Lost at Sea Bk. 02 Ch. 33

Caine tried to put Tonya down once they were inside, but she shook her head fiercely and buried her face in his neck. That put a wry smile on his beleaguered face. He shifted her to the side and held her up with one arm, like a mother with a babe on her hip. In his other hand, he carried a large jug by a loop over one finger. With practiced ease he moved it so it rested along the back of his forearm and tilted it to his mouth.

Shifting Tonya revealed his torso to the room. Both witch hunters' jaws dropped. They were accustomed to wounds, but not like this. Caine looked like he'd been through hell. Blood streaked his entire body. It looked like he'd hastily washed most of it off, but the brownish red tint still clung to the creases of his body. His pants and boots looked like they'd been badly dyed black and brown. Little dark flakes broke off them as he moved.

Mercy took a hesitant step forward, her trained eyes telling her more as her brain rebuked. It wasn't simply that he looked like he'd been through hell. He looked like he'd been there before, and kept going back. The multitude of scars on his torso were alarming on their own, but it was the fresher wounds that stole her breath. It wasn't just the extent of them. It was that they all looked old.

His whole body was covered in mottled bruises and partially healed cuts. One of his shoulders had three large, overlapping gashes covered in thick raised scabs. His opposite thigh was striped like an animal. A matched set of parallel wounds sat directly over his heart. It looked like he'd been cut and stabbed half a dozen times, and shot at least once, but somehow he was still hefting Tonya like she weighed nothing.

Had these wounds been hiding beneath his shirt when they'd arrived tonight? It seemed impossible. There was no way he could have fought off Hector while he was so badly injured. His face was definitely different, an odd combination of swollen and leaner. The split lip was definitely new, as was the lumpy looking blackened eye, and so was the sunkenness to his good eye socket, and his cheekbones.

Sister Victoria's horrified voice came unbidden, as if her words were escaping without her notice. "Warden's blood, what happened to you?"

"Got in a fight," Caine said flatly.

"With the whole Teach clan!?" Sister Victoria said in disbelief.

"Only the ones at the house," Caine clarified flatly as he limped towards what was left of the table Hector had shattered in their earlier fight.

"The house? Teach Manor? That place is a literal garrison full of pirates! There are four Teach ships docked right now, plus the household guards!" Sister Victoria said, aghast.

Janie crossed the room quickly and started securing the series of locks on Will's front door.

"Sounds about right," Caine said with a tired nod. "Two came in today, right? Seemed like about half of them weren't really prepared. Lucky timing for us."

"Lucky?" Sister Victoria said, shaking her head in confusion. "Nothing about tonight has been lucky."

"I still don't understand why any of this is happening," Sister Mercy added.

Caine sat down in Will's big chair. He tried to put Tonya down first but she hung on tighter, so he settled her into his lap and shifted her so she wasn't sitting on his more wounded leg. Painfully, he lifted the big jug to his lips and swilled the dark liquid down like water in big, thirsty gulps. Amber streams ran down the sides of his face and vanished into the bloody mess of his shirt. When the jug was empty his arm swung down limply, thumping the jug down into the broken wood surrounding the chair. He exhaled like he was deflating. "It's complicated."

"Clearly," Mercy said sarcastically.

Victoria gave her partner a look, warning her against irritating this volatile man. For what they had planned, they needed him amiable. "To say none of this is what we expected would be the understatement of our lives. We really would like to help, but we need to understand what we've landed in the middle of."

Caine looked at her skeptically. "Do you actually want to help, or do you just want to know what's really going on?"

Victoria looked like she was developing a headache. "What I'd really like to know is why you turn everything we say into a conflict."

Caine let out a mirthless laugh. Now that he wasn't moving, he could feel a warm numbness spreading through his body. It felt a little like floating. He wasn't sure if the fading pain was from the angel, or the rum, or both but it was the first time he felt relaxed since they'd taken refuge in the tower. It had been a long time since he'd been this exhausted. "Short version is, the Teach family is old family N'madi."

The witch hunters both looked surprised. Mercy even looked a bit ashamed. "Oh," Victoria said with a grimace. "I suppose that does explain some things."

"Yeah. They don't talk about it, or keep any of the old traditions, but the Old Man and most of his kids are survivors of the Purges. They hate the Magistrate. They came out here to get away from the church, but eventually you folks expanded all the way out here. By then, the Teach family had invested a lot in building a power base. They weren't about to lose their home to the Magistrate again."

"The church wasn't stupid though. They knew this place had become a pirate haven. After the Barcolan's kicked the Magistrate navy off this island, the Teach family moved in. They had two generations to cement themselves here before the Magistrate came back with six gunships and two companies of Legionnaires. Even with that force, it was a standoff. The Teach family had enough of a force that the Magistrate backed off. They left two hundred soldiers and craftsmen behind, and increased their naval presence, but they didn't start a war. The old family heads knew better than to push their luck, but the younger generation wanted payback for what the Magistrate did during the Purges. That argument was the beginning of the family schism that led to now."

"First it was just occasional random violence. Then people started turning up dead on both sides. Things started to escalate fast, but before they could spiral out of control the Old Man and the Prelate came up with an arrangement that mostly kept the peace. It wasn't popular with a lot of the younger Teach kids, but it worked for a long time. Then the Old Man started losing his mind. The whole family has been getting more aggressive for about a generation now. His firstborn kids and grandkids don't come to the island much anymore. They're too busy leading their own little armadas in an arms race against each other while they wait for the Old Man to die. His great-grandkids hold down the fort here, but they've pretty much stopped caring about the Old Man's rules. They're used to feeling powerful because their family runs things here, and they want revenge for the things your people did to theirs. They think the Old Man went soft by allowing the Magistrate to be here at all. It's been a powder keg for years."

"All of that fits with the information we have about this area, but what does any of it have to do with you?" Sister Victoria asked.

Caine let his head roll back and closed his eyes. "I just lit the match."

Sister Mercy looked pained. Sister Victoria sat down in one of Will's other chairs. "What, exactly, does that mean?"

Caine opened one eye like it was the last thing in the world he wanted to do. "Old Man Teach is dead."

"Warden's blood," Sister Victoria swore under her breath.

"You just started a war!" Sister Mercy said, horrified.

"Yeah," Caine agreed.

"Why!" Sister Victoria demanded.

"The Prelate asked me to," Caine said with a barely perceptible shrug. "I didn't ask her reasons."

The pair of Inquisitors were flabbergasted. They looked at each other, both looking for insights from the other and finding only dumbfounded shock.

"What is she thinking," Sister Mercy muttered darkly.

"Building a peace in this region has taken fifty years!" Sister Victoria snapped. "This is going to turn into another Barcola!"

Caine let out a rough laugh. "Maybe you should stop kicking your way into other people's homes and telling them what to do?"

"The Barcolans worship demons!" Sister Mercy said fiercely. "This island is a lawless pirates' nest!"

"That's a bit hyperbolic," Caine said wryly, still not bothering to open his eyes.

"It certainly is not! If anything, it's an understatement. They have been after you for weeks! How can you still defend them?" Sister Mercy retorted angrily.

"Because I know them. Sure, there's some assholes, but that's true everywhere. I don't have the right to put a boot on everyone's neck just because some of them piss me off." Caine said. "It ain't your right either."

"That's not what we do," Sister Victoria said, trying to get a word in.

"Tell that to the Barcolans," Caine countered.

"The Magistrate protects people! We bring law and peace, and drive out dark forces!" Mercy said angrily.

"Whether they like it or not," Caine said with a derisive snort.

"Yes!" Mercy said fiercely. "When we have to. The doctor doesn't consider how a boil feels before lancing it from the body!"

Caine opened his eyes and turned his head to give Mercy a baleful look, but before he could open his mouth, Janie stepped in between them. "This is going nowhere. Do you have the answers you need?"

"He just murdered a pirate lord and broke a peace we've worked for years to maintain!" Sister Mercy said angrily, refusing to back down.

"Technically it was a duel," Caine corrected.

"He just told you he was acting under orders from the Prelate," Jaine said sternly. "Take it up with her."

"And he was the one who challenged me," Caine said, holding up one swaying finger.

Mercy turned on him again, but Janie held up her hand. Surprisingly, Mercy paused.

"Caine?" Janie asked.

"Yeah?" he said, opening one eye and looking at her sidelong.

"You're goading them on purpose," Janie said gently. "Quiet."

Caine gave her a small smile and closed his eye again.

"This doesn't make sense!" Sister Mercy said, turning her anger to Janie. "Surely you can grasp why this is important to understand?!"

"Yes, but we do not have any more time to bicker," Janie said to the inquisitors in exasperation.

"So what happens next?" Tonya muttered against Caine's chest. She sounded exhausted.

A long silence followed. All eyes were on Caine. He looked like he was trying to sleep.

"Of course now he decides to keep his mouth shut," Sister Mercy muttered.

His lips twitched into a small smirk.

Victoria looked pained again. "Miss Castilian told him to be quiet."

"Amazing," Mercy said flatly. "He can be a disrespectful cad without uttering a word."

Janie rolled her eyes in exasperation. "And yet you still need his help. We all do. Can you heal him?" she asked Sister Mercy.

"I believe so, but I'm rather disinclined," Mercy said flatly.

Janie gave the Witch Hunter a look that would have been more at home on a Sister Superior admonishing a Novice. She said nothing. She didn't need to.

Mercy glared for a moment, then angrily closed her eyes and muttered a traditional prayer for serenity and patience. Then she moved behind Caine's chair and placed a hand on each of his shoulders. She didn't bother being gentle with the criss-crossing cuts on his left shoulder, or the deep puncture on his right. He winced, but kept his eyes and his mouth shut as the priestess began her litany.

Nothing seemed to happen. Golden light poured from her hands, but rather than illuminating the wounds and closing them, the way they had when she healed Hector, the light simply disappeared into Caine's body. Mercy looked surprised. With one hand she reached towards Sister Victoria and motioned for her partner's help.

Victoria stood up from the table. "Tonya, can you get up?"

Tonya had been on the edge of falling asleep against Caine's chest. She'd been running on nothing but worry and stubbornness for hours, and now that he was back her relief felt like a lullaby. She couldn't ever remember being more exhausted, not even when she was on the streets of the Mainland, hadn't eaten in four days, and kept getting run out of shelters during the middle of winter. She could barely keep her eyes open. The angry conversation felt like pointless background noise and the idea of moving made her think she'd prefer to just die. She shook her head petulantly and squeezed Caine around the ribs a bit tighter. It was all the energy she could muster. His face pinched in pain, but he didn't stop her. He just rested a hand on her back and gave the Sisters a small shrug.

Victoria felt bad for Tonya. She really had worked hard tonight, and was clearly not used to the exertion or stress that life and death situations required. She decided to let Tonya stay and moved behind the chair alongside Mercy. Her hands joined her partner's and her voice joined the prayer. She wasn't much of a healer, but she knew how to lend her faith to Mercy. Together they continued the healing prayer. After thirty seconds Mercy looked concerned. After a minute, she became worried. After two minutes, horrified, but she refused to end the litany.

Slowly Tonya sat up, blinking sleepily. She yawned and looked over her arms and chest in confusion. "What the hell?"

Mercy glanced at her with a questioning look, but did not stop her ritual.

"What is it?" Janie asked.

"Uh, I'm... awake," Tonya said, not sure how to describe what she was feeling.

"What do you mean?" Janie asked.

Tonya struggled for words. "I felt like I was about to pass out. Now... I actually feel pretty good. I'm not even sore anymore."

The Sisters shared a glance full of suspicion, but continued their healing prayer.

"Caine?" Tonya asked slowly. "Do you feel that?"

Caine grunted his assent.

Sister Mercy stopped her prayer abruptly and looked back and forth between Caine and Tonya with suspicion. "Explain," she said to Tonya.

Caine opened his eyes wearily. "You don't have to tell them anything you don't want to."

Tonya shook head. "I want to. We gotta figure this out. We already talked about it!"

Caine painfully leaned forward and twisted in his chair to look at the Inquisitors behind him. "Did you now?"

"We were planning to tell you once you were healed," Victoria said diplomatically.

"I'm healed enough," Caine said flatly.

"You're not healed at all!" Sister Mercy said, still shocked. "It didn't work. You didn't even rebuke the prayer, you just... absorbed it. And nothing happened! I've never seen anything like that."

"Well, something happened," Victoria disagreed, looking at Tonya with curiosity.

"I don't care," Caine said. "Start talking."

Tensely, Mercy explained. "Tonya requested we use the Eye of Revealing to read her aura and determine the nature of the connection between the two of you."

Caine's swollen, bloody eyes narrowed angrily. He looked up at the compass rose on the ceiling of the library, then pointedly at the inquisitors. "And you thought you'd do it right here?"

"It seemed appropriate," Mercy said cautiously.

"Yeah, I bet," Caine glared.

"They can help!" Tonya insisted.

Caine looked her right in the eye, as serious as she'd ever seen him. "If they don't like what they see, they'll take you prisoner."

"No!" The sisters protested.

"And if you try to stop them, they'll torture you. Or kill you," Caine added.

"We did come to an agreement about this," Janie said, looking apprehensive.

Caine looked at Janie like she'd betrayed him. "You knew about this?"

Janie looked small for a moment, then stood up taller and nodded assertively. "Yes."

"Deal's off," Caine growled as he stood up. His popping bones echoed through the empty library. He plunked Tonya down in the chair and turned to face the Inquisitors. "Time to leave."

"Caine, will you please just listen," Janie insisted.

"Not this time," he said. "The Sisters can pack up their counterfeit Centurion and get their holy asses out of here. We'll take care of ourselves."

"Caine!" Janie protested.

"I know what the Eye of Revealing is for!" Caine snapped. He pointed up at Will's ceiling. "I know what this room is!" he turned on Janie. "So do you! Hell, you built the damn thing! You really want to let them use the Eye here?"

Janie's eyes went wide. "I hadn't considered-"

"We have no intention-" Sister Mercy began, but Caine cut her off again.

"It doesn't matter what your intentions are!" Caine snarled. "We both know you don't have a fucking choice. Once you head down that road, you have to follow it wherever it leads. The rest of you might be willing to take that risk, but I'm not."

"Caine, calm the fuck down!" Tonya demanded. "What do you think is going to happen?"

"You tell her." Caine pointed an accusatory finger at the Sisters. "Don't leave anything out."

The pair looked at each other. Mercy took a breath, and composed her thoughts. "The compass on the ceiling is carved and enchanted with holy writ. I'm not sure why the church decided this was an appropriate place, but we are in a blessed chamber. It has wards anchored to it, and has a number of possible uses for the church. For us, it is where we would bring someone to reveal corruption and deception."

"So?" Tonya asked, confused. "I was going to tell the truth anyway."

"Tell her how," Caine prompted angrily.

Victoria was tired. She knew what Caine was getting at, and really she couldn't blame him. "Inquisitors can use circles like this to force people to tell us things they don't want us to know. It is intended to facilitate exorcisms. It immobilizes the person bound inside it, to keep them from harming themselves or anyone else, and compels them to answer truthfully."

"Yeah, Bella told me about those. It's for the Questioning thing you do. I was in one when I did the whole witchy registry thing," Tonya said.

"Close. When used for Questioning, the circle does not compel truth. It simply detects falsehood. What Mister Caine is concerned about is... quite a bit more severe," Mercy clarified.

"I still don't get the problem," Tonya said with a shrug. "I have nothing to lie about."

"It's called a Truthtelling. If they don't like what they find out, they can lock you up inside your own body," Caine explained. "They could take you hostage. Hell, they could capture all of us with one goddamned word."

Tonya looked worried, then confused. "So why didn't they do that earlier? To you?"

"I used the circle for a Telling few weeks ago," Janie explained. "It... got broken, and I hadn't had a chance to fix it."

"When we built the structure wards in the basement, we anchored them to the circle that was already here, and fixed it in the process," Victoria explained. "It is fully charged now."

Mercy gave Caine a pointed look. "Which, I remind you, was your idea."

"Yeah, to get us out of here," Caine said. "Not to let you control Tonya's mind."

"It isn't mind control," Mercy protested.

"More fucking hair splitting," Caine spat. "It takes away someone's free will."

"So does prison," Mercy countered.

"This still doesn't make any sense," Tonya interrupted. "If they were going to do that to me, they'd have done it before you got here."

"If they did, it would drain the circle of its charge again. The structure wards wouldn't work," Janie explained.

"And they knew I'd be back," Caine said darkly. "Better to wait until I was here so they could catch me in the circle too."

"At the time, we didn't even know what the structure wards you wanted built were for," Mercy protested. "We still only have a vague understanding of your plan. We are trusting your word that you can get us out of here without wading through the war you just started. We are trusting that this nebulous plan of yours is still the best option for all of us. Why would we want to jeopardize that?"

"Because it doesn't matter what you want," Caine snapped. "We went over that. If you use the Eye, and you don't like what you see, you have to take action. That's your oath. That's why you want to do it here. You were just hoping I wouldn't know where I was standing."

"We did discuss that possibility," Victoria admitted. Mercy blanched as Caine's expression darkened, but Victoria continued unheeded. "We decided it would be best to operate in good faith. We should have done that in the first place. We've learned from that mistake. Which is why we have no intention of activating the circle."

"I. Don't. Believe you," Caine said flatly. "If you decide Tonya's done something you don't like, you'll break that promise in a second. You'll have some bullshit excuse about saving her from herself, and if we try to stop you, you'll Wrack her."

"We would have to fulfill our duty, but at our own discretion," Victoria said. "We do not have time for a Truthtelling, or for another confrontation with you."

"What's racking me?" Tonya asked, narrowing her eyes a bit.

Caine raised an eyebrow at the Sisters.

Mercy looked pained. Victoria sighed in resignation. "One of the things the circle can do is cause pain. It's called the Wrack."

"It is a tool for exorcism," Mercy added quickly. "To drive invading spirits from someone's body."

"Or just plain old torture," Caine said with an accusatory look.

"We would never do that," Mercy pleaded.

"What do you think the ratio is?" Caine asked. "How many demons driven out, versus how many people the Inquisition decided to punish in circles like this?"

"So all this only works if I'm standing in the circle?" Tonya asked, trying to stick to the point.

"Yes," Victoria confirmed.

"So let's go upstairs?" Tonya suggested. "We need to get cleaned up anyway."

Caine rubbed his temples, unable to comprehend how Tonya could blithely dismiss the dangers of letting the inquisitors put her to the Question. "You don't understand."

"Yeah," Tonya admitted. "I also don't care. I'm still too fucking tired. It's been a long night, and the only time you've stopped arguing with them is when you left us here on our own with a mob outside. I want to do this. You don't have to like it, but you don't get to choose for me."

Caine's face lost all expression. He watched Tonya for a long moment, then turned on the Sisters. "The Eye. Nothing else. You break your word, I'll throw all three of you in this fucking circle, put you to the Wrack myself, and leave."

Mercy blanched.

"Agreed," Victoria said. "Can we get on with this?"

Tonya hopped off the table and marched upstairs without another word. The Sisters followed her.

As soon as they were out of sight, Caine sank back down to the edge of the table. Every part of him throbbed with a dull, stiff ache. He could feel the alcohol throbbing through his veins, making his whole body feel off kilter. That meant the angel inside him was drained to the point of collapse. Caine could still feel his soul-twin braided through his mind, but it was as though his other half was asleep. The silence and sense of detachment was unnerving.

Janie gave Caine a disapproving look that turned to concern as she realized how injured he really was. She offered her hand. After a self-annoyed sigh, he took it and slowly stood up.

Janie ducked under his arm and put her arm around his waist to support him. He didn't like the help, but he decided it wasn't worth fighting her about.

"You seem... smaller," Janie said cautiously.

Caine nodded weakly. "I am."

"Why?" Janie asked. "How?"

"Magic," Caine muttered.

"What happened when they tried to heal you?" Janie asked as they began to slowly cross the room together.

"Don't know," Caine said. He had two possible suspicions, but explaining them would require revealing more about his own nature to Janie than he was ready to.

Janie looked at him sideways and raised an eyebrow. She knew he was withholding information, and she wanted him to know she knew.

He rubbed his face with his free hand, gently prodding the swelling around his eye to see how bad it was. "Look, Tonya perked right up, right? And there's that weird connection between us now? I think she stole it. Not on purpose, but I think it went to her instead of me."

"I had the same suspicion," Janie said.

Caine grunted in resignation. "I guess we're about to find out."

Together they started up the stairs. Every step threatened to buckle his injured thigh, and the alcohol made him annoyingly woozy. It occurred to him that drinking the rest of the jug of rum after his angel went into hibernation was probably a bad idea. The angel's presence was still holding off the pain and accelerating his metabolism, but not burning off the alcohol as quickly as Caine was used to. Focusing was hard. He hoped it wouldn't last long. For as much alcohol as he drank, he didn't enjoy feeling drunk. Getting to the bedroom was slow going, and Caine's irritation at his own weakness grew with every step. By the time they reached the top, Caine was glad for the help, but out of patience with the situation.

As they came through the bedroom door they saw Tonya sitting on the bed. Victoria stood in the doorway of the washroom talking to Hector, who was in the process of breaking down his makeshift firing position. Mercy stood next to Tonya speaking quietly and peering at her intently. Even with her face turned away from Caine and Janie, they could see the faint golden glow coming from the willowy Witch Hunter's face.

Caine's anger got the better of him. "You couldn't fucking wait?" he snapped.

As soon as he said it, he knew he'd made a mistake. Mercy simply turned to glance his way and Caine felt his heart clench and seize. In a fraction of a moment the priestess's second sight forced Caine's twinned souls to choose a state of existence, fully joined, or fully separated. It was an odd, instantaneous tug of war. Caine wanted to wrap himself around his injured guardian angel, to protect his twin from the weakness and vertigo they always felt when they were forced apart.

The angel refused. His presence awakened instantly in that fractured moment. He had no time to assess the situation other than what he saw through Caine's eyes and how Caine felt about it. Fully joining would hurt them both, and neither was in the right shape to endure it. He was still as wounded as he'd been when the sword that now hung from Caine's hip had been thrust through his chest. He refused to put Caine in a position to endure spiritual wounds as well. The choice was easy.

Mercy's eyes went wide as she saw what appeared to be Caine's own soul fall out of his body and collapse. Caine groaned and sagged against Janie, one hand clenched to his chest. She didn't have the strength to hold him up without help, so she lowered him to his knees.

To Mercy's divine insight, two Caines knelt in exhausted agony, one of flesh and blood, closely surrounded by swirling gold sigils and chains, the other an opaque gold specter who's form was marred by slashes of shadow so deep that she could see the stones of the wall through his body. Words failed her. The golden figure met her eyes, silently pleading. Revelation hit her like an avalanche. Without thought she fell to her knees.

Tonya leapt up from the bed in shock and confusion. "Caine!""

Victoria and Hector both moved in quickly from the washroom, but had no idea what was going on. To them, it looked like Caine was having a heart attack in the doorway, and Mercy was praying in his direction from the edge of the bed.

With inhuman effort, Caine kicked the door shut, then fell back into the curved stones of the stairwell. He would have fallen down the stairs if not for Janie's quick hands.

Free of the Inquisitor's divisive gaze, Caine and the angel reached for each other, both feeling a wave of relief as they comfortably superimposed again. Then Mercy yanked the door open. The golden light of her eyes filled the dark stairwell and shoved Caine's souls apart again. His fist clenched against his injured heart again. The collapsed golden figure held a hand towards her in desperation, but she could not hear the angel's pleading.

Janie stared in shock between Mercy's golden eyes and Caine's agony and made a choice she never would have thought herself capable of. She shoved the inquisitor away as hard as she could and slammed the door in her face. The agony and tension instantly left Caine's body again. He sagged in breathless exhaustion. Mercy yanked on the door again, but Janie held it firm.

"Stop!" Janie snapped. "You're hurting him!"

Mercy's voice sounded awed and manic as she called through the door. "He's a vessel!"

Janie looked back at Caine, sure the inquisitor must be mistaken.

"Close the Eye," Caine rasped.

"Close the Eye!" Janie echoed loudly.

"But-" Mercy protested.

"Close it now!" Janie yelled.

From beneath the door, the golden light faded. "It's closed. Open the door."

Janie turned the knob and gave it a pull, then knelt next to Caine. "Are you alright?"

Where he wasn't mottled with swelling and bruises, Caine's skin was ash white. He was taking deep, shuddering breaths and his face was twisted in pain. "Yeah," he lied.

"Stop that," Janie said, taking his hand in both of hers.

Tonya barged past the stunned Inquisitor and threw herself to the landing to get closer to Caine. She had no idea what had happened, but he was hurt. She lifted his face with her hand. He held up his good hand to reassure her. She grabbed it and squeezed.

"I'm fine," he said. His voice was strained.

"No you're not," Janie insisted.

Mercy crowded into the stairwell and knelt next near Caine's feet. "Please forgive me, I did not know. I-"

"Save it," Caine said through forced breath. "This one's my fault. I know better. Fuck, that hurt." Tonya and Janie helped him to his feet.

Victoria's confused faces appeared in the doorway.

"What is going on?" Tonya finally asked.

"Did you say he's a vessel?" Victoria asked.

"Yes! I saw..." Mercy began, but words did not seem sufficient for what she had seen.

"Bed," Caine said, starting to push his way forward. The way cleared for him. Janie and Tonya helped sit him down. He put his elbows on his knees and let his head hang as he waited for the throbbing in his head and chest to subside.

Mercy felt like the whole world had been upended. "I don't understand."

"What did you see?" Victoria asked.

"An angel!" Mercy answered. Her mouth felt disconnected from her mind.

"Are you sure?" Victoria asked.

"When I looked at Caine, a golden figure fell out of his body. They both collapsed. Then Caine shut the door."

"A golden figure?" Victoria said skeptically.

Mercy knelt on the floor in front of Caine and reached out for his forearm, but stopped, unable to bring herself to touch him. "I was one of Saint James' attendants when he passed. I was there. I saw when his angel departed his body. It looked... just like that."

"I remember you telling me about that," Sister Victoria nodded. "You're certain?"

"Yes? I think," Mercy whispered. "No. He can't be. There would be signs."

"What the hell are you two talking about?" Tonya demanded. "Is this about what's going on with Caine and me?"

"No," Caine said, painfully sitting up.

"What are you?" Mercy asked, fearful and reverent.

The last thing Caine wanted to do was explain his metaphysiology to a trio of zealots. He wished he could just go back in time and undo the last few minutes. He was angry at himself for not thinking about this possibility. It was a stupid mistake. He was just too tired. "A vessel," Caine shrugged. "You're right."

Janie's brows furrowed. Again, she knew he was lying, but she kept her mouth shut. She was sure Sister Mercy would have noticed too, but she was clearly too overcome to be concentrating on her training. She glanced at Victoria. The other Inquisitor seemed more concerned with Mercy than with Caine.

"I don't understand what happened," Sister Mercy said, practically pleading. "Did I hurt you?"

"Not your fault," Caine said. "I'll be fine."

"Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on?!" Tonya demanded. Janie and the Inquisitors all exchanged glances, but it was Caine who answered first.

"I've got an angel in me," Caine said. "Mercy's magic sight forced us apart. Normally that's not a problem, but right now we're both pretty banged up."

"Huh," Tonya mused, folding her arms over her modest chest. "So that's why you don't-"

"Yeah," Caine said, cutting her off.

"Don't what?" Victoria asked.

"Get hurt easy," Caine finished.

"Makes sense," Victoria nodded, her stance mirroring Tonya's as she thought. "I've never heard of a warrior vessel before though."

"We're a secret," Caine shrugged, then winced. "So you're going to have to keep your mouth shut about me."

"Secrets are our job," Victoria said with a half smile. "Finding them or keeping them, either way we're good at it."

"How are you so... blithe about this?" Mercy asked.

Victoria considered for a moment. "I didn't see what you saw. He seems the same to me. This whole situation has been one weird thing after another, so at this point I'm just rolling with the punches."

"I wish I had your serenity," Mercy breathed. She turned to Caine. "Is the angel with you now? Can we speak with them?"

"Him," Caine said. "You could, but he's not fully conscious right now."

"Him?" Mercy asked, confused. "Angels are not male or female."

"He decided he's a him," Caine said with the smallest shrug he could manage.

Mercy looked confused, and a bit uncomfortable. "Why?"

"Because I'm a him, and he spends most of his time sharing my thoughts," Caine explained slowly. "After a while, he just got used to it."

"Is that why... he... looked like you?" Mercy asked.

Caine nodded.

"This is all incredible, but is it really a priority right now?" Janie asked.

"No," Victoria agreed. "We have more pressing concerns."

"I disagree!" Mercy said adamantly. "If Tonya and Caine's connection involves an angel, it just became the most important thing by far. We have to find out what kind of connection it is! If Tonya bound an angel-"

"I didn't!" Tonya protested.

"I believe you. I know you wouldn't do something like that on purpose," Mercy tried to reassure the young witch.

"I wouldn't even know where to start," Tonya insisted.

"Honestly, neither do I. This is far beyond my training." Mercy admitted. "I wish we could reach the Prelate."

Sister Victoria's face lit up in sudden realization. "She knew!"

Mercy looked at her partner quizzically.

"The Prelate. The water," Sister Victoria explained.

Mercy's mouth opened wide. "Of course!" She frantically pawed at her medical satchel and pulled out a silver and glass reliquary jar. Without hesitation, she thrust it into Caine's hands. "She said this was for you. As payment."

Caine looked at it, confused for a moment, then his split lips curled into an exasperated smile. Alexandra knew. "She is such a fucking snake," he muttered, chuckling as he twisted the lid off and chugged down the contents.

The Inquisitors and their Centurion protector all looked appalled, then amazed as Caine's wounds began to glow and heal before their eyes. He put his elbows on his knees and hung his head, relieved as the angel woke again and immediately got back to work. Holy power practically poured off of him, light filled every cut and glowed beneath the surface of every bruise. Slowly, Caine's breathing deepened and smoothed. Nobody spoke. All they could do was stare as Caine healed weeks in minutes. Eventually he sat up straight and nodded to the Inquisitors. "Thanks."

The sisters could only nod back. Nothing in their training had prepared them for this.

"How... is that not blasphemy?" Hector asked slowly. He was struggling to reconcile his impression of Caine with what Sister Mercy had revealed. Everything about the man seemed to pervert the sanctity of the Warden's teachings.

"Did Saint James ever drink holy water?" Sister Victoria asked.

"No, not that I saw. Or ever heard of. I think word of that would have gotten around," Mercy said, staring at Caine like he was unraveling all she knew.

"Gotta recharge somehow," Caine said simply.

"Saint James would chant or sing at the altar while the congregation prayed over him," Mercy said. "I never really thought about what that meant, but it is the same way we would sanctify relics, or empower a font."

"Yeah, well I ain't got a congregation, so..." Caine held up the reliquary jar like a beer stein.

"You look like you're feeling better," Janie said hopefully.

Caine nodded and stood up, rolling his neck and testing his limbs with simple stretches. "Much."

"Me too," Tonya said. Every eye turned her way.

"How so?" Janie asked. "Like when Sister Mercy tried to heal Caine?"

"Yeah," Tonya nodded enthusiastically. "But more. That woke me up, but now my muscles aren't even sore, and that scrape on my shin from when I fell on the stairs feels better too."

The Sisters looked at each other in total bafflement. Victoria held her hands towards her partner like she'd been defeated. "I'm just the tracker. Figuring them out after I find them is your job."

"Well I give up," Mercy said with a small laugh. "My heart just can't handle anymore of this."

"Maybe you can do the eye thing again?" Tonya asked. "It was working until you tried to kill Caine?"

"I did not!" Mercy insisted.

"Don't worry about it, he doesn't mind when it's on accident," Tonya reassured her.

Mercy shook her head, choosing to ignore Tonya's odd commentary. She exhaled a long breath and looked at Caine, leaving the question hanging in the air.

"Just don't look my way while you're doing it," Caine muttered. "I'm feeling mostly fine now, but my other half isn't. Patching me up took most of what was in that bottle."

"Reliquary," Mercy corrected.

Caine picked up the elaborate glass container. Sure enough, there was a small drawer in the base. "Well damn," he muttered. "I thought I noticed an extra kick to that stuff. Wonder which poor bastard's finger is in there." He handed Mercy the container. "Don't lose that."

Mercy took it with an exasperated look and tucked it safely away. His constant disrespect towards her faith was becoming more obnoxious than shocking.

Caine stood up, rolled his shoulders and popped a few joints, and walked back to the doorway until he was out of Mercy's sightline. Tonya sat on the edge of the bed where Caine had been. Mercy closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them, spilling golden light into Will's bedroom again. To Tonya it looked like the inquisitor's pupils had doubled. Two black holes sat next to each other in each eye, surrounded by a radiant halo. She looked Tonya over slowly and carefully, then focused again on the young apprentice's chest. Slowly her brows furrowed, then they shot upward. "No..." she whispered to herself.

The golden light faded from her eyes and she sat down primly next to Tonya. A small giggle escaped her lips. "Excuse me," she said, then snorted as she tried to hold back a stronger laugh. All the stress and chaos of the night seemed like it had led to this precise moment. She felt like the butt of a cosmic joke. It was all just too much. She fanned herself with her hands trying to regain her composure. "This is just absurd." She said between stifled giggles.

"What is it?" Tonya asked.

Mercy pursed her lips. "How do I say this... you and Caine... your connection... ah. Well, he is, i'm afraid..."

"Just spit it out," Tonya said anxiously.

Mercy hung her head and laughed quietly. "Caine is your familiar,"

______________________________________

Just as the sun was barely lighting the horizon in purple dawn, the Kestrel had slowly limped its way out of the island lagoon and edged around the shore of the island. The breach in the hull had been right at the waterline, but they'd unloaded as much cargo and pumped as much water out of the hold as they could, and nailed up a makeshift patch. The breach was now merely five feet above the waterline. In any amount of chop, the crew berths would be flooded again, but by moving slowly near the shore on a calm morning, the crew managed to keep the belly of the ship surprisingly dry.

There were plenty of docks for small ships in Shady's Cove, but there just wasn't room for more than three ocean-worthy ships at a time. When the Kestrel reached the mouth of the cove, they were all occupied. So the broken ship had been forced to gently beach itself again. There had been some discussion of simply dropping anchor, but they didn't know how long they would be waiting for an opening at the piers. If the winds picked up, they'd be taking on water again. The sands of the west side shore were shallow and soft. They hugged the Kestrel's prow easily. It wasn't quite high tide, but it was close. As the water receded, more of the damaged ship would be ashore. Getting her back in the water would be a chore unless the tides were right, but that was a price they'd have to pay. Volunteers were left behind to guard the ship, and the rest made the trek up the beach to the tall cliff, and the ancient carved stairs Miss Hunter had mentioned during her briefing.

Lace eyed the worn animal carvings that marked the steps with a mix of reverence and surprise. They were unmistakably Akulan art. She ran her hand over the head of the stone cat as she passed, offering a silent traditional prayer to the animal spirits of the island for safe passage and benevolent teachings. Behind her, Reeve snorted.

"What?" Lace demanded. "You don't approve of honoring the island spirits?"

"Petting a birdshit stained rock isn't going to get you any favor," Reeve snarked. "Spirits only notice things that are worthy of their attention."

"I guess you think you're worthy of their attention?" Lace said sarcastically as she climbed the steps ahead of the giant bosun.

Reeve slapped his broad chest with a meaty hand. "I earned my tatau."

"Congratulations," Lace deadpanned.

At the top of the cliff the crew eyed the burned building, not sure what to make of it. Out of place was putting it lightly. Just getting the timbers out to the top of this rocky crescent would have been difficult. They speculated on who had built it, and why it was there, quickly spinning up wild tales in true sailor fashion. Something about the charred ruin, silhouetted in the pre-dawn gloom, drew every eye and felt deeply unsettling. The superstitious sailors continued talking in hushed voices, but gave the place a wide berth. When they reached the other edge of the ridge they fell silent as they saw Shady's Cove for the first time.

For Lace and her riggers, the elaborate web of thick ropes and chains was a display of mad genius. For Mister North and his swabs, the various suspended platforms and lifts looked like plain old madness. It wasn't even dawn, but the workers below were already roused. Some sort of shift change was happening. At least two hundred people were climbing ladders, walking on catwalks, riding lifts, saying their hellos or goodbyes as they passed. It would be hours before the sun crested the ridge and cast light down into the cove, so all the activity was lit by hundreds of lamps that hung all over the elaborate web. The whole thing was reminiscent of the brightly lit ornaments hung over streets during the Feast of All Saints.

As Captain Vex and the Norths led the crew around the ridge to the nearest lift, everyone had their necks craned over the edge, unable to pull their eyes from the organized chaos they were about to head into.

"Where to?" a pudgy woman in a tall chair asked as the ragtag bunch approached the lift.

"Not sure," Captain Vex answered. "It's our first time."

"You a captain?" the woman in the tall chair asked. "You look it."

"Aye," Vex said with a polished smile.

"If ya haven't met with Shady, you'll wanna head to the Red Door. It's straight down, two levels. Can't miss it. You'll be waiting a bit though. Shady don't usually rouse herself 'till the sun's high," the woman said, sounding like she'd gone through this a thousand times. "Ain't much ta do if ya ain't got work. The Red Door's good for drinking and whoring. There's usually dice and cards there in the evenings. The fish market should be opening soon, down on the piers. Other than that, just don't get in the way of the work crews. The foreman's a right bastard, and he won't care that you ain't one of his boys."

"Thanks for the rundown," Vex said, tipping her hat. "Dinnae think we need tae buy any fish though."

"Ah, no," the woman said, amused. "The fish market don't sell fish."

A chuckle ran through the Kestrel's crew. "A'right," Captain Vex said, humoring her. "What does it sell?"

"Everything," the woman shrugged. "Salvage mostly. Sometimes plunder. It's a new market every day."

"My kind of place," Mister North said.

"Try not to empty the coffers, Mister North," Captain Vex said with a wry smile.

"No promises, ma'am," North chuckled. "Might find something I just can't live without."

"How long until the next lift?" Danica asked.

"It's shift change, so you got at least a half hour," she said. "Sit tight, enjoy the sun. I'll let you know when it's headed up here again."

"You heard her, ladies and gents," Mister North said loudly. "We're in a port and got some time! Line up and get your pay!"

___________________

Tonya's face was twisted into incredulous laughter. "You gotta be shitting me."

Caine looked down at his chest where he could faintly feel the binding that connected them. "That actually explains a lot," he said, clearly not thrilled by the news.

"You can't be serious," Victoria said. She knew her partner was prone to occasional mischief. This was definitely not the right time, but it was too silly a thought to be anything else.

"Quite serious," Sister Mercy insisted, sounding a bit apologetic behind her suppressed giggles. "That particular binding is very familiar to me. Many practitioners of witchcraft have them. It's actually the first one I learned to recognize. They are one of the most common kinds of soul bindings, and one of the few that are considered symbiotic rather than parasitic. There are a number of different configurations, so they can be easy to mistake for more harmful things if you don't know what to look for."

"But! That's not-" Tonya struggled to understand. "Don't familiars gotta be animals?"

"As I understand it, yes," Mercy agreed, giving Caine a wry look.

"Funny," Caine said, unamused.

"So he's like my pet?" Tonya asked, still confused.

Both witch hunters stifled laughter. Surprisingly, it was Janie who could not. She put a hand over her mouth to stop her eruption of giggles. "Sorry," she said. "You have to admit, it is a bit funny."

Caine rubbed his forehead, looking pained. "How?"

"I'm afraid I don't know," Sister mercy said. "The usual way, I'd imagine. How did neither of you know?"

"Because it's impossible!" Tonya said with a wild shake of her head. "That's way above what I can do!"

"How would I know how familiars get made?" Caine asked.

"At least it isn't something dangerous," Janie reassured her friend.

"The hell it isn't!" Tonya said, throwing her hands up. "I already killed him once! I damn near killed you too. And now we know he's a fucking angel! I don't know how I ended up with an angel for a familiar, but it seems like the kind of thing these two might set me on fire for!"

The mirth in the room died.

"Damnit Tonya," Caine muttered.

The young witch looked around the room. Hector was eyeing Caine and subtly stepping into a better position in case of violence. The Inquisitors were looking at Tonya uncomfortably. Janie looked deeply worried. She put her hand on Tonya's knee.

"I really shouldn't have said that, huh," Tonya said quietly.

Sister Victoria sighed and sat down on the other side of Tonya. "Probably not. And I probably shouldn't tell you that Mercy and I are completely out of our depth, but I just did so now we're even."

"This is unprecedented," Sister Mercy said, trying to maintain her decorum in the face of lunacy.

"You... killed him?" Sister Victoria asked, looking strangely at Caine, concerned at the possible implications. The last thing they needed was to add necromancy to the unstable pile of problems they were trying to balance.

"Sort of," Tonya said, not sure how much more to add.

"Not really," Caine said.

"I really thought he was dead," Tonya said with an apologetic shrug. "He got better pretty fast, but it still scared me a lot."

Caine knew exactly what Sister Victoria was considering. "The angel healed me," he begrudgingly explained. "It wasn't fucking necromancy, so don't start."

Victoria looked relieved. "And you nearly killed Miss Castilian as well?"

"That is where the cuts on my back came from," Janie explained hesitantly. "There was a mishap during a ritual. I believe that is what bound them together. For my part, I was knocked into a large mirror."

"This sounds like a dangerous situation, but not intentionally so," Victoria said. "It is possible we can help you control this."

"You can do that?" Tonya asked, surprised. "You just said you're out of your depth."

"That actually makes it easier to help you," Victoria said with a reassuring smile. "There are no rules governing this sort of thing, so we are using our best judgment. If everything you've told us is true, you are a victim of these circumstances, not their cause."

"Unfortunately, there is a larger issue," Mercy interjected. "If the angel is bound as well, we have to do... something," She sounded like she wished she wasn't speaking., but was compelled "We have to. A bound angel is..."

"Heresy," Hector finished for her.

Caine snorted and rolled his eyes. "The church has been binding angels for centuries. How do you think Vessels are made?"

The inquisitors looked his way, but both decided not to engage his derision. Hector opened his mouth angrily, but Victoria held up a hand. Their big bodyguard glared at Caine, but stayed quiet.

"It was entirely accidental," Janie said. "It all started with a ritual gone wrong. I was there. It was never intended to cause... this."

"Can the bond be broken?" Tonya asked.

Mercy's expression flowed through possibilities and doubts. "I don't know. I suspect it can be, like any other binding, but I don't know what that would do. Before today I would have said that familiar bonds are entirely benign. We've never had to break one before. I'm not sure anybody has."

"I know that when a familiar dies, a witch feels intense grief," Victoria added. "I've been told it's like the loss of a child."

"It doesn't matter," Sister Mercy said, shaking her head worriedly. "The angel must be freed."

"We don't even know if the angel is affected," Victoria argued. "It may be that the connection bond only exists between Tonya and Caine."

"Even if that's true, a familiar bond to a holy vessel?" Mercy said, still aghast at the entire idea. "That still seems like subjugation of the divine. Do we have the authority to allow that? Even if we could, should we?"

"How about we ask the angel what he wants?" Caine said flatly.

Hector, Janie, and both Sisters looked shocked at the very thought. Their expressions flowed through every permutation of surprise, apprehension, and awe.

"We can do that?" Tonya asked.

"Sure," Caine shrugged. "He's tired, but doing a lot better after the nice meal you gave him. I can wake him up for a few minutes while we figure this out."

The Sisters looked paralyzed with hope and apprehension. Hector looked like he was about to burst a blood vessel.

Caine took a slow breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were glowing similarly to how Mercy's had been earlier. Where mercy's light had been harsh and bright, Caine's was gentle and warm. He had no pupils to speak of. Each of his eyes were solid gold. He smiled.

"It seems I've caused quite a lot of consternation. I apologize," Caine said. His voice was smoother and more relaxed. All the reflexive bitterness and sarcasm was gone. It was the same voice, but there was no mistaking that a different person was speaking. Even the way Caine held himself was different. His chin held a bit higher and his posture straighter and more formal. His hands clasped behind his back. "And also for my host. I know he can be quite acerbic."

He sounded gentle and unassuming, but there was something more in his words. Something that brought a pressure to the chests of everyone else in the room. Tonya's heart swelled. She felt uncontrollably happy in a way she could only remember feeling once before. Tears welled in her eyes, but she forced herself not to cry. Instead she smiled as wide and joyfully as she ever had. Janie, Hector, and the Sisters recognized the feeling. They were in the presence of divinity. They had all experienced it at some point. During holiday congregations when hundreds of people were praying and singing together, or when in the quiet presence of a holy relic or saint. It was a euphoria, both overwhelming and reassuring at the same time. None of them had ever felt it so intimately. Together, they learned the difference between observing divinity and having divinity observe them.

The Sisters slid to their knees and bowed their heads. Hector slowly took a knee. Janie simply stood, hands clasped in front of her. She found her awe tempered by a seed of anger and a desire for answers. She was not sure if she deserved them, but she knew if she had the chance, she would ask anyway.

Caine's angel sighed in exasperation and waved his hand dismissively. "I'd rather skip all that if you don't mind."

The Sisters looked up in surprise. Their identical words overlapped. "Revered emissary, I am thankful in your presence. Command your humble and obedient servants."

Caine's expression turned to beatific amusement. "I'd rather not, but if you insist perhaps you can start by standing up?"

Hector immediately rose to attention. The Sisters were a bit slower and more hesitant, but soon stood with their hands clasped reverently.

"Good," Caine said with a small smile. "Now, I understand you wished to speak with me about the rather unique situation between Tonya, Caine, and myself?"

"Revered emissary, we simply wish to find out if you have been bound against your will," Sister Mercy said hesitantly.

In a profoundly human display of uncertainty, the angel let out a long breath. "That is a more complex question than you likely intended. Limited to the matter at hand, I'll simply say that Tonya did not mean to bind me as she did. I am not diminished by the result, nor has my will or duty been compromised. I am quite sure that if I needed to I could break the binding. Unfortunately, the results of doing so would be quite traumatic to both Tonya and Caine, so I am content to keep things as they currently are. To be candid, it is a rather novel situation that I am quite enjoying."

"Well I'm not!" Tonya said, then clapped both hands over her mouth as she realized what she'd blurted out.

The sisters looked stricken for a moment, then the angel laughed. The tone was pure mirth.

"Oh, Tonya. You are a delight," the angel said, stepping forward in the small room to sit next to her on the bed. The angel's presence made Will's bedroom seem much smaller than it had been moments ago. The sisters and their Centurion moved automatically to spread out and make room. "I am glad we are finally able to meet."

"Uh, sure," Tonya said nervously. "I don't even know what to call you though. You're not really Caine, right?"

"How about Greyson?" the angel suggested.

Tonya's brows knitted. "Isn't that Caine's first name?"

"It is," the angel said with a nod, then leaned in conspiratorially. "He hates it."

Tonya giggled. "Alright. Greyson. Hi."

"He cares about you very deeply, you know," Greyson told her.

"Who?" Tonya asked, momentarily confused. "Oh! You mean Caine?"

"Yes," Greyson said. "I doubt he would admit it, but he's a bit of a romantic at heart. When he lets himself feel for someone, it becomes very strong, very fast."

"I, uh... I really like him too," Tonya said, feeling surprisingly shy.

"Most of the time, he and I share a consciousness. What he feels, I feel, and vice versa. So I'm afraid you're in a bit of a love triangle," Greyson teased.

Tonya stared at Greyson for a long moment as she processed what he was implying, then her eyes and mouth opened wide. "Holy shit I fucked an angel!"

___________________________

"Fish market," Mister North deadpanned, sounding pained.

The base of the bowl-shaped cove was decorated with massive ancient murals of various animals, faded and chipped with age, but still easily recognizable. The market was rows of shanty shacks, rickshaws, and blankets covered in goods, all clustered together in front of a three story marlin.

"I don't know why you hate puns so much," Missus North said to her husband. "That's honestly pretty funny."

"People who make puns aren't trying to entertain their audience. They're trying to entertain themselves at their audience's expense," Mister North groused. "Whoever came up with that is still laughing. At us."

"That's exactly the kind of awful joke you would make," Danica teased.

"Well yeah," Coleman shrugged. "I don't pretend it's not awful though."

The shopkeepers were still setting up their wares for the day, but already they were haggling with each other, and hawking baubles towards the Kestrel's crew.

"You know the rules, ladies an' gents," Mister North said loudly. "Groups of no fewer than three, keep out of fights, headcount on the beach in front of the Kestrel at noon tomorrow. Until we have a timetable of repairs, that'll be the routine."

As the crew began dispersing, Bella found herself feeling vulnerable. On her shoulder, Jackie the monkey bristled a bit, reacting to how she felt. Everyone she was already comfortable with was unavailable. She needed to make some new friends before she found herself standing on an unfamiliar dock, alone. One trio hadn't disappeared as quick as the others, so Bella quickly moved closer to them.

"Excuse me," she asked. "Do you mind if I tag along with you folks?"

The conversation paused as they looked at her. Two instinctively looked to the third, who shrugged. "Aye, sure."

"Thank you," she said with a relieved smile. "I'm Bella."

"Aye, we know," the one with the long red-blond beard said with a teasing chuckle. "Ye're a might famous after running around in your skin, all painted up while we fought off those squiddy buggers."

The short, curvy woman next to him elbowed him in the ribs and said something in an accent so thick Bella didn't understand it, though the tone was obvious.

"Be nice," their leader chided the bearded man. "I'm Geoffry," he said. He was as tall as Will, and of a similar lanky build, but older. He was handsome in a weathered looking way, with sun darkened skin, silver streaks in his hair, and craggy laugh lines around his eyes. His laid back demeanor quickly put Bella quickly at ease.

"This is Milla," Geoffry said, introducing the fierce looking woman. "And the fellow who thinks he's funny and can't figure out how to shave is Jeremy."

"Dinnae mean tae offend," Jeremy said with a shrug and a grin as he smoothed his long beard proudly. "Just wanted tae know more about what your spellworkin' did tae that thing under the water. I got money in the betting pool."

Bella laughed. "If you three are willing to keep me company while we're here, I'll tell you all about it."

"Deal," Milla said, managing to add quite a few extra letters to one simple word. "Who is friend?" the sturdy looking woman asked, pointing to the monkey on Bella's shoulder.

"Oh, this is Jackie," Bella said. "He's a little surly, but harmless. If he pinches your things, just let me know, I'll get them back."

Jeremy laughed. "Oh, we all know better'n tae carry anything valuable in a place like this."

Milla pulled a handful of nuts out of her pocket and offered one to Jackie. The fearless little creature took one, tasted it, then quickly ran down Milla's arm and began demanding more treats.

"Oh, now you've done it. He'll never leave you alone," Bella laughed.

Milla looked simultaneously stricken and thrilled as she scratched Jackie's bright red ears. "He cute."

"We were just arguing about whether to peruse the market first, or find the bar," Geoffry said. "Any preference?"

"Well, I do have a shopping list from Doctor Kalfou," Bella said.

"Done deal then," Geoffry nodded firmly.

"Aye, the Doc patched us all up after the fight'n the wreck," Jeremy said, rolling up his sleeve to reveal the bandage beneath it. "I got stabbed all the way through. Might'a lost the arm without proper care."

Milla lifted her chin and pulled her short black hair out of the way so Bella could see the mess of bruising around her throat. The finger imprints where a grindylow had strangled her were clearly visible. "Doc says get, we get."

It was a sobering reminder of the hell they'd all endured. It felt like so long ago now, but it had only been a few days. Bella pulled the folded paper out of her skirts. "I know what some of this is, but I think we're going to need to ask around for the rest. Do any of you know what 'milk of the poppy' is?"

Geoffry laughed. "Oh, that I do. Fortunes of a misspent youth."

"Ye've mispent your whole damn life," Jeremy snarked.

"True," Geoffry grinned proudly. "Let's go find whatever passes for an apothecary in this place."

The trio of sailors turned out to be a stroke of luck for Bella, exactly the way she'd expected. Her brand of magic was less flashy than many others, but it meant that things generally worked out well for her. Between the three of them, her new friends knew what all the various drugs and medicines on Friday's list were, and amused her endlessly with stories of how they'd learned such things. In a matter of hours the majority of the doctor's list was acquired, and Bella had learned a great deal about the recreational use of drugs, mostly from Geoffry.

The fish market was packed full of oddments. From what she could tell, there was an entire trade industry here based around salvage and lies. There was a merchant selling old nails by the pound, right next to another who was trying to convince superstitious sailors that carved and painted stones were ancient Akulan spirit wards. One rickshaw was nothing but coiled ropes that all looked like they had been spliced and repaired many times. Pallets of salvaged wood lay drying beneath awnings. She even saw an entire row of old figureheads with scuffed paint and missing pieces.

"This is the strangest market I've ever seen," Bella said after they'd exhausted their list. "Why would anyone buy a used figurehead?"

"Squibbing," Milla said helpfully.

Bella looked at the other two, needing a translation.

"Squibbing is... like a disguise for a ship," Jeremy tried to explain.

"Why would anyone need to disguise a ship?" Bella asked incredulously.

"Same reason someone would want tae disguise themselves," Jeremy said. "So they dinnae get caught."

"Ships can be recognized by their profile," Geoffry explained. "The shape of the prow, the figurehead, the size, the number of decks and masts, the configuration of the sails and rigging, it can tell you a lot about where a ship is from and what it's for. And if you've seen a ship before, you can probably recognize it later."

"So when ye don't want yer ship recognized, ye redo her profile. S'called squibbing," Jeremy said.

"Clever," Bella grinned.

"It's not legal in Magistrate waters. Every ship has to register with the harbormaster wherever their home port is. All the identifying markers are registered. Usually there's even a silhouette drawing so if the ship gets stolen, or does something illegal the patrols can find it," Geoffrey added. "No two ships are the same."

"Shady Cove is s'pposed to be the best spot in the nine seas for getting squibbed," Jeremy said.

"So all the ships that come here are pirates?" Bella asked.

"Not necessarily," Geoffry said. "It looks like some are brought here to be scuttled. That's where they get a lot of this salvage."

"So, captured ships?" Bella asked, starting to understand.

"Or just damaged to the point where repairs aren't worth it," Geoffry said with a nod.

Milla started counting on her fingers. "Merchant take insurance. Squib ship. Sell ship. Claim ship sunk by pirates. Collect insurance. Get paid twice."

"Now that's a clever hustle," Bella said, impressed.

"How about we find breakfast?" Geoffry suggested.

"Already had breakfast," Milla replied.

Jackie knew exactly what that word meant, and reached his little hands towards Geoffry with a squawk.

"I think we've all been outvoted," Jeremy grinned.

"Another breakfast it is!" Geoffry said with a laugh and led them towards the nearest lift.

____________________________

Janie's face was as red as a tomato. The inquisitors looked like they'd forgotten how to breathe. The overworked vein in Hector's forehead seemed like it might simply explode.

Greyson was doubled over laughing. After a moment, he wiped his eyes and coughed, trying to catch his breath. "Having lungs is so inconvenient."

"Sorry," Tonya said nervously. "I just... if you and Caine are the same, then didn't we..."

"Oh yes. A number of times. I may not have been the one on the surface, so to speak, but you are correct. Caine and I share consciousness and sensation. Most of the time, one of us is both of us," Greyson said with an amused smile. "It was all quite pleasant from my point of view, in spite of the surprising exhaustion afterward."

"And the exploding," Tonya grimaced.

"That was really more of a problem for the rest of you," Greyson said. "I was fine, aside from some unexpected fatigue and the need to clean up the mess afterwards. If not for the collateral damage, I'd be more than happy for a repeat performance."

"That's pretty much the plan," Tonya grinned, then noticed the tension in the rest of the room. "What?"

"Do you two, perhaps, want some privacy?" Janie asked.

"Tonya and I are clearly fine," Greyson said, sounding a bit teasing. "Would you like privacy from us?"

Janie blushed and shook her head.

"It is no matter anyway. I think we have finished what I was needed for," Greyson said reassuringly. "Sisters, do you have any further concerns?"

Shaken out of their shocked stupor, the witch hunters glanced at each other. Mercy spoke, trying not to stumble over her words. "Ah, no, revered emissary. If you are comfortable with this, ah, situation, we are satisfied."

"I am," Greyson said with simple finality. "However, none of you seem comfortable. Before I retire, I would like to help if I can. Tell me what troubles you."

Silence lingered. None of them knew what to say.

"Oh come now, does the notion of sexual congress trouble you all so much?" Greyson asked.

"It is just... expected to be more private, revered emissary," Sister Victoria answered.

"True," Greyson agreed. "Unfortunately, neither of you seem willing to give Caine and Tonya the luxury of privacy. Your discomfort is the fault of your own choices."

The sisters blanched. "I do not understand, revered emissary," Mercy said with a shaky voice.

"It is your intent to help Tonya, Caine, and myself learn to understand and control our newfound connection? As well as to protect others from the danger it poses, correct?" Greyson asked.

"Yes of course," Victoria said quickly.

"In every case, the uncontrolled release of energy coincided with the height of our sexual release," Greyson explained. "So it stands to reason that in order to help us, you will need to be present for our coupling."

"Coupling?" Tonya said, tilting her head in thought. "That doesn't seem right,"

"We..." Victoria said, shaking her head fiercely. "We can't. That just isn't..."

"That release of power is what we are intending to use to escape this place," Greyson added. "Do you intend to let an untested, destructive ritual go unsupervised."

"What's the word for coupling when there's three of us?" Tonya asked absently.

More color rose in Sister Mercy's cheeks. After a long, quiet moment she nodded. "Al- alright. Yes. We will obey."

Victoria's eyes went wide and she turned to her partner in silent protest.

Mercy took a steadying breath and glanced towards her partner. "Revered emissary, I am thankful in your presence. Command your humble and obedient servant."

To Victoria, every word felt like a hammer. Her resistance crumbled. She felt, and looked torn, but repeated her partner's prayer. ""Revered emissary, I am thankful in your presence. Command your humble and obedient servant."

"That is a bit much, don't you think?" Greyson chided. "I am not ordering you to do anything. I am simply trying to point out what the mission you've chosen to undertake will entail. Your discomfort runs contrary to your duty. Something must give."

Mercy nodded slowly again. "Yes, revered emissary. Thank you for your council."

Greyson looked exasperated. "This sort of thing is exactly why my kind don't reveal ourselves very often. It's always reverence this, and divine that. It can't ever be just a conversation. "

"Apologies, revered emissary," Mercy said frantically. "We will accept judgment for disappointing you."

Greyson looked pained and held up his hand to halt her. "You haven't done anything wrong. My job is mercy, not judgment."

"Thank you, divine emissary," they said in unison.

Greyson closed his eyes, gathering his patience. "You both are trained to face demons and necromancers, correct? Ask yourselves why the idea of sexual activity is so daunting."

Neither of the inquisitors had an answer. Behind them, watching the scene quietly, Janie was smiling. Greyson gave her a subtle wink.

"I am quite tired," the angel said. "I am afraid I must take my leave." He gave Tonya a gentle one armed squeeze and kissed her gently on top of her head. Sir Hector and the Sisters looked like they had forgotten how to breathe.

"Now that the proverbial cat is out of the bag, I am more than happy to talk in the future. I quite enjoy conversation, so long as it is not the tedious sort constantly interrupted by reverence. Caine and I agree on that much. Consider it an open invitation for any of you." Then he simply closed his eyes, and his entire demeanor changed. The powerful sense of serenity and joy faded quickly. Caine opened his blue eyes and relaxed back to his usual posture.

"Not quite what you thought he'd be, huh?" Caine asked the witch hunters.

"I think he drove them more crazy than you do," Tonya teased.

"Good," Caine said with a malicious smirk. "Imagine having him in your head all the time."

"I like him," Tonya grinned.

"Me too," Caine admitted.

"Thank you," Sister Mercy said quietly.

Caine raised an eyebrow. "For what."

"To speak with an angel is an honor few experience," Mercy said. "I have been blessed to be in their presence twice now. It is... humbling."

"Yeah, that's a good word for it," Caine said with a self-reflective chuckle. "For what it's worth, he doesn't like inquisitors much. You two have managed to impress him. He's hopeful."

"He doesn't like inquisitors?" Mercy repeated, surprised. "Our mission is-"

"It's not what you do, it's how you do it," Caine explained. "Most of you are mean as hell."

Sister Victoria's mouth opened silently for a moment before she figured out how to speak. "But he likes us? He said that?"

"No, but I can feel what he feels," Caine said. "He convinced me that you can be trusted, which is why I left Tonya and Janie with you to go finish my business for the Prelate."

Victoria smiled broadly. "I'm glad he has faith in us. We wondered why you didn't just knock us all unconscious, steal our clothes, and commandeer a ship at the docks."

Hector looked stricken at the thought. He hadn't been part of that conversation. His mistakes had gotten them humiliated and trapped. Now Sister Victoria was implying the only reason they hadn't been accosted further was because of divine intervention. The knot of conflict and doubt in his mind tangled tighter.

Caine's eyes pinched. He quickly looked between the witch hunters and their uncomfortable looking bodyguard as the realization set in. "Son of a bitch!"

Victoria's expression turned from surprise to concern, then amusement. "You didn't think of that?"

No!" Caine said, throwing his hands up in frustration.

"Wow, that would have made things a lot easier," Tonya said with a giggle.

"Yeah, rub it in," Caine groused.

"I think things worked out better this way," Janie said, trying to reassure the Sisters.

"Thank you," Mercy said. "I admit, in your shoes I am not sure I'd agree."

"Which means it's up to us to make sure this partnership is balanced," Victoria said firmly.

Hector scowled beneath his helmet. He was sworn to protect and obey the Sisters, but he felt like they were currently tying a noose around their own necks. Nothing good would come from allying themselves with the very people they were charged with investigating.

"I'm glad things worked out this way," Tonya said with a teasing grin towards Caine. "Without their help we wouldn't have learned that you're my familiar. Just knowing that is worth everything that happened tonight, don't you think?"

Caine gave her a grumpy sidelong look. "Already forgot what happens to brats?"

Tonya grinned and bounced her eyebrows. "I've been looking forward to it all night." Eagerly, she took his hand, hopped off the bed and started pulling him towards the washroom. "Hey Janie, I'm going to need to draw the sigils on myself. Can you find something?"

"Of course," Janie answered.

Caine moved slowly, with plenty of protest. He was still feeling fatigued. His muscles had tightened after healing and finally resting, and moving again made them all scream at him. It was like the second day of training as a recruit. "Slow down, you little monster," he growled.

Tonya pulled his arm more insistently. "Aw, what's wrong old man? Feel a storm coming in your joints? Need a nap?"

"Keep it up. I might be tired but I can still take you over my knee," Caine warned her.

"Promises, promises," Tonya goaded, then shut the door behind them.