then?”
“We’ll manage.”
“Right. Rafiki, you leaving to find that carriage?” I really hope he doesn’t go to Master Khalid’s inn first. Not that the story of what I’ve done won’t get out soon enough anyway. I’d just rather the Ghost not know tonight.
Rafiki backs out of the door. “I’ll be back soon,” he assures the Ghost, and hurries off. I can hear Kenta’s nails click against the floorboards as he slips away deeper into the building, leaving us to fight alone.
“Hitomi.”
“Save it. Two sets of ears are better than one.”
He sighs. “There’s Kenta.”
“Fine. Three sets are better than two,” I amend, stepping past him. I interpret his sigh as a sign that he’s giving in. I swing the door shut, plunging the room into near darkness. This far away, the candlelight from the Degaths’ room is no help at all. Still, it only takes a moment to lift the pins and turn the lock. “This is my fault. I’m not going to leave you to deal with it alone.”
“It isn’t a question of fault,” the Ghost replies.
I shrug, even though he can’t see me in the dark. Maybe he believes that, maybe he doesn’t. “I can help here,” I say. “Let me stay.”
Granted, it might be difficult to send me away through a locked door, but making the request offers him some semblance of control.
What he says next takes me by surprise. “I don’t like the feel of this.”
I rock back on my heels, peering blindly towards his voice. This may be my first time sneaking out fugitives, but the Ghost has helped a handful of other families escape before tonight. He would know if something felt off. “Is it the older girl?”
Silence. Okay then.
“What do you think she’ll do?” I ask.
“I can’t tell.”
I wish I could see what he looks like. I hadn’t realized until now how much I’d learned to read of his moods from how he holds himself, even without being able to see his face.
“We’ll keep a watch on her,” I promise. “Do you want me to stay in the room with them?”
“No. Don’t let them know you’re here.” I hear the rustle of his cloak as he shifts. “It’s best we get them out of Karolene as fast as we can.”
“Faster than we planned?”
He doesn’t answer immediately. “We’ll see. The dhows are all out fishing tonight, so there’s nothing we can do until dawn. I’ll send Kenta to the beaches to see if we can move the Degaths out as soon as the fishermen have unloaded their catch.” He doesn’t name the dhow owner, his words sounding slightly awkward. I realize he’s being careful because of Saira.
“Hole up wherever you were before,” the Ghost continues. “Stay there until we leave, then follow us out. There’s no reason for the Degaths to know you’re here.”
“Where will you be?”
“Here,” he says, by which I gather he means the back room, keeping a watch on the door. Kenta must have taken the front door.
“Let me know if …” If what? Even I’m not sure what might happen here. “If I can do anything,” I finish awkwardly.
“I will,” the Ghost says.
I stand up and start back towards the hallway, using the faint fall of candlelight as my guide. The Ghost comes along behind me, no doubt to tell the Degaths to blow out the candle.
“Hitomi?” the Ghost murmurs as we near the door.
“Hmm?”
“Be careful.”
I turn my head to look at him over my shoulder. I can’t make out a thing in the darkness. A hand touches my shoulder, and then the Ghost steps past me to the Degaths’ room.
I wake with a jolt as the first magical ward flares to life. Leaping to my feet, I turn blindly towards it—it’s the bead placed by the front door. I take the hallway at a sprint, skidding into the back room where the Ghost waits.
“What is it?” he whispers from somewhere on my left.
It’s impossible. I shake my head in disbelief as the wards along the windows flare up one by one, tracking the presence of the
“We’ll manage.”
“Right. Rafiki, you leaving to find that carriage?” I really hope he doesn’t go to Master Khalid’s inn first. Not that the story of what I’ve done won’t get out soon enough anyway. I’d just rather the Ghost not know tonight.
Rafiki backs out of the door. “I’ll be back soon,” he assures the Ghost, and hurries off. I can hear Kenta’s nails click against the floorboards as he slips away deeper into the building, leaving us to fight alone.
“Hitomi.”
“Save it. Two sets of ears are better than one.”
He sighs. “There’s Kenta.”
“Fine. Three sets are better than two,” I amend, stepping past him. I interpret his sigh as a sign that he’s giving in. I swing the door shut, plunging the room into near darkness. This far away, the candlelight from the Degaths’ room is no help at all. Still, it only takes a moment to lift the pins and turn the lock. “This is my fault. I’m not going to leave you to deal with it alone.”
“It isn’t a question of fault,” the Ghost replies.
I shrug, even though he can’t see me in the dark. Maybe he believes that, maybe he doesn’t. “I can help here,” I say. “Let me stay.”
Granted, it might be difficult to send me away through a locked door, but making the request offers him some semblance of control.
What he says next takes me by surprise. “I don’t like the feel of this.”
I rock back on my heels, peering blindly towards his voice. This may be my first time sneaking out fugitives, but the Ghost has helped a handful of other families escape before tonight. He would know if something felt off. “Is it the older girl?”
Silence. Okay then.
“What do you think she’ll do?” I ask.
“I can’t tell.”
I wish I could see what he looks like. I hadn’t realized until now how much I’d learned to read of his moods from how he holds himself, even without being able to see his face.
“We’ll keep a watch on her,” I promise. “Do you want me to stay in the room with them?”
“No. Don’t let them know you’re here.” I hear the rustle of his cloak as he shifts. “It’s best we get them out of Karolene as fast as we can.”
“Faster than we planned?”
He doesn’t answer immediately. “We’ll see. The dhows are all out fishing tonight, so there’s nothing we can do until dawn. I’ll send Kenta to the beaches to see if we can move the Degaths out as soon as the fishermen have unloaded their catch.” He doesn’t name the dhow owner, his words sounding slightly awkward. I realize he’s being careful because of Saira.
“Hole up wherever you were before,” the Ghost continues. “Stay there until we leave, then follow us out. There’s no reason for the Degaths to know you’re here.”
“Where will you be?”
“Here,” he says, by which I gather he means the back room, keeping a watch on the door. Kenta must have taken the front door.
“Let me know if …” If what? Even I’m not sure what might happen here. “If I can do anything,” I finish awkwardly.
“I will,” the Ghost says.
I stand up and start back towards the hallway, using the faint fall of candlelight as my guide. The Ghost comes along behind me, no doubt to tell the Degaths to blow out the candle.
“Hitomi?” the Ghost murmurs as we near the door.
“Hmm?”
“Be careful.”
I turn my head to look at him over my shoulder. I can’t make out a thing in the darkness. A hand touches my shoulder, and then the Ghost steps past me to the Degaths’ room.
I wake with a jolt as the first magical ward flares to life. Leaping to my feet, I turn blindly towards it—it’s the bead placed by the front door. I take the hallway at a sprint, skidding into the back room where the Ghost waits.
“What is it?” he whispers from somewhere on my left.
It’s impossible. I shake my head in disbelief as the wards along the windows flare up one by one, tracking the presence of the
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