Page 64 of Of the Stars and Sea

The heat of his gaze alone would scare any sane being, but I don’t back down.

“That was before,” he snarls.

“Before we kissed?” I toss my hands up then let them fall down with a slap against my thighs. “Grayson, it was just?—”

“Don’t say it.” He puts a hand up. “Don’t say it didn’t matter.”

I clamp my mouth shut because he’s right. Itdidmatter. It still does. In such a short period of time, so much has changed that I’m fighting to keep my head above water. Grayson loathed me as much as I hated him when I first arrived on his ship and now . . .

Now things feel complicated. And there’s no time for us to sort through all of it.

“They will fight with us.”

“No.” There is no hint of the Grayson I’ve come to know behind that word. He’s been replaced with the mask of utter defiance. The impenetrable stone he so expertly crafts around himself.

“You are such a pigheaded bastard,” I remark, seething.

That earns me a glimmer of a smile that breaks through his icy exterior.

Zaos bangs on the door. “Captain! We need to move! Now!”

“This discussion is over,” Grayson says, his voice low and menacing.

“For now,” I toss back, and I feel the heat of his gaze boring a hole through my back as I turn away from him and head for the door.

There are only a few patrons at the tables downstairs and none of them seem to look my way more than once. Good. That means the news of the bounty on my head hasn’t spread this far inland yet—but it will soon, and once it does, there won’t be a safe place in the entire Southern Realm for me to hide.

The weight of it all feels impossible as I stand at the bar waiting for Harrick to put together a pack of food for Grayson and me to share. Zaos and him decided it would be best if the rest of the crew head toward the ship while Grayson and I make our way to the east side of the island and meet them there in the morning. That way we don’t have to travel through town and risk someone seeing my face.

The plan to evade town is a good one, but it does nothing for the growing pit of worry in my stomach. Blythe seeking revenge is one thing, but now that we have Malihaim hunting us as well, I can’t see a way out that doesn’t include us getting killed. Most wouldn’t even consider coming after Grayson and theCaelestia, but Blythe and Malihaim have never been rational. Blythe probably promised him a share of Thaeto’s treasure to ensure he stays loyal to the cause.

I look over my shoulder at Grayson and Zaos talking in the corner next to the staircase. They speak in hushed whispers so I can’t make out what they’re saying and it makes my blood boil. The desire for control winds its way through my veins. It’sthe only thing that has kept me and my crew alive this long. Ensuring there is always a contingency plan should things go awry, and right now the only plan we seem to have is to avoid Blythe and his mercenary long enough for us to leave Emerald Cove.

But that won’t be enough. Not when they inevitably discover where we are and intercept our course to steal the Serpent’s Key. One ship—no matter how mighty—will never be able to stand against the attack from two other ships built for war and come out unscathed.

Grayson may not trust that my crew will stand with him, but I do.

“Harrick,” I whisper, catching his attention. “I need a quill and some parchment.”

His bushy brows knit together and I know he’s debating his loyalties to Grayson against whatever he thinks I’m up to.

“Please.”

He tilts his head at me and rolls his eyes before grabbing a leaf of parchment and a quill from the counter behind him. “You pirates are a mischievous bunch and I want no part in whatever you have planned against Lord Grayson.” He slaps the parchment down in front of me. “He’s always been kind to me, treats my inn with care. Unlike most of the scoundrels who make their way through these parts.”

“I promise it’s not anything mischievous. In fact, it’s meant to help him.”

If we can stay alive long enough.

I dip the quill in the jar of ink and start writing as Harrick grumbles something under his breath.

There’s only three lines I need to write and once the ink dries, I fold the paper in half, then look back over my shoulder to make sure Grayson isn’t watching. He’s still deep in conversation with Zaos when I turn around and hand Harrick the letter.

“I need you to get this to Amara Linet. She should be making her way onto the island today if she isn’t already here.”

Harrick stares at the parchment in my hand as his throat works nervously.

I drop my head lower and he finally meets my eyes. “Harrick, you don’t know me and you have no real reason to trust me. But I promise you, I am not doing anything that would endanger Grayson or his crew. I’m just trying to make sure that we all survive.”

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