KINGSLAYER

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They did not talk as they went further from the palace—the final supply cart exited the estate's perimeters at dusk, so it was the perfect means to be smuggled out without being noticed. Jaylah felt out of place in her dark clothing, none of it thin for the warm night. They passed the Xenilis Cathedral. It took up an entire block on its own. She knew from past experience the domed roof was fitted with shiny gray-blue tiles and it had a spectacular symmetrical series of towers in the front. But it was too dark to see now. They merely passed it by, headed parallel to the pillars lining its front walk.

Jaylah smoothed the hair that escaped her braid behind her ears. Sargon's swords were crossed on her back. When she took her next breath, she could smell salt on the air, even in an enclosed city street like this.

She remained a step behind Alexander. This was his mission. His pace was more rapid than usual, which made her guess they were going to be intercepting the slavers before the boat could be loaded. Still, he revealed nothing in his body language.

The heavy odor of fish began to mingle with the ocean's smell in a nauseating manner. Jaylah had to breathe through her mouth as they passed a fishery. There was a curve in the road ahead. Alexander stopped right in the bend, so they lurked together covered in complete darkness, lying in wait for the bloodbath. Jaylah underestimated how close he was to her. When she heard a vague noise ahead and shifted to see, she backed right into him. She sensed his hands hovering near her shoulders to steady her, but he froze as they simultaneously both noticed the figure in the lamplight, the covered cart his horse pulled.

Alexander shoved Jaylah toward the man, which was not a problem since she was already rushing down the street as she drew her swords. Because it was an ambush, he went down fast. He did have some skill, Jaylah realized as he deflected both her swords in a single feint. But not enough. She kept the swordplay to a minimum as to not warn his comrades with the loud metal clashing.

Three swings and his head was rolling. Jaylah wiped her blades as Alexander circled around the back of the cart. "Hounds, this is bad," she heard him mutter before joining him.

Her heart plummeted. There were only four unconscious bodies back there, nowhere near the massive delivery Alexander said was stated to happen. They exchanged a regretful glance, knowing all the rest of the victims were already loaded in the ship.

"They're not coming to," Alexander said with rising worry. He was slapping one of the girl's faces to no avail.

Jaylah jumped from the back, planting her feet back on the uneven cobblestone. "We must come back for them or we will be too late."

They led the hesitant horse to a place under a streetlight and left to enter the shipbuilding plant. Alexander made a break for the fishery and managed to climb on top of a slanted shack. Jaylah followed only to find that they were climbing upon a collected compost area, for it smelled so strongly of fish waste that her eyes watered. There was an empty space they had to leap over to stand on the building's edge, the wall continuing up several stories above them. Alexander pulled himself up to the chest-high precipice and held his hand down for Jaylah.

They went through the second story side entrance to find that the entire place was essentially hollow with the exception of a network of scaffolding that was held in place by ropes. The ship itself seemed even more massive when it was compared to the building it sat within. Slavers crawled its deck, preparing it for launch. Their path down was simple but covered by more guards watching from the second level.