After the Walls

Chapter 20

"We will have to kill one, I suspect," Edwards says, furrowing his brows. "I doubt any of those creatures will just hand over a scale willingly."

"Now, how do you propose we do that?" Ruben asks, tilting his head. Sunlight streamed in through one dusty window of the library, catching in both brothers' eyes. Pools of jade. The forest itself flecked with fire.

"The river outside the walls, of course," I say, shrugging and brushing a curl from my face. "I've wrangled the shadowteeth so many times now. How different could a siren be?"

"Possibly worse," Ruben says, eyes glinting with fear. He glances at me, jaw clenching. "Besides, we still don't know where their lair is."

Ajax opened his book again and sat before the coffee table, placing it on the surface, and leaning forward, thumbing through the pages. "I think the scale and shot of shadowteeth must be a clue. I think their lair is underwater. Theseus might need the shadowteeth blood to return to his family as well. He has a fishtail. But what if he doesn't have gills?"

"All the more reason to get the scales," Edward says, crossing his arms.

My head throbs and I pinch the bridge of my nose. "So, we need to bring our army underwater? That will require a lot more training." I let out a wry laugh.

Ajax skims a page and jabs his finger over a paragraph. "The sirens have habitats both underwater and on land. On land, they live in forests, within handcrafted dwellings, to protect them from the elements. In water, they may seek underwater caves. But because of their half-human form, they cannot stay underwater for over 24 hours at a time."

"The forest." Edward paces to the window, turning his back to us as he peers out. "We should see if we can find them there."

I think of the hundreds of square kilometres of forest and cringe. "It's a lot of ground to cover."

Ruben exchanges a glance with Ajax. "Shall we reconvene tomorrow? Let us think about it. Ajax and I will figure out what to do with the army."

"I'll stay here and find literature on the shadowteeth, like I said I would," I say, flopping next to Ajax, shooting Ruben a pointed look. "But I'll come back to the Convex Sector later tonight."

Aston pulls Edward into a hug, unexpectedly. "Thanks for trusting us with the library."

Stomach acid burns the back of my throat. He still does not know Edward destroyed his memories before letting him leave the palace all those weeks ago. Edward, who clearly thinks the same by the tightness of his jaw, lets out a nervous laugh. "You are welcome anytime, Aston."

As soon as the doors slap shut, the air seems to lose its oxygen and I am painfully aware of Edward still lingering by the window. The gardeners trim the hedges below and beyond the walls. Somewhere in the forest, the sirens live. I wonder if the Untamed tribe has ever stumbled across them? With the seemingly forever stretch of forest, I wouldn't be surprised if they have never crossed one another.

Edward pours us another cup of fresh coffee, bringing a mug to his lips as he stands over me. "I will begin looking for literature on the shadowteeth. The coffee is safe for you, by the way."

He waltzes away, still clutching his mug. My vision blurs from the headache and I gulp the coffee, choosing to believe it's not spiked with the blood, and willing the awakening effects to work fast. I slip through the shelves of the Monsters and Creatures section, pretending to thumb through the titles even though I know precisely where The Lore of the Shadowteeth rests.

Edward crouches, his waistcoat brushing the creaking floorboards. His sharp eyes brighten when he finds it. "This must have something useful." He plucks it out and I hold my breath.