Page 36

“ W hat did you learn from your interception of the merchant ship?” Seger asks.

Zaos walks forward and I see the men from the other two crews start to look at one another.

Some of them shift their hands to mount the pommels of their swords now that Grayson’s trained assassin has entered the midst. It makes me wonder how many of them have actually seen Grayson in action.

I realize that it must be very few who have witnessed what he is truly capable of doing with a weapon—and that naiveté is likely orchestrated by Grayson himself.

It’s one thing to allow others to know you’re dangerous, and it’s another to reveal your hand.

He’s always wearing a mask. Always thinking three steps ahead of those around him.

“We recovered their route in the captain’s logs,” Zaos responds. “Their plan was to secure the packages from a seller in The Pit and take them to the Northern Realm.”

“So, they’re expanding their shipping routes then?” Hawke looks between Grayson and Zaos.

“It appears that way,” Grayson offers.

Seger runs a hand over his beard. “I’m not sure that all members of the trade are expanding. The last interception we had with a fishing vessel showed routes that led back here—to Emerald Cove.”

“It’s rare for a trafficking trade route to end at Emerald Cove. They’ve orchestrated dealings to steal children from the island in the past, but I have never heard of anyone here purchasing from the trade until a few weeks ago.” Hawke shoves his hands into his pockets.

My heart plummets as I notice Tommy’s skin turning ashen.

Not caring who might see, I place a hand on his arm in comfort.

The notch in his throat bobs as he swallows, and I know his mind must be whirling with memories better forgotten.

He keeps his gaze trained ahead, but there’s a gloss that makes his eyes shine and I know he’s not here with me, but lost to his painful past.

“I wonder if the head of the trade has caught wind of our interventions and is trying to cause confusion by encouraging the route runners to carry inaccurate information in their logs,” Grayson offers.

Suddenly, I’m furious with him. How could he summon Tommy to this meeting knowing what would be discussed today?

Knowing his past and where he comes from?

Every word they speak is a cut to Tommy’s heart.

I can see it in the way his hands have a slight tremor and his knees maintain a bend, as if he might flee this place at any moment.

Being here is killing him. Ripping apart all the pieces of joy he was able to recover after enduring such horrid, unspeakable things.

My heart aches and screams at me to do something.

To say anything that might stop this conversation so I can take Tommy away from here and never expose him to the evils of this world again.

But I know he would hate me for it. That it would only embarrass him in front of the one person whose opinion he holds most dear.

So, I stand in silence, holding onto Tommy so his mind doesn’t carry him away.

Hawke shakes his head and everyone shifts their attention onto him.

“While you were both in Esoros, I scattered my crew across the island to listen for information after Seger sent word that there might be buyers here. One of my men overheard the madame at The Hen House speak of receiving some new girls, but they would need to be trained before she allowed them to start working.” He spits the words out like they’re acid on his tongue, burning him from the inside out.

Grayson’s face is unreadable stone, but malice drips from his every word as he says, “I assume they were taken care of?”

Hawke shows his teeth in a vicious grin that raises goosebumps along my arms. “Let’s just say the madame is taking a long rest in a watery grave.

” The men behind him snicker to themselves and a part of me relishes in their murderous revelry.

If the madame’s death means the children of this realm are safe from her—at least for the time being.

I know it won’t be long before another madame rises.

“We still need to identify the head of the trafficking trade. Are there any theories as to who it might be?” Seger asks, a sense of urgency to his tone.

Everyone looks around at each other for a moment, their curious whispers bouncing off the cavern walls. I see Grayson look toward Tommy and I step forward, having no idea what he’s about to say, but I don’t want Tommy to have to face whatever Grayson has in store for him.

Then something shifts and Tommy comes back to himself, as though just a look from his captain is capable of snapping him back to the present moment.

The color comes back to his skin and there’s a newfound determination written across his face, replacing any signs of the terrified child that lurks beneath.

Next to me, I watch a young man rise, and before Grayson has a chance to beckon him forward, he walks up next to his captain.

“During your time in The Pit, did you ever hear anyone speak of the trafficking trade?” Grayson’s tone is gentle. It washes over me in a gentle caress and I’m surprised that he would reveal any sense of tenderness in front of two other pirate lords, let alone several members of their crews.

Tommy’s shoulders straighten as he looks to Hawke and Seger. They both eye Tommy carefully, and I know they have to be wondering how he survived The Pit without becoming something . . . else .

“There are many who believe themselves to be the rulers of The Pit. When I was forced to become a fighter in the cages, I was owned by a sea witch named Elspeth. Anytime her chosen fighters would win, she would invite us into her chambers to . . .” He pauses, looking down at the ground.

My heart lurches, banging in my chest like a rabid animal, screaming at me to stop this. To protect him.

Instead, I stand quiet. Utterly helpless and forced to watch his discomfort.

We all wait with bated breath before Tommy continues.

When he clears his throat and looks into the crowd of pirates before him, I finally breathe in. “There were times when I heard her guards mention there was news from Silvermoon Landing.”

“News of what?” Seger asks, his voice deep and guttural.

Tommy looks to his captain. Grayson gives no indication he’s heard about this before, but something tells me they might have already discussed this privately.

Or maybe that’s simply my wishful thinking, hoping that Grayson wouldn’t ask Tommy to divulge his history in front of these men without having cleared it with him first.

Tommy looks at Seger now and there’s a hint of a waver to his voice when he says, “I don’t know. Details of the information were never shared in front of me. I just know she had a relationship with someone in Silvermoon Landing because I heard the guards make that statement a few times.”

Grayson looks at Tommy and nods at him—a release from further questioning. Tommy moves past Zaos to stand next to me again and even though my hand twitches to reach out for him, I keep to myself, not wanting to draw any more attention to him.

“If what the boy says is true, then that may be our first real lead,” Hawke says.

“The children of The Pit are easy targets and most of the ones we’ve saved during route interceptions have come from the Esoros slums. It would make sense for owners of cage fighters to also be dealing in the trafficking trade. ”

“We’ve never searched the port itself because it always seemed too obvious for the leader to be that close to the docks where the ships arrive.

” Seger runs his hand down the length of his beard, his brows set in a downward slash as he starts to pace back and forth.

“We should investigate this lead as quickly as possible. Once the leader discovers another one of their ships has been destroyed, they may go underground.” He looks to Grayson and Hawke. “When should we depart?”

Depart? For Esoros? That’s the one place we need to avoid— I need to avoid.

Blythe has likely made it known to anyone willing to listen that I was the one to steal the Serpent’s Key from him.

If I set foot on the mainland, the King’s Guard will be at the ready to arrest me.

And that’s if Red Beard doesn’t find his way to me first.

“Unfortunately, my crew and I cannot join you quite yet. I have something that requires my immediate attention elsewhere,” Grayson states plainly.

Hawke and Seger look at one another and I know they are questioning Grayson’s loyalty to their cause. Since its inception, The Code has always protected children. Though, very few have gone out of their way to actually do something about the horrible crimes committed against them.

“We will join you in Esoros as soon as we are able,” Grayson adds.

Seger steps forward. “Whatever you’re after, Grayson, surely it can wait. We are this close”—he holds up his hands with little space between them—“to unveiling the head of the trafficking trade. What else could be more important than that?”

Unimaginable wealth , I think to myself, and a sour note hits my stomach because Seger is right. There is nothing more important than saving the children of the Southern Realm from damnation.

“What I must do may grant us the very thing we need to end the trafficking trade for good.” Grayson’s voice lowers to a menacing tone and Seger is smart to look unsettled. “And let us not forget that it was I who recruited you to the cause.”

A few of Seger’s men slide their hands to their swords and I pray to the heavens there is no bloodshed today.

I’m wearing a brand new tunic, for heaven’s sake.

Seger flattens his palm in the air, signaling to his men to keep their swords sheathed.

Then his gaze moves beyond Grayson, landing right on me.

His head tilts to the side as he studies me. Then recognition dawns.

“What strange company you keep, Grayson,” he says.

I hold Seger’s scrutinizing glare.