26. Kianthe
Chapter twenty-six
Kianthe
I t was an agonizing day of sailing.
Bobbie spent the majority of it at the bow of the ship, staring at the river as if it might produce Serina anytime. Unfortunately, Pil and his kids were also on deck handling the sails, which Kianthe kept so full of air that the ship was practically careening down the Nacean. Several times, she had to holler at Bobbie to get away from the railing, because Stone forbid they lose her overboard again.
Around midafternoon, they paused to eat. Rankor, who’d taken over as acting captain, insisted they sit together and bond—“since we are a crew,” he said firmly. Everyone protested, but he held up a hand, silencing them.
“Listen. Serina is doing good work here and she needs a crew she can rely on. If we’re all upset with each other, we won’t last longer than her rescue… and I, for one, don’t want to leave her like that.”
That shut them up. Everyone filed in, glumly sat down, and dug into Squirrel’s carefully prepared feast.
Farley gave Rankor a quick kiss, then took a seat beside him. “So. Who wants to apologize first?” She looked between Pil and Bobbie.
And to everyone’s shock, Bobbie raised a hand. “I do.”
Kianthe nearly spit out her carrots. High overhead, Ponder had found a perch in the crow’s nest. She was watching the dinner with rapt attention, waiting to see if anyone dropped food, and she spread her wings when Kianthe started choking.
“Sorry,” the mage coughed, swallowed, coughed again. Squirrel thumped her back with surprising strength as Joe pushed a glass of water her way. She chugged it, tears in her eyes. “Sorry, I’m okay. I just—thought I misheard.”
Bobbie heaved a sigh. She was picking at her food, pushing it around her plate with her fork. “I think… if I admitted Serina was right, it was accepting all this was worthless. The training. My entire career. My dream of change. It was a hard thing to stomach, so I kept looking for reasons why you all were the enemy. But I don’t think that’s true anymore.”
“Arlon’s the enemy. That’s why we leapt at the chance to join this crew.” Rankor smiled warmly. “I’m personally very happy you’re here, Bobbie. It was obvious how much you cared about Serina and this crew the moment you stepped on deck during the battle.”
Murmurs of agreement.
Bobbie ducked her head, her cheeks flushing. Her green eyes were glued on the table. “T-Thanks. I got more yarn in Lathe. If anyone has any crochet requests… well, I think I’ll be sticking around. Happy to make what’s needed for the crew.”
“I want a sweater,” Joe said.
Bobbie grimaced. “Ah. A sweater. Something I definitely know how to make.”
“Hang on, before we get distracted. I’m sorry too,” Pil said, abashed. “We never meant any harm to Serina, or I wouldn’t have accepted the job. Dreggs is a good soul.”
“They’re just curious about her. She’s done that good a job out here.” Darlene gestured at the ship. “I mean, stealing Arlon’s private vessel? Even Dreggs wouldn’t be that bold.”
Pil chuckled, taking a bite of bread. “They tried, once. Did they tell you that?”
“No!” Darlene gasped.
Everyone dissolved into conversation and the meal picked up. As people broke off, chattering with their seatmates and reaching for more food, Kianthe flashed Bobbie a smile across the table. “ Good job ,” she mouthed.
Bobbie smiled, clearly pleased.
The night slid into casual conversation, which shifted into raw determination when they continued sailing after dinner… but at least now the whole crew was on the same page. Kianthe’s wind shoved the sails forward, but even that didn’t override the pleasant conversations happening on deck now.
And finally, they found the Dastardly Pirate Dreggs’ flagship.
“Bit obvious, aren’t they?” Bobbie drawled, peering into the darkness as they rounded the riverbend.
At her side, Pil sighed. “Subtlety is not their strong suit.”
The vessel was huge, certainly—but the obvious part was the lively party happening on deck. It was late at night, the moon a bare sliver over the vessel, and unnaturally bright torches burned across its deck. Music thrummed through the cold evening air, what sounded like an entire orchestra.
Darlene and Joe lurched to the bowsprit, practically hanging off it as they squinted at the deck. “They’re having so much fun! Without us , can you believe it?” Darlene gasped in offense, shoving her sibling. “Dreggs told us they wouldn’t have fun while we were gone.”
“They lied,” Joe said solemnly.
“Or they’re putting on a show for their guests—er, captives. Back to work, kids.” Pil commented, tugging a set of ropes to ease the sails in the right direction. Under their guidance and Kianthe’s gentle magic, the Knot for Sail soon eased alongside the long edge of Dreggs’ ship.
“The Painted Death .” Kianthe echoed the word, tasting the name. “Sounds dark. I like ours better.”
“Of course you do. Ours is a pun.” Bobbie laughed, stopping beside her. She’d grabbed a bit of sleep after dinner and looked refreshed now. Her hand drifted to the sword at her hip, though, as she squinted at the deck. “Think they’ll attack us?”
Kianthe barked a laugh. “Did you see the cannons on this thing? They have at least three mages on that ship; they could have sunk us anytime.”
“Mages?”
Kianthe gestured at the deck, at Ponder circling high overhead. “Griffons always know. And their magic felt mine as we passed Neolow. They knew we were coming.”
“Plank coming down,” someone with a deep voice hollered from the massive ship, and a large plank slammed onto their deck.
The moment it stabilized, Reyna careened across it. Normally, this would be a very graceful affair, but Ponder had just identified her and shifted into a dangerously fast dive. With a screech, the baby griffon plowed into her.
Reyna tipped off the plank as she scrambled to keep her balance. Ponder squirmed from her grasp, sweeping open her feathery wings to catch a drift between the ships. Reyna, as someone without wings, just started to fall.
“Rain—” Kianthe gasped and swept a vicious gust of wind to catch her. For a breathless moment, Reyna’s feet left the plank… but the wind righted her almost instantly.
Reyna straightened, smoothing her windswept hair. “Gods, that was a bit of excitement, wasn’t it?” She carefully stepped off the plank before slamming into Kianthe, pulling her into a hug much fiercer than she normally would.
Sure enough, when they separated her cheeks were pink, her smile a bit too wide.
“Drunk Reyna,” Kianthe breathed.
“Hello, darling. I was accidentally kidnapped by the most delightful person. Come on; I’ll introduce you.” She pressed a kiss to Kianthe’s lips, then towed her across the plank. Ponder followed behind, clearly sullen that Reyna wasn’t prioritizing cuddles and pets over some party with humans.
The mages on the ship waved as Kianthe approached—each of their magic shone bright yellow, blending in with the magic in the trees on shore, the wind teasing the wrapped sails. Kianthe waved back cheerfully, beyond pleased to finally be reunited with Reyna and facing something new.
Reyna tapped someone on the shoulder. The person was wearing a crimson jacket and a three-point hat over short, messy hair. They glanced at Reyna—and their eyes landed on Kianthe, and the mage gasped so loudly everyone nearby turned to stare.
“Holy Stone of Seeing and Stars in the sky, it’s you. The Dastardly Pirate Dreggs!”
The pirate in question tugged off their hat and swept a low, charming bow. “And you must be the Arcandor, the esteemed Mage of Ages, our elemental expert and punmaker extraordinaire.” They paused, lips quirking. “I hear you’re writing a book. Perhaps you’ll let me star in it. My last one was a bestseller, you know.”
“Oh, I know.” Kianthe bounced on her toes. “Will you sign my copy? And maybe my arm? I can make the ink magically permanent… or is that weird?”
“Do it on your chest,” Reyna said, giggling. A hulking man of a pirate daintily handed her a glass of wine, and she raised it with a gleeful laugh before taking a deep swig.
Kianthe pulled her shirt down a bit, lifting her cloak to reveal bare skin. “She’s right—sign my chest.”
“Ladies, ladies.” Dreggs laughed, but they were clearly enjoying this. “You’ll both get signed copies. And as much as I’d love my signature on your chest, I’m afraid gouging the Arcandor with a quill might be an international incident.”
Kianthe released the neck of her shirt with a huff. “Or, maybe it’d just earn you more bragging rights.”
“Tempting,” Dreggs drawled.
Across the ship, Bobbie and the rest of the crew had crossed the plank and were staring at the festivities in admiration. Darlene and Joe had already rejoined two other kids near the captain’s quarters, and Pil was chatting amicably with a few other sailors by the bow. Rankor and Farley cheerfully joined the dancing; Squirrel gravitated to the buffet table laden with incredible food. The cook cast a glance over her shoulder, then stuffed a few rolls into her pockets.
Bobbie, meanwhile, had locked eyes with Serina.
Kianthe elbowed Reyna, pointing at them. At Reyna’s side, Dreggs put a hand on their hip. “Ah, their eyes meet across a crowded room. Take notes, Arcandor; this is how a romance is made.”
“Our eyes met across a crowded room once, too.” Reyna latched onto Kianthe’s arm, pressing a kiss to her cheek. Her eyes never left Serina, though, who’d just noticed Bobbie stepping slowly towards her.
The three of them held their breaths, watching unabashed.
Bobbie moved—slowly at first, then picking up speed. Serina glanced sideways like she might attack her, like a weapon might be needed. But then Bobbie was upon her, and without warning, she pulled Serina close and kissed her hard.
“Yes!” Reyna shouted, so loud a few people nearby spilled their drinks. “I knew it. I knew it .” She hopped, tugging on Kianthe’s arm. “Key. Look. I pinned it on the first day. Tell Dreggs that my matchmaking skills are superior.”
“Considering I’m the one who talked Bobbie off a cliff over and over, I’d say I’m the one with matchmaking skills.” Kianthe grinned.
Dreggs snorted at Reyna’s mock-offense.
Across the ship, Bobbie had pulled away from Serina with a noticeable wince—although whether that was from her injuries or her brazen action was anyone’s guess. Serina’s fingers fluttered against Bobbie’s cheek, and she smiled softly. Bobbie matched it, leaning forward so their foreheads touched.
Now it felt intimate. Kianthe glanced away.
Reyna didn’t. She sipped her wine, a sly smirk tilting her lips.
“Didn’t you have a code to crack?” Dreggs asked casually.
“I would like to bask in the glow of my success, thank you.”
Kianthe swallowed a laugh, pointing at Ponder, who was currently fleeing two very invested children following her through the ship’s spiderweb of lines. The griffon clearly saw it as a gleeful game and leapt between the ropes, waiting just long enough that the kids—maybe seven or eight years old—could grab at her before taking off. They laughed gleefully, clearly loving the chase.
It didn’t look very safe, but then again, this was a pirate ship.
“You may want to call your griffon before she hurts someone, Rain. And then tell me about the code; you actually deciphered it?”
Reyna followed her gaze, heaved a sigh, and whistled sharply. High overhead, Ponder screeched unhappily, but reluctantly drifted to the deck. Reyna tossed her a particularly big slice of jerky and the griffon forgot all about the kids and their game.
Dreggs watched in fascination. “Oh, no, she’s so cute .”
“Cute and fierce,” Kianthe cooed, taking the jerky away for a brief moment. Ponder, who was used to this game, heaved a frustrated sigh, but sat quietly until Kianthe tossed it back to her. She was rewarded with both food and pets. “We’re working on training.”
“Let me try—” Dreggs bent down, and Ponder hissed at them. They wheeled back. “Ah, perhaps I’ll let you two handle the mythical beasts.”
“Probably best,” Reyna replied. She was still watching Bobbie and Serina, who’d retreated to a private corner of the deck and were sitting on a bench, hunched in intense conversation. It seemed to be going well, though, because Bobbie trailed her fingers up and down Serina’s thigh.
Adorable. Sickening. Kianthe wrinkled her nose and said, “Arlon’s files, Rain?”
Her fiancée huffed and tugged a stack of annotated papers from the pocket of her trousers. In a breath, her focus was back, because she pointed to the second page and said, “It’s shipping manifestos, absolutely. Hopefully Feo isn’t spending too much time cracking their side, because the information we need was all here.”
“All of it?” Kianthe’s eyes widened.
Reyna took another sip of her wine, clearly pleased with herself. “All of it. It’s probably the only shipping record he kept, and he figured it’d be safe since… well, no one would steal from his ship, on his river.”
“Ha,” Dreggs said drily, and raised a salute at Serina.
Across the ship, she was solidly ignoring them. She and Bobbie were too busy laughing at something. Her hand traced Bobbie’s cheek, and Bobbie took a hold of it gently, then kissed the back of her hand.
Nope. Not adorable. Just sickening. “Get a room,” Kianthe called across the ship, and then twisted the wind to make sure it delivered over the loud music.
Serina startled, noticed them, and flipped them off.
Bobbie, meanwhile, flashed a grin.
“All right, you win, Key.” Reyna watched Ponder fly off again, then tugged Kianthe away from the festivities. “You remember Dreggs has a library on this ship, right?”
“Please. Everyone remembers chapter twenty-six.”
Reyna waved at the Dreggs, who’d struck up a conversation with the hulking pirate beside them. The infamous pirate captain waved back, and Reyna smugly led Kianthe below deck. Unlike the tiny staircase on the Knot for Sail , they descended into an entirely new realm: not a low-set cargo hold, but a cavernous hallway that led to a dozen rooms.
Reyna opened the door to one, cheerfully waving at two pirates exiting it. Both were clutching books and looked surprised to see her… but word of their capture had clearly spread, and no one stopped them.
“Arlon’s code was based around the Leonolan language. Dreggs pinned it immediately; I guess they’ve seen it before—” Reyna was saying, but as she closed the door behind them, she realized Kianthe wasn’t listening. “Never mind. I’ll let you gawk for a moment.”
Gawking was appropriate here. Considering they were on a literal ship, this was an expansive collection. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lined every wall, and each had a long metal bar nailed to the center of the shelf space—just enough to hold the books in place during turbulent waters. They were high enough above the waterline that the room should have windows, but instead they’d installed watertight portholes. The entire room glowed with water-repelling magic.
“I knew I liked Dreggs,” she said, awed. “What a great use for those mages.”
“I was undecided on liking Dreggs for most of the morning, but as expected, they won me over.” Reyna gestured towards a table in the center of the room, where she’d clearly set up shop earlier today. Books on Leonolan language and culture were strewn about the table, beside a half-depleted inkwell.
She set the fruits of her labor out for Kianthe to see. “Thirty years ago, Diarn Arlon ordered multiple dragon eggs to be stolen from Dragon Country. As we know, three were shipped here. Viviana stole one, which left two in his hands.”
Kianthe slid into the desk chair, skimming the shipping manifesto she was pointing to. “Delivered in winter under armed guard.”
“Indeed. Viviana, and seven of his constables. He has their payroll information on a later page. They were all compensated handsomely; it wouldn’t surprise me if those constables were quite rich now.”
“Hmm.” Kianthe glanced up, smirking. “Considering how much you drank, you’re pretty coherent.”
The look Reyna gave her was somewhat acerbic. “Please, Key. I know how to sober up in a pinch.” A pause, a scowl. “And I was recently reminded of what I stand to lose by dismissing that ability.”
Uh oh. Kianthe opened her mouth to ask, but Reyna tapped the papers again.
“We’re focusing here, darling. Now, Arlon received the eggs. Transported them on Serina’s ship, in fact. But he didn’t take them anywhere public. Instead, the only stop he made was to his own, private library.”
Hope soared in Kianthe’s chest. “The eggs are in the library?”
“You said you couldn’t visit it because it was ‘under construction.’ I’m beginning to wonder how long that construction has been ongoing.” Reyna smirked. “It’s wholly possible he uses that guise to keep everyone but the highest dignitaries out.”
“People have seen his library in the last three decades, though,” Kianthe said, brow furrowing. “That’s how we know it’s so spectacular.”
Reyna shrugged. “The finer details remain. I have no reason to believe Arlon moved the eggs after placing them in his library. Further in the paperwork, he has payment records for a basement he built below it, and I think that’s our target.”
“So, now we just need to figure out how to access his ultra-secret, very exclusive library.” Kianthe massaged her forehead.
Reyna, however, was still smirking. “Indeed. And how convenient that the pirates of the Nacean are coordinating to steal from Arlon’s warehouse soon. It’d be such a shame if Arlon’s constables were diverted from one high-profile spot to another.”
All right, then. Kianthe chuckled, pulling Reyna in for a triumphant kiss. “What a shame, indeed.”