“She saved me.”
“And the rest of you,” Vi added as she adjusted her braids. This didn’t seem like a group that valued girlish modesty, so Vi wouldn’t play that card. She slipped into second skins easier than pairs of leggings. “I was told you were a noble fool, but that truly exceeded my every expectation.”
Baldair, the golden prince, the playboy prince, the head of the Golden Guard—his reputation preceded him even after his young death in Vi’s world. Though, seeing him now, at sixteen, it was hard to imagine him as any of those things. All he looked like to Vi was a spitting image of Tiberus.
“Jax, I didn’t realize you were now in the business of babysitting lost, sassy children.” Baldair laughed, his words lacking bite.
“I think I’m the babysitter,” Vi mumbled as she began searching the crates.
“What’re you looking for?” he asked.
“It’s not here, either.” Vi sighed. She should be happy that Henrietta hadn’t found the treasure. But that meant the hard work was still ahead of them.
“You still haven’t told me what we’re looking for.”
“Adela Lagmir stole the crown of Lyndum and fled with the other wealth of the last king.” Vi straightened, placing her hands on her hips. “When the Emperor—your father, Baldair—chased her down the coast, she fled, giving all the impression that she’d taken the treasure with her. But Iknowit’s still here.”
“How are you so sure she left it?” Jax asked. “You said, if I helped you, you’d give me information on the treasure.”
“I overheard them talking when we were docked in the port here to unload stolen goods,” Vi lied. “They said someone was searching the caves and found ‘it.’ I assumed ‘it’ must mean the treasure. What else?”
“I think you’re right.” Baldair reached down, grabbing a wad of folded papers from his boot. “And we just so happen to have the map.”
“You do?” Vi couldn’t believe it. “Someone made a map to the treasure?” Someone who was very stupid to write such a thing down.
“Renalee had apparently been searching for the treasure for some time.”
“Well, show me,” Vi demanded, not bothering to ask who Renalee was.
“The city guard is coming; we can ask them for help.” The young prince hesitated.
“I’m not interested in waiting.” Vi tried to wave the idea away casually. Involving the city guard was a terrible idea—that was a whole lot of variables Vi didn’t want to deal with. “Besides, it would mean more people can get their hands on it. Don’t you want to be the only one to touch it, to hold it? Think of what the history books will say about ‘he who finally rested his hands upon the lost treasure of Adela.’” What did young men want more than glory? Vi was betting on very little.
“It’smyfamily’s treasure. If anyone gets to hold it, it’ll be me.”
“I think I deserve this,” Vi said with a roll of her eyes. “Especially after I helped you.”
“Lay out the papers, Baldair.” Erion was the one with sense in the group. Vi could tell that much. “I’m sure there’s more than enough treasure to go around.”
“Now you want a cut too?”
“I agree with the lady; I think we’ve all earned it,” Erion said to the prince coyly. “What better way to end the summer than actually finding some long-lost pirate treasure? We’ve already hunted a ghost, stopped a murderer, and caught smugglers red-handed. We earned it.”
“I agree. At this point, it’s basically our divine right,” Jax chimed in.
Vi snorted.Divine right—they had no idea.
Baldair relented with a chuckle, laying out the papers. He connected different curving lines stretching across multiple sheets to form a map, and Vi’s mind was already committing each to memory. Some of the tunnels she knew from exploring herself, or seeing the maps of Deneya and Taavin’s explorations. But other tunnels were paths they’d yet to go down. Dead ends and switchbacks were already recorded. The hard work was complete.
“All right,” she declared once the map was solidly in place. She didn’t need a moment more with it. “Let’s go.” The other three looked at her with surprise but fell into step.
They made their way through the tunnels, Vi dragging a dagger she’d lifted from one of the dead pirates along the wall to mark the way in case she returned with Taavin and Deneya.
There was some brief debate when they met a fork in the road. Ultimately they went right—something about a woman wearing an earring contributing to the decision.
At the end of the path was a dead end. Though wind howled through it. The four set to feeling out the walls, eventually finding an illusioned tunnel.
On the other side was another cavernous space, large enough to fit two of theLady Blackside by side. The platform they stood on was just wide enough to stand comfortably without fear of falling. Beneath them, at the bottom of a sheer drop, was a swirling whirlpool. White caps battered the rocks, and the churning waters made it impossible to tell its depth. Though Vi knew, somewhere beneath it all, was a short tunnel that cut through the cliff and let the water rush out to sea.
