Page 16 of Virelai’s Hoard (The Dagger & Tide Trilogy #1)

A slight change in the current made Riley turn her head, blinking at the glimpse of a silhouette darker than the dark blue of the deep sea.

With the next blink, the shape became bigger, close enough to touch.

Vaguely familiar eyes peered at her. Then a faint warmth pressed against her chest, cradling her against the pull of the current. Protective. Possessive.

Riley rested her cheek against the creature, too weak to fight it. She waited for its teeth to sink into her, to finish what the storm had started. It never came. Would she even feel it? Her whole body was numb. Cold. Another blink, and the darkness became too oppressive to resist any longer.

She gave in.

***

“You’re the captain , you can’t just-”

“I didn’t plan to fall overboard, Sable.”

“You should’ve gone under deck, kept yourself-”

“ Safe? ” Calla’s voice sliced through Sable’s protests, a dangerous edge to it. “This is my ship, my crew, my responsibility. You’d do well to remember that before you imply I should’ve just hidden away.”

The reply that came was more subdued. “It’s not just your ship, captain.”

Riley opened her eyes to a bleary night sky, and shadows gathered all around. Her lips parted with a question, but a cough seized her lungs and made her turn sideways, salt water burning its way past her throat and onto the deck.

Someone knelt by her, rubbing soothing circles on her back as she hacked out the last of the water and took in a shuddering breath. “You’re okay.” Nyxen. The voice was Nyxen’s. “Just breathe. Deep and slow.”

Riley closed her eyes, concentrating on his words, on the feel of air filling her lungs.

“There you go. Can you stand?”

At her weak nod, several hands reached to clasp her arms and shoulders and bring her upright, guiding her to lean against the solid mast nearby.

A single lantern flickered on deck, keeping the night at bay.

The stars shone above their heads, no hint of the violent storm that had threatened to tear the ship apart and drown everyone with it.

If it weren’t for her drenched clothes and the algae decorating the deck, Riley would’ve wondered if everything had been one of her bad dreams.

“Is Maren…” She didn’t know what she was asking, really, but the words pressed on her chest, demanding to be let out.

He’d saved her– No . He’d sacrificed himself for her.

Why?

The silent, bowed heads she got in reply only made the weight press heavier on her chest. The only one who met her eyes was Gadrielle, somber as she shook her head and tilted her chin towards a shape on deck, at the edges of the lantern’s light, wrapped in canvas.

“What happened?” Riley asked, tearing her gaze away from his body.

The captain sat on a mostly intact crate, Thorian’s coat almost swallowing her slight frame as she hugged it to herself, wet black hair spilling over her shoulders. She didn’t look at Riley.

“You and the captain fell overboard,” Sable said, standing with her arms crossed, lips pressing in a thin line. “We found you both clinging to a barrel after the storm’s passed, as sudden as it started. You got lucky.” The twist to her lips told Riley exactly what Sable thought of luck.

Riley didn’t believe in it, either. She didn’t know what had happened, but whatever had saved her…

it hadn’t been luck. Something else. Her eyes fixed on Calla, and she wondered if whatever had saved her had saved Calla too, and whether the captain had gotten a better look at it.

Whatever it was. It niggled at her, the way the captain refused to meet her eyes. As if she was hiding something.

A more pressing thought cut through the clutter.

Patch .

She pushed off the mast. “I need to-”

“ Easy .” Sable caught her as she swayed on her feet, gripping her shoulders and gently pushing her back against the mast. “Take it easy,” she said, her voice softening.

Riley’s hands rested on her wrists. “I need to-”

Sable’s eyes snapped to her left hand, the surprise on her face halting Riley’s words.

“Gnarly!” Pip said, propping up from where he was sitting. “What happened to your fingers?”

Her glove was gone. The stumps of her two cut fingers tingled in the crisp air, standing out against Sable’s dark skin.

Riley shrunk under the eyes falling on her, releasing Sable’s wrists and shoving her hands in her pockets. Soaked through, just like everything else. Quietly, Sable’s hands fell from her shoulders, a light frown creasing her forehead.

“Everyone,” Calla said, standing and drawing the questioning gazes from Riley. “We can’t stand around here all night. Whoever is injured, Haddock will see to you in the orlop. Everyone else, get to work.”

The crew around her straightened their backs with a crisp, “Yes, captain,” despite their clear exhaustion.

“Riley.” Now Calla met her gaze. “Come. I’ll take you to check on Patch. He should be fine. I unlocked his cage before I left.”

Riley nodded, wondering why Calla’s eyes itched at the back of her mind.

What was she missing?