Page 99 of Mistress of Bones
At the wry twist of his mouth, Azul understood. “You followed me with Enjul to the ossuary, waited while he went inside, then followed me back to Almanueva.”
“What did you do to that man?” Isile asked. “His face… was it some kind of mask?”
“He had been dead for a while,” Azul answered, distracted.
“You were serious about De Gracia?”
Isile’s tone was more contemplative than shocked, but Azul didn’t quite notice. She touched her shadow’s sleeve. A knot in her throat made the next words hard to voice: “Enjul… The emissary is dead. You are no longer employed and are free to go.”
The man flinched, his steps slowing down to a standstill. He glanced at her form, found the bloody smears on the front of her breeches, her dirty fingers.
“It’s true. My brother killed him—”
“De Gracia?” asked Isile, sounding quite incredulous now.
“—so you are no longer required to look after me.”
With a slight shake of his head, he took her by the elbow and urged her forward.
“You are not jesting?” Isile said, keeping up on her other side.
“I am not,” Azul told him, reassured by the grim expression on her shadow’s face. He believed her and still kept by her side. “You should go.”
“I can help,” Isile argued.
“Do you know where my brother could be, or where he might keep a set of private rooms? A studio of sorts?”
“No…”
“Then you can’t help.” Addressing her shadow, she asked, “Did Enjul mention such a place?”
He shook his head.
Azul thought for a few moments. “I know of someone who might be able to help with that, a woman Enjul met for business on at least one occasion. But I’m not sure I can find her house at nighttime.”
“Then wait until daytime?” Isile suggested as if she had lost her intelligence somewhere back in the fight.
“The longer I wait, the higher the chance my brother might disappear.” Disappear with all his treasure, with all the hopes for Isadora’s bones. With no repercussions for the things he had done.
They stopped at an intersection, the crowd pushing them together, the warmth of the torches and lamps mixing with the summer heat. “This is where we go our separate ways,” she said, looking at Isile.
“I can help you track whoever this is,” Isile said. “I know Cienpé quite well.”
“So does he,” Azul retorted, pointing at her shadow.
“But what if you encounter more of your brother’s men?”
“And you were such a help at Almanueva.”
His cheeks darkened. “I was recovering from the shock! I vow that you will not find me quite so useless again.”
“You are in danger, as much as I am,” Azul said. “You know my brother’s secret. Who is to say he might not kill you and take control of your body? No, Sirese Manzar, go home, gather your belongings, hide for a while. This is not your battle.”
“But I wish it to be.”
Azul and her shadow shared a long look. “I can’t stop you, then.”
“Indeed. Now, tell me of this person’s place.”
