“Nah, I don’t think they even existed. Just a bunch of folklore to scare us,” another man offered confidently. Kai and Jade exchanged secret smiles.
“Who cares? We’re better off without them. They destroyed an entire kingdom and abandoned us without thinking twice. It’s all pointless,” a gruff voice said from behind the rest of the crew. Kai looked around to find the owner leaning against a post.
She flashed the man a roguish grin. “What’s your name, sailor?” she asked, making her way to him.
“Henry,” the man said as he straightened his worn vest.
“Well, Henry. You bring up a fine point. You probably are better off without them.” Kai smiled and trailed a finger along his black vest, circling him. “Just between us girls, what would you do if you ever saw that evil sea temptress?” she crooned.
He shrugged. “Throw her back in the ocean where she belongs.”
“Hmm. How brave,” she whispered in his ear, then sauntered back to the group. But not before flicking her finger and sending a large wave crashing into the side of the boat, making Henry lose his balance in surprise. She smirked.
How she loved bringing men to their knees.
TheSea Urchindocked on the east coast of Karstos the next morning. Kai and Jade took in all the sights around them from the landing. The mid-afternoon sun shone brightly on the land, where hundreds of people bustled about, filling ships along the dock with supplies. There were little fishing boats, medium-sized vessels like theSea Urchinfor carrying small amounts of cargo, and enormous ships that rivaled anything the elementals had ever seen. Their masts loomed above them, towering over the rest of the dock and casting the water in shadow. Kai couldn’t believe the humans had designed such magnificent beasts.
The captain of theSea Urchinstepped forward and gave them a small bag with extra food, changes of clothes, and a little money. It had been at Kai’ssuggestion, but she still thanked him graciously and flashed him one of her dazzling smiles.
Once she and Jade got past the shoreline and the myriad of ships, they entered what appeared to be a market. Tents and tables lined the sides of the street, with men, women, and children running around selling their wares. Smoky meats, freshly baked bread, and all sorts of sweets and perfumes mingled in the air. Women waved vibrant, multi-colored fabrics, drawing attention from passersby. Some tables held hand-made wooden crafts like weapons or toys, while others had herbs and tonics in glass vials of various shapes and sizes. Buyers and sellers negotiated prices, children giggled while they weaved in and out of tents, and an upbeat tune came from a sole musician playing a fiddle on a barrel of mead.
These were the signs of life and happiness. Kai smiled, her heart craving this kind of joy.
A red rubber ball rolled into her foot. A little boy chased after it, a hat toppling off his head as he jerked to a stop before her. Kai knelt to pick up the ball, smiling and handing it to the boy.
“Is this yours?” she asked. The boy nodded and swayed back and forth, looking at her bashfully through long, black eyelashes.
“Here you go, then.” She winked and tapped his nose with one side of the ball. He grinned back, the sweetest dimples appearing on his cheeks. Kai’s chest swelled as he scampered off to find his friends, followed by a sharp pang of longing.
“Excuse me, miss, would ya like to try on one of my jewels here?” a kindly old man called from her right, breaking her from her reverie. “I have one that would look mighty fine with yer eyes.”
His table was laden with the most gorgeous jewelry she’d ever seen: silver and gold necklaces inlaid with rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and diamonds; delicate rings with intricate designs on the bands; bracelets decorated with more precious gems. The necklace he held out had a brilliant topaz stone on a long, silver chain. She reached out to touch it. It really would match her eyes perfectly…
“We’re not looking to buy, I’m sorry.” Jade swatted Kai’s hand away. “But could you tell me what village we’re in?”
The man looked at her curiously. “This here’s Callum’s Port. Where are ya two girls looking to go?”
“We’re trying to find a friend. He’s probably somewhere along the River Isles,” Kai said, referring to the heart of Karstos where the three major rivers of the kingdom converged. The longest one, the Lapula River, ran from the north to the center of Karstos, where it branched off into three separate strands that flowed through the south side of the lands. The point where all three connected in the middle of the kingdom was called the River Isles. Kai wasn’t positive that Aidan would be there, but she knew the underground caves that ran beside those rivers used to be one of his favorite spots when they visited Karstos, and she remembered he’d been heading in that direction when they had parted a thousand years ago.
With the mention of the River Isles, the old man’s eyes went wide. “I don’t know if that’s where ya want to go, miss,” he said warily.
Jade and Kai exchanged glances. “What do you mean?” Jade pressed.
“From what I’ve heard, there’s a big mess over there. The River Isles was torn wide open a couple 'a days ago. They’re still tryin’ to stop the fire, miss.” He looked around and lowered his voice. “Some are sayin’ it’s the work of the lost gods.”
Well, they had definitely found Aidan.
Chapter Nine
Kai
TheRiverIsleswasabout a day’s journey from the eastern coast. Thanks to the elderly jewelry maker, they’d found a caravan of families making its way from Callum’s Port to the opposite end of the island that was kind enough to allow Kai and Jade to accompany them to their destination. With one smile, Kai had the men in the clan clambering to give her their position in the shaded wagon.
“You have got to be kidding me,” Jade mumbled, but Kai noticed she didn’t object to their newfound comfortable seats.
The first few hours of their journey passed quickly as the two peered out the back of the wagon to take in the view around them. Karstos had always been the most charming—aside from Iona—with its abundance of lush greenery and wildlife. It had the fairest climate of all the large island kingdoms; not the blistering heat of the deserts in Ara Mir, nor the frigid temperatures of north Evonlea. They passed uninhabited wooded areas and traveled through numerous small villages, watching the natives tend to their everyday lives.
Kai was shocked by the drastic differences from her memory of a thousand years ago, especially in fashion. Women wore clothing that showed far more skin than she remembered, and quite a few of the people they passed—men and women alike—had colorful paint all over their eyes and bodies.
