The Emerald Assassin

by Ellie Margot

  Georgette opened a cabinet and pulled out a locket, a vial, and a knife all on a tray. Riette laid out her hand, her wrist uncovered when she pulled back the material. Georgette raised the knife, but Cassian’s words stopped her.

  “No, my knife.” He paused. “Please.”

  Riette looked up, unspoken questions showing on her face. Cassian leaned down. “Trust me.”

  The words were so soft, Riette barely heard them. She looked at Georgette and raised her eyebrows in question.

  “Blood is blood. As long as your knife works, it doesn’t bother me.”

  Cassian pulled the knife from the belt around his waist. It was small but effective. Riette had seen it countless times before. It had belonged to his grandfather, and he was never without it. He handed the knife to Georgette but hesitated before letting it go. Georgette took it, and they shared a look. She nodded at whatever message she had gotten from the transaction.

  The knife slid a small slit in Riette’s wrist. Riette didn’t react outwardly as she watched the drop of blood appear on her deeply tanned skin. She waited while Georgette scooped some of the blood into the vial and then poured it in the small bowl sitting on the tray.

  Riette dipped her thumb into the bowl and let the blood coat the pad of her finger. She pressed it against the locket, and the deed was done. Some time, at Georgette’s choosing, Riette would have to repay the debt. She just hoped whatever action it was wouldn’t kill her in the process.

  “Well, now that we’re all best friends, let’s get down to brass fucking tacks, shall we?” Georgette said.

  There was a lightness to her tone that she didn’t have before. She smiled like a Cheshire cat before she hid it just a little and sat back down in her seat.

  “There are rules on board. Every person on this ship lives by them. It’s not like other ships. I assure you that I don’t fucking play, and I mean that sincerely.”

  “We get it, Betty Badass,” said Mekhi. Riette elbowed him in the stomach.

  “Cute,” she said. “You’re lucky I think so, too, by the way. I’ve killed for less.”

  “Have you really?” asked Riette.

  “Ask the crew. If I told you, it won’t seem as scary. If they do, you’ll be more inclined to believe me anyway.”

  She fluffed her hair and placed her hands on the desk in front of her.

  “Rule one: do not look at the sirens unless you want to be doomed to become one.”

  “They’re real?” asked Cassian. There was a breathiness to his voice, and he sounded like the boy Riette had known. They had read stories as children, tales written about things they couldn’t possibly understand. She saw all of that on Cassian’s face now. Some legends were real, and they could be facing them soon.

  Riette remembered the little they had been told about Sirens. How they could steal your soul with a look, how beautiful they were based on how much they had taken from others.

  “Yes, and they are dangerous.” Georgette swallowed. She took a second to gather herself.

  “Do not, and I mean this, do not look at them in the water, and do not talk to them. They don’t fucking reason. They don’t have the capability, and their entire fucking purpose is to convince you to come with them.” She paused to look at each one of them. “Do not mess with them. Period. Am I understood?”

  “Yes,” they all said. Each response was quieter than the last.

  “Are they all women?” Mekhi asked.

  “No,” Georgette said quickly. She cleared her throat again. “They’re not. Quite the opposite actually. There are woman sirens, but the majority by a small margin are men.”

  “Aw, Riette, you’ll be the most in trouble then,” said Mekhi.

  “You mean, you two aren’t...” Georgette looked between Cassian and Riette.

  Cassian answered first. “She’s like a sister to me.”

  “Right, it’s never been like that between us,” said Riette, and it was true. People had speculated, but she had never felt that way about him. Even when he’d grown taller than her and even when he looked at her like no one else did. They were family. That was all.

  Georgette looked at Cassian differently, and Riette noticed it. He cleared his throat. Riette looked at him and saw color in his cheeks. Did he like her? Riette did a gut check to see if that bothered her. She didn’t find anything, but selfishly, she didn’t want him to be distracted from the mission.

  The idea sobered her. She pushed her hair behind her ear. She knew, without a fucking doubt, Cassian would never leave his sister like that, and she felt disloyal just thinking about it.

  “Anything else?” asked Mekhi. He leaned forward with his head in his hands.

  “Yes, don’t feed the monsters,” Georgette said, and there wasn’t any laughter in her voice.

  “Why would we ever feed the monsters?” Mekhi asked. “That’s insane.”

  “Because when they’re getting close enough to rip you apart, you might be tempted to throw them something to distract them. If they eat anything, it’ll doom us all because they’ll have more bloodlust than they already have.” Georgette sat back in her seat. She raised an eyebrow. “Am I clear?”

  “Don’t feed the monsters and don’t fuck with the sirens. I think we’re good.”

  “Especially the monkeys.”

  “Excuse me?” Riette said.

  “The sea monkeys,” Georgette clarified.

  “You’re shitting me.”

  “No, but they’ll shit on you, drag you out to fucking sea, killing you and violating rule two when the monsters chow down on your corpses. Plus, they fucking annoy me. Little shits.” Georgette’s voice sounded like a grumble. She rolled her eyes.

  “Honest to goodness monkeys?” Cassian asked. His voice was at scoff levels.

  “Yes, blue little monster pains in the ass. They’re small and horrible, and I catch so much as one of you entertaining those blood suckers—”

  “We get it, no monkeys,” said Mekhi. He stood and stretched.

  Georgette watched the movement intently, and Riette didn’t blame her. She knew the two, Cassian and Mekhi, weren’t ugly, although thinking about anyone liking her cousin like that, Corin excluded, made Riette want to throw up a little in her mouth. Cassian was notably handsome, but Riette wasn’t going to even go there. Siblings were all they were, even if it wasn’t technically the right term.

  “Let’s get you acclimated. I’ll leave you to Jeffery. He’s my right hand here, and frankly, you all need babysitting. I promise you we don’t have the time for this, but make yourself useful, and don’t piss him off.”

  She walked around the table and opened the door to lead them back outside.

  There was a man, if he could be called that, leaning down to listen in at the door. He stood when Georgette opened it, but he grinned instead of looking ashamed at being caught.

  Riette stood as well, and she swallowed. The man was big enough to not fit through the door comfortably. He was wider than the door, for one, and taller than it by several feet and change. When he stood at full height, Riette could only see his chin, but she noticed he only had one eye before the top half of his face disappeared above the door.

  “This is Jeffery?” Mekhi said.

  “Yes, I am Jeffery.”

  “What are you?” asked Mekhi.

  “Mekhi!” Riette yelled.

  “Have you seen anything like him before?” Mekhi said. “Fuck me for being curious.”

  “I’m sorry. He was raised in a barn.”

  “I was raised right next to you.”

  “But you’re still a child and act like—”

  “Excuse both of them,” said Cassian. He moved forward and extended his hand after they all moved to the main floor of the ship instead of being crammed in the office.

  “Cassian,” he said, and then he introduced each of them by name alone.

  “Jeffery. Cyclops. Georgette’s best friend and ballbuster. Ask me why I’m called that.”

  “W
e can guess,” said Mekhi.

  “You’d be wrong,” said Georgette.

  “No, they probably wouldn’t be,” said Jeffery. He laughed, and it shook the floor around them.

  “I just wanted to hear that story again,” Georgette said.

  “I didn’t know cyclops were real,” said Riette. She stepped back to take him in fully. He towered over her, and she wasn’t used to anyone being able to do that.

  “And I didn’t know they made Elves so pretty,” said Jeffery. He leaned down, his breath hot on her face for a second before he lifted himself back up to his full height. He winked at Riette, and she stopped herself from pulling a face.

  She wasn’t upset by his perusal. There was a twinkle in his eye that made her think he was about to laugh at any moment.

  “Excuse the fuck out of me,” said Georgette. She sounded angry, but there was a smirk on her face.

  “Aw, Georgie. You know my heart only beats for you.” He leaned down, and his body bent in half, making him roughly the size of Cassian, the tallest of their group.

  “Your heart beats for anything, including a good meal,” Georgie said, but there was color in her cheeks. She smiled but then frowned when she saw the audience around her. He chuckled watching her, but Georgie rolled her eyes, and Riette knew there was nothing overly romantic between them. Teasing friends was how Riette saw their relationship.

  “You think it’s easy fueling something this magnificent?” asked Jeffery, and he tousled Georgette’s hair. “And to your point, there must be a lot of things you don’t know about Esper.”

  Riette’s tattoo tingled. She knew that must have been the case, but being confronted with it didn’t make her feel too comfortable.

  “Does that mean we can call you Georgie, too?” asked Mekhi.

  “You can at your own fucking peril,” said Georgette.

  “Yes, I earned the privilege,” said Jeffery.

  “No, you didn’t. I just got sick of punishing you.”

  “You can’t punish the willing.”

  “Masochist.”

  “Slave driver,” said Jeffery.

  Riette watched the exchange. Part of her question on how Georgette ran a tight ship was answered. Jeffery looked like he could take on a sea monster and have half a shot at winning at the very least, and that was saying something.

  “Well, don’t just stand there looking pretty,” Jeffery said. “Let’s get you all to work. I’ll show you your quarters, and then you’ll get your little tiny hands dirty.”

  “Listen to him, or pay for it, courtesy of me,” said Georgette, and after a hard look at each of them, excluding Jeffery, she left, her red hair catching the breeze behind her.

  “God, I love that woman,” said Jeffery as soon as she was gone.

  “Are you all...” Riette let the question hang, and she ignored Cassian’s pointed stare at the boldness of her question.

  “If the parts could fit without killing her, of course we would be.”

  Riette swallowed. “Does Georgette know that?”

  “Ah, Georgette gave her heart away a long time ago. I’m just here to keep anything or anyone else from fucking with it.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “No, no, little girl. I’ve said enough because you’re distractingly good looking as well, even if you don’t have red hair. If I say anything more, Georgie will kill me, my ghost, and my ghost’s ghost. Now let’s go, and I don’t want to hear another thing about Georgie, her love life, or the complete lack thereof.”

  “That sounds lonely,” said Mekhi.

  “It sounds like none of our business,” said Cassian. He scratched his neck and looked over their shoulders as if Georgette was going to reappear and kill them all for snooping.

  “You’re right. Let’s get to work.”

  Chapter 10

  Jeffery showed them their corner of a corner of the ship. They didn’t complain. There was something in the air that didn’t let them speak. The sea water mixed with the emotions seemed to keep Riette watching every side of her. There were too many people in a small space to let her relax, and being on the sea, even when docked, made things slosh inside of her.

  Cassian looked out of the small port window by their side. There were two beds in an L-shape by the port hole window.

  Jeffery looked at the three of them and smirked. “Can I make bets on the sleeping arrangements?” he asked before laughing again.

  “I didn’t think you’d fit down here, let alone be smug about it,” said Mekhi.

  “I can be smug from morning until noon in the open air or in a crate, I promise you,” said Jeffery, and he blinked, or winked. Riette was guessing the latter since it was directed at her.

  She laughed, and Cassian touched her arm before looking back at Jeffery.

  “Could we get a second? We can meet you up on the main deck. I just need to get things settled.”

  “Sure, though privacy comes at a premium in here.” Jeffery gestured behind him. There were bunks all over the room. A few other guys were in various positions, some talking in the corners and some fixing their spots on their beds. No one looked at them, but being watched made gooseflesh of Riette’s skin. Riette was getting used to the attention. The second power gave her more than she ever wanted, but she still didn’t like it.

  “I’ll see you up there in five minutes or fewer, or else I’m coming back to get you,” Jeffery said. He didn’t wait for confirmation before he lumbered up the set of stairs to take him to the main deck.

  “What’s wrong?” asked Riette. She touched Cassian’s hand.

  “What is right about any of this? Sea monkeys? Monsters? Sirens? What are we doing here?”

  “We’re saving your sister,” said Mekhi. He took a deep breath.

  “Maybe there are other ways.”

  “There isn’t, and besides that, nothing else is going to bring her back quicker,” said Riette. “Nothing.”

  “And what if we don’t make it? It will kill your mother and the future of Vitan.”

  “Then we can’t fail. It’s the three of us. It always has been. We’ll get Corin and come back.”

  “It’s a suicide mission. I want Corin back more than anyone—”

  “Debatable,” said Mekhi.

  “My sister is my responsibility, and I failed her. Maybe I should be going alone.”

  “There is no way I’d let you go by yourself here,” said Riette.

  “Ri, it kills me, fucking kills me, that you’re here, that you signed a blood oath to this woman, to these people. We don’t know any of them or their intentions.”

  “We don’t know any other way either. Cassian, it’s done. I gave my blood and my word. We can’t turn back now. We need to make the best of it.”

  “Swear to me you’ll be careful.”

  “Cassian,” said Mekhi.

  “No, I want to hear it. Riette. Tell me you’ll use caution. You won’t do anything to put yourself in danger.”

  “I won’t.”

  “Swear it.”

  “Cassian, would I ever do anything stupid like that?”

  “Really, Ri?” said Mekhi.

  “Shut it, Mekhi,” said Riette. “I’ve got this. Even if I have to burn up the ship and we swim there, we are going to succeed, okay?”

  “See? Burning the ship? You’re going to give me a heart attack.” Cassian’s eyes were wide.

  Riette touched his face. “I promise I won’t fuck up if it can be helped at all. Okay?”

  “That’s as good as it gets with her,” said Mekhi.

  “Like I don’t know that,” said Cassian. He didn’t break eye contact with Riette, but he clenched his jaw and nodded.

  “Let’s get upstairs before we piss off Jeffery.”

  The rest of the day was lost in grunt work that Riette had never experienced before.

  She didn’t think she’d been catered to before. Her body had been put through the paces during training, but lifting and lifting again, running t
he loads up the ramp and back down worked her muscles to a new limit.

  Cassian didn’t look any worse for wear, which pissed Riette off since he always looked painfully pretty, but it also kept her going. Mekhi’s hair had been sweated through and looked a different kind of red altogether because of it. Riette turned away from him and looked out at the sea that seemed like it was gearing up to greet them with waves that rivaled the cliffs behind them. By the time the ship pulled out from port, they knew they were embarking on something big.

  They spent a long time on the deck at sea. The water was eerily calm. Nothing stirred. Riette said as much to Jeffery, who stood beside her on the ship’s edge.

  “How long will it take us to get to the other side?” Riette asked him.

  “At least a week or more,” said Jeffrey. He lifted a barrel with his hands and walked it across the deck to the other side. It dropped with a thump that Riette could feel beneath her feet from where she stood. He came back to her, and each step was like another barrel dropping to the ground.

  “It’s a giant landlocked sea. Doesn’t look too hard to pass, but there are things in it that keep me up at night.” Jeffrey shook his head. He stood against the side of the ship and looked at the water, calm on its surface.

  Riette didn’t speak at first. It wasn’t about the little she had been able to see from the trip or the little she knew. Things that shouldn’t exist but did. Things that wanted to eat souls and flesh. Things that thrived on that shit.

  “It just looks so calm right now,” said Riette. She watched the waves rock softly against the boat, like a gentle hand pressed against its side.

  “Don’t let that make you feel safe,” he said. He blinked at her. “Calm seas claim many lives.”

  “It is that bad?”

  “It’s worse. I’ve lost family to this sea, dreams. Georgette lost everything.”

  “Everything?”

  “It’s not my story to tell, but sometimes, the sea can claim parts of you, the most important parts, even if it doesn’t take your life.” He lifted a hand as if to touch Riette’s hair, but he stopped just shy of doing it. Riette knew she shouldn’t be that comfortable with him, but the gesture that didn’t happen made her think of how little she had been touched by people who cared about her, Cassian and Mekhi excluded. Her mother wasn’t the type, and her father was gone. The truth of the thought settled into her like a creaking in her bones. She turned to walk off to where Georgette was standing. She caught Georgette’s eyes. Georgette nodded at her, and Riette returned it.