That would prove a bit difficult. But I’d dealt with “difficult” before. The walls of the palace had been built before the founding of the Empire, and were bare stones – not plastered over like in Imperial. It would be easy to find handholds and I was quick enough that I was sure I could avoid detection.

I found a section of wall nestled next to the sheer cliff of a mountain. It was patrolled less frequently here, likely because few would attempt that climb.

“Come on, up you go,” I said, patting my back. Mephi wrapped his front paws around my neck, and I winced a little at the claws on his back legs. He was heavier than he’d been even just several months ago, when we’d tried this last at Imperial.

But fortunately my bond with him lent me strength. We made it over the wall and then down the cliff with a few curses beneath my breath. When I looked up at the rooftops of the palace, I thought I saw a shadow pass over the tiles. I felt a tug at my heart and thought of the way I’d not been there for Emahla, not when she’d needed me the most.

Lin was not Emahla, and I had others who needed me.

A bit reluctantly, I turned from the wall and made my way toward the docks. Mephi trotted beside me, his tail swaying behind him, his step jaunty. Would that I could feel so carefree. It must have been nice, to be beholden just to one person and to know you would follow them to the depths of the Endless Sea. It must have been how people felt about the Sukais, back when they’d formed the Empire. How I felt sometimes about Lin.

Why did my mind keep circling back to her? I shoved the thoughts aside, trying to focus on the task ahead. They’d pulled up the gangplank, and a guard patrolled the deck. I waited for her to disappear behind the main mast before I made the leap onto the ship, letting my knees cushion my landing, keeping my footfalls light.

The door to below-deck was open and unguarded, which made me almost click my tongue against my teeth. If I could sneak past my own guards, someone else could too. I’d have to impress on them the importance of having eyes on all possible entry points. Lin’s door would be locked, but the locksmith had only replaced the damaged hardware. My earlier charge into the room had loosened the wooden frame.