process the sensations as sunlight and shadow played across my eyelids. A faint trace of familiar magic pulsed in the air, and it wasn’t coming from me.
I opened my eyes and swiveled to stare at what was left of the man’s bloody face.
“What is it?” Alex put a steadying hand on my shoulder as if he expected me to collapse in a mewling heap. I might when I got home, alone, but not now.
“He’s a wizard,” I said. “Or either he’s human and another wizard was here recently—I mean a wizard other than me. The sensation is fading, but I’m sure of it.”
Alex and I both turned to study the pair of mermen on the boat, who’d stopped glaring at each other so they could watch us. Jean sat behind them, making a big show of polishing a dagger on the hem of his shirt. I suspected he was keeping it close at hand in case the mers started fighting.
“I can’t speak for the other two but I’m sure it wasn’t Jean,” I whispered, hoping they couldn’t hear me. “Ritual murder’s not his style. He’s more direct.” There was a famous story of another pirate, only one, who dared question Jean’s authority, calling him out while Jean was having his dinner. The pirate Lafitte walked outside his house, shot the guy in the heart with barely a blink, then went back inside and resumed his dinner. No added drama. No wasted effort.
Alex looked at Jean. “I agree. He’d have slit the guy’s throat and let him bleed out. This kind of slaughter takes rage, and our mers have plenty of rage. Be nice if we knew whether our vic was a wizard or if we should add a wizard to our suspect list.”
We needed to search the area—with at least one fewer witness. Jean and Rene couldn’t leave because we needed them to get home, but Denis’s continued presence only increased the likelihood of a fight.
“I’m going to put a tracking charm on Denis so he can’t disappear back into the Beyond or the swamps, unless you need him to stay here,” I said, standing. “It’ll make keeping the peace a lot easier.”
“Yeah, long as you’re sure we’ll be able to find him when we need him. He better not make me chase him down.” Alex jingled the shotgun shells in his pocket. “Tell him I’m keeping the gun till he’s cleared. And tell Rene we’re going to be here a while.”
I’d be really popular with the mers once I delivered all those messages. “I think I’ll see if Rene will still get the water samples for us since he has to hang around anyway.” I could fill a couple of vials in the shallows, but I wanted water from the deep areas where the mers got sick.
I made my way back into the water,
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