16. Zai #2
“You sure as the abyss ain’t,” another man said. “Your slop’d serve better as fuel for the fire pits.”
Laughter rolled through the room. Even Orrin cracked a grin.
Tera sighed, rolling her eyes like the bickering of her crew exhausted her.
“I can sing too!” Kestrel added.
“Really?” The man who’d criticized the food leaned forward. “Let’s hear it!”
“All right, what’s your name, my dear sir?”
“Me? I’m Flint. An’ if yer singin’ ‘bout me, you’d blazin’ well better make me the most terrifyin’ pirate in the sky.”
The crew laughed and jeered, some of them shoving Flint playfully.
“I’m a hunted criminal, ye know!” Flint’s chest puffed out. “Killed a dozen sun guards, sure as the abyss. Joined Tera’s crew for the chance to kill more of those bastards.”
Jeers and cackling rippled through the group.
I frowned. So much resentment toward the royal family and the sun guard. They blamed those in power for their banishment when they should be looking in a mirror.
Kestrel started beating one hand against his hip in a steady rhythm, voice lifting in a melodic song. “Let me tell you about Flint the Furious, the most fearsome pirate of all.”
He sang about Flint’s supposed accomplishments, how he killed a dozen sun guards with his bare hands, weaving wild details into each line on the spot. Flint smirked, and the crew roared with laughter, yelling for Kestrel to add new details, which he did without missing a beat.
While he performed, Tera tugged me along to a corner table.
She leaned in close. “Now, tell me what really happened.”
Of course she’d seen through my half-truths.
I glanced around the cheerful room. These rough men and women certainly weren’t trustworthy, but maybe they were the allies I needed.
Leaning over the table, I kept my voice low. “My father offered me a chance at redemption, but I need to do something for him.” I tuned in to her heat signature, gauging her reaction. “Would you be interested in a deal?”
Her expression didn’t change, but a spike in her body heat told me I’d piqued her interest.
Her fingers drummed once against the table. “Go on.”
“Have you heard about the so-called Dual Wielder?”
“My pirate network’s been buzzing about him, yes.”
“If I capture him and bring him back to my father, my exile will be lifted.” I held her gaze. “Can you help me catch him?”
She barked a laugh. “You can’t afford me and my crew. We only take well-paid assignments.”
Her piercing stare held mine, but heat flickered through her veins, betraying her excitement.
A playful smile tugged at my lips. “If I’m welcomed back as the sun prince, I can ensure my allies are richly rewarded.”
Her eyes gleamed as she dropped all pretense and leaned forward. “Could you ensure my crimes were forgiven too?”
I raised a brow. “I thought you’d forged a new path with the crew.”
Annoyance flickered across her face. “It’s a hazard, you know, living as a wanted criminal.
Always looking over your shoulder. Traveling in a constant state of vigilance.
” Her features smoothed as she leaned closer.
“Look, I’m not trying to regain my old life in the palace.
I only want the freedom to roam the Sun Kingdom without fearing execution. Can you arrange that?”
I imagined Father’s face twisting in rage as I suggested forgiving Tera for her crimes.
Slipping on an easy smile, I nodded. “Of course.”
Somehow, I had to figure out a way to convince Father, but I’d worry about that when we got there.
Tera eyed me. “Care to back that up with oath-horn ink?”
My eyebrows shot up. “You have oath-horn ink?”
The ink came from oath-horn grazers, hunted near extinction until my great-grandfather outlawed their capture and declared their horns a state-controlled resource.
The horns bled a dark-red pigment, and when used as ink, it preserved the intent of the words.
If the oath-taker’s intentions ever changed, the words would smear.
Tera pulled a small vial, a quill, and a piece of parchment from her coat. “It’s not that I don’t trust you. But one can never be too cautious.”
Exactly the kind of thinking Father would approve of. Smirking, I took the quill. “All right. But only if you do the same.”
A twinkle of approval lit her dark eyes as she pulled out another piece of parchment. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Mulling over what words to choose, I dipped the quill in the vial and bent over one of the parchments.
If Tera and her crew help me capture the Dual Wielder and deliver him to the Sun King, I will ensure she’s pardoned for past crimes.
Prince Zaivareth, second son to King Azeron of the Sun Kingdom
The crimson ink darkened to black as it settled. I brushed a finger across my name and it remained intact. The words wouldn’t smudge unless my intention changed.
I slid the quill across the table.
Tera didn’t hesitate. Her handwriting was faster than mine, less careful. I read the words upside-down as she wrote.
I will do whatever I can to assist Zaivareth in his mission to capture the Dual Wielder and deliver him to the Sun King.
Tera
Short but effective. We exchanged parchments, and she tucked mine along with the quill and ink into her coat while I stuffed hers into the coin pouch.
Grinning, she clinked her mug against mine. “To mutually beneficial arrangements. Tomorrow, we hunt down that Dual Wielder and bring him to the Sun King.”