Page 29

Chapter 29

Laude

Beatriz disappeared into Minerva’s portal without my permission, but I couldn’t do a thing from all the way up on the deck of La Lavia . With all Beatriz’s talk about trusting me, I had decided to ditch the murder plans. Queen Cottia would have to find another way.

Part of me wanted to uncork the bottles in my pockets and dump them into the sea. The other part of me knew better than to waste the queen’s efforts since she’d been planning and training to defeat this whyzer for decades.

“She’ll come back.” Jaime covered my hand with his. He must have correctly read the concern on my face. I was worried and also disappointed at not getting away more quickly.

Something moved in the shadows near the palace, but all went still. Minerva and Zichri had a private conversation, not noticing another presence.

Zichri whistled up to us. “We’re going to go check on something. We’ll be right back.”

Then our friends vanished. The wooden planks below emptied as firelight danced in the wind.

Behind us, sailors scurried about preparing the sails to depart, but then I caught one older fellow leaning against a barrel like he was a passenger. The hood over his head overshadowed his face, though I could still make out the gleam in his eyes that were focused on me.

I spun around, heart pounding, and pressed into Jaime. “Do you see the old man behind us?”

He started to turn.

“Wait, don’t make it so obvious,” I whispered.

“How am I supposed to get a look at him?

“Pretend to drop something.” I searched my sleeves, realizing I hadn’t a sensible thing to use for our little skit.

Jaime did his you’re-making-a-little-thing-into-a-mountain eyebrow raise. “How about I go get a lamp from the storage closet?”

“That works too.”

He kissed my forehead, and a wave of warmth spread from his touch. The moment he sped away, I wanted to grab his arm and tell him not to go, but that was me being ridiculous. We were safe on La Lavia . I turned back toward the deck to see a single man approaching from the palace. He wasn’t too tall, and judging by his straight hair parted in the middle, it was Ears. He took long enough. Where was Fermín?

Ears untethered the ropes holding La Lavia to the dock, climbed up the gangplank, and stepped down beside me. His mouth shifted into a smirk that didn’t sit well with me.

“We’re still waiting for the others. Tether the rope,” I demanded.

“All is well.” The easy response did nothing to settle the growing disquiet that had settled right next to my soup, slice of bread, and heaping helping of dumplings.

“Where’s Fermín?” I kept my focus trained on his face as if some hidden message lay in his thin mustache or tiny marble-like eyes.

“He’s where he should be.” Ears took a few steps toward who knew where.

“And where should he be? Sorry, I’m just curious because I didn’t know there was a place where he should be.” The words spilled off my tongue.

A flash of annoyance curved along his upper lip and in the flare of his nose. Suddenly, I remembered Jaime’s distrust of Lucas, and now I was certain we shouldn’t have had any faith in this man.

Jaime returned with a lamp in his grasp. He turned to his left and scanned the deck like he’d planned to do. When he met Ears’ gaze, I expected a nod or some sort of greeting.

Instead, Ears punched Jaime across the jaw, knocking him to the ground.

I gasped.

Someone bumped into my side, retrieving the gangplank as La Lavi a moved away from the dock. The square-jawed sailor winked at me.

Part of me wanted to jump into the inky waters to escape while I still had a chance. Ears got a rope and tied Jaime’s arms behind his back and around his legs. There was no way I could leave Jaime in this state.

The hooded man cut into view, now under more lamplight. His gray shroud reminded me of Whyzer Uly, and so did the long black beard with gray streaks throughout. Unlike Whyzer Uly, however, this man had a cocky stride and an evil curl to his smile. “Laude?” His deep voice held authority. “I’d like to have a conversation with you.”

It was in that moment that I knew my captor. I searched the faces of the sailors and realized not even one looked familiar. The darkness had hidden what would have been obvious in the light of day. Whyzer Patro had taken over La Lavia and lay in wait to steal me away.

The dagger on my calf pressed up against my skin as if reminding me it would help. The poisons in the secret pocket of my dress begged to be used. A lump of fear fell like a hot coal burning my belly. Queen Cottia’s plan might be my only choice after all.