was Kelpie at his side, which made it doubly hard because she couldn’t shut her fucking trap.
‘What the hells do you think you’re doing?’ she demanded.
‘I’m taking the lead,’ he told her. ‘You wanted this.’
Kelpie sat on the clay tiles, knees up to her chin, staring at him as if he were a stranger. ‘You’re too late. You chose Velody. You made them all choose Velody.’
‘And then she chose Garnet.’
‘Is that what this is about?’ Kelpie laughed at him, though there was little humour in it. ‘After all you’ve been through, you’ll let jealousy make your decisions for you? Can you really not forgive the demme for bedding someone other than you?’
He met her eyes, unfriendly. ‘Are we still talking about Velody?’
Kelpie stared back, bristling with anger and defensiveness and all those other emotions Ashiol associated with her. Only more so than usual. ‘Apparently not.’
Of all of them, he had thought Kelpie would be on his side. Kelpie was always on his side.
‘I didn’t think sentinels could take sides against the Kings, but here you are, choosing her over me.’
‘I’m not choosing anyone,’ Kelpie snapped. ‘Don’t you dare accuse me of not doing my duty, not ever. I’ve walked through death and out the other side for you — not just for Aufleur or the Kings, but for you personally, Ashiol Xandelian, and I’d do it again in a second. Question my loyalty again and I’ll stab you in the throat.’
‘This is sweet,’ he said, impatient with her. ‘But I have a battle to prepare for. You’re not helping.’
Kelpie stood up, shaking out her coat. ‘You’ve had months to let yourself become Power and Majesty, and the mere thought of it had you in pieces. You’ve been drunk or drugged or mad or all three ever since the dust devils took the Seer down and Velody was swallowed from the sky. What the hells makes you think anyone will follow you?’
‘I’m not Garnet. And I’m not Velody. I can do this.’
‘You should have done it years ago,’ she said coldly. ‘We believed in you then. There’s not much left of that.’
‘I’ll prove you wrong,’ he told her.
Kelpie stepped forward, as if she was about to touch him, then stepped back again, out of reach. ‘I really hope you do.’
He shouldn’t have come. That much was clear. But it didn’t seem right to leave Garnet’s return unacknowledged.
Macready sat in the mouth of the narrow tunnel, his feet up on the curved wall. He didn’t have to wait long.
Footsteps sounded along the canal path and then stopped.
‘What the frig are you doing here?’ Garnet asked in a voice far more pleasant than his words. That was the way of him: all manners and serenity until you pissed him off, then he’d bite so hard you’d never stop feeling the teeth in your skin.
Macready yawned. ‘Being a sentinel. Keeping a watchful eye over one of my stray flock of Kings. That’s the right word, is it not — flock? Sounds better than herd, or gang, or murder. Like my new swords? Look elegant with the uniform, do they not?’ He smacked the skysilver blade of his knife back and forth against his palm. It barely tickled.
‘I can see you like them,’ Garnet said, getting edgier by the moment. ‘Will you let me pass?’
‘You haven’t been here in years,’ said Macready, meeting the young King’s eyes for all the cove tried to avoid looking directly at him. ‘Tasha’s den. Wouldn’t have thought it was home to you any more.’
‘It’s not,’ Garnet grated. ‘But I received a less than welcome reception at the Haymarket.’
‘Ah, that explains it, so it does,’ Macready said lightly. ‘Livilla took that death of yours rather personally. Shame she’s holding you responsible. Still, you know demmes. A bunch of flowers, flask of ciocolata and I bet she’ll come running back to your manly arms.’ Macready still had not moved his legs. He unfolded his left hand, stretching it, wiggling the low stump where his ring finger had been once upon a time. ‘Mind you, if she doesn’t play ball, you can just blast your way in there, leave her bruised and bloody like the old days. Not like you to back down from a challenge, our Garnet.’
‘I have little patience for chatting with servants,’ Garnet said, teeth gleaming in the darkness. ‘Get the fuck out of my way, Macready.’
This would be a good time to get out of the cove’s face, so it would, but Macready had never known when to