I snatch my hand out of his. “Enver, you had no right—”
“I hadeveryright,” he hisses, thick brows knitting. “You brought danger to my gates! You’re lucky I didn’t call for Queen Halsenya and report him. Theonlyreason I didn’t is because I promised you I wouldn’t. There has been a bounty on his head for years. You most likely knew this, yet you saidnothing.”
“What does it matter?” I snap. “Like you said, we won’t survive The Shallows. We’ll all be dead, so there’ll be nothing to report to the queen. All your troubles will be gone.”
Enver softens now. “Zaira, don’t speak like that—”
“I have to go.” I give him my back before he can reach for me again and storm up the ramp. The fucking audacity of him.
“What the shadows did he want?” Rynthea asks when I reach her side.
“He just wanted to wish us good luck,” I lie, throwing a fake wave at him.
Rynthea makes a noise of disapproval. I’m not sure if she knows I’m lying and possibly heard everything.
When Enver tosses me a wave back, I twist around, close my eyes for a moment, and draw in a deep breath to cool my anger. Then I sit on the nearest bench with Rynthea and send up a prayer of protection to Orvena.
Chapter 43
Once the ship is fueled and crates of food are brought to the cabins, we set sail.
The farther we drift away from Gadonia, it seems to be nothing more than a bright blip in the distance as the sun reflects on buildings trimmed with gold.
“Before you lot get comfortable, you have some rules to follow!” Solyen shouts as he paces back and forth in front of us. “Number one, stay away from the gunwales!”
“Thewhat?” Algar asks, gripping a built-in rail.
“The gunwales—the edge of the ship,” Solyen explains with a slight roll of his eyes. “This ship is fast, and when I give the wheel a hard steer, I don’t send up a warning. One turn can toss you overboard and have you chopped up by the screws.” He looks Algar in the eye.
“Yeah, well, you don’t have to worry about that.” Algar squeezes his eyes shut as he grips the rail tighter, appearing queasy already. Zephra clings to the ankle of his trousers.
“Number two, there will be a point during this journey where youmustbe inside the boat andmustkeep your voices down. I will inform you when that time comes.”
“Why?” Rynthea asks.
“Because if you want to make it to The Shallows as quickly as you say, we have to pass through The Void. Ever heard of it?”
“I’ve heard a bit about it, yeah,” she responds.
“Then you’ll know The Void is where the worst sea creatures lurk. I don’t want them attacking my ship all because a bunch of children can’t shut their honey holes.”
“Um, what kind of creatures, exactly?” one of Solyen’s crew members asks. It’s the boy I saw hanging around the crow’s nest. He’s young—can’t be older than his fifteenth or sixteenth year. He seems absolutely petrified as he stares at Solyen’s profile.
“Oh, all kinds, boy.” Solyen turns his head to eye him. “Sea beasts twice the size ofEmelliewith tongues like snakes. Sharks who eat through metal. Zerenias who sing the sweetest melodies but will bite your bloody dick off once they have you in their clutches.”
“Told you,” Rynthea mumbles to Algar.
“Not now, Rynthea. Not now.” Algar covers his mouth like he’s about to be sick.
“Conred, get that one a bucket,” Solyen orders, gesturing to Algar. “I don’t need him throwing his guts up all over my deck.”
Conred runs off, only to return seconds later with a wooden bucket. He pushes it into Algar’s chest. Algar wraps his arms around it before stumbling back several feet until his back is pressing against the nearest wall, his shirt a little cockeyed and exposing skin. His back slides down the wall with a squeak of flesh on metal until his butt hits the deck, and he drops his face into the bucket. He looks rough. Zephra hops onto his shoulder again.
“Who knew I was the type to get seasick?” His voice echoes into the hollow of the bucket.
“Don’t tell me you’ve never ridden on a speedship before,” Rynthea taunts.
“Never.”
