Page 22 of Virelai's Hoard
With a smirk, Riley’s hand slid from her jaw, much slower than necessary, the soft drag of her fingertips making Sable want to follow, grab her wrist tighter, pull her back in. Find out what Riley’s lips tasted like. She didn’t. She let go instead.
Riley’s expression turned serious. “I think you want something from me.”
It was Sable’s turn to blink. She hadn’t been expecting Riley to see right through her, nor the solid heat settling somewhere deep inside her stomach. But that wasn’t important right now, and Sable forced herself to shove it aside.
“You’re right,” she said, a brief smile flashing on her lips. “Again. I have a… proposition for you.”
And just like that, Riley’s mask was back in place. She crossed her arms. “I’m listening.”
“You must’ve noticed by now that the captain doesn’t mingle with the crew. That no one steps through the door leading to her quarters.”
Judging by the raise of her eyebrows, this wasn’t going in the direction she expected, but Riley nodded once.
“I’ve known Calla for years, and I don’t buy thisVirelai’s Hoardshit. I think something else is going on, and I want you to help me figure out what.”
A flicker of something passed through Riley’s face, gone before Sable could interpret it. “What’s in it for me?”
Now that she put it out there as plainly as she had, Riley was surely going to do her own digging, so the real question here was… Why would she share the information with Sable once she found out? What could Sablegiveher that Calla wouldn’t?
Gold wouldn’t cut it. If Sable was wrong about this, they would all walk away from this with more than they could carry. But she could promise something better.
“Protection,” she said simply. “Regardless of what we find at the end of this journey, I can make sure you reach it in one piece.”
Riley frowned, her restless fingers fiddling with her sleeve. Patch, now perched on her shoulder, gave Sable an inquisitive stare.
“And a seat at the table, should you want it,” Sable added, andthatgot Riley’s undivided attention. “You’re too sharp to be scrubbing decks with the rest of them.”
Riley was watching her intently now, her eyes searching Sable’s and trying to spot the trap. She wouldn’t be finding one. For better or worse, Sable was blunt, direct, and true to her word.
“There’s just one problem,” Riley said, not committing. “I can’t read. If you want me to snoop on her maps and letters, you might as well be asking Patch to do it and get the same result.” She shrugged, trying to appear as if she didn’t care, but the unease in her words rang clear.
Sable frowned. That was not ideal. But…
She stood. “I’ll teach you. Let’s go.” With that, she headed for the hatch leading below deck.
“Now?” Riley called after her, skeptical.
“Yes. Now.”
7. A Captain’s Secrets
Calla
Calla sat at her desk, lightly tracing the old sketch lying beneath her fingers. It depicted a heart-shaped gem, with veins running through it like tendrils of seaweed. If she closed her eyes, she could almost feel the Heart under her fingertips, with its smooth but irregular surface, as though shaped by flowing water. It called to her from the vastness of the ocean.
Her head jerked up at a knock on the door.
Was it morning already? A glance at the porthole in her room confirmed that suspicion. Nivros’ dim light streamed through it, the sky beyond a soft, muted blue.
More knocking.
Calla blinked away the head fog and carefully slipped the various parchments strewn around under the large map covering most of her desk. Then she stood, throwing a cursory glance at the rest of the room. Ordered. Pristine. Her eyes lingered on the locked chest at the foot of her bed before she tore them away and approached the door.
Past the threshold stood Riley, with Patch cradled to her chest.
“Riley.” Calla nodded and stepped aside. “Come in.”
The woman’s usual boldness was gone, replaced by clear apprehension as she took a few tentative steps inside.
