Chapter Twenty-Six #2
Elara chewed at her lip, then remembered she was supposed to be a confident man inspecting the vessels in the dock.
She threw her shoulders back and looked about the ship in front of them, before laying eyes on a severe-looking naval officer who was manning its entrance.
Going by the colours and sigil of the ship’s flag, if Elara remembered her geography lessons correctly, he appeared to be appointed by King Nereus of Neptuna.
‘Can I help?’ he asked, looking down his nose.
‘Yes,’ Elara said, striding forwards. ‘We’re looking for passage to Altalune.
And wondered if you have a few spare beds available.
We’re tidy, respectful and can help with any chores on board.
Oh, and this one can sing for his supper.
Beautiful voice.’ She jerked her thumb towards Leo, who cast her an unimpressed look.
‘Unfortunately, we’re not looking for any musicians to join our crew,’ the officer said drily. Leo glowered.
‘What about money? I know even the most upstanding of sailors wouldn’t say no to…oh, a bag of midans?’
She tossed the pouch of stones she’d been carrying at him, but not before she’d woven an illusion over them.
‘Are you trying to bribe a naval officer of King Nereus?’ he demanded.
Elara began to reach for the bag back. ‘No?’ she said.
He swiped a coin out of the bag, inspecting it in the light before biting down upon it.
‘What is this?’ he demanded. Damn it all, she’d slacked on her illusions. ‘These are fakes.’ He turned to another sailor. ‘Get Admiral Thalassa at once!’
‘Time to go,’ Leo said breezily, and the two pelted back down the gangplank and into the throng, moving with it to the next ship as indignant shouts followed them.
They raised their heads as the next ship beckoned—the one she’d noticed earlier with the beautiful figurehead.
‘That’s a pirate ship,’ Leo warned, pointing up at the flag. A set of crossed cutlasses—as was customary for a pirate flag—could be seen, though in place of the usual skull, this one had a mermaid painted upon it, her tail coiled up behind her.
‘Well, they might take more kindly to a bribe, then,’ Elara retorted, swaggering up the dock towards the Starred Siren.
As she neared the gangplank, she could see how opulent the ship was compared to the austere deck of the naval vessel before.
The wood was lacquered a deep cherry, the deck gigantic. She saw members of the crew upon the deck playing cards, each festooned with so much jewellery that their arms must have hurt just carrying it all.
Just as they made to approach, she heard a call.
‘Elara?!’
Elara spun—dropping the bag of pebbles to the floor—and ducked, Leo already covering her with his own body.
Who in the blazes had recognized her?! There was the ring of steel as Leo relieved his scabbards of two weapons, holding both high as he squinted in the direction of footsteps thundering across the deck, before a face Elara had come to know very well bowled into view.
‘Adrian?’ she asked in disbelief.
‘I’ve been looking for you all day.’ He rushed down the gangplank while his comrade observed the exchange from above.
‘There was this beautiful but terrifying seer who had me accosted in the market, and she told me I had to wait for you. I’ve been in the crow’s nest all bloody day with my eyes peeled. ’
He stopped himself, blinking, as he turned to Leo. ‘And who’s this?’
‘Wait a moment,’ Elara blustered. ‘Isra found you? And most importantly—you can see through my glamour, but not Leo’s?’
‘Leo?’
‘The man you fought in the pits. Who you tried to drown?’ She pointed at him next to her.
Adrian squinted. ‘You don’t look at all how you did then.’
‘It’s good to see you’re as asinine as when you were a boy,’ Leo drawled.
‘How do you know me—’ Realization dawned in his eyes. ‘You? You were the shadow of the fucking entitled, arrogant Prick of Helios.’
‘Ah, might you be speaking about Enzo?’ Elara said.
‘How do you know him?’ Adrian demanded. Then groaned. ‘Holy Stars. He was the over-possessive animal that whisked you away at the ball, wasn’t he?’
Elara’s lips twitched as she thought of that night, her worries so far away when she’d been in his arms.
‘That’s all by the by right now, Adrian.
I-I told you, in the pits…’ She swallowed past the image, past what had been in front of her when she’d uttered the words.
‘You owe me a life debt. Well, this is it. I spared your life; now you must save mine. The kingdom is out for my head. And I’m not well. I need to get to Altalune.’
She reached forwards and gripped his wrist. ‘Please?’ she whispered.
He sighed. ‘Though I don’t have much faith in the Stars any more, it seems that fate is binding us to each other. Three times now, we’ve met by chance.’
‘Let’s hope this time is lucky?’ she asked.
Adrian half smiled. ‘I suppose you’d better come aboard the Starred Siren.’
‘About that…’ Elara said, looking at Leo and then away. ‘I have a couple more guests included in this debt.’