A few pieces linger, moving with me as I turn.
Esme leans against a wall several steps ahead with her arms folded, Leo wide-eyed beside her with the bag over his shoulder bulging. Her expression is one of half-exasperation, half genuine concern. “Did you have to? They’ll remember this when we come back.”
I breathe in slowly, tasting blood at the back of my throat. Unpleasant, but familiar enough that my voice sounds normal. “Gold will make them forget. It usually does.”
Esme nudges Leo forward as they fall into step beside me, our steps quickening. “We’ll need to move fast. Word will spread.”
Shouts sound from behind us, and I poke the bag on Leo’s shoulder. “Can you run with that?”
He nods. “Really fast.”
“Good.”
***
My head has cleared by the time we return. Leo is laden down with more than a few of his precious bars, with a few smaller parcels tucked between them, courtesy of an over-generous stall keeper. He shuffles past Merrick, clutching his treasure with his cheeks spread wide with a grin, and I lean against the stained wooden taffrail.
“I hope you’re happy.” I can tell Merrick is trying not to smile, but he can’t quite manage it. “Leo was adamant he wanted to do the same as us.”
“He’s still a child. Let him be one a little longer.” I look out to the dock, see Sol talking to Grim and raise my hand in signal. “And he works hard.”
“As do you,” Merrick murmurs. “Are you sure you can manage this, Cal? The weight came in at two forty. That’s the biggest load we’ve ever run.”
Two hundred and forty tons. Every single one of them needed. I don’t have a choice but to manage it.
“I’ll manage it. I need to sort the taxes with Grim. We have to go.”
A few minutes later, I step back on deck. The others gather around me. “We’re casting off. Everyone’s here?”
“Barely,” Riordan mutters. Esme elbows him.
More than a dozen lurkers spread out across the slimy dock below us, working in small groups to unwrap the ropes holdingVolatusin place. The ship shifts beneath my feet, and I spread them out, holding steady.
Leo grips the taffrail beside me, his eyes wide. “The ship feels heavy.”
It does. Behind me, the boxes we’ve strapped down creak as the ship moves, and my brows draw down as I cross the deck to look out on the other side. “We’re going to lose the tide if theydon’t hurry. Loosen those ropes. We don’t need the additional weight.”
Sol is already shouting down to the scurrying figures below us. He swears under his breath as he throws up his hands to signal. “If Grim moved any slower he’d be going backward.”
If we miss the tide, we’ll be waiting hours to cast off. I’m surprised the guardia hasn’t caught up with us already.
Merrick is already on the rudder, his hands tightening as I stride up. “No.”
I almost smile, tasting iron at the back of my throat. “Remind me—who’s the captain again?”
“Don’t be a brat. For Caelum’s sake, Callan.” He shoulders in front of the rudder, blocking my way. “You’re not infallible. Let the tide do the work to start.”
The shouting behind us has me raising my eyebrows. “It’s shifting. You want to be stuck on the dock, or you want to get out of here?”
I don’t mention that I’m already drawing on the maegis. Merrick likely already knows, his lips pressed together as he examines my face.
He stays put. “Then we lose a ton. Push it over.”
“No.” My voice is resolute. “We’re taking the full cargo, Merrick. But the longer you stand there, the harder you’re making my job.”
The look he gives me is enough to toss me straight back into my childhood. “Fine.”
I shoulder past him, gripping the rudder.
