Page 32 of Of the Stars and Sea

And every word I speak is the truth. All beings in the Southern Realm know of the Heavenly War and how Thaeto and Ujun nearly destroyed everything in their fight over the heavens after their parents disappeared. The poem itself was a recollection of the battle they fought—nothing more.

I don’t have to tell Grayson that I discovered the Serpent’s Key is a puzzle box, but to keep myself safe he needs to know I am at least putting in effort to understand what the message and depiction may mean.

Grayson places an elbow on the table as he leans forward. The space between his dark brows bunches together as his eyes narrow to slits. “I can’t help but wonder why someone with so much to lose would consider deception as a viable option.”

My heart skips a beat before it picks up its pace, thrumming loudly in my ears.

“I’m not lying,” I say, and the steadiness of my voice surprises me.

His brows raise before he leans back in his seat, steepling his fingertips.

The air is heavy between us. The candles flicker as a distant strike of lightning lands a thunderous crack somewhere along the sea’s surface. Bright white light streaks through the windows in a flash and then it’s gone.

Grayson brings his steepled fingers in front of his face before he says, “My barrelman told me something interesting this morning—that he’s noticed a glimmer of light along the edge of the horizon when the sun reaches its peak every day. He told me that from the crow’s nest, he swears he sees a shimmer of white sails every now and again before they disappear. But he’s certain that whatever it is has been following us since we left Silvermoon Landing.”

I still, my heart no longer beating as visceral fear stops it cold.

I told her not to follow me! I told her to make her way to Emerald Cove and wait for me to send word!

If what Grayson’s barrelman says is true then Amara did not heed my orders. Grayson steered his ship toward the Narrow’s Passage in pursuit of a prize. Amara and Wells should already be at Emerald Cove by now, not trailing theCaelestia.

“Maybe he needs to get his eyes checked,” I retort as dread snakes up my spine.

Grayson clicks his tongue at me before he rises from his seat and plants himself in the chair right next to me. I don’t look at him—not as pure terror threatens to shake me to my core. I wait for him to speak, though some part of me already knows what he’s about to say.

“I’ve heard many tales of the strength of your father’s ship. How its wood was grown in The Barren Wastelands before it possessed that name. That the ollen wood is a prize in and of itself.” Grayson leans down and tucks his finger under my chin so I am—once again—forced to meet his eyes. What I find is a storm of the gravest kind. “It is said that your father had such great success with theTrinity,because when the sun’s light hits the pristine white of the ollen wood hull, it makes her damn near invisible on the water’s surface.”

His grip on my chin tightens until it’s almost painful. “Invisible to those who do not know to look for it.” His lip curls upward in a snarl and this time I do shake. Not out of worry for myself, but for what he might do to the people I love.

I told her not to follow me! I told her to stay safe! And now Grayson fucking Tyde knows he’s being tailed and I can’t protect them.

I consider what Amara’s dismissal of my orders will mean for her, Wells, and the rest of my crew.

“I will ask you this one more time.” His face is so close to mine, I can smell the wine on his breath. “What have you learned of the Serpent’s Key?”

My chin trembles. “I’ll tell you. If you promise not to turn your cannons on them.”

He smirks. “You will tell me, Rowenya Stone, because you have no other choice.”

We stare at one another for a passing moment and his hardened gaze makes me spit out the words. “It’s a puzzle box,”

Now that they’ve been released, there’s nothing I can do to take them back.

Heavy breaths have my chest rising and falling in rapid succession. My knowledge of the Serpent’s Key was the one edge I had over him and now it’s gone and I’m left powerless once again.

What have I done?

All hope of escape is dust in the wind now that he knows what the Serpent’s Key truly is and thatIwas able to uncover it. My fate is sealed to his.

But Amara and Wells and the rest of my crew . . . they will be safe. Gods, I hope they will be safe. By the look in Grayson’s eyes, I cannot be sure of it.

Yanking my chin out of his grasp, my hair falls into my face as I stare at the floor, trying to steady my breath.

“A puzzle box.” Grayson’s voice is a low whisper as though he’s mulling over the idea. “If it is true, there must be something inside of it.” His words come out in a rush.

I close my eyes as I fully acknowledge the weight of my fate now that Grayson has this information. When I open them again, I turn my head, the silver cuffs in my hair clink together as I look up at him.

There is no word for the hatred I feel for him. He has stolen my chance at freedom and worse yet, he has exploited the one visible weakness I try desperately to conceal—that I would do anything for the men and women sailing on theTrinityright now.Anything. Through some fault of my own, Grayson saw straight through me to that flaw and used it to get what he wanted.

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