Page 160 of By the Moonbeam and the Mist
The flash of a jade-encrusted sword stifled every thought in my head. Each glorious inch of it glittered and reflected its surroundings like molten starlight as it was passed delicately to the captain.
As soon as the pommel touched her hand, a silver hook shot out from the socket of flesh where her fifth finger would have been, beckoning me.
“Let the girl come forward on her own.”
Cold, dark tension leaked from Steeler at those words. Without looking at him, I pried his fingers off my waist, stepped over my bag, and stalked forward.
“Kneel,” the captain said.
My heart began to bounce around my chest as I lowered myself to my knees, trying to find my balance against this surface that wouldn’t quitmoving.
The cold swish of glinting steel arced toward my neck—
And hovered just above my collarbone.
I squeezed my eyes, suddenly hoping that Barberro’s eyesight was as good as he claimed. Would the sword actuallytalk? Or would it just transfer its knowledge to the captain insilence? What if Barberro had been wrong? What if it claimed differently?
“Well?” someone from the crowd asked after several stomach-clenching moments had passed.
The captain sucked in a breath—and let it out again in a voice that sounded shocked beyond belief.
“She is cleared.”
Her hook sunk back into her flesh. The steel vanished from my neck. Exclamations and mutters broke out as dozens of pairs of eyes pinned me to the spot, ranging from awed to confused to suspicious. That same voice called out, “What’s that supposed to mean? She’s really the lost princess’sdaughter?”
The captain didn’t answer. After a moment of heavy breathing where she continued to stare at me in shock, she rounded on Steeler with a snarl, “Why did you bring her? We’re not a charity house, boy.”
“I know that,” Steeler said.
“The amount of refugees you’ve brought on board in the last twenty-four hours alone would indicate otherwise.”
“If you count exactly two refugees as a lot, then you’re even less generous than I initially believed.” Steeler’s back muscles were cording beneath his shirt as if to restrain himself from ripping through the captain’s throat. “Besides, we won’t be here for long. I’ve just come to fetch my friends, and then we’ll be off—” He glanced briefly at Terrin, who gave him an uncustomary frown. “Where are the others?”
“We’re here.”
The high-pitched, breathy voice belonged to Sylvie, who had just crashed out of one of those glossy wooden hatches. Her eyes swiveled from the captain to Steeler to me, her hands wringing as if she wanted to embrace us all but didn’t dare to in the face of present company. Behind her, Sasha and Garvis followed withconfusion and wariness plastered over their faces as they took in the scene.
Despite that, the sight of Garvis, his mild presence and the way he walked steadily forward to take his place beside Steeler—it calmed something frantic inside me. Made me feel more in control of my Mind Manipulating power.
Hello, friend, I shot toward him, and he snatched the thought with a small smile.
Hello to you, too. I assume your being here means bad news?
Very bad, I’m afraid.
Out loud, Steeler announced in a voice so deep and commanding that it sucked every last drop of noise from the muttering crowd, “Hallow’s Perch is being attacked.”
Sylvie gasped, Terrin cursed, and Garvis exchanged a look of horror with Sasha. Dazmine frowned, chewing on her cheek.
Aiming his hostility toward the captain, Steeler continued, “I knowyoudon’t see a reason to help the human villages in need, but this particular human village is our home, and we’re not going to abandon it.”
“You’re damn right we’re not,” Terrin called, rolling up his sleeves and marching toward us. The others, too, instantly converged, reaching out for Steeler, Dazmine herself hurrying forward as if to do the same…
“No. I forbid it.”
The captain’s words cut through the frenzy like a blade.
My blood ran cold at the sight of her face, pinched with a triumphant sneer.
