“I miss the desert sun.” Deneya sighed longingly.
“I’m afraid we don’t have much in the way of money.” Vi turned back to Luke. The son of the maritime minister in the West. A loyalist of the Knights of Jadar still, no doubt. In the face of an old enemy, Vi saw an interesting opportunity. She lowered her voice and leaned forward, speaking conspiratorially. “Not a lot of opportunities for us here.”
“I’ve no doubt.” He muttered something she couldn’t make out, but it ended with “Southerners” in a nasty tone.
“Perhaps… we could work for passage?”
“I have all the crew I need.”
“One of us can do the work of two men without tiring,” Deneya boasted.
Taavin remained silent. His expression was passive at a glance. But she could see the questions in his eyes.What are you doing?he silently asked.
He’d just have to trust in her. It was a skill Vi was still teaching him.
“Is that so?” Luke hummed at Deneya. “I believe it of you. But these two…”
“We’re stronger than we look,” Vi insisted. “Give us a chance. You won’t regret adding additional red-blooded Westerners to your crew.”Red-blooded Westerners—she’d heard the Knights of Jadar using the term and hoped it struck a chord.
“I’ll be the judge of that. But consider me intrigued. Plus, I’m always happy to help out my kin.” Luke held out his flagon and Vi knocked hers against it before they both drank. “Come to the docks tomorrow. We’ll put you through the wringer. If you can keep up, I’m sure I can find a position for you three.”
“Thank you, sir…” Vi paused.
“Lord,” he corrected. “Lord Twintle.”
“Lord Twintle.” Vi gasped, then bowed her head low. “Forgive our impropriety.” Taavin and Deneya followed her motions. No matter how much time passed, Vi was certain a Twintle would always appreciate people prostrating before him.
“You know of me?”
“Oh yes,” she said eagerly. “Who of Mhashan’s blood doesn’t know of the illustrious Twintle family? You stood up for the old ways when very few would. Or so I’ve heard…”
“Luke! Are you going to spend the whole night over there?” A burly man lumbered over, throwing his arm amount Luke’s shoulders. “Your crew would like a drink with their benefactor.”
“Yes, Cole, I’ll be over.” Luke looked back to them, pointedly at Vi. “And I look forward to seeing you three bright and early at theLady Black.”
The two men went over to the pack of Westerners, talking as they left. Vi saw Cole glance back on more than one occasion. She busied herself with her flagon as she stole glances from the corners of her eyes. She didn’t remember a man named Cole the last time she’d been in the West.
But that had been nearly twenty years ago, which was plenty of time for Luke to find new allies. Especially now that he was the new Lord Twintle.
“Want to tell us what that was about?” Deneya asked in hushed tones. The Westerners were no longer paying them any mind.
“And why we’re trying to get on a ship withTwintleof all people.” Even though Taavin couldn’t have recognized the man by face, he recognized him by name.
“To find an enemy, we have to go were enemies lurk,” Vi whispered back. “Twintle is up to something. If he’s coming to Lyndum willingly, I’d stake my life that whatever he’s up to is big, and intended to work against Solaris. He and the rest of the Knights have had decades to lick their wounds from the blows they were dealt at the fall of Mhashan, and my cutting their ranks in the Caverns. They’re emboldened again, and their coffers are fat.”
“You think they might be planning something with QA.”
“I can’t be certain, but they’ve done it before. Why not go to her again?”
“And your rationale is there’s only one way for us to be certain—to get on his ship,” Deneya continued.
“Yes. Either Adela didn’t manage to get the treasure off the Dark Isle and it’s here somewhere, or she took it, and it’s on theStormfrost. If it’s the latter, the Knights might be our best way to get to her.”
“Clever, I’ll give you that.” Deneya grinned and stood, sliding out from the bench of their booth.
Vi and Taavin followed. They slipped out the main door and into the cool night with only a glance from Twintle. It was the last weeks of summer, and the chill of autumn was already beginning to settle on the world.
Taavin linked his arm with Vi’s, allowing Deneya to walk ahead. He lowered his voice. “Are you sure about this?”
