Saltwater Witch by Chris Howard

Author:Chris Howard
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Lykeion Books
Published: 0100-12-31T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18 - Saltwater

Parresia pointed at the bathroom. “Go. We haven’t been watching the local rivers as well as we should, looking south, all of us, instead of upriver. We will try to learn more about this Fenhals and Henderson and what the king is planning. I will reach you with any new information.”

I nodded as someone knocked again, this time harder.

“Helodes, see who it is.”

Parresia turned to me just before I entered the bathroom. “Lady Kassandra? The answer is yes. I trust you.”

My breath caught in my throat. I let my eyes fall closed, released all the tension in my body and opened them. “Thank you.”

I had won with words, not my sword or my rage or any other powers and faults at my disposal. I had talked my way through this. There’s a word Mrs. Vilnius used. Diplomat. I wanted to do...diplomacy. That’s the word I was thinking of. Diplomacy.

I bowed to Parresia and turned to go as a man’s voice came through the door, muffled but irritated.

“Ladies? Sorry to bother you this late. This is Gilbert Smolton, the manager. Can I please speak to you? It’s about the amount of water you ladies are using—more than all the other guests put together.”

I stepped into the running bathwater, pausing to look at three heavy blocks of gold clamped to the end of the shower pipe, each shaped like a heart turned in. They looked familiar. I stared at them a second more and then focused on the weight in my hand. I still held the sword and I gripped it tighter as I pictured the map in Vilnious’ classroom.

On to the Gulf of Mexico.

The motel bathroom spun like a merry-go-round and the sound of the door latches clicking and Helodes’ cheerful “Hello” were drowned in the rushing current that grabbed me by the shoulders and lifted me in.

I released all of the breath in my lungs, drowning all over again, choking on the last of my air. There was a tight surge of panic, and then my body found its own way, relaxing when it was over and the water moved inside me like it belonged there.

I rocketed through smears of light and darkness. It was like being fired from an underwater cannon. I really wanted to open my eyes. The helmet made it easier this time, and I watched cloudy brown shapes whip past me.

“Wha—” I started and choked on the surge of water against the back of my throat. I bent my head down, away from the speeding current and pulled in a breath.

I tasted something bitter.

Saltwater. I’m in the ocean. I made it.

“Do not speak until we stop,” Ephoros’ voice rumbled nearby. I glanced around, then my helmet slipped sideways, partly covering my right eye. Ephoros was with me, but I couldn’t see him.

The current slowed. The roaring faded, and then the same force that grabbed my shoulders and sucked me into the water pipe like a vacuum cleaner, shot me out on the other side.

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