Page 81 of Freeing Hook

“Yes, well, rumors also say that he never tells a lie, so we know not everything about him is true,” says Charlie.

“Why’s he called the Nomad?” I whisper to Charlie.

When she opens her mouth, Astor answers instead. “We direct our questions to the entire table.” I blush more than his tone calls for. He’s not scolding me, just informing me of therules. Still, it’s as if everyone’s eyes are on me, considering me unworthy of being here.

“She wants to know—” says Charlie, but Astor cuts her off.

“Wendy can speak for herself.”

Charlie sighs, then nudges me in the side, and I swallow my anxiety, speaking louder than before. “Why do they call him the Nomad?”

Astor’s eyes flicker and take hold of mine. I quickly glance away.

Evans is the one who answers me. “Would you like the realistic answer, or the mystical one?”

“Both,” I say, then quickly add, “But save the best for last.”

Maddox grins. “He’s going to think you mean the realistic one.”

Even Astor’s mouth twitches.

Evans continues on as if everyone at the table isn’t making fun of him. “Those prone to wild fancies believe the Nomad traveled through other realms before settling in this one, though they don’t anticipate he’ll stay long. Thus, the name. Those of us with our heads attached to this realm of existence call him that because he has no home. Unless you count his fleet of ships.”

“How is that different from all of you?” I ask. A few people chuckle, though not at me. Astor’s lip twitches upward.

“If what’s said about him is true,” says Astor, bracing his hands on the map before him, “the Nomad brings his city with him.”

“A fleet of ships?” I ask.

“Something like that,” says Astor.

“That’s beside the point,” says Evans. “Even if we manage to find him, there’s still the problem of being allowed into his…community. Apparently, they’re quite strict about letting people in.”

“Yeah, you have to have a passcode,” says Maddox, looking like a child who’s just been given a baby dragon for Solstice. “That doesn’t sound too complicated. Just tell me who I need to charm.”

Everyone at the table laughs except for Charlie, who takes a drink.

“If only it were that simple,” says Astor. “Unfortunately for us, the password changes every forty-eight hours. Except for those who receive a personal invitation from the Nomad himself, only the inhabitants of the Nomad’s community know it.”

“So we find a way to get invited,” says Maddox, who I imagine has never suffered the experience of being left out.

Evans rubs his temples. “There’s slim chance of that.”

“You said the inhabitants know the passcode,” says Siv, the bald man who was in charge of securing Michael the night of the masquerade. He hasn’t exactly been polite to me since my arrival. Then again, I did distract him so that John could strike him over the head. “Meaning they leave the bounds of the community at some point. We could convince one of them to give up the password.” He strokes the edge of his dagger in emphasis.

Astor shakes his head. “Torture proves rather ineffective on those loyal to a cause. The Nomad isn’t simply a leader, he’s their purpose. By the time he’s done recruiting his followers, he has their loyalty for life.”

“Well, even that has an expiration date,” I say. Again, every head turns to me, and I realize I’ve mumbled under my breath again. I expect Astor to remind me of the table rules, but Siv answers first.

“How insightful. Really, Captain, I can’t believe you didn’t invite her to our meetings before now,” he says.

The words land at my chest, striking a blow in an already tender place. I stand on my tiptoes, waiting for Astor’s reaction.I can’t decide if I’m waiting for him to join in on scolding me or if I expect him to rip into Siv for openly disrespecting him.

He does neither.

Instead, he just looks at me, a challenge in his fiery green eyes.Go on, they seem to taunt. Or maybe taunt isn’t the right word. Prod. Stoke.

I search for my voice, and I find it somehow. “His followers might be loyal to him while they’re alive, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get the information out of them.”

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