Nitiri looked on as the guards dropped Terrin’s limp body onto a servant’s bed.
“That will be all, thank you,” she said in her most charming voice.
They nodded and walked away without any questions. Before her unfortunate clash with the obstinate youth, she had been in a good mood. Her plan had worked out splendidly. She had gained a new minion and crushed her niece’s fighting spirit. She was worried about her niece’s sudden growth spurt, though Elurra had clearly inherited her mother’s magic. Despite that, Nitiri wagered she was too inexperienced to use magic to get all the way to Lur Alava. Even Nitiri herself had barely been able to keep her eyes open due to the toll the spell took on her body, but that was likely due to not being born with magic.
Ruminating on her innate inadequacies reminded her of her failed assassination attempt in Amora. She couldn’t bring herself to kill Kai, so she put him to sleep instead. She then duplicated his body with magic. It could never function, of course, but the copy was an exact replica of Kai, inside and out. She’d transported the real prince to the dungeon with a note instructing where he should be locked up. She wished she could have seen Damond’s face when an unconscious boy materialized at his feet. After the real prince was gone, it was an easy thing to stab the fake body, although it was still a bit eerie. The two witnesses to the prince's “stabbing” were a bonus. It’d taken a bit more energy to take the boy with her, but it was worth it to see her niece fall apart before her eyes. The silly girl had let emotions best her, and Nitiri knew quite well caring for someone was the worst mistake anyone could make.
Having feelings for people can only end in misery, Nitiri thought sourly.
She had lain down for a nap to replenish her energy and then gone to check on Terrin’s dusting. That was when her day was ruined. She didn’t have very many snowdrop spiders and losing two made her furious. She couldn’t wait to get rid of the boy, but she knew getting him to the docks would be difficult. She didn’t want to waste time riding all the way down to the harbor, and it would raise suspicions if a royal carriage visited the sketchiest part of town to do dealings with a slaver, but she also didn’t want to send any of her men to do the job. She rubbed the spider ring on her finger, knowing she would have to draw on its stored power once again.
“Ťo nobi maş,” she said, picturing a hidden spot behind a shed on the questionable side of the dock.
She grabbed Terrin’s wrist as she started to phase out of the room. Nitiri felt the energy drain from her body as the castle slipped away and the harbor appeared. She took in a deep breath. The air was crisp, cold, and refreshing. She loved the smell of salt on the wind and the sound of the waves breaking against the coast. Something about the ocean always made her feel calm. Nitiri slipped her arms under Terrin’s armpits and lugged his body over to a rundown ship docked at the port. Sailors walked by her and slowed down to stare. They all looked about the same, with puffy beards, scar-covered limbs, tattooed torsos, and patched up eyes or missing teeth. She imagined how she must look to them. She had made sure to cover her hair and wear servant’s clothing, but she knew her actions were still odd.
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A woman dragging an unconscious peasant to a slave boat. That's bound to be an unusual sight, she reckoned.
The pier was made of old timber, which could use a good sanding. She grunted as she struggled to drag his heavy carcass. The only thing keeping her from breaking a sweat was the harsh wind cutting through her clothing that left her chilled to the bone.
“Here you go, Captain,” she yelled, dropping Terrin to the deck of the wharf like a sack of rocks. His head bounced off the old wood with a crack.
That’s going to hurt when he wakes.
A burly sea bum descended from the decrepit ship. Nitiri was shocked a man so large could balance on the gangplank with such ease when the ship was violently bobbing up and down on the waves.
“Mi’lady, I didn’t expect ya so early,” he said, flashing a hideous, toothless grin.
She shuddered as his eyes raked over her before examining the unconscious lump at her feet. His gaze felt like a thousand ants crawling over her skin.
“Well, he could be better, but he’s not bad.” He shoved a pouch into her hands.
She didn’t bother to check it. She didn’t care about the amount; she only accepted the coin to uphold her false persona as the wife of a debt collector who helped her husband dispose of the trash who didn’t pay their dues. The slaver had been surprisingly reliable during past exchanges, though. With the dungeon filling up, she found slave trade was a suitable substitute for prison, even if it was illegal. His eyes traveled to her once again after she pocketed the gold.
“You know, you and me could be even more helpful to each otha,” he suggested as he took a step closer. To her disgust, he rested a meaty paw on her thigh. His breath smelled like rotting flesh.
“Only in your dreams, scum,” she hissed venomously before uttering a spell to send him flying backward.
His massive form smashed into the splintering deck ten yards from where he had been standing. For a moment, Nitiri thought the old boards would give way and he would crash into the turbulent sea below, but to her displeasure, they held. Men loading the ships nearby glanced in their direction. The captain groaned and held his head, groggy after his sudden flight. Nitiri knew she had drawn too much attention. She needed to leave. She looked down at Terrin, who was still sprawled at her feet. He looked so peaceful and innocent, and for a moment, she wondered how he got caught up in her mess. She imagined herself as a spider, weaving an intricate web to ensnare her enemies. As her web got bigger and more complex, smaller insects were caught in its strands and begged their comrades to save them. But in the end, none of them escaped.
That is what this boy is. He tried to help Elurra and ended up becoming trapped himself. He was an unsuspecting victim. He has no idea what is going on. It can’t be helped, though.
She turned away without a second glance. She couldn’t have a conscience if she wanted to go through with her plan.
“Pleasant to do business with you, as usual,” the captain growled after her.
She didn’t bother turning around. She took a moment to look out at the sea. The waves lapped toward the shore. The new morning light graced the surface of the ocean, painting the water in a rainbow of colors.
I wish I could swim. I would keep going towards the horizon until the waves consumed me, she mused.
Someone yelled to pull up the gangplank on a ship further down the dock, snapping her back to the present.
“It’s time for me to go,” she mumbled to herself as she ducked out of sight down a dingy alley. She thought of her bed and said, “Ťo nobi miş!”
She drained just the right amount of energy. She appeared in her bed, on the verge of unconsciousness. Fleeting thoughts swam through her mind, but she couldn’t quite grasp them before sinking into a deep sleep.