Page 40 of A Wrecking of Salt and Fire

“You enjoy watching me lose much too much, Thalia.” Ander furrowed his brows.

Not Chloe. Thalia. How many women looked at—or wrote about—Ander with such admiration?

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Princess. It will be nice having another woman aboard the ship. If this one ever lets us spend time together.” Thalia smiled.

An intoxicating and warm laughter circled the air. “I wouldn’t want to see what you two would get into.”

Katrin stared at her, at them both. There seemed to be something familiar about this woman, but she couldn’t quite place it, as if she felt like an old friend.

The small white cat jumped down from the top of the barrel, trotting over to Thalia and rubbing against her leg.

“Is she yours?” Katrin asked, another pang of jealousy whipping through her that the one friend—if you could even call a cat a friend—she made was this woman’s pet.

“In a way, yes,” the sweet voice replied.

“That little spy is Thalia’s psychí.” Ander pointed at the cat as it hissed back at him.

“Psychí?” Katrin hadn’t heard that word before. She guessed it was another of the Elliniká Glóssa. Ander spoke several words in that same accent. It was hard to get used to a language that was seen as a death sentence in the isles. She wondered where he learned it. Those from before the war were long dead, their books destroyed.

“Every seer has one. Their very soul personifies itself as an animal. It is thought to make up their thoughts, their personality,” Ander explained.

“You’re a seer?” Katrin’s eyes widened at the small woman.

“I was a seer. Now I am just a glorified babysitter for the captain and the nauarch. Making sure the two of them stay out of trouble. But clearly this one never learns.” Thalia punched Ander in the arm.

“I thought the seers were not allowed to leave the isle of Delphine except during the birth of a royal?”

“Exceptions are made,” Ander cut in.

Katrin narrowed her eyes at him, throwing a vulgar gesture in his direction.

“So you're a seer, or were a seer, and Mykonos…I’m sorry, the cat is your soul?” She could not wrap her head around it. She read books about them, was given a prophecy by one, but not once heard of this psychí, this bond between an animal and its human. And Thalia—she was beautiful, not like the old crones she saw before.

“It’s quite alright. You can call her whatever you like. Mykonos is far better than some of the names Ander or Leighton have given her.”

Ander bristled. “It is not our fault you send that daimon to listen in on our conversations. Plus, she always leaves little gifts at my door.”

Thalia rolled her eyes. “If she didn’t kill the mice on this ship it would be overrun.” The cat meowed in agreement.

“You can hear what is said to her?” Katrin’s cheeks flushed at the idea. She spoke openly to it the night before.

“When I wish to. Don’t worry, I was not listening last night. Sometimes the voices in my head can be overwhelming, and I choose to shut them off. And I decided I much rather meet you myself, make my own judgments about the coveted princess.”

Katrin cringed. Coveted princess was not the way she wanted to be described. Ander looked away from Thalia, trying to ignore her—or avoid the little daimon as he called the cat. She almost giggled at the fact that he looked afraid of the small fluffy creature.

“It looks like I owe you an explanation, Starling. Seeing as you won our gamble.”

“I will take that as my cue to leave.” Thalia scooped up the cat. “Come on Mykonos. You are coming with me while the captain settles his debts.” Mykonos hissed again, not at her human, but in a taunt toward Ander. He shuddered as he spoke to Katrin.

“You do not want to get on her bad side. And by ‘her’ I do mean the cat. She can be vicious.”

Katrin laughed so hard she snorted. But his voice was dead serious. “A notorious pirate is afraid of a tiny white animal?”

“Trust me, that is not the only form she can take.”

Her eyebrows shot up. The cat could shift? That would be an interesting sight to see. All Katrin could picture was a giant version of the innocent creature that curled up next to her last night, purring as she fell asleep. Vicious was not the word she would use to describe Mykonos.

“So, are you going to tell me why I am here now, or are you going to come up with yet another excuse?”

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