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Back The Drowned Cities Save as PDF
Chapters (53)
  1. Welcome
  2. Dedication
  3. PART ONE
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. PART TWO
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  52. Contents
  53. Copyright

The bottle felt like a grenade in her hand. After Mahlia’s first destructive experiment with the scent and Alejandro’s goats, Doctor Mahfouz had instructed her explicitly that she was always to ask him before using any of his medicines in the future. He’d never made a direct accusation, but he’d tucked away the scent, and the message had been clear.

Now, Mahlia held up the bottle, showing it to the doctor. “I’m going to use this, right?”

You understand? she wanted to say. You going to be ready?

The doctor looked at her, shocked.

For a second, Mahlia was afraid he would stop her, but really, he was stuck. If he told the lieutenant what was in the bottle, there was no telling what kind of punishment they’d get.

“Are you sure, Mahlia? That’s quite strong.”

“Lieutenant wants his soldier taken care of.”

“That’s not a simple medicine.”

“It’s what we got.”

Lieutenant Sayle was looking between her and the doctor, not understanding that there were two conversations happening, right in front of him.

“What is that?” he asked.

“Meds for your boy,” Mahlia said. Her eyes went to Doctor Mahfouz, daring him to rat her out.

“Let me see.”

Mahlia came over to the lieutenant, her heart pounding. Showed him the green glass bottle. He held it up to the light. “What’s in it?”

“Antibacterial. We make it, because other stuff’s hard to buy,” she said. But the lieutenant wasn’t really paying attention. His eyes had gone to the other packages of meds in her hands.

“And those?”

“You want the best, right? Peacekeeper meds. Top grade. Only a year past expiration.”

The lieutenant plucked them out of her grasp. He turned the packages over in his hands, studying the foreign script, then handed them back to her with a smile. “Very good.”

“Yeah,” Mahlia said. “The best.”

11

SERGEANT OCHO LAY STILL, watching the burn of the fire and trying to keep his mind off the pain in his ribs. When the doctor girl had come back down, she’d given him something that cushioned the pain, and it made him a little hazy. It wasn’t as good as the opiates you could find in the Drowned Cities, but it helped a little.

The watches had changed, and his boys were fed. From his sickbed, he studied them, considering them for combat-readiness.