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“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 that the 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 many bugs .”

I lean into his side and whisper, “I’m pretty sure that a fearsome pirate wouldn’t be bothered by a few bugs.”

A few more pops come from behind us and we both turn to find Grayson’s men slapping at the blood-sucking insects on their arms and legs while groaning and cursing.

Shrugging, I look back up at Tommy. “I guess I was wrong. Even scary grown men who kill their way to finding treasure can be taken down by a few mosquitos.”

We both laugh, and for the first time since I stepped onto Grayson’s ship, I feel a glimmer of joy that only pure laughter can evoke.

Smiling at Tommy, I feel thankful for his presence, even though I’m aware that he is not here to be my friend, but to inform Grayson of everything I say and do that may go against our bargain.

The tan of my skin shows through the wet fabric of my new tunic by the time we arrive at the west entrance to the caverns.

From what I can recall my father teaching me, there are three entrances to the amass of tunnels carved below the earth’s surface.

During our few ventures to the inner jungle, he showed me the western entrance and the northern entrance, but there should be one from the east as well.

Whoever we are meant to meet is likely using one of the other entrances, as we are the only ones I’ve heard since we entered the thick wilderness.

We all stop at the cave entrance. A large black granite boulder looms over us like a mythical creature waiting to swallow us whole.

Jagged pieces of rock shoot down from the top like shark’s teeth.

When my father first showed me the caverns here, I was terrified to walk past the entrance for fear that one of the pieces might fall down and pierce me straight through.

Even now, as I look up at how slivers of sunlight beam against the midnight rock, I feel a chill skate down my neck.

Zaos moves to stand next to Grayson while the rest of us face them.

“Whatever you are about to hear in the depths of these caves is not to be repeated. Attempting to spread the insights of what is discussed today is punishable by death.” Grayson takes a moment to look each one of us in the eyes and when his gaze lands on me, I feel a question lingering between us.

I’ve already betrayed his trust once and now he’s had no choice but to bring me along to keep a watch over me and he wonders if I can be trusted.

Whatever lies within the depths of the caves must be important for him to assert such a harsh judgment on anyone who might be inclined to disclose what we witness—especially when the people here are trusted people.

But wealth can and often does change everything quickly.

“Is that understood?” he asks, eyeing us again.

Every one of us nods in silent agreement.

I look up at Tommy, who looks particularly determined to appease his captain.

His normally bright eyes are narrowed with focus, and while there is usually a small curve to his back, he now stands straight as an arrow with his hands secured behind himself.

I swallow the chuckle that rises in my chest, not wanting to embarrass the poor boy.

“Rowenya, you’re with me.” Grayson steps forward and gestures for us to make our way through the cave entrance.

“Of course I am.” I roll my eyes and fall into step next to him. Zaos and Tommy are right behind us and the rest of Grayson’s men pair off, taking up the rear.

Darkness descends only a few steps past the entrance.

Not a trace of light shines through the tunnel the further down we go, so I walk carefully, lifting each foot higher than normal when I step forward to ensure I don’t trip over anything.

I can feel Grayson next to me as the space grows smaller, his arm brushes against mine and knowing he’s near in the pitch black gives me an odd sense of comfort.

“You look especially delicious in that corset, Little Pearl,” I hear him whisper close to my ear. My stomach immediately soars and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

“You can’t even see me,” I retort. Extending my right hand to reach for the wall, I steady myself. It’s been so long since I came here with my father, I cannot recall where the tunnel shifts directions.

“Haven’t I told you already? I see all things.”

Turning my head in the direction of his voice, I look up where I assume his face is and that’s when I notice his eyes.

Blessed stars, his eyes! They’re glowing like midnight stars against the void. Hues of emerald green and the bluest sapphire merge together in a whimsical dance. And those flecks of silver stardust seem to whisper hello as they twinkle at me.

“You can see in the dark,” I realize and his rumble of laughter makes my cheeks flush.

“A hidden talent.”

I snort. “Not so hidden anymore. Your eyes are glowing , Grayson.” It must be some sign of his immortal lineage.

Perhaps his mother was a Mer who fell in love with a land dweller.

Or maybe it’s some ancient trait passed down through the Dark Moon witch coven from The Barren Wastelands.

I rack my mind to think of what other creatures might possess the gift of night sight.

“Careful.” I feel his hand wrap around my waist and he pulls me into him. “The path leads to the left.”