Deadwater Kings • Part I ✓

09. THE STRONGHOLDS

"Can't imagine."

"And the - " he waggled his finger in Hadrian's general direction, not looking away from a spot on the wall. "kid. Why do you have a kid? You're the worst person to be around a kid. You're the type of person to eat children for breakfast."

Lin rolled her eyes all the way over to Hadrian. "Hadrian. My apprentice."

Then, Janus did look at them. He narrowed his eyes at Hadrian, then at Lin. "How'd that happen?"

Lin shifted her weight. "Alekhine."

"Not that, I don't care about that. You changed your hair. It's shorter. And lighter."

"I had an incident."

"Involving fire and an unexpected visit to your mother, I assume."

"Exactly," she said, "I knew you'd understand."

"I don't like it."

"Then stop looking."

"And look at what, your breasts? Sorry to say this, but you don't have much in that department." Janus pulled his bathrobe closed over his chest, knotting the belt loosely. It still showed a considerable amount of his freckled skin.

"You're such a dick."

"Flirt."

Lin dragged her hand through her hair, hissing out a breath through her teeth. "Mind stalling?"

He sighed heavily. "Yes, I can get you three weeks."

"Three?"

"Four, but if I lose a finger, I'll be very cross."

She grinned and stepped forward, patting his cheek gently. "Thank you, Janus."

Lin hooked her arm in Hadrian's, guiding him back the way they came.

Behind them, Janus erupted into a surprisingly competent rendition of Dream a little dream of me. His tenor echoed along the hard pillars as Lin marched towards the mirror room.

Hadrian craned his head over his shoulder, watching Janus.

"What -"

"That's normal."

"But -"

"Don't ask."

Hadrian eyed her suspiciously.

"He'll help if you ask nicely," Lin said. "And I'm very nice when I ask."

He lifted his eyebrows. Tactfully, he remained silent.

The mirror room was easier to find the second time around. Hadrian stopped right in front of the door. At that point, Janus' singing had faded to near-inaudibility. "Why did we come here?"

Lin sighed, an irrational flare of irritation making her chest clench. "Yelena's dead set on me killing Mara. Janus can't hold out against her forever. We needed to agree on a timeframe."

Hadrian furrowed his brow back down the hall. Lin wondered if he knew how expressive his eyebrows were. "And you trust him. You're friends with him."

She snorted. "No. I like Janus. Wouldn't trust him as far as I can throw him."

"You could throw him pretty far, though."

"Ten feet, maybe. Not the point. I'm useful to him, he's useful to me. We find each other entertaining. Can we go now?"

She was being too snappy. Strangely, this didn't seem to bother Hadrian. If he noticed her tone, it didn't show. He nodded, eyes vacantly fixed on something over her shoulder. Thinking. What was there to think about?