“I wouldn’t put it past him,” the second warned. “Stay away from that stuff, Brendyn. Fatesprig’s nothing to scoff at.”
Fatesprig. I looked down at the leaves in my hand.
“True, I saw what it did to that Dumafreak,” the first remarked.
My eyebrows shot into my head as I glanced back up.Duma freak? Were they talking about Nox?
Another thought occurred to me that made my stomach sink. If itwasn’tNox, who could they mean?
“Hey! What are you doing here?” The men whirled around to face me, the one with the knife lurching forward. The blade’s edge gave a menacing flash. Cold scratched along my ribs as my lungs forgot how to breathe for a second.
Fates. Really wished I had my dagger right about now. Or magic.Think fast, Devora.
I reached out and pretended to feel along the floor, then shot up with a handful of leaves in my grip. I extended it to them, quickly sifting through the tidbits of information I’d overheard to see what I could use. “Umm…Rolney sent me. To get the last of the fatesprig.”
The man holding the knife narrowed his eyes. “The boat’s all clear. Why would Rolney send you?”
I shrugged. “There are still a couple of broken barrels over there.” I nodded toward the other end of the quarterdeck. “Said Scarven would be pissed if a single leaf was missing.”
“Go check,” the first one, Brendyn, said to the second, jerking his head to where I pointed. His blade stayed trained on me. “Why don’t I recognize you?”
I licked my lips. “I don’t live here. I’m part of the Mysthelm crew. From the North Territory.”
His eyes dragged along my body, interest sparking as if I were a toy suddenly dangled in front of him. “Mysthelm, you say? Maybe I should’ve stowed away on a ship with you months ago.”
My lips curled up in disgust, but I schooled my features. “Look, my captain told me we’re already late with the delivery, and he doesn’t want to make Scarven mad. But if you’re okay with that, then by all means, waste my time.”
“She’s right, Brendyn,” the second one said as he made his way back. “Two broken barrels full of it.”
Brendyn sighed, giving me one last look. “Fine. Get them out. I’ll tell Rolney it’s clear, then we can get going.”
A weight lifted from my chest, and my shoulders sagged in relief. The two of them walked back down the gangplank and out of sight, the wooden deck creaking beneath their weight.
I slumped against the railing, pinching the stems in my pocket.Fatesprig.
A smile pulled at my lips. Perhaps this would be enough to prove myself after all.
12
Nox
Islammed my fists on my desk. “We werethisclose,” I snarled. My fingers shifted into talons and scratched against the wood. “Why were they there so early?” I whirled around to face the others, then motioned to Tessa. “This new contact of yours must be a rat. Scarven knew someone was going to be there.”
The four of them looked as dejected as I felt. We’d gotten away mostly unscathed. When Everett was cornered, his illusion over Tessa and me fell, and Scarven’s men converged. Tessa and I took out a couple before she was able to shift into a smaller cat form and get away to help Everett, and Arowyn magicked herself to my side. Then we met Tessa, Kieran, and Everett in the village square.
Everett had a few scratches, and Tessa broke her wrist, but she’d healed by the time we met up. No lasting injuries. No identities compromised. Overall, it wasn’t a loss.
But we still had no clue what Scarven wanted from that shipment.
My hands curled into balls at my sides. It wasinfuriating, not being able to use my power. Knowing he had managed to stifle the largest part of me and bend it to his will. If I gave away who I was among his men, he’d know I betrayed him. A dragon wouldn’texactly blend in. ButIwasn’t the one who would pay the price. The hold Scarven had over my sister’s life threatened me every single day.
When I saw my people in need, I wanted to lash out. I wanted to do everything in my power to save them. Yet I was constantly reminded of what I had to lose, how I had to play it smart and protect the only advantage we had.
It felt like walking on eggshells, waiting for the moment when it all came crashing down.
Arowyn crossed her arms and cocked her head at me, her long, near-white hair piled at the top of her head in a bun. “I keep telling you to let me go at it alone. You’re being an idiot.”
Tessa snorted, and I shot her a look. “You’re not wrong,” she said to Arowyn. “But read the room.”
