Free Web NovelChapter 30: A Spy?
"Pleasure to meet you, Tomas." Renly’s eyes crinkled. "Or whatever your real name is."
Nacho kept his expression blank. "What makes you think Tomas isn’t my real name?"
"Because nobody named Tomas has ever been interesting, and you, young man, are very interesting." Renly leaned against the railing next to him. "The way you scanned the platform when you boarded. The way you’ve been tracking everyone’s movements without seeming to. The way your hand keeps drifting toward your side like you’re reaching for a weapon that isn’t there."
Shit. He’s good.
"You some kind of spy?" Nacho asked.
Renly laughed. "Gods, no. I’m a merchant. Silk and spices, mostly. But I’ve been making this trip for thirty years, and I’ve learned to spot the people who are more than they appear." He paused. "Don’t worry. I’m not going to report you to anyone. I don’t care what your business is as long as it doesn’t interfere with mine."
"And if it does?"
"Then we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it." Renly winked. "But I have a feeling you’re not the type to start trouble without reason. Am I wrong?"
He’s not wrong. Unfortunately.
"You’re not wrong."
"Good." Renly straightened up and stretched his back with an audible pop. "Well, Tomas-who-is-not-Tomas, we’ve got another few hours before we reach the first checkpoint. I’m going to take a nap. Wake me if anything interesting happens."
He wandered off to a bench on the far side of the platform and was snoring within thirty seconds.
Nacho watched him go, then turned back to the pillar’s surface. The runes were getting brighter now, the water around them taking on a golden quality that hadn’t been there before.
A merchant who spots military habits at a glance. Either he’s lying about what he does, or merchants in this world are a lot more paranoid than I expected.
Both options were worth filing away.
The lift continued to rise. The other passengers settled into the kind of bored silence that came from long journeys, and Nacho let his thoughts drift.
He thought about Lizbeth’s awkward hug. About Vanessa’s threats to track him down. About Rhea’s wet eyes and the way she’d said "thank you" like it cost her something. About Sera’s laugh in that alley, genuine and surprised.
I spent two weeks in Lumen. Made more connections in two weeks than I did in two years working for the cartel. What does that say about me?
Nothing good, probably.
The water changed color again, shifting from gold to a brilliant orange that made him squint. The other passengers were starting to stir, gathering their belongings and moving toward the center of the platform.
"Almost there," the lift operator announced. "Surface arrival in approximately ten minutes. Keep all appendages inside the platform until we’ve fully docked."
Nacho straightened up and took a deep breath. Or tried to, anyway. The air did feel different up here. Lighter. Less substantial. Like it was missing something essential.
Okay. This is it. New world. New rules. New everything.
He reached into his inventory and touched the communication stone Sera had given him. One use only. He’d save it for something important.
The water around them thinned to nothing, and suddenly there was light everywhere. Not the bioluminescent glow of Lumen or the filtered sunlight of the ocean depths. Real light. Warm and bright and coming from a massive yellow ball in the sky that hurt to look at.
Nacho looked at it anyway, just for a second.
Ow. Okay. Renly was right about the staring thing.
He blinked the spots out of his vision and tried to take in his surroundings. The platform had emerged into what looked like a massive chamber carved into solid stone. The walls were lined with more of those pulsing runes, and guards in unfamiliar armor stood at attention near a set of heavy doors.
Beyond those doors, through gaps in the stone, he could see blue.
Not water. Not the pale blue of the ocean or the deep blue of the abyss.
Sky.
A vast, open, empty sky that went on forever in every direction. freewebnøvel.coɱ
Holy shit.
The platform docked with a gentle thump, and the lift operator waved them forward.
"Welcome to the Tuscanny Empire. Please have your documentation ready for inspection. Any undeclared cargo will be confiscated. Any threats to Imperial security will be dealt with accordingly."
Nacho stepped off the platform onto solid ground for the first time since he’d died.
Alright, Mortal World. Let’s see what you’ve got.
The inspection line moved at the pace of a dying snail, which gave Nacho plenty of time to study the guards stationed at the checkpoint.
They weren’t Sirens. That much was obvious from the lack of gills and the distinctly terrestrial way they carried themselves. Humans, probably, though he’d never actually seen one up close before. They wore heavy plate armor emblazoned with a golden sun over crossed swords, and they looked about as friendly as a tax collector at a funeral.
So this is what the Empire looks like from the inside. Lots of metal. Lots of scowling.
The merchant ahead of him was arguing with one of the guards about import duties on silk. The guard looked like he’d rather be literally anywhere else, and the merchant was gesturing so aggressively that his cargo nearly fell off his back twice.
"For the last time, sir, the tariff on Siren silk increased by three percent last month. If you have a complaint, take it up with the Trade Commission."
"Three percent? That’s robbery! That’s theft dressed up in bureaucratic language!"
"Sir, if you don’t move along, I’m going to have to confiscate your goods and detain you for questioning."
The merchant sputtered but eventually grabbed his papers and stomped off toward the exit, muttering something about corruption and incompetence. Nacho watched him go, filing away the interaction for future reference.
So they’re strict about tariffs. Good to know.
"Next!"
Nacho stepped forward and handed over his documentation. The guard who took it was a woman with close-cropped brown hair and the kind of flat expression that suggested she’d been doing this job for way too long.
"Tomas Verill. Trade envoy." She flipped through the papers without much interest. "Preserved kelp and medicinal coral?"
"That’s right."
"Where’s your cargo?"
"Storage crystal."
She looked up at him, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Show me."
