Page 87 of The Deathless One
It wasn’t a bad thought, hiding in plain sight. But Callum would still want to discourage anyone from even thinking about trying to find him.
“So you think there were never any infected in the houses at all?”
“Which leaves a lot of openings we could sneak into. A lot of buildings that probably aren’t watched very well.” She shrugged. “It’s better than waiting around for an invite we’re never going to get.”
It wasn’t the best plan, but it was a plan. And if this was what she wanted to do, then he would join her.
Walking into the Iron Knuckles’ territory was, she realized, stupid. Even if she had somehow rallied an entire army to walk at her back, this was stupid. But the openings she thought would be there, weren’t. The Iron Knuckles were far more prepared than she’d ever imagined.
As it was, Jessamine was completely alone. At least, as far as they knew.
Elric walked beside her, of course. She could see him perfectly well thanks to their connection, but everyone else would only see the faintest shadow in the reflection of the windows and puddles at their feet. He wasn’t any happier that she was here, but at the very least, he hadn’t argued this morning. And when they reached the end of their journey, he watched the sight before them with a narrow-eyed gaze. Jessamine stood in front of a cramped street that led into shadows, staring down the men who guarded it with their arms crossed.
Tall buildings bracketed them on either side, black monoliths with boarded-up windows and yellow-painted edges that marked them as homes of the infected. But she didn’t hear any fingernails scratching from the inside—considering the state of the buildings and the windows, she had to wonder if the rumor was true, that no infected had ever been there. What better place to build a stronghold than in the homes of those no one wished to interact with? Still, it made the alleyway look like a portal to the darkest depths of madness, where only the infected remained.
The Iron Knuckles had set up barricades in front of the street, which was the first obstacle to carrying out her plan. Roughly hammered-togethertwo-by-fours that were then wrapped in barbed wire to keep people out. Or perhaps, considering the brown staining on the tines, to throw people into when necessary. There was a small gap where people could walk, though. And that was where two massive men stood.
There was no way for her to get to the other buildings without someone seeing her, even though only two men appeared to be guarding the blockade. She had no doubt they would shout for help, and then her plan was ruined anyway. Their features were brutish, but their woolen jackets were relatively new and their trousers were sharply pressed. Each one wore a hat on top of his head like a pageboy, leading her to wonder if it wasn’t a pageboy hat at all that Benji used to wear.
As always, a small pang struck her in the chest when she thought of the young man she’d killed in cold blood. She might have to kill more people today. It made her slightly nauseous even to think about that. But Elric was right. The path to a throne was coated in blood, and she had to be woman enough to walk through it.
Jessamine had never been very good at thinking on her feet. She liked to have a plan, but now this plan was ruined, and frankly, she was getting angry. These men were standing in her way, and she had spent far too much time searching for Callum to be stopped now. Sneaking wasn’t an option. Finesse had to be tossed out the window.
Clearing her throat, she walked right up to the men. The dead god glared so hard that she could feel the cold, searing disapproval in his eyes.
She could feel it, but she ignored it.
“Gentlemen,” she said as she stopped in front of the two behemoths. “I’m here to see Callum Quen.”
The men looked at each other, surprise evident on their faces. “Callum? We only know him as the Butcher.”
They’d given away more than they realized. But she’d had an inkling that Callum ran this place, and she was quite certain he was inside these streets that were controlled by the Iron Knuckles. They’d confirmed that with just a single sentence.
“So you know him, then?”
The man who had answered frowned at her. His hair was as red as a candle flame, setting him apart from the other, although they did look eerily alike. She assumed they were brothers.
She turned her attention to the man with the slightly cooler-toned brown locks.
“You stupid lout,” the second man growled at his brother before looking at her. “No one goes in or out. That’s what he means.”
“I go in.”
“No, you don’t.”
You’re a queen,she reminded herself.Act like one.
She knew what her mother would do in this situation. The queen had mastered an icy expression that put weak-willed men like this in their place.
Drawing herself up straight, she narrowed her eyes and tried to act like her mother at her most haughty. “Do you not recognize a threat when you see one? I am not some beggar woman who has crept up to your doors and expects you to turn me away. You will let me in.”
“And why the fuck would we do that?” both of them said, almost simultaneously.
Elric leaned against the wall beside them, his arms crossed over his chest. “Exactly, Jessamine. You had better give them a reason or I’ll have to bring you back to life again.”
Breathing deep into her belly, she smiled with what she hoped was an intimidating expression. “Because I’m a witch, gentlemen. And I promise you, you don’t want to get in my way.”
There was a stunned silence after her words before the two men burst out laughing. They laughed so hard that the redheaded one wiped tears from his cheeks. She didn’t move as they let out their mirth, allowing them to have a few final moments.
