Chapter Fourteen
The cat wanted to stay.
Dax carried him to the boat twice. Each time, as soon as Stowy was set down on the deck, he’d spread his wings and fly back to Marin’s parents’ house. The first time he landed on the table in the garden. The second time he perched on the roof.
“I think he likes it here,” Marin said.
“I’m getting that impression,” Dax said. He put his hands on his hips and looked up at the roof. “I’m trying not to take it personally.”
“He did just experience his first fish feast.”
“Yes, but that won’t happen every day,” Dax said. “It was a special occasion.”
“My parents will make sure he has as much fish as he wants, as well as other treats,” Marin said.
For as long as they can. She felt a pang looking up at the orange cat on the roof.
He wasn’t the brightest cat she’d ever encountered, but he was sweet, and he’d been a part of their crew, however temporary.
He’d be happy here, though—it was a happy place—at least until the debt came due.
Once that happened … She’d seen it before: to pay off a debt, the bank would claim whatever it deemed equivalent value.
In her parents case, it wouldn’t be their old, unenchanted boat.
It would be their home. If she couldn’t come up with a miracle, then in two short months, they’d be forced to leave their beloved cottage and peach trees and view, to walk away from all the memories sunken into the walls and the earth, to rely on the kindness of others for a place to sleep until they could cobble enough together to rent a room somewhere, perhaps not even on Flicker.
And through it all, Iovar would simply look as if he was doing his job, protecting the interests of his client.
Between them, Ree said forlornly, “Maybe Stowy just didn’t want to be a sailor.”
“It should be his choice what dreams he chases,” Marin said. “Even if he’s just chasing fish feasts.”
Carrying a basket, Pa bustled out of the kitchen.
The basket was covered with a checkered cloth and looked to be bursting with jars and parcels, definitely pie, despite the fact that they’d already had peach pie for breakfast—the very best breakfast. “A few treats for your journey.” He kissed Marin on the cheek and then kissed Dax on the cheek as well, which made Marin’s eyebrows shoot up.
He’d certainly never done that with Iovar, even before they knew he was not the man he’d seemed to be.
“Thank you, this is wonderful, but Pa, we need to talk about—”
Her father shoved the basket into her arms then patted her cheek. “Bah, we do not. It’s a beautiful day, and we’ve had a lovely visit. Let’s not ruin it.”
“But Iovar—”
“Snakes will slither,” Pa said. “We can’t let it take away our happiness.”
Dax chimed in. “I was thinking weasel.”
“Mmm, yes,” Pa said. “Snakes can be useful. No need to insult them.”
Marin shook her head. It didn’t matter whether Iovar was a snake or a weasel, he was still going to take their home.
All the running away she’d done, all the sneaking back home for visits—all the times she’d told herself she was done with him and free of him, that she never had to think about him again, and they were right back where she swore they’d never be.
She wondered if this was how the revolutionaries felt—they defenestrated the emperor but that hadn’t been enough to get rid of the empire.
The city had still burned. “I’ll take as many jobs as I can.
Got a crew now. If we can find a few that are lucrative enough… ”
Pa patted her hand. “It’s not your job to save us.”
Marin snorted. “Of course it is.”
He covered her hands with his, enveloping them.
His hands were calloused from years of tending the trees, rolling out dough for his pies, and all the hard work he’d done to make this house a home, alongside Ma.
They’d poured their hearts into this place, and they shouldn’t ever be forced to leave.
And besides, where would they go? Move in with Ma’s sister, who barely had room for her own family?
None of them wanted that. It could be years before they scraped enough together for four walls of their own again.
This could break them. If I fail them. They trust me.
“Mariner, your life is your life to live,” Pa said. “Ours is ours. We won’t have you sacrificing your happiness to remedy a decision we made voluntarily.”
He said “voluntarily,” but it was her mistake in trusting Iovar. She was the one who’d brought that weasel-snake into their lives. “You wouldn’t have had to—”
“It was our pleasure to,” Pa said. “Now you go out there and find your happiness. That’s what you can do for us.” He glanced at Dax and Ree. “I think you’ve made a good start.”
There was no point arguing.
Clearly, Marin wasn’t going to let them lose the house, even if she hadn’t figured out exactly how she was going to save it.
She’d been making the payments fine, but this …
I’ll figure it out. There had to be some way to stop this, to stop Iovar.
She was not just going to let this happen.
She plastered a smile on her face, though, as if she wasn’t worried.
Ma joined them, and there were hugs all around, with promises to return soon. As Marin boarded her boat, she looked back at her parents, framed by their cottage, its roof festooned with winged cats. The fallen leaves were scattered around their feet in browns and golds and reds, like papery jewels.
I could sell the boat. Start over.
The thought made her heart twist, and she knew her parents would never accept that—the entire point of the debt was to allow her to take to the sea, to live out her dream and continue their dream. They’d never be happy with her sacrificing that.
Besides, that was exactly what Iovar wanted. He wasn’t after her parents. He wanted to punish her. She had to find a way to deny him that satisfaction.
I’ll just work harder. She had to complete as many deliveries as possible and hope it would be enough. And she was going to have to take some risks.
Like returning to Alyssium.
That was where all the most lucrative jobs had always been, since that was the center of wealth for the empire.
She thought of what Tavo had reported, that the empire had fallen.
Regardless of who controlled the government now, it was still where all the money was.
And fewer supply runners will be going there, because of the recent chaos.
Until a new normalcy was established, there could be an opportunity for large payouts, if the wealthy were desperate and without their usual suppliers, and especially if there was no one collecting the usual imperial taxes and tariffs, which was a distinct possibility.
She turned that idea over in her head as they sailed away from Flicker and rejoined Perri out in the open ocean.
It was shortly after dawn, and the sun was still fresh lemon yellow and shedding sparkles on the water.
With this much beauty around them, everything seemed possible.
In the distance, Marin watched a herd of merhorses chasing a school of fish.
She wondered how the others would feel about returning to Alyssium this soon.
If they went back, would Dax return to the conservatory? He’d done what he’d wanted to: seen more of the world. And he’d completed his obligation to her by appearing at the End-of-Harvest Festival. “Dax?”
“Yes?” He was seated on the side of the ship, making notes in one of his notebooks—swirling marks to indicate musical notations.
She knew what she had to ask: Are you done sailing?
Done with this, with us, with me? All he’d wanted was to see a few islands beyond Alyssium.
Certainly he hadn’t agreed to join her crew long-term or accompany her on any risky jobs.
Her problems weren’t his problems, and he hadn’t promised to sail with her after the festival.
But she couldn’t bring herself to form the words.
Instead, she asked, “What are you working on?”
He brightened. “It’s an interplay between a classical structure and the more free-flowing rhythms of festival music. There are some fascinating call-and-answer harmonies that I’d like to explore.”
Marin felt her heart squeeze. He belongs in the conservatory.
She couldn’t keep him from his life’s work.
She could see his passion for it shining in his eyes.
“I’ve been thinking about returning to Alyssium, for jobs, since Iovar—” She stopped.
She didn’t want to talk about him and his latest bid to punish her.
His name didn’t deserve to be spoken out here on the unsullied sea.
“I ran into a supply runner in Dew who said the fires have been tamed. It’s possible the city has settled down. ”
Ree bounced in place. “We can deliver Yarrow’s letter!”
She nodded. “That will be our first priority, if we can get through, and then once that’s done, we can pick up additional jobs.” She remembered the barricades in the canal. And the corpse. She suppressed a shudder.
Watching Dax, she wondered what he was thinking and feeling.
His lips were pressed together and he was looking out at the horizon.
Was he ready to return? Was he worried about what he’d find when he did?
His friends were safely on Eventrid, but what about everyone else in the conservatory or in the city?
She wondered what kind of damage the empire had inflicted in its death throes. Was he afraid to return and see? Am I?
Ree scooted next to him and laid a branch on his arm. “You don’t need to go back to the conservatory if you don’t want to. It’s okay to love the sea.”
Dax looked startled.