Page 74 of A Sky of Emerald Stars

“That is a long, long story,” I said, pulling her up to a seat beside me.

“Gods,” she said glancing between us. She paused, her gaze snagging on me as her mouth split into a self-satisfied grin. “You two fucked, didn’t you?”

I choked on nothing but air. “What?”

She guffawed, her words slurred with drink. “Oh, there is no point trying to deny it. I know you too well.” She waved her hand in my face and grabbed my cheeks like I was a baby. “I know this face.”

I shoved her arm away. “It’s... uh, complicated,” I hedged, cringing at Navin with an apologetic look. I’d told him he was effectively my mate, and now I called our relationshipcomplicated? Great.Really smooth, Sadie.This is why I couldn’t be trusted with relationships.

“Complicated. Clearly.” Maez let out a derisive snort. “I mean, I already assumed you were off being a little skin chaser with him.” I bared my teeth, and she held up her hands. “Don’t get your tail in a twist,” she said. “I meant it in a loving way.”

“Joke or no,” Navin said more quietly, “a relationship such as ours needs to be kept quiet in these parts. We don’t want any Onyx Wolves catching on.”

The conversation was cut short when I spotted my pack shoved under one of the low shelves. I squeaked as I dashed over and flung open the flap.

“What the fuck is she doing?” Maez asked from behind me.

“No clue,” Navin replied.

Digging frantically, I threw all my clothes and belongings all over the floor until my hand landed on a hard leather bundle. I yanked it out and held it to my chest in the tightest hug. “My knives,” I crooned, kissing each sheath one after the other. “My sweet, sweet knives.”

“Of course,” Maez said. “Your best friend gets a hug, but you’re on the verge of tears for your knives. Thanks a lot, Stabby.”

“I lost the others in the sandstorm,” I said. “But I packed some backups.” I rocked them back and forth, kissing them one more time, before whispering, “I’m never leaving you again.”

I stood and rejoined Maez on the couch, still wiggling like a gleeful child. “Stop it,” she muttered, rubbing her eyes. “You’re already a blur.”

Navin rolled up his sleeves. “I’ve got to go find somewhere to stable the horse. Then I’ll get the oxen hitched up,” he offered. “We should roll out of Sankai-ed as soon as possible.” He paused, halfway out the doorway. “We can fill her in on our journey.”

He got three steps out of the wagon before Maez turned to me and said, “So how big is he? Big, right? I’ve seen those hands—”

I cupped my palm over her lips. “I think we need to get you a very strong cup of tea before we have this conversation.” She nodded and started to make her way to the kettle, but I remembered her attempts at the beverage.

“I’ll make it.”

Tea turned into a lean dinner, which turned into after-dinner drinks. I was a bit surprised Maez would want more, but she just said, “Hair of the Wolf,” and I couldn’t help but nod—I’d been there.

Even long after the sun set, Maez still peppered me with questions. When the oxen started on the rope bridge to the next island up, Eshik, Navin came inside to join us. Maez hadn’t kept the kitchen stocked and the provisions were sparse, but with a little ingenuity—and a lot of pickled vegetables—I managed to pull together a lentil stew that tasted good enough.

“So how come you’re not just covered in song tattoos?” Maez asked, cocking her head at Navin.

I’d told her as much as I could about the Songkeepers. I could practically see her mind spinning in the exact same way I’d felt for days.

Navin pushed his empty bowl into the table and blotted his lips with a napkin. “Our magic must be sung or played—”

“But Galen den’ Mora—” Maez countered.

“Is made of a dying wish. The songs protect the wagon, yes, but they are also there as a reminder for us to sing them. There’s a lot of songs to remember.”

“And not everyone has this song magic?”

Navin shook his head. “Only some possess the power to wield the song. It passes from one generation to the next. But many of those were lost to time. There might be some families out there that possess the magic and don’t know it, like me and my brother.”

“So what magic can you do specifically?”

“You ask better questions than me,” I said, dipping the last of the stale bread into my stew. “It took me ages to get these answers.”

Maez cut me a look. “That’s because you were too busy playing prisoner...andgetting fucked,” she added under her breath. I stomped on her foot under the table. “What! Am I wrong?”

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