“Are you sure you can do it?” she asked, looking him straight in the eye.
“Nearly positive,” Eli said. “You already broke Gaol free once. How hard can it be to do it again?”
“Right,” Miranda sighed. She was suddenly feeling less confident. “I guess we’ll have to break this chain.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Eli said. He held up his wrist and did a quick flipping motion that made her own hands ache to see, and the iron manacle slid neatly off his hand.
“There,” Eli said, rubbing his reddened wrist.
Miranda stared at him, deflated. “You could have done that at any time, couldn’t you?”
“Of course,” Eli said. “But no other escape would have been nearly as enjoyable as seeing your face just now.”
Miranda put her head in her hands. “Just go do your part,” she said. “I’ll be there as soon as I get my rings back. If you can’t take the duke, just stall him or something until I arrive.”
“As you command,” Eli said and bowed.
Miranda gave him one last dirty look. Then, shaking her head, she tapped Gin’s sides with her heels. The ghosthound sprung forward, and then they were flying down the dark docks beside the glowing river.
“Think he’ll keep his word?” Gin growled.
“I have no idea,” Miranda said. “But we’ve already made our choice; no time for second-guesses.”
“Never is,” Gin said.
She ducked low on Gin’s back as Mellinor parted his waters to let them cross. When they reached the other side, Gin turned north between the silent, trembling buildings and headed toward the tower where, somewhere, her spirits were waiting.
Eli waved until the dog dove into the riverbed, and then sat down with a long, pained sigh to rub his poor, aching wrist.
“There was no need for disjointing,” Monpress said, sitting down beside him. “You could have just borrowed my lock pick.”
“What,” Eli said, “and ruin the show?”
Monpress sighed. “When will you learn there’s more to life than theatrics?”
“About the same time you learn there’s more to theft than money,” Eli said, slapping the old man across the shoulders.
Monpress grunted at the impact. “We should be going,” he said. “Will your companions be along soon?”
Eli looked sideways at him. “The Heart’s going strong, and I can hear the demon panic from here, so I think Josef and Nico are a little busy. Even if they weren’t, I’m not going anywhere. Weren’t you listening? I have a crazed Enslaver duke to bring down.”
Monpress gave him a surprised and disappointed look. “You’re actually going through with it? Have you forgotten everything I taught you?”
“I know, ‘the best revenge is a clean getaway,’ ” Eli said. “But this isn’t about revenge, old man, not entirely. It’s about principle. Not letting the tyrant win.”
Monpress shook his head. “Since when are you a man of principle?”
“Since always,” Eli said, getting up. “My principles were just never anything you cared about. Anyway, I didn’t volunteer you to come. Isn’t it about time for you to make a quiet exit?”
“Past time,” Monpress said, standing as well. “But I just lost ten thousand gold standards worth of stolen art trying to save your neck. I’m not about to let you go off and ruin my investment completely.”
Eli rolled his eyes. “Thanks for the fatherly concern.”
Monpress nodded graciously. “So, I assume you have a plan.”
“The beginnings of one,” Eli said, scratching his chin. “Can you still throw a clawhook and line two stories?”
“Of course,” Monpress said, insulted. “I’m old, not infirm.”
“Good,” Eli said, starting toward the bridge. “Then this just might work. Come on, I’ll explain on the way.”
Monpress shrugged and jogged after him, moving silently over the glowing river and toward the cowering city.
CHAPTER 21
Nico crouched, panting. Sted was walking toward her, panting as well, but his sword didn’t waver. They’d been going around the room for what felt like hours, neither able to land a finishing blow. Nico was too fast, and Sted was, so far as she could tell, uninjurable. He didn’t even defend when she leaped at him, but always went on the offensive, and the maze of long, bleeding cuts running across her body was all she had to show for her efforts.
But it wouldn’t last much longer. Already she’d dipped too deep into the demon’s power. The blackness was swimming over her vision, and she could feel her eyes burning, which meant they were glowing with the unnatural light. She was getting very close to the edge.