“Stormfrost,” Vi repeated blankly, watching the carnage unfold. The crew made quick work of their deed before returning to the boat.
“The vessel of the legendary pirate, Adela.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“Jayme.”Vi’s eyes darted between her and Kora. “Now would be a good time.”
“A good time to what?” Jayme arched her eyebrows.
“Oh, she thinks you’re going to kill me.” Kora laughed, hopping out of the rowboat and almost skipping in the surf. “She and I go way back, almost as long as you two.”
“What?” Vi looked to Jayme. Her friend—friend?—stood rigid, sword in hand, looking down at her. “What is she talking about? Aren’t you… You killed Marcus’s man to help us barter, right?”
There was a hairline fracture cracking Vi’s understanding. Nothing made sense. The world was ice around her. It fell on her shaking shoulders, collecting in white drifts, melting through her clothes, soaking into her skin, and refreezing around her heart.
Jayme slowly raised her sword, pointing it at Vi.
“Get out of the boat,” she commanded, her voice low and dangerous.
“What’re you doing?” Vi didn’t move.
“Out of the boat.”
“Jayme—”
“Do it!” Her friend snapped. “I didn’t work this hard to get you this far, only to kill you because you’re just so bloody stupid.”
“What are you talking about?” Vi whispered, standing slowly in an effort to perhaps coerce the woman into giving her answers through her compliance. “Get me this far?”
“Aren’t you supposed to be friends?” Kora called from the beach. “Friends don’t screw up friend’s plots.”
“Out.” Jayme flicked her sword through the air, and Vi obliged, too stunned to do anything else.
The water made her suck in air as it splashed up to her thighs. It was like dunking in a vat of ice. Shivering and soaked from the waist down, Vi moved up the beach. Jayme sloshed behind her. When they were both on solid ground, Vi turned, surprised to find the sword point so close to her.
“Tell me what’s going on,” Vi demanded firmly.
“I don’t take orders from you, or anyone else in your family, anymore.” Jayme tilted her head, looking up at Vi in sheer rage. In that moment, Vi really wouldn’t have been surprised if she shoved the sword clear through her torso.
“What’s going on, Jayme. Tell me?” Vi dropped her voice to a whisper, glancing at Kora. She was waving her arms, signaling to the icy vessel at the entrance of the lagoon. “She won’t hear now and—”
“Oh, I don’t care if Kora hears. Kora knows everything. You’re the one who’s in the dark, Vi.”
“What’s… everything?” Vi whispered. Her voice was so tiny, just like Vi felt in that moment.
“See, Adela charged me with finding some new goodies…” Kora walked over. She could hear after all. “I docked up on Solaris and began listening around. Worked in the docks for a bit, got close to the Le’Dans—that was fortuitous. But it was when I was in the Crossroads that I really had my breakthrough with Jayme here.” Kora rested her hands lightly on Jayme’s shoulders.
“You… you’re the woman Andru saw in the Crossroads.” Vi looked from Kora to Jayme. “You said you had no idea what he was talking about.”
“I lied,” Jayme said it with an incredulous shake of her head. “You’re so damn gullible, you believed me when it came to just about everything.”
“I believed you because I thought you were my friend!” Vi didn’t know if her voice broke in anger, or pain—likely both. The icy grip on her heart was spreading, building a cage. Every beat was slower, more strained. When it stopped, Vi didn’t know what would happen.
“I was never your friend. I was thehelp. Your messenger. Your errand girl.”
“I never saw you that way,” Vi said gently, pleading. It was already far too late. She was pleading for a girl—a woman—who had never really existed in the first place.
“You’re a Solaris. Everyone is your plaything, your toy,” Jayme seethed.
