9. Bryn #2
Disgusting, but I’d done worse for less.
We wound our way through the tunnel, listening carefully for any footfalls that weren’t our own. Fortunately, none came, and it wasn’t long before we were back under the stars—
I ground to a halt in the opening, and Henrik bumped into my back but stopped me from falling with a steadying hand on my waist.
A man the size of three boulders stacked on top of each other sat on a tree stump watching over the cliffside and clearing we’d stepped into. His face was turned to the ocean. Thank goodness the Valur was tucked away around the corner.
“I’ll handle it,” Henrik whispered, his hand slipping from my side.
He moved like morning fog rolling into a harbor, creeping up on his prey, ready to smother it while everyone slumbered completely unaware of what was coming.
Before the man even knew he was there, Henrik slit his throat. The body dropped to the ground with a sickening thump, dark blood seeping into the soil.
“Are you coming?” Henrik asked, drawing my attention away from the body as I passed it.
“Yes, better him than me.”
“Very true,” he replied. “How long do you think we have until someone notices?”
That was a very good question. “Based on the lack of roaming guards and stillness, I’d say thirty minutes at most.”
“We just gave ourselves a timer then.”
I nodded. “We did.”
Trudging across the clearing between the tunnel and the building, we slipped around a bend along the cliffside.
Scooting precariously along a narrow ledge, the drain entrance finally appeared and we slipped inside.
A putrid stench filled my nostrils, but I ignored it as best I could.
Retching would slow me down, and thinking about it would only make the smell stronger in my mind.
Metal rungs had been fastened into the stone chute, probably in case of cleaning requirements.
Or perhaps they smuggled other goods in and out of here?
I gripped onto the bottom rung and hoisted myself up with ease.
It felt good to move my whole body after being cooped up in the cupboard for so long, then having to share a bed with Henrik.
My joints relished in loosening the stiffness that had set in.
With Henrik on the rungs below me, we slowly climbed up and up and up, aiming for the top where a sliver of gray light peeked through a trio of slats.
Right before my head hit the top, I raised the lid to find… It was the toilet. Thank the ancestors that I was a Fjord Fae and could wash all of this off without issue. I peered over the rim and found the minuscule chamber empty, save for a basin and a jug of water.
“All clear,” I muttered as quietly as possible.
Henrik tapped my ankle twice. Go on.
I pulled myself over the latrine’s edge and scampered across the small room to the door. Latching it shut, I turned the key and spun back to Henrik. He was shimmying out of the toilet, shifting his shoulders one way and then the other so he could fit through.
There was another reason I generally worked alone. With my slight build and even smaller stature, I fit nicely into small spaces. Spaces where I could hide before getting caught. Henrik on the other hand…
He lumbered out and swallowed hard.
“Fuck that smell,” he whispered.
I nodded and pulled on my magic. A trill of warmth settled over me and water appeared out of thin air, wrapping around me.
The sloshing tendrils removed the muck and grime that clung to my limbs and clothes.
With a snap of my fingers the liquid evaporated, taking the refuse and dampness with it, leaving me as dry as a grain store.
Henrik did the same and shook his arms. “I’m finding an alternate route out,” he whispered.
His discomfort gave me a stupid sense of glee. “Not a fan of tight spaces, Captain?”
A flirtatious grin overtook his face.
Ah shite. I’d walked right into that one. My chest warmed, the pendant hanging near my breasts heating.
“Depends on the type of space,” he replied.
We would end up killing each other with euphemisms at the rate we were going.
Rolling my eyes, I said, “Come on then. Third door on the right, as planned?”
He nodded. “It should be in the hall outside here.”
I gently pulled open the door and peeked out, finding the space empty once again.
The hallway beyond was grand yet simple.
Heavy mismatched rugs covered stone floors, and thick green curtains hung outside a quad of alcoves where arched windows looked out over the water.
Between each alcove were pockets of darkness we could hide in. Splendid.
We slipped along the hallway, careful to keep our feet on the plush rug as much as possible. Henrik followed my lead, and my back prickled with every step knowing he was right there.
As we neared the end of the hall, a figure appeared. I didn’t have time to stop before my body was yanked backward, spun, and pressed against a very firm chest. Henrik pulled us farther into one of the alcoves, hiding us behind the long curtains.
I hid my face in his shirt and focused on my breathing. In such an empty and bleak place, the slightest of sounds might set off—
“Hello… Kristian? Is that you?”
Henrik’s entire body tensed. Mine along with it.
Hopefully Kristian was the man Henrik had killed outside and not another person we’d need to watch out for.
Footsteps grew closer, and my fingers slid toward one of the daggers at my hip.
Something skittered across the stone floor, and a little squeak followed by a large squeak sounded from the hallway.
“Damn mice,” the man muttered, and footsteps echoed away from us.
I let out the quietest sigh of relief. That had been far too close. If it hadn’t been for Henrik’s quick reflexes I’d have been caught.
My chest rose and fell against his, and I peered up into dark blue eyes. The corners wrinkled as he smirked and mouthed, “You’re welcome.”
I shoved off him and gave him a rude hand gesture. With a quick check to make sure the hallway was cleared, we snuck over to the door we’d discussed during our planning session, and I removed two pins from within my braid.
“How many of those do you have?”
“Shhh. I’m working.”
He raised his eyebrows as if to say, very well then, and I got to work.
Twisting and poking, I listened carefully for the telltale clicks.
With an interior door like this, is shouldn’t take…
The bolts fell into place with quiet clunks, and I grinned.
Peeking up through my lashes at Henrik, I twisted the knob and pushed the door open. “After you.”
“Brilliant woman,” he muttered, and my heart did a little fluttery thing that it’d never done before. Certainly not from a compliment.
I shook it aside, returned the pins to my braid, and focused on the task at hand. We needed to move quickly. Get in and out with the precious maps Henrik needed, and then I’d be out of his bed and on my merry way home.