Page 5 of Of the Stars and Sea

Blythe has always been known to pursue his prizes with abandon. Once he decides a prize is to be his, he stops at nothing to ensure he retrieves it. He is a hammer, and anything, or anyone, who gets in his way is a nail to be struck.

The right corner of Red Beard’s lip arches as he leans forward and scowls. “Fear does not grip me the way it does you, child. And if you are the true daughter of your father, then this should be a suitable task.” He leans back in his chair and strokes his beard. “Unless you have more of your mother’s tainted blood in you. She was certainly the weaker one.”

I glower at the man and curse my past for always coming back to haunt me.

My mother . . . I cannot think of her.

But my father.Ekhar Stone. The most famous pirate of his time. The most well-respected pirate, too. His love for the open sea was unmatched and his fearlessness drove him to endless treasures found in the most dangerous corners of the realm. He was celebrated by all—until he fell in love with my mother and was hunted to the end of the sea before meeting his demise.

He would have taken this task from Red Beard without hesitation. Would have chased Blythe to the edges of the world, if necessary.

He was never afraid.

So why am I?

“We will do it,” I say, knowing there is no alternative.

Amara shifts beside me; I’ll be hearing her thoughts on this as soon as we leave the tavern.

Leather creaks as Red Beard settles back into his chair. Yellowed teeth with decaying edges of black shine from hisspittle in the candlelight as he smiles wickedly at me. “Good. That is very good, Rowenya Stone.”

There are no more questions that need answering—or no more that Red Beard would entertain. So, without another look at him, I turn and make my way for the door. Amara follows close behind. As my hand extends for the doorknob, I hear Red Beard take a sputtering inhale and my heart drops to my stomach.

“Before you go, there is the matter of your payment.” His crackling voice skitters along my skin. I close my eyes, readying myself for the blow he’s about to land.

Peering at him over my shoulder, I narrow my gaze. “What of it?”

“Given the sour temper of your quartermaster and your inability to keep her silver tongue behind her teeth, your payment for finding The Serpent’s Key is severed in half.”

Amara’s dark eyes grow wide with anger and regret.

Half the sum of what we are owed. That’s the payment for the most dangerous assignment we’ve ever been given—that likelyanyonehas ever been given. Rage sings in my blood and I have half a mind to run my sword straight through Red Beard’s protruding belly, even if my swift death from his vampyre guard would surely follow.

Head drooping, my eyes settle on the hardwood floors beneath my feet. Sticky grime coats each one. It is a common sight, as most of the places in Esoros are poorly kept and smell of rot. A reminder of everything my crew and I are fighting for—a way to be unchained from this venomous place, to . . . wipe away the blight of my past.

Keeping my sword sheathed at my side, I lift my head and feel an emptiness in my chest as I nod at Red Beard. “So be it.”

Amara inhales sharply, but I ignore it as I move for the door again and never look back.

Chapter 2

Aquiet buzz settles over the Misty Sea tavern as Amara and I walk through the door. Everywhere we go, others have decided their judgment against us.

To pirates, we are betrayers of The Code.

To everyone else, we are pirate scum who only live to take from others.

To all, we are not welcome.

At least in this place, the threat of someone striking us dead in our sleep is much lower. Mostly merchants and traders are gathered around the tables; only a few brave souls are courageous enough to look our way for longer than a few seconds.

Code breaker or not, none of these gentle folk would dream of speaking out against a pirate. Which is exactly why I chose the Misty Sea for our meeting spot with Wells—my first mate.

I signal one of the bar maids to bring us three rounds of ale.

“How much are you paying for us to stay in this castle, Captain?” Amara whispers next to me as we find a table in the far corner of the tavern. Needing three rooms for the night, it pained me to fish out the little coin I had left to pay the inn keep.

The wooden chair is smooth as I slide into it. When my gaze settles onto the floor, I notice the stark contrast of cleanliness compared to the hell hole we just came from. I settle into my seat, shifting forward to flick my long black hair over the back of the chair so it doesn’t pull on my head when I lean back.

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