Page 65 of Gilded Lies

“It’s cheerful.” Este swung her legs off her bed.

“If you say so.” Jari would probably have a headache after a few minutes, and he could imagine Aurelius’s expression with so much yellow.

“I do say so.”

She’d hidden the pack in a secret compartment under the bed. If Tenth had shown her that spot, everyone on the ship likely knew about it. That wasn’t exactly comforting to Jari, and he hoped everyone could be trusted. If Tenth was so indebted to her, he probably didn’t need to be so concerned. She followed him up.

“You’re not sick?” he asked.

“Nah. I’m fine. Some people do well on ships, and others don’t.”

“I’m not my best right now, and I kind of wish the ship would stop moving.”

She snorted. “You’ll get used to it.”

Aurelius was waiting by the railing on the port side with a length of rope. In the starlight, his hair was still noticeable. The ship was on a set course, and Jari figured the wind was good, not that he knew much about sailing. A couple of sailors were on watch, but nobody was nearby.

Aurelius took the pack before Jari could say anything. He didn’t act like earlier, try to open it, or change at all. Jari’s hope blossomed a bit more. The Prince tied the rope to one of the arm straps and dropped it over the side.

“Jari, help me hold it just in case.”

Jari took some of the excess rope and leaned over to watch while the Prince fed the rope through his hands. The pack was hard to see.

“It’s in.” Aurelius gripped the rope as he stared down.

“Anything?”

“No.”

“Er, that’s bad?” asked Este, who’d hung back.

“Yes,” Aurelius said with an edge.

Dunking the items in saltwater wasn’t the way out, but if Aurelius was doing so well, maybe they wouldn’t need it after all. The main concern was making sure the items weren’t found ever again.

“Do we have to go to Ash Island?” Jari asked in a low voice. “You could dump the items far out. We’ll weigh the pack down, and the chances of them washing up are pretty much nothing.”

“I don’t want even a small chance. At least we tried this, so we know.”

Aurelius hauled the pack up and squished some of the water out the best he could. Este said she’d hang it up to dry and hide it again.

“Keep your door closed,” said Jari.

“I will.”

Jari followed Aurelius back to their quarters, and Aurelius sat on the bed with a slightly deflated expression. “I didn’t think it would truly work and erase everything. That’s a bit easy, and Elira could have done that herself.”

“I’m sorry. You know what? Maybe she did, and they washed up on Ash Island. A bad storm happened, and…” Jari shrugged.

“Perhaps, and you see why I’m not risking it. I’m going to bed.”

***

Aurelius fell asleep closer to the wall. Jari lay awake since his stomach wouldn’t quite settle down. Rocking wasn’t something he was used to feeling at all times. He finally got up and decided to get some air.

Este was on the main deck near the starboard side and sitting in a chair. An abandoned one suggested someone, perhaps Tenth, had been sitting with her.

“Can I sit?”

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