Chapter 17 #2
Eira looked doubtful, and Finley couldn’t blame her. She wouldn’t trust her either. The princess pursed her lips but eventually nodded. “We can go to the library.”
“Or the treasure room?” Finley asked with a hopeful smile.
Everyone in the room — including Ai and Rafe — gave her a look that told her the suggestion was inappropriate, and she had to resist the urge to let a laugh bubble out again. They were all far too serious. Did they think she was going to steal treasures and the Chalice when they were all there too?
“What?” she asked.
Ai cocked her head. “Finley, please cooperate.”
All right. Maybe she would try. The best scams were done right under people’s noses.
Finley sighed. “Fine. The library it is.”
Which was far more comfortable than that cold great hall anyway.
There was a grand fireplace and large comfortable chairs, lounges, and pillows.
It wasn’t as vast as the one in the Golden Palace, but it was still impressive.
Finley flopped herself onto an armchair and propped her feet on the table in front of it.
Meanwhile, Ai perched on the chair next to her and nudged Finley with her foot, indicating that perhaps making herself so comfortable wasn’t appropriate either.
She sat straight again. So many rules with these people. Royalty were annoying.
“Let me use the Chalice and I’ll be out of your hair,” Finley said once everyone was in the room, which were only Eira and Myra. Apparently, this was a ladies only situation. Not that Finley minded, but she couldn’t help wondering where Rafe had gone. This affected him too.
“You’re working with Amelia, you’re lucky I didn’t have Aytigin throw you in a dungeon on the spot, or worse,” Eira said back and picked up an old, heavy-looking book off one of the tables before taking a seat across from Finley next to the fire.
Everything the princess did looked like she was floating or dancing.
It must have been exhausting to appear so perfect all the time.
“I’ve gotten myself out of worse situations,” Finley muttered. “And it’s not what you think.”
Myra sat between them, the peacemaker and gave Finley a conspiratorial smile. “I’m sure. You appeared to be working with her in Oxare too. But I will admit I was shocked to see the two of you entwined with her plans for a second time. I thought you hated her.”
“I do,” Finley assured her and rolled her neck. “I only wanted to use her to get the Chalice. So, if you don’t mind, let me get to it.”
Myra reached over and touched Finley’s arm. “But we need your help.”
This time Finley couldn’t contain her groan.
Why did everyone want her help? All she wanted was to get the Chalice, cure the curse, get her ship back, then sail away.
And maybe recreate yesterday’s scene with Rafe.
Was this too much to ask? She shook her head.
“No. I’m done getting involved with royalty and politics.
You all need to fix your own problems from now on. ”
“And we don’t know if we need your help, and even if we did, I’m not about to trust someone working with my stepmother,” Eira added.
Everyone always said the princess was so kind and generous, but all Finley saw was someone stiff and untrusting who was afraid to let her feathers get ruffled.
She would have thought Cadeyrn would have taken care of that.
Rose at least seemed like she could have some fun.
“I’m not working with Amelia!” Finley shrieked.
“We were using her to get the ingredients for Finley’s cure,” Ai explained, her voice sweet and calm. “It was the only way we could protect our crew.”
“Which didn’t even work,” Finley added.
“We abandoned her as soon as we could,” Ai finished. “I can see why you don’t trust us Eira, if I were in your position I wouldn’t either.”
Eira didn’t appear to relax at Ai’s explanation, but she also didn’t glare daggers at Finley anymore either. A little bit of progress.
“Why don’t we show them the book?” Myra suggested.
Eira tightened her grip on the book in her lap. “She’s not touching it.”
“She doesn’t have to. She wouldn’t be able to read it anyway.”
Finley’s jaw dropped. They didn’t have to get insulting. “Just because my nose isn’t in a book all the time like your fiancé’s doesn’t mean I don’t know how to read Myra! I have other things to do.”
Myra gave her a dramatic eye roll while Eira handed her the book. “Are you fluent in Stula’s language?”
“No.”
“Then you can’t read the book. Only I can.
Although I’d imagine Rafe can as well,” Myra answered calmly as she paged through the book until she found the place she wanted.
“It’s a dead language and not even Aytigin knows it.
But Eira found this book a few weeks ago and there’s a story in here we think could be the key to breaking the curse on this castle and defeating Amelia. ”
Finley paled. They thought they knew how to defeat sorcerers? Something in the pit of her stomach turned. “What do you mean?”
So, they told her about the tale of the Cursed Queens. Women who served Luana, Stula, Kutlaous, and Colma. Together they could use the Shadow Slayers to defeat their enemies and break curses. Finley was quiet as they shared their findings and theory as was Ai.
“All right, but I’m not actually a queen,” Finley told them once they were finished. She never thought she would admit this as the title “pirate queen” was one she held in high esteem. But not if it meant she had to get involved.
“Technically, none of us are,” Myra pointed out. “But I don’t think we need to be literal queens. It’s more about our power, our places of leadership, and using The Shadow Slayers.”
Finley’s chest was starting to tighten and she shook her head back and forth as though she couldn’t control it. “But it’s just a story…”
Luckily, she didn’t have to continue her argument as they were interrupted by Aytigin in his dragon form flying by the window and banging on it with one of his giant claws. Eira rushed from her seat and threw open the window.
“Amelia is on her way.”