“The Court has reason to believe they are,” Ducot affirmed. “But we’re not sure how many. Deneya and the other Specters seem to be convinced still that Ferro was the head of it all and they’re just scrambling to try and carry out his will.”
“Fools,” Eira muttered.
“I’m inclined to agree with you and that’s why I want to help you however I can.” Ducot nodded in her direction. “I know you’re still going after him.”
“Won’t Deneya haveopinionsof you helping me?” Eira asked, rather than wasting breath on affirming the obvious.
“The Court is in shambles. There aren’t enough ears or eyes among them to be as effective as we once were. Things will slip through the cracks,” Ducot said gravely. “I don’t really care what Deneya’s opinions are. I don’t think we have a choice to refuse help.”
The sentiment was reminiscent of what Olivin had said earlier. The Court was in a rough place; who knew what they’d miss. Eira couldn’t be proud in withholding information.
“Glad I’m the last choice.”
“You didn’t let me finish—I believe in you.” He was adamant, enough that it gave her slight pause.
“Well, thank you.” Eira awkwardly accepted the praise and then refocused herself. “Do you have any other information?”
“Nothing solid.” Ducot sighed, the glowing dots on his brow furrowing slightly. “The Specters think the lack of organization in the Pillars right now is because they have no solid leadership. I’m inclined to agree with your thinking, however. I don’t think they’re disorganized at all. They have something careful in the works and are making themselves appear otherwise to throw us off their trail.”
“Then let’s try to keep track of people. See if we can figure out where they’re positioning the Pillars. Perhaps that will clue us in on what Ulvarth is trying to do.” Eira folded her arms and hummed into her knuckles, thinking.
“My thoughts exactly, and why I wanted your help.”
“What if these Specters are right and the Pillars really are disorganized?” Noelle asked.
“If they were actually disorganized, we would’ve uncoveredsomethingby now,” Ducot reasoned. “But we haven’t. And everything we have found makes things more confusing rather than less. Which leads me to believe they’re feeding us information intentionally—we’re only seeing what they want us to.”
“What have you heard of the court finding?” Eira agreed with Ducot’s overall assessment. Though, if the court was as lacking in manpower as he indicated, it was also possible they had outright missed something in addition to any subterfuge.
“There’s been an influx of thefts from certain noble families—those most sympathetic to Lumeria—as well as a rise in people not from Meru being targeted by similar crimes.”
“That hardly sounds odd. I’ve seen pickpockets always go for the people who look out of place in the Crossroads,” Noelle said.
“True, but these are high-ranking individuals and slaughtered guards. Messy kills…but more than a thief, I think.”
“What else?” Eira asked.
“The only other thing I’ve heard of is there’s been more pirate activity and strange sightings in the western seas.”
“Strange sightings?” Noelle echoed.
“Like sea monsters?” Alyss had that mixture of fascination, horror, and excitement that was always uniquely her.
Ducot shook his head. “Word is they’ve seen theStormfrostlurking near Meru’s waters to the west.”
Adela’s ship. Eira inhaled slowly, trying to calm the jittering nerves that threatened to overtake her at the thought. Perhaps the confrontation with Harkor had her on edge. But every time Adela came up, she was reminded of the missing piece within her. The unknown of who she really was and where she’d come from.
The more time that passed following the incident during the trials, the calmer she was about it—the more at peace she felt. But then something, inevitably, would draw her back to Adela and that ever-present question. She would be here again, in this place of trembling with anticipation that had no relief. Of wondering and not knowing if somewhere, out there, was her blood family. And if that family included the most fearsome pirate ever to sail. If, by finding her blood mother—and that mother was Adela—Eira could finally have an explanation for her powers and bad luck. As though it was the one piece that was needed to have everything else in her life make sense.
“Has Adela done anything, specifically?” Eira asked, keeping her voice level. If the pirate queen wasn’t tangibly involved, then,Adela didn’t matter right now, she tried to insist to herself. She could conduct her own personal search after Ulvarth was settled, if she wanted to at all.
“Nothing we know of. But word is slow to arrive from shadows along the western coast. Hopefully we get more soon. There’s the Central River that runs from the west to here that they’re using as a supply line for the tournament. That’s why they chose this town; it’s smack between the port of Risen and the largest trade port in the west.”
That confirmed Eira’s earlier suspicions of the town’s placement.
“Let me know if you hear anything more from the west on these pirates.” Eira tapped her fingers on her biceps as she ruminated over their circumstances. Ducot smiled slightly and nodded. “Do the Specters still think that Adela isn’t working with the Pillars?”
“Last I heard there was a lot of debate on it. They were more confident she wasn’t a few weeks ago. Now…” He shrugged.
