Page 21 of Sea of Love

“Not if I fill his lungs and freeze them,” the entity said.

“Then he will wait for us until we join him,” Michael said. “You have no place here, intruder.” He leaned close. “Get the hell out of my brother, you coward.”

Troy bucked under them as water came out of his pores like tears. As he shook, Summer flooded Troy’s mind with the love she and Michael felt for him, trying to push the entity out. Finally Troy’s mind linked with theirs, and his love flowed back to them like a warm swirling wave. As his trembling subsided, the last of the water entity left him, soaking the blankets.

“It’s gone,” he murmured, sounding exhausted as one arm came up around her, and the other wrapped around Michael’s hand. “Thank you.”

A fist banged against the door, making Summer start. Michael got up, threw on his tunic, and answered it.

“I heard you’ve got trouble,” said the innkeeper, who tried to peer past him. “Where is everyone?”

“Three of our companions were falsely accused of thievery and arrested,” Michael said, as he blocked the swarthy man’s view. “We need to visit them and arrange for their release.”

“I know a guy at the jail who can get them out, for the right price,” Floronius said. “Three hundred denarii should do it, unless they’ve murdered someone. That’s a hundred extra.”

When Michael glanced back at Summer she nodded.

“I will bring it down to you in a few moments,” Michael said and shut the door in the man’s face.

“Troy, I know you’re tired,” Summer said, “But we have to leave, now.”

He nodded and reached for his clothes, his body moving like an old man’s. Michael gathered what they needed and packed their satchels before he placed most of their coin in a purse. She stayed beside Troy to help him down the stairs, but when they walked out to the innkeeper’s counter, they froze. He was talking to a group of several soldiers. Floronius nodded at them, but not for the purposes of being civil. The oldest soldier stepped up to Michael.

“In the name of the emperor, I arrest you and your accomplices for–”

As a tremor shook the ground, the soldier braced a hand on the nearest wall, while Summer and Michael supported Troy. The air filled with a low rumbling sound. Somewhere inside the inn, glass shattered. There were a few shouts from the street. But after what seemed like minutes, the quake finally ended.

“I arrest you for thievery and conspiracy,” the soldier said. He turned to his men. “Take them to the cells.”

Floronius smiled broadly as the soldiers fanned out and flanked them, taking them by the arms.

We will find our companions after all, Michael thought to her and Troy.

But as they moved into the street, Summer heard a woman laugh. She glanced back to see the innkeeper with the two cultists in the courtyard. They all carried large shoulder bags—each big enough to hold RainLance.

“No,” she said, struggling against her captors. “Wait.”

But the soldiers ignored her and dragged her forward, as Floronius and the two cultists walked into a patch of starry darkness and vanished.

• • • • •

As Summer paced back and forth in front of the tiny window in the heavy door, Elettra huddled in a corner. The moment they’d reached the cells, she had been separated from Michael and Troy.

“Why do you walk like that?” the Fae woman said. “It will not help us to leave.”

Another quake rumbled through the building, and Summer bit back a groan of frustration. She’d begged the sentry to let her and Elettra see their ‘husbands.’ She had played on what little she understood of the law and the rights that men held over women. The sentry had even seemed sympathetic, but that had been an hour ago.

“Where is he?” Summer muttered.

As if someone had heard her, she heard the door latch lift. The door swung open to reveal the harassed-looking soldier.

“Both of you,” he said. “Out of there.” The man pointed to a narrow hall just in front of him. “This way. You may speak with your husbands for one minute, no more, and then you will be taken to questioning.”

Summer hurried to the last cell, but the small door had no windows. The sentry lifted the latch, and with his hand on the hilt of his sword, swung it open. He gave Elettra a rough shove, sending her into Summer’s back, as they stumbled into the dank room.

The door slammed behind them, but Summer was immediately in her mate’s arms.

“Are you all right?” Troy asked.