Page 55 of Of the Stars and Sea

Tommy straightens his spine a little more and his face shifts from that of a boyish persona to a young man with the desire tomake a name for himself. “Thank you, Captain. I won’t let you down.”

The smile Grayson gives Tommy does something strange to my insides. “I know you won’t.”

Harrick and one of his barmaids brings us a lavish breakfast of various meat pies, decadent pastries, and tropical fruits. My mouth waters and I’m thankful for whatever concoction Harrick made me to get rid of the blinding headache I woke up with so I can enjoy this feast.

After piling one of everything onto my plate, I sit back and listen to Grayson and his men spar with one another across the table. They speak of old journeys and the women they loved and lost due to the life of a pirate. It reminds me of very similar mornings I’ve shared with my own crew and a pang of sorrow hits my chest.

I miss Amara and Wells and their bickering over nothing. I miss Raven’s soft laughter and how she always waited for the perfect moment to throw in a barb that would shock us all. Most of all, I regret that things will never be the same after Raven’s death. What Blythe did will leave its mark on me and every single one of my crew members for the rest of our lives, and that thought has my sorrow shifting and morphing into a bitter thing inside my heart.

“You’ve made good progress with the key, Rowenya.” Grayson’s voice breaks me from the spell of my thoughts.

I look to him and nod. “It shouldn’t be much longer now before I solve the puzzle.”

“That is good. We are meant to leave to port two days from now.”

“That soon?”

“The repairs on the ship took less time than we expected.” He plops a piece of fruit into his mouth and I can’t help but stare at the way his tongue rolls over his lips to catch a drop of juice.Blessed stars, his mouth is downright sinful. I have to avert my gaze to keep my heart from beating out of my chest with wayward thoughts of what he might do with that mouth.

Once he finishes chewing, he leans closer and whispers, “You were smart to destroy Blythe’s sails, but if what I know of the bastard is true, he has likely taken on a debt with the sailmakers to ensure he catches up to us before we leave Emerald Cove.”

“And you’re afraid of what he might do should he intercept us before we leave?”

He huffs a breath. “Afraid? No. Blythe’s interception would be an annoyance, Rowenya. Nothing more.”

Grayson sits back in his seat and grabs the knife next to his plate. He looks pensive as he starts to spin the blade in the palm of his hand. “Blythe is not known for keeping his mouth shut, so word has likely spread to the king of who truly possesses the Serpent’s Key. I want to get a head start on discovering where the treasure lies before we have the royal navy at our back—for once the treasure is discovered, there won’t be a force in this realm capable of stopping us from taking whatever we desire.”

“You speak as though the treasure holds some kind of magick.”

His blue eyes slide to mine. “Not magick.” He leans forward slightly. “Power.”

Sighing, I look at the heap of food on my plate and consider his words carefully. To make such a statement as gold and jewels outweighing the significance of a king’s bloodline . . . Most would consider it madness, but I have seen what money can do for those who have it. What kind of monsters it can create for those who don’t.

The wealth in the trove is said to be the largest prize known to this world. Larger than even King Renard’s. Maybe Grayson is right.

“I will make sure the puzzle is solved today,” I tell him, feeling a sense of excitement flicker to life within me.

He tents his fingers and peers at me over the top of them. “First, I require your attendance for a meeting.”

“A meeting? With whom?”

His eyes dart toward my plate. “Eat. Your questions will be answered soon enough.”

I roll my eyes at him, but do as he commands, and after the savory notes of the meat and the buttery flakes of the pie crust hit my tongue, I can’t stop myself from eating more. The food is incredible, even better than the dinner I picked at last night. Granted, that was probably because my taste was influenced by the sheer amount of rum I’d consumed.

It is a good thing I did not make my escape through the island’s jungle last night because the meeting Grayson has is in the caverns I thought most would be unaware of.

With Grayson as our lead, I fall behind Zaos and two of his other men. Tommy travels in line behind me, while the final three of Grayson’s chosen crew members take up the rear. Sweat trickles down my brow the closer we get to the caverns. The air is thick with moisture and the trees are alive with various creatures roaming through the underbrush.

A bird squawks loudly above us and I look up to see a small flock of parrots flying overhead. The five birds land on an extended branch in a neat row showing off the bright reds, blues, and yellows of their feathers. Each bird has its own pattern of markings, making their feathers an extremely rare luxury thatthe nobility of Esoros pay a pretty penny to decorate their coastal homes with.

It has always amazed me that despite the nobility’s disdain for pirates and our way of life, they always seem to find a way to bring pieces of our island into their homes. It is a wickedly deceptive form of interest. They might argue that having exotic feathers from the birds native to Emerald Cove is a way for them to slowly debase our home, but I know the truth—they all wish for the freedom of our kind, and their collections of what we hold dear is a manifestation of that truth.

Tommy groans behind me. “Why is it so hot here?”

“The jungle blocks the ocean breeze and captures a lot of moisture and heat from the sun,” I say with a laugh, fanning myself. I slow my pace to walk next to him just as he smacks the side of his arm, squashing a bloody insect.

He looks at me in disgust. “And there’s so manybugs.”

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