Deadwater Kings • Part I ✓

21. AUDI, VIDE, TACE

He took it promptly, then dropped it. "Razo. How'd you know our girl, eh?"

"I'm her apprentice." Hadrian let his voice waver toward the end. "How about you?"

Razo grunted, flashing a look to Cortez. "Long story. We'd best get a shift on -- I've got a lead."

He turned and vanished into the darkness of the ship's hold. Hadrian was about to follow when Cortez's hand fell on his shoulder. "Wait."

He looked up at Cortez. He was still breathing a little hard from the run, though he did a good job of hiding it. He was over a head taller than Hadrian -- and by extension Lin, which may have contributed to her dislike of him -- and had to lean down to whisper. "You never said why we're here."

"Lin doesn't want me to be alone," Hadrian whispered back. "Apparently I'm in danger."

He stepped down into the hold,  Cortez close enough to touch. The inside of the ship reeked of human. Urine, blood, sweat -- all of it had seeped into the untreated wood of the walls and fabric couches. He supposed that the deadwater masked it, but he couldn't help the grimace his face flashed to. Lin and Razo were at the very front of the ship, leaning over a console. He didn't care to listen to what they were saying. The ship itself was cluttered like a home, clothes and weapons lying around and dangling off various surfaces. Lin's mark resided mainly in books littering the chaos -- he recognized several of her favorite authors sandwiched between coats and junk. Crates lined the edge of the space, serving as shelves. The two couches were poked through with bullet holes and suspicious stains.

"Hadrian," Cortez looked around, "I don't trust -- "

Hadrian reached out and wrapped his hand around Cortez's. He willed warmth into the contact. "I trust her."

He didn't think he was lying there. Lin was many things, a monster and a murderess, but she wouldn't harm him. Not knowingly, at least. Cortez on the other hand was fair game. Hadrian softened his smile to the point he doubted it was even visible. "I'll protect you from her if that's what you're worried about."

"That's -- " Cortez cut himself off with a smile. He had a sharp face with angled cheekbones, his flat nose wrinkling with his grin. Hadrian realized he'd only seen him smile a couple times before. "Thanks."

"No problem," Hadrian said. That was a lie.

There were so many problems. He needed to handle them one at a time, though. The warm gut feeling he got when Cortez smiled rested firmly toward the bottom. 

"Kid!" Lin called. Hadrian jumped and was halfway to her side before he realized he was moving. Lin's attention was captured by something on the console. Flashing lights and switches blared up from the ancient device, the grumble of an engine breathing to life as Razo poked at them. Razo had settled in a leather chair, gripping a wheel.

"Yeah?" 

Lin threw an arm over his shoulders, pulling him close. She pointed at a rectangular display. It glowed staticky, roughing the air. "See that?"

He leaned forward. "Yes?"

"That's a message from someone." Lin poked it. Her smile slouched higher on one side. "A distress signal."

Hadrian twisted his mouth and tried to figure out what the relevance was. "And we're going to go save them?"

"Obviously not. Now -- this witch we're going after is kind of weird." Lin winced. "Like, weird weird. Weirder than a normal witch -- is what I'm getting at. She's freaky strong and can control the entire damn sea. So, just listen for reports of turbulent waters where they're not supposed to be turbulent, and we've got ourselves a zone to search."