Chapter 25 Lyx #2
She traces the outline. Something large and square has been cut out, with the wallpaper aligned to cover it. On one side, Lyx finds a divot so small she can barely curl her finger into it, but when she pulls, it slides open.
She squints against the light inside the dumbwaiter. It looks like a piece of the moon, but when Lyx’s eyes adjust, she realizes it isn’t one mass. It’s a collection of pearls of all shapes and sizes emitting beautiful light.
Is this what the oysters are for? That seems…familiar. Lyx plumbs her memories until she lands on one of Mollo. Lyx’s jaw clenches. She was pissed at Mollo that day, too, screaming at her for destroying Lyx’s room again.
Mollo hadn’t even cared, floating flippantly through the water. “You know, oysters have a way of dealing with that. If something sneaks inside that they don’t want, they trap it forever. They roll it up inside a pearly prison.” Mollo smirked. “Maybe you should try it.”
Lyx plucks up one of the pearls. Despite its smooth luminance, it’s easy to see the imperfections of its form. In fact, all of the pearls are misshapen, dented or oblong or grown together. The sheer amount of them is impressive, but they can’t be worth any money like this.
So what is Heathen doing with them?
Lyx sets the pearl back into place, but another one tumbles off the pile.
She scrambles to catch it before it hits the floor, clamping it between her palms and lifting it back toward the others.
But this pearl catches her eye. The color is a milky blue, an iridescent sheen with hints of purple and pink.
It’s shaped like a bell, large and round like —
The light from the pearl reflects off of Lyx’s scales. They shimmer in sync, like they’re rippling into each other.
Lyx sucks in a breath. This pearl is from her.
Overhead, someone crosses the floor. Lyx nearly drops the pearl again, stuffing it into her pocket as she shoves the dumbwaiter closed.
Someone moves down the stairs outside. Lyx rushes to the door and pulls back the edge of a curtain. Two of the crew members pass in front of the captain’s quarters, lingering while they chat.
Lyx tries to keep her breathing even. She has to get out of here. If Heathen comes down while the crew are outside, Lyx is absolutely fucked.
Mercifully, the crew members meander away. Lyx takes a moment to steel herself before she slips out the door and ducks behind a cluster of barrels.
Her heart thuds. She needs to distance herself. If anything is amiss in the captain’s quarters, she can’t be nearby. Pressing her back to the wall, she edges down the ship, too high on adrenaline to stay in one place for long.
Thank the Abyss it doesn’t backfire. She’s not sure she even takes a full breath until she makes it back to Cav.
Her legs wobble, forcing her to lean against the railing.
She shouldn’t stop here. The hatchway is a few yards away, and she can be back in her cabin, free of danger.
But when she pushes back her hood, she can see over the edge of Cav’s hammock.
He’s still sleeping. His tail is still now, draped over his body and curled against his chin. His lips are parted above it, eyelashes so dark where they rest against his cheek.
Her chest tightens. This is how he looked in the grotto.
Peaceful. Trusting. As if she couldn’t kill him without a second thought.
In the years since then, this is what she hated to remember most: his softness.
When all she wanted to feel was anger and vengeance, this image would come back to her.
It reminded her of all the other things he made her feel.
It reminded her of the way he looked when she pushed him away in that boat.
“What are you doing up here?”
Lyx whirls toward the voice. Of course Cypher is prowling the deck, scanning Lyx for a punishable offense.
Lyx resists the urge to dig into her pocket. Cypher doesn’t know anything. She won’t know anything. Lyx swallows her uncertainty. “Didn’t realize I was sequestered to my cabin.”
“It’s the dead of night.”
They watch each other, waiting for the other to slip. The pearl is a weight in Lyx’s pocket, and she prays the fabric of her cloak is enough to block out its light.
Cypher’s eyes narrow, finally registering Lyx’s attire. “What are you wearing?”
Lyx’s nails dig into her palm. She needs an excuse. Her words spill clumsily. “I’m here to fuck Cav.”
Cypher recoils. Lyx presses further.
“We discussed a certain — scene for his experiment. It kept me up all night. I was too impatient to wait for our next meeting.” It’s surprisingly easy to sink into this role.
She tosses her hair off her shoulder and braces a hand on her hip.
“Fortunately, he’s asleep, or I would have made a desperate fool of myself. ”
Cypher looks like she wants to spit out a bad taste, but her mouth twists skeptically.
Lyx lifts a brow. “Would you like specifics of what we were planning, or may I go?”
Cypher’s head jerks to shake the thought away. She makes no move to stop Lyx as she descends the stairs, and when she reaches the bottom, she gives Cypher a snarky wave.