Chapter no 44
As the schooner sped south, it was as if the whole crew was sitting vigil. Everyone spoke in hushed tones, treading quietly over the decks. Jesper was as worried about Nina as anyone – except Matthias, he supposed – but the respectful silence was hard to bear. He needed something to shoot at. The Ferolind […]
Chapter no 43
The aches set in after dawn. An hour later, it felt as if her bones were trying to push through the places where her joints met. She lay on the same table where she’d healed Inej’s knife wound. Her senses were still sharp enough that she could smell the coppery scent of the Suli girl’s […]
Chapter no 42
They’d been blessed with a strong wind. Inej felt it ripple through her hair and couldn’t help but think of the storm to come. As soon as they were on deck, Matthias had turned to Kuwei. “How long does she have?” Kuwei had some Kerch, but Nina had to translate in places. She did it […]
Chapter no 41
“ Two … one …” Matthias saw Nina’s pupils dilate. Her lips parted, and she pushed past him, stepping down from the tank. The air around her seemed to crackle, her skin glowing as if lit from within by something miraculous. As if she’d tapped a vein of Djel directly, and now the god’s power […]
Chapter no 40
They emerged from the darkness, soaked, bruised, and gasping in the bright light of the moon. Nina’s entire body felt as if it had been pummelled. The remnants of the baleen clustered in sticky gobs at the corners of her mouth. Her dress had frayed to nearly nothing, and if she hadn’t been so desperately, […]
Chapter no 39
Inej’s heart careened against her ribs. On the aerial swings, there was a moment when you let go of one and reached for the next, when you realised you’d made a mistake and you no longer felt weightless, when you simply started to fall. The guards hauled her back through the prison gate. There were […]
Chapter no 38
ELEVEN BELLS AND THREE-QUARTERS CHIME Kaz had considered trying to eavesdrop on Matthias and Brum in the ballroom, but he didn’t want to lose sight of Nina when there were so many drüskelle around. He’d gambled on Matthias’ feelings for Nina, but he’d always liked those odds. The real risk had been in whether or […]
Chapter no 37
ELEVEN BELLS AND QUARTER CHIME When Matthias opened the door to Nina’s cell, she hesitated for the briefest moment. She couldn’t help it. As long as she lived, she would never forget Matthias’ face at that window, how cruel he’d seemed, or the doubt that had sprung up in her heart. She felt it again, […]
Chapter no 36
ELEVEN BELLS Jesper waited by the slit in the wall, a sniper’s bolt, the perfect place for a boy like him. What did we just do? he wondered. But his blood was alive, his rifle was at his shoulder, the world made sense again. So where were the guards? Jesper had expected them to rush […]
Chapter no 35
ELEVEN BELLS “ She’s beautiful,” Brum said, “in an exaggerated way. You were strong not to be lured by her.” I was lured, though, thought Matthias. And it wasn’t just her beauty. “The alarm—” Matthias said. “Her compatriots, no doubt.” “But—” “Matthias, my men will take care of it. The Ice Court is secure.” He […]