Page 21 of Pearls of Salt and Sacrifice

“Hm, well, I might take him then. Just to mend his poor bleeding heart after you break it.” Isla cast a wistful look over her shoulder at the pirate captain’s retreating form, then spun about to keep pace with Reva. “Although, I confess I would prefer you consider the pirate over the prince. Felix is…” Isla didn’t finish the thought.

Reva cast a glance toward the awning and the group still gathered there. Felix’s loud, blustery tones rose above the rest.

“But we need trade routes, and if the way to get them is marriage to Felix…” She let her words fade into stilted silence.

Isla placed a hand on Reva’s elbow and squeezed. “I don’t like the sum of your figures, dearie.”

The truly disheartening thing about the whole matter was that Reva didn’t disagree with Isla or Rency about Felix’s lack of good qualities, but what if marrying the prince of Desta was the only way to ensure her people didn’t starve? Did she not owe it to her people to do what was necessary, even if it made her sick inside? A desperate part of her feared she had no choice. Fate had already made the decision for her.

She had no choice but to lay everything at the feet of a man who would grind her hopes, dreams, and sacrifices beneath his boots without a second thought.

After an agonizing day of negotiations that led nowhere, the dilemma plagued Reva long into the night. Again, she could not sleep, her heart sore over the threat to Etthan’s future…to her future. She heaved a sigh and rolled onto her side.

Footsteps squeaked against the sand outside her tent. Reva’s heart jumped into her throat as she grabbed for the dagger at her side. Although the person was clearly making no effort to hide their approach, Reva went cold with dread.

“Oy, Highness? You awake?” Isla’s familiar voice instantly soothed Reva’s fears.

“Isla. Shouldn’t you be on board ship?” she whispered, leaving her mattress to push aside the tent flap to address her friend.

The first mate held a storm lantern, its light covered except for the tiny pinpricks of holes. Isla ducked to enter the tent, her eyes ringed with dark circles. “After what happened last night, I decided to spend the night here,” she said, also keeping her voice low. “But I think something’s wrong.”

Reva shoved her tangled hair out of her eyes and reached for her boots. “What do you mean, something’s wrong?”

“Albus? He just arrived in the rowboat with a message. He said everyone on board is asleep.”

“Asleep?” Reva yanked her boots on, one after the other, and then slid her dagger into the hidden sheath. “I don’t understand—”

“Everyone’s asleep,” Isla cut her short. “Even the watchmen. Poor Albus said it felt like a ghost ship. Captain Dren and I were most vigilant to set guards…so why is everyone on that blasted ship asleep except the powder monkey?”

“Where is Captain Dren?” Reva asked.

She felt around in the dim lighting for her long coat. Despite the warmer temperatures of the day, breezes off the sea cooled down the island at night, and it was chilly.

“He’s supposed to be aboard ship,” Isla said. Reva noted the fear in her tones. “That concerns me. He’s far too good a captain to allow the crew to slack at their duties.”

“I don’t like this.” Reva slipped into her coat. “Do you think they were drugged? Enchanted?”

“I haven’t a clue.” Isla backed out of the tent and Reva followed. The island slept around them, deathly quiet. A fire burned at the center of the rock, close to the awning. The watchmen stood in alert poses, looking right at Reva and Isla. Reva glanced that way as she and the first mate headed to the sea, considering calling out to them.

No. They had a job to do here. She should not draw them away from Cassandra. In any event, she didn’t know for sure that anything was wrong. Albus could be mistaken. He was young. Maybe he was making more of this than he should.

At the water’s edge, they met Albus. His own storm lantern sat in the boat, the speckles of light drawing Reva’s gaze to the boy’s heavy overcoat and nervous pacing.

“Are you ready, first mate?” he asked, teeth chattering. He avoided looking Reva in the eye.

“Ready,” Isla said. “Let’s cast off.”

Reva frowned. Albus wasn’t usually so shy around her, and it wasn’t that cold. She felt a knot forming in the pit of her stomach. Something wasn’t right, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what.

If he came all the way here alone to tell us what’s happening aboard the ship, no wonder he’s nervous.

Reva helped shove the boat into the water, ignoring the water sloshing against her boots, then hopped into the rowboat. Along with Isla, she grabbed an oar and commenced rowing. As they moved over the choppy waves, Reva wondered if Jareth was down there somewhere…watching them.

It always made her a little nervous how dark and deep the ocean felt at night. Although the ships were anchored just offshore, the lanterns offered only minute illumination.

It would be easy to be lost at sea during the night, she mused as she rowed. But she had full faith in Isla and Albus’s ability to get them safely to the Perseus.

Soon enough, they bumped up against the hull. “I’ll hold the ladder,” Albus said. “Climb aboard.”

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