Page 61 of Pearls of Salt and Sacrifice

Reva pressed her trembling hands against the stone railing and forced herself to inhale slow, deep breaths. They would find Cassandra.

They had to find her, because she was far too dangerous to be left on the loose.

Chapter Nineteen

Reva felt sick, her emotions too frayed and battered to handle another shock like this one. The last thing she needed was a vengeful stepmother on the loose, causing havoc wherever she went.

“You may not find her.” Rency’s quiet voice tugged her out of her private fears. “It’s possible that Cassandra’s life was bound to the pearl, to the dark magic, to the kraken. And when you destroyed the monster and broke its power…”

“Oh.” The idea sobered Reva, sending new shards of regret into her heart. As much as she despised her stepmother, she hadn’t wanted her to die. “I’d not thought of that.”

“Whatever the case, we can simply be glad she is gone,” Jareth said. “That foul woman caused much pain and suffering.”

Reva wasn’t sure she dared believe Rency’s theory. It would be a neat and tidy way to tie off the problem…but what if Cassandra hadn’t died? What if she’d escaped?

Forcing herself to inhale a stabilizing breath, Reva tried to let the matter go. Her men would search for Cassandra, and if there was anything to find—they’d bring her back to stand trial for her crimes.

Instead, Reva forced her mind back to more pressing matters, ones within her control. How many people had been lost in the attack? The castle below had taken a tremendous beating. Parapets were smashed, leaving balconies half crushed and dangerously exposed. On the south side of the castle, an entire tower had disappeared. All that remained was a huge mound of stone smeared black with kraken blood.

And beyond that, the ships in the cove hadn’t escaped unscathed either. At least two ships burned, casting dark plumes of smoke into the early morning sky. She was relieved to see that both the Perseus and Andromeda had survived and that both ships now drew close to the burning ones, presumably to offer aid.

Isla was out there, no doubt, barking orders and preparing to haul the injured on board.

Fingers lightly touched the back of Reva’s hand. She glimpsed Jareth through her peripheral vision but didn’t turn toward him. “You saved your people,” he said quietly. “I don’t know how you did it but focus on that. You saved as many as you could.”

How did he know what she’d been thinking about?

“As the captain of the only sentient ship in these waters,” Rency said loftily as he leaned against the battlement on Reva’s other side, “and an expert on all things magical, I’ve deduced that the princess’ willingness to sacrifice herself to the shadow beast in order to save everyone on the island is what broke the spell and slayed the monster. Unless she possesses some hidden magical talent that she hasn’t shared with us…I’m guessing it was the sacrificial nature of her actions that did the trick.”

“You think so?” Reva asked. Her thoughts on this matter would probably weigh heavily on her mind for many months to come. “Cassandra did say a blood sacrifice was required…so I suppose it is possible that the willingness to make a blood sacrifice might have accomplished the same thing instead.”

“Yes, yes,” Rency said, turning to lean his hip against the wall so that he could study her. “Everyone knows curses are broken by sacrifices and kissing.”

Reva choked. “Kissing?”

“Haven’t you heard of true love’s kiss? In fact, if we want to make sure the kraken is good and properly defeated, maybe we should test it out with some kissing. Just to be safe.”

On her other side, Jareth sidled closer so that he nearly brushed up against her. “If we need to test that the beast has well and truly departed, I will happily throw you from the battlements as a second blood sacrifice, Captain,” he said, voice low and warning. “Very happily.”

“Oh, please.” Rency waved a dismissing hand, although he still smirked. “I didn’t mean me. I know when I am a beaten man. I just hope Felix appreciates his good fortune.”

At this jibe, Reva’s mood improved dramatically, but not for the reasons Rency may have intended. “Actually—”

“I do appreciate my good fortune,” Felix said from behind them, “in having escaped marriage to the princess. No offense, Reva, I’m sure we would have made it work, but…”

“Your heart lies elsewhere,” Reva said for him, half-smiling. What sort of girl Felicity must be to actually love this cowardly fellow? She couldn’t even imagine. “As does mine.”

Silence descended among them as the wind whipped across the battlement, driving the clouds to the south and leaving golden sunshine in their wake.

“What is he talking about?” Jareth asked quietly, shifting to settle his hand alongside Reva’s on the battlement. “His heart lies elsewhere?”

Rency leaned closer as well. “Yes, indeed. Do tell what you and this nincompoop have been scheming in our absence. I feel left out.”

“I say—”

But Rency shushed Felix with another wave of his hand. Reva turned her back on the pirate and faced Jareth instead, nerves fluttering in her stomach.

“Well, Felix and I were talking before the battle with the kraken,” she began slowly. “He agreed to give me money for food in exchange for finding Felicity—”

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