Chapter 34
Fear flashed on Aeliana’s face, stirring up Gaeren’s own concern for Velden.
But the half-Sayhleen only laughed bitterly. “That sounds like a challenge. One I will gladly accept.”
“No.” The forceful word came from Barny’s lips, surprising everyone.
Even Velden sat down, his anger deflating to irritation. “Why not?”
This time, when Ludo and Barny exchanged nervous glances, Ludo sat back, bringing his glass to his lips.
A deep sigh emanated from Barny. “Dirk went after him.”
Gaeren frowned, not remembering who Dirk was.
“Your friend who died?” Cyrus asked.
Aeliana shot him a glare, likely irritated by his lack of tact. But it helped Gaeren remember their initial meeting of these two men and the shared grief over another friend of Velden’s.
Velden leaned forward, his voice low with fury. “You said it was an accident at sea.”
If Barny and Ludo thought to deter him from going after Dreyfus with this information, they didn’t know their friend as well as they used to. This was only going to fuel Velden’s motivation.
“It was meant to be an accident that sank the man’s carnival ship,” Ludo said. “If the murderer went down with it, so be it. None of us understand how Dreyfus’ ship came back and Dirk didn’t.”
“And you just…let him get away with it?” Velden’s hands balled into fists on the table, water leaking out to pool across the surface. Cyrus rescued a couple of plates by bringing them closer to his corner.
Ludo sighed. “It’s not that simple, Velden.
We’ve been chasing after revenge in your honor, waiting for the day that we could tell you your mother was finally at peace.
It suddenly seemed like a waste if it made us lose one of our own as well.
And that’s why we don’t want to lose you either.
” He jabbed a finger into the table, his face bunched up with passion—or maybe pain.
“This man has evaded us for twenty-five years. Every time we’ve gone after him, he’s known.
Sometimes I think he’s laid traps to play with us.
It feels like he controls the wind itself, finding ways to escape us at every turn. ”
“Sometimes vengeance is best left to the Stars,” Cyrus murmured. “Or the Sun.” He cast a sheepish look around the table.
Velden pursed his lips and looked away.
“So he’s a destructive noetic?” Riveran asked.
“I don’t think he has a starlock.” Ludo shook his head. “He’s just lucky.”
“Well, his luck’s run out,” Aeliana announced. “Regardless of whether the man deserves Velden’s revenge or whether it’s even possible, we’re still going after him.”
For a moment their companions seemed confused, but then understanding dawned. “He has the silver fish.” Ludo shook his head. “All this time I thought Velden’s mother came from some underground community of Sayhleens hiding from the half-lights. But she really came from across the barrier?”
Aeliana nodded. “Perhaps instead of trying to kill the man or sink his treasures, we should be figuring out how to perform a heist.”
A slow grin spread across Velden’s face, making Ludo groan. “I’m in,” the half-Sayhleen said.
“This means we can start eating now, right?” Cyrus asked, a forkful of meat pie already halfway to his lips.
Sylmar and the others arrived soon after, requiring the information to be repeated. Their discussion went well into the night, the plan growing more involved than Gaeren wanted.
He may have been a prince, but he was also a sailor.
And he would be lying if he said he’d never stolen a thing or two in honor of the pirates he looked up to.
But Velden’s plans were overcomplicated and involved far too many people.
Supposedly Dreyfus had wonders of the world aboard his ship that couldn’t be found anywhere else, so Velden intended to turn To the Deep and Back into Dreyfus’ competition.
They’d lure the man aboard their boat while Velden and Ludo boarded his.
It was a good thing Dreyfus wasn’t expected to return until the following week, because they had dozens of people to contact and supplies to procure. It left Gaeren uneasy. There were too many ways for Dreyfus to hear of their plans. There was too much room for error.
“It’s not going to work,” Riveran whispered as they settled into their bedrolls that night.
Most of the sailors around them snored, and all seemed asleep.
“If two years in the seedier parts of Elanesse taught me anything, then I guarantee our plans will already be in that man’s ears before he’s even docked his ship. ”
Gaeren grunted his agreement, too tired to say much more.
Cyrus had stayed above deck worshiping the Stars, and Lukai had tagged along to say good night to the women.
Sylmar and Velden had remained back at the pub, finalizing plans, which left only Holm and Brogdon still getting settled in the bunk room for the night.
Thankfully they were across the room, oblivious to Riveran’s assessment of their situation.
“If he’s docking in all the major ports between Valorian and Andel to sell his wares, he’ll hit up Melford just before heading here.
” Riveran’s voice grew even lower as he lay down, hands behind his head.
“You could hire a ferryman to get you across the inlet and beat him there by a day, maybe two. If no one else knows about it, he won’t be expecting it. ”
Gaeren lay back, studying the rivets holding the mast in place in the ceiling where it cut through the ship’s core.
It was a decent plan. Far better than Velden’s overdramatic flair and overcomplicated steps.
“We might even talk a little louder about Velden’s plans to keep Dreyfus’ focus on his arrival here. ”
“Exactly,” Riveran agreed.
Gaeren mulled it over in his mind. It would take five or six days to reach Melford without To the Deep and Back.
Dreyfus would probably reach it in six or seven, maybe stay a day or three for his “show.” They could go on board, show interest in the Sayhleen tail.
Gaeren grimaced at the thought, but it would also allow them to see the starbridge, Dreyfus’ methods for protecting it, and all the entrances and exits to the place they’d need to perform their heist.
Worst-case scenario they could stow away in the hull of the ship and steal it while Dreyfus was sailing back.
“It might work,” he said.
“Only if it’s kept quiet. And only if you take just one or two others.”
“Are you volunteering?”
Riveran’s laugh was short, and he rubbed the X on his forehead. “Not with this.”
Gaeren frowned, his thoughts taking a new direction. Once again this was an instance in which he could do more good back with Enla. “My parents were willing to remove it for you. If I got back in their good graces—”
“Nah. I’d rather have this brand for everyone to see than owe your parents something in secret.”
Gaeren flinched even though Riveran had said the words without malice. It almost made it worse that his response didn’t come as an emotional deflection but more of a statement of fact. That was just how terrible Gaeren’s parents were, and everyone knew it.
“What about Enla?” Gaeren asked.
“What about her?” Riveran frowned, turning to take in what little he could see of Gaeren’s face in the moonlight through the porthole.
Gaeren tried to keep his face passive. “Would you be all right if you owed Enla something in secret?” It was a poor way to ask what he really wondered, and Riveran’s confused face proved it. “Do you still love her?”
A mix of emotions crossed Riveran’s face before he schooled his features too.
“She’s bonded.” The words came out flat as he lay back on his bedroll.
“Bonds can be broken,” Gaeren whispered, surprised at his own words.
“Well, she also got married.” The pain in Riveran’s voice confirmed what Gaeren already knew. “She should have at least told me in her letter,” he muttered.
“I’m sorry.” Gaeren was still sorry for all the ways their friendship had soured over misunderstandings. But he also felt sorry for Enla and Riveran. They’d lost even more.
“Whoever you choose to take,” Riveran said, forcing Gaeren back to the plan, “it should be someone you trust with your life.”
Gaeren nodded, and several of the sailors’ faces passed through Gaeren’s mind.
But they were all overshadowed by a woman with green eyes and daisies at her fingertips.
Convincing Aeliana wasn’t the difficult part. It was getting her alone to ask. Sylmar and Velden kept everyone busy with redecorating Gaeren’s ship, the tasks more suited to Enla’s event planning than a group on a mission to find a starbridge.
Eventually he grew impatient, and as Aeliana organized jars of random sea creatures on a table, he placed a hand on her shoulder, drawing energy from his starlock and doing his best to pass her the memory of his conversation with Riveran.
She stilled, her hand going to her own starlock, which lay hidden under her shirt, then glanced up at him, a slow smile spreading on her face. “Absolutely.”
He smiled back, then glanced around, knowing the look on his face would make anyone suspicious, but everyone seemed too preoccupied with Sylmar’s and Velden’s orders.
“Will you be ready at the moon’s reign?” he asked.
Her brow furrowed. “Is that midnight for Vendarans?”
He grinned, remembering she’d been raised in a different culture. “You got it.”
“But you don’t even worship the moon.”
“It’s more of an expression. At its peak, the moon is reigning over all of Rhystahn.”
“I’ll be ready.” She glanced at Iris, who fought with Holm over a sign he was painting.
Gaeren winced at the permanent damage being done to his best spare sail. If nothing else, this side adventure would allow him to miss seeing all the ways they were ruining his beautiful ship.
He snuck into his cabin to remove some of the money he’d hidden under a board, and Riveran helped him pack a bag, which they hid in a storage room.
“I won’t tell Larkos or Thallahan that you picked her over them.” Riveran didn’t even try to hide his smile.