Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty

LYRE

Lyre breathed deep, letting the rotting water stench of the city wash the odor of sickly perfume from his airways. He considered himself a professional in seduction—he could fake interest in almost anyone—but that had been a challenge.

At least the brothel was well behind them. Ash once again led the way as they crossed the island to a nicer neighborhood. The three towers of Kokytos leaned over them, lurking in Lyre's peripheral vision no matter which way he turned. Soon, they would test their luck on the most impossible infiltration he'd ever heard of.

Clio followed behind Ash, her scarf wrapped around her head and face like a shawl so only her eyes were visible. Lyre watched her hips sway with each step, smiling to himself. He didn't need to antagonize her anymore. She'd found her confidence again, and fear no longer laced her scent as she gazed around with curiosity and only a hint of wariness. She was tougher than she realized.

He glanced at the cylindrical Ivory Tower one more time, then put it out of his mind before he started giving off the wrong signals. He could quietly panic about the impossibility of their mission later .

The street they followed hung on the island's outer edge, a flimsy rail all that prevented a tumble off the brink. Below, more catwalks and bridges ran along the buildings before the gray water took over.

"Keep your mouths shut for this," Ash warned as they approached a door. "I don't want anyone guessing who you are. Especially you," he added to Lyre.

Lyre tugged his hood lower and made sure his scarf was covering as much of his face as possible. "My lips are sealed."

The new establishment was far more to Lyre's liking than the last. Dim interior, rough wooden tables, a bar at the back, and a big fire pit in the center that vented out the peaked ceiling, giving the room a pervasive but pleasant wood-smoke scent. Beneath that, the aroma of simmering broth made his stomach rumble.

Ash wound between the tables, heading straight for the back corner. At a table tucked almost out of sight, two daemons were already seated, empty bowls and plates in front of them. Ash dropped into a seat, then used his foot to push the second chair out for Clio. Dragging a nearby chair closer, Lyre sat and casually slung his arm over the back.

The two draconians at the table watched the new arrivals with cold, pale blue eyes.

They resembled Ash only superficially. Similar black clothes and heavy weapons. Their shoulder-length hair was tied back, the black waves shimmering in the firelight. The two draconians were identical except that one had a scar cutting diagonally across his left eye, the eyelid twisted and permanently closed.

"Ezran," Ash murmured in greeting, pulling his wrap down around his neck. "Eliya."

"Ash," the one-eyed draconian replied, his deep, sepulchral voice making Lyre's bones itch. "This better be good."

The other draconian reclined in his chair, his pale eyes scrutinizing Ash. "Why are you even here? Aren't you on a contract?"

"I have a job for you two," Ash said, ignoring the questions. "A one-night bang and burn."

The one-eyed guy snorted. "We're not taking jobs from you . "

"Besides, we're already on assignment, which you damn well know."

"Fine." Ash shrugged. "Go back to whatever boring shit you were doing."

The two draconians stared him down, and Lyre didn't envy Ash being on the receiving end. They were taller than him, broader in the shoulders and heavy with hard muscle. The real difference was in their faces though—the lines around their mouths, the stiffness of their jaws, and the hollow emptiness in their expressions.

With a snarl, one of them waved his hand. "Tell us the job, then."

"Not unless you agree to take it." Ash reached into his pocket, then flicked something small toward the daemons. "Four of those for payment."

The one-eyed guy caught it and held it up between his finger and thumb. The large, rough-cut diamond sparkled prettily in the firelight, and Lyre suppressed a wistful sigh. Losing half his best lodestones was a blow, but he hadn't been able to refuse when Ash had asked him to donate the "fee."

The twins examined the diamond, then their stares turned to Lyre and Clio.

"Your clients paying for this?" one growled.

"Do you want the job?" Ash replied.

"We don't even know what it is."

Ash leaned back, saying nothing. The draconian pair glowered at him.

The one-eyed guy closed his fist around the diamond. "Fine. Payment up front."

"Half now, half on completion."

"Bastard." He folded his arms. "What's the job?"

"Attack the Black Tower."

" What? " the one-eyed guy barked. "You can't be fucking serious."

The other draconian shook his head. "If this is your idea of humor?—"

"Attack the Black Tower," Ash repeated. "Don't enter it. As loud and flashy as possible, but strictly black ops. No one sees you and you leave nothing that could link the attack to draconians. Thirty minutes of noise, then you disappear."

The twins exchanged a long look. "You want a half-hour distraction outside the tower?"

Ash nodded.

The one-eyed guy thought about it. "You're not insisting on zero casualties, are you?"

"Hell no. But I'll throw in one more diamond if you make the attack look like another caste is behind it."

" Hmph ," the other one grunted. "Harpies, then. Those buzzards will take any job. Imitating their attack style won't be difficult."

The one-eyed draconian grinned—a bloodthirsty expression that sent a cold prickle down Lyre's neck. "This could be fun."

"Be ready by two hours into the eclipse," Ash instructed. "But wait for my dragonet's signal to start."

"Wait, this is today ? Fuck me." The draconian shoved back from the table. "You're a prick, Ash."

His twin stood as well. "Where's the rest of the down payment?"

Ash tossed them another diamond. The one-eyed draconian pocketed it, then leaned close to Ash's face.

"Leave the rest of the payment in escrow, as usual." He smirked evilly. "Just in case you get your cocky ass killed while we're handling your distraction."

Firelight gleamed across steel. Ash suddenly held a narrow-bladed knife, the point aimed under the daemon's chin. The older draconian backed up with more haste than nonchalance.

Ash spun the knife and it disappeared under his armguard. "Do the job, Eliya, and I'll pay you."

The other brother joined Eliya and the pair strode away without a backward glance, disappearing through the door. Silence fell over the table.

"Um," Clio eventually mumbled.

"Wait here." Ash pushed his chair back and headed in the opposite direction of the draconian twins, approaching the daemon behind the bar.

Clio let out a long exhale. "Are all draconians like that? "

Lyre wasn't sure, but when it came to the draconians who called Samael "master," he doubted many had cheerful dispositions. He'd bet the twins were trapped in Hades's employ as much as Ash was, though Lyre had no idea how Samael was keeping any of these powerful warriors under his control.

Waving at Lyre and Clio to follow, Ash led them through a side door, across a back room, and down a narrow flight of stairs. At the bottom was a cellar illuminated only by the light leaking through the floorboards above. Preserves filled the shelves along the walls, with extra chairs and crates stacked in the corners.

"The barkeep is allowing us to spend the day here." Ash went to the shelves, fished around for a minute, then pulled out a stack of blankets. "He's decently trustworthy and I paid him well, so it should be safe enough."

As he dropped the blankets on a crate, Lyre pulled a chair off the stack and set it in the corner for Clio. She sank down gratefully, pulling her scarf off. Her skin looked milk-white in the darkness.

"So," Lyre prompted Ash. "The Black Tower?"

"Attacking one tower is insane enough. No one will expect simultaneous attacks on two towers. Hold on."

The draconian headed back up the stairs. Sighing, Lyre sat on the floor and leaned back against a crate. He and Clio waited silently until Ash returned, balancing three bowls of steaming stew. He handed them out, then crouched on his haunches, bowl in one hand and spoon in the other.

"Stealth will only get us so far," he continued as though there had been no break in their conversation. "I expect we'll get caught, and when that happens, I want as much confusion and chaos as possible to cover our movements. If Ezran and Eliya attack the Black Tower, the Ivory Tower guards will be less likely to expect an infiltration of their building, and when it happens, they'll be thrown off."

Lyre blew on a spoonful of stew, then stuck it in his mouth. It scalded his tongue, but it was rich and savory. He could see why draconians frequented this tavern.

"Even using the banshee's information," Lyre said after a few bites, "we'll have a hell of a time with or without distractions. Just getting in the front doors undetected is probably impossible. There's only one way in or out, and after that, we'll still need to make it through the tower."

"Let me guess," Ash said. "Lyceus owns the top floor."

"Actually, the second to the top. I guess he was too stingy to outbid the siren queen."

"Queen?" Clio lowered her spoon. "What does a siren look like?"

Lyre frowned at the question, and Ash answered instead.

"Pale skin, big fins in place of ears, blue-green hair, and"—he drew a line from his forehead down his nose—"a big blue stripe in the middle of their faces. I've heard they have winglike fins that fold against their backs, but their clothes cover it up."

Clio frowned at her bowl, a wrinkle between her brows and that sharp churning look in her eyes that she got when she was thinking fast. Ash started to ask something, but Lyre gestured at him to wait.

Finally, she looked up. "What if we could make it through the tower without getting caught?"

"What are you thinking?" Lyre asked.

"If there's only one way in, then we'll need a disguise." She smiled conspiratorially. "And I know the perfect one that will get us right to the top."