Page 11 of Pearls of Salt and Sacrifice

“Yes.” Jareth shifted his gaze to settle on Reva, his mouth turning down into a frown. “Here I am.”

Her stomach churned unpleasantly as his intense blue eyes sought hers—he had this piercing way of looking at her, as if he could see through her, to her thoughts. It made her feel exposed...vulnerable. And she didn’t like that.

She didn’t like it one bit.

Chapter Four

Reva swallowed hard and squared her shoulders. “Yes, here you are,” she said to redirect the conversation to safer grounds. “Here we all are. And it’s time we stopped fighting with one another and started discussing real solutions.”

“That’s easy enough,” Felix said with an injured sniff. “You can hang the elf for declaring war on Desta, and then you can take me home. We can get married there. And then we’ll find some food for, you know, the hungry people.”

Reva clenched her fingers at her sides, unable to believe what she was hearing. Her starving people were just an afterthought to him? Just ‘the hungry people’? She’d never met a more despicable human being—and that was saying a lot, because she had the misfortune of knowing Rency.

“Splendid plan!” Cassandra said with all the chirpy enthusiasm of a bird at dawn.

“Absolutely not!” Reva choked out the words and spun to face her stepmother. “I won’t be marrying anyone, especially a man who stood on the beach and watched his men drown! And especially not if the promised trade goods aren’t already in my ports feeding my people.”

“Reva, you’re overreacting again.” Cassandra drew herself up, tapping her fan against the palm of her hand in a familiar gesture that told Reva they were ramping up for a royal squabble. “This has already been arranged.”

“I am crown princess of Etthan,” Reva said with deadly force. “And I made no such arrangements.”

For that matter, she was as willing to consider Jareth’s unexpected proposal of marriage as she was Felix’s underhandedly arranged one. They both offered potential new avenues of trade. What could Jareth’s people offer in the way of food? Might they know how to fight the blight?

“Oh, darling,” Cassandra said with a dramatic flourish of her fan. “I’m your regent. Of course, I handled the betrothal details for you.”

“A position you won’t be holding for much longer, I assure you. I turn eighteen this year, and your position will be eliminated.” The words exploded from her before she had a chance to think about the ramifications.

When Reva alluded to her impending coronation, all color drained from Cassandra’s face, her eyes narrowing to angry slits. “You will marry for the good of your kingdom, Reva Morrigan.”

“And I fully intend to.” Reva clenched her fingers and then flexed them open against her damp trousers, searching for a calm she didn’t feel. “One day. But I will be the one to determine which suitor will best provide for my people.”

“You‘re not old enough to make such an important decision. You’re going to marry Felix.”

“Perhaps I will,” Reva fired back, “but not today. And not without trade goods piled sky high in Etthan‘s ports.”

“And it hasn’t yet been determined that Felix is the best suitor,” Rency said.

Silence fell over the awning as everyone shot him a startled look. While his posture was lazy, Reva recognized the glittering focus in his sharp gaze as he returned her piercing look.

“I, too, can offer trade with Etthan—and Seriposa isn’t nearly as far away as Desta. My rates would be more reasonable, I’m sure.”

Reva snorted. “I’m sorry, Rency, but while I appreciate your offer…and the help you’ve offered to present…Seriposa simply doesn’t have the capacity to feed Etthan as well itself…and I can’t in good conscience consider a proposal of marriage from a pirate.”

“Pirate is such a nasty word.” Rency’s nostrils flared although he maintained his indolent smile. “And I’m not sure you entirely understand the meaning of it.”

Cassandra raked Rency with a withering glare before shifting her attention back to Reva. “Thank the stars you have that much sense—it’s as ludicrous as the offer from the elf. Reva, you don’t have any idea who he is or what he’s capable of. The elves can’t be trusted.”

“My people had nothing to do with the attack in the cove.” Jareth’s quiet voice wrapped around Reva’s sorrow and soothed her.

She sniffed and lengthened her spine, holding her head high. She had duties to perform today. “Perhaps we should cease accusing one another,” she said, trying to mask the exhaustion gnawing at her bones and tainting her words. The wind tugged at her damp clothing, her dark brown hair. Despite the warmth of the sun on her shoulders, a chill crept across her skin. “We’ve seen great tragedy today. Quarreling amongst ourselves helps no one.”

“I will agree to no more quarreling,” Prince Jareth said, his strange, ever-changing eyes locked onto her face. “I will merely state that my people are innocent. I came here today to enter into negotiations so that my people might return to the surface. We can offer knowledge of the sea, the best fishing grounds and better methods for catching fish…”

Reva swallowed with great difficulty. So that my people can return to the surface?

What exactly did he mean by that? How many people did he want to bring with him if she were—by some wild chance—to take him up on his offer?

“Let there be a new era,” he concluded, “a new camaraderie, between the realms of land and sea. We’ve lived apart for centuries…perhaps it is time to bring our people together again.”

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