Page 20 of Pearls of Salt and Sacrifice

Distrusting glances were exchanged by nearly all parties before Isla clapped her hands and shattered the silence. “What a fine idea! Everyone thinks better with food in their bellies. Heave, ho, maties! Fill your bellies with these delicious rice cakes, made by the hand of the most famous chef on the high seas.”

She waved a hand toward the Perseus’s cook, who flushed as red as Felix’s sunburn and held out a platter of rice cakes.

“Oh, be quiet,” Cassandra growled as she shoved past Isla, snatched a rice cake off the platter, and stormed toward the awning higher up the beach.

Reva grinned at the first mate as she selected her warm rice cake from the cook’s platter. She graced him with a smile as well. “They are the best on the seas,” she whispered with a wink.

The cook’s embarrassed smile widened.

Breakfast was only a slight delay of the inevitable bickering.

For her part, Reva might have happily burrowed her head in the sand or thrown her arms over her head to block out her stepmother insisting that, of course Reva would honor the agreement and marry Prince Felix.

Or Felix blustering that he’d not journeyed all this way to go home with less than he’d arrived with.

Or Rency declaring he would only accept a despicable amount of coin for safe passage through his territory…or the hand of a princess. Either was fine by him but preferably both.

Prince Jareth remained quiet throughout the discussions, speaking only when pressed but always watching and listening.

Reva just wanted the endless arguing to stop.

She lifted pained eyes when Isla approached, stooping to whisper in her ear. “You look like you’re in need of rescue. Consider this your invitation to step away and deal with some vital matter regarding the ship.”

Reva suppressed a grin.

“Excuse me, gentlemen, stepmother,” she said as she launched to her feet and brushed off the back of her skirt. “It appears there is an important matter I must attend to.”

Before anyone could try to stop her, Reva allowed Isla to whisk her from beneath the awning, reveling in the few precious moments to herself.

Isla released a long sigh. “I don’t envy you, Princess,” she said, her steady footsteps causing the sand to squeak beneath her boots. “I suppose some might look at your life and call it glamorous, but I look at what you’re enduring and realize how grateful I am to find my livelihood at sea.”

“Don’t try to make me jealous.” Reva shook her head. “I don’t know what to do, Isla. I fear my wisest course truly is to marry Felix. Felix!”

“You can’t do that!” The masculine whisper hissed from behind caused both girls to spin around.

Rency dogged their footsteps, his hair billowing in the wind.

Reva’s temper finally fizzled over. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll go back to the group. I don’t want to deal with you right now, Rency. Five minutes of peace. Can’t I ask for that much?”

“Um…no. I don’t think you can.” The fellow laughed, giving his head a shake to toss his dark-blonde hair out of his eyes. “I was only on my way to the shore. A longboat has arrived from the Andromeda. I’m going to see why.”

“Uh huh.” Isla sounded entirely unconvinced.

“Off you go, then,” Reva said between her teeth. She wiggled her fingers in a shooing motion.

He flashed her a grin, then sobered. “Back to Felix, love. I truly believe you should weigh the matter carefully.” To Rency’s credit, all traces of the devil-may-care fellow were gone—even his charming dimple had vanished. Sincerity blanketed his tone and his features. “I wouldn’t trust Felix with a leaky boat, let alone something as important as my future.”

“What do you know, Rency?”

The captain pursed his lips and glanced over his shoulder before leaning toward Reva. “I heard he’s fallen out of favor with his father,” he said in a low tone. “And a man out of favor is desperate, and desperate men are dangerous.”

Reva absorbed the information in silence. If Felix had lost the backing of his father…could he even offer trade routes? Or was something else going on here?

He pressed a hand to her arm, held her gaze a fraction too long, and then swept across the beach, the wind whipping the billowing sleeves of his barely laced tunic.

Isla whistled. “I may not like that wretched fool, but you have to admit he’s handsome. You sure you don’t want to consider his proposal?”

“Absolutely not.” Reva raked her best friend with a withering look.

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