Page 63 of Of the Stars and Sea

Zaos hesitates for a moment before responding. “It looks to be Malihaim.”

“Fucking hells,” I breathe.

Blythe recruiting Malihaim is the worst possible scenario. Born of a sea witch and high pirate lord, Malihaim has made his fortune by hiring out his services to other pirates. He’s never been in it for the treasure. Malihaim is a vile creature who relishes in the downfall of others and he just happens to beveryskilled at sinking ships.

Zaos’s eyes flick to me for a moment and I can still see the disdain he has for me simmering beneath the surface.

“What aren’t you telling us?” Grayson asks.

Zaos looks to him now, any traces of hatred gone in an instant. “They sent a raven to the news teller to share that there is a bounty of fifty thousand pieces for Rowenya Stone.”

All the air leaves my lungs.Fifty thousand pieces.

Every pirate—no, every person and creature with a damned kitchen knife—will be looking for me for that high of a reward.

“Has word spread?” Grayson asks, but his voice sounds far away as my mind still whirls with this new information.

“By the time I left the meeting with our scouts, there were murmurs on the streets at every turn. They know she is with us and it won’t be long before we have a line of people waiting out the door to rob her of her head.”

I step back, the feeling of being trapped taking over my body. My legs burn with the need to run. Tohide.

“Give us a moment.”

“But, Captain, we need to?—”

“Give us a moment.” Grayson shuts the door and comes to stand in front of me. I feel his hands move to the sides of my face and he tilts my head back gently so I have to look at him. “Don’t let fear do this to you. Don’t let it win.”

“Grayson, there are twoformidableships out there”—I point somewhere behind him—“and we . . .” I shake my head in his hands, but he doesn’t let them fall away. “How are we supposed to get off this island? And how in the hells are we supposed to keep running from Blythe when we have nowhere to run to?”

Grayson looks at me, really looks at me, and the calm he provides shatters through my panic. He’s not rushing for the door. He’s not hurrying me to pack my things. No. He is standing right in front of me with all the patience in the world, even though our foe is waiting just beyond the shore.

I take a deep breath and Grayson rubs my cheeks with the pads of his thumbs. I let the soothing motion of his skin against mine settle my frayed nerves.

“That’s it,” he breathes. “Let the fear wash out of you. Let your mind clear and just think for a moment.”

I do as he suggests and my shoulders drop. I feel the tension start to roll out of my muscles. For so many years, I’ve always been on the defense. Assessing every single thing as a threat to my survival. After what happened to my father, there was no time for me to ponder over what my next move would be. I’d lost my safety net and when the world opened up before me, and the monsters came to claim me as their own, I ran. That was until Red Beard’s tight leash found its way around my neck, pulling me back.

I’ve been chasing after my freedom ever since.

I take another long inhale and then sigh it out. “Good, Rowenya. Very good.”

He doesn’t know all the reasons why this very moment affects me the way it does. Yet, there is an understanding. Grayson possesses an uncanny ability to know exactly what I need. I’ve often been the one to bring solace to others, but in this moment, Grayson gives me the time I require to settle back into myself.

I’m not sure why it feels so significant, but now that my mind has cleared, an idea blooms.

“They will keep chasing after us, Grayson.”

“I know.”

“Fighting off Blythe is one thing, but Malihaim is a born tracker. And he’s too skilled at taking down ships. With the two of them on our tail, we won’t have enough manpower to strike them both down without theCaelestiataking serious damage—or worse.”

A shadow passes over his face. “I know what you’re about to ask.”

“My crew can help,” I offer and he pulls away, my face suddenly feeling cold from the absence of his hands against my cheeks.

“This is no normal hunt, Rowenya. If you allow your crew to join the fight, I cannot promise their safety.”

I cross my arms over my chest feeling a flicker of frustration. “It wasn’t that long ago when you were threatening to kill them yourself.”