She felt guilty, of course, for lacking such sorrow. But she and her colleagues were among the living. And the living neededcoins to continue their life. More importantly, the Yarrows needed the advance to pay for much-needed supplies. The full payout would allow franchising and continued merchant comfort. It would also allow more safety in smuggling aberrants out of Tarth.
“I don’t know how you can be so calm.” Erinna eyed her father as he lounged in his seat. She envied his apparent serenity.
Meetings this important always spiked her anxiety, but being so close to the dungeons and interacting with the captain of the Royal Navy pushed her to near panic. They had just sent the Kelloris away with their aberrant child two days ago.
There was no life for an aberrant in Tarth. And there was no life for those found aiding their escape.
She turned her gaze back to the window, a sheen of sweat building on her brow despite the fresh coastal breeze.
Captain Wayne Barker was afforded a view as practical as it was scenic. From the comfort of his office, he could watch the ships that came for trade and those that left the docks. Just to the east was the palace, its marble structures gleaming below the late summer sun. And just below the parapet, bathed in the late morning rays, was the gallows. It had been months since the last trial, and a crowd was already gathering for the spectacle. It churned her stomach to watch.
“Have a little more faith, Eri. We have more power than you think. And if money gets too tight, we can always resort to privateering.”
Erinna looked at her father in bemused shock. “Now who’s spewing blasphemies?”
“We’re not that far off,” he muttered under his breath as the door opened with a soft creak. Captain Barker finally arrived, half an hour late, but Erinna dared not mention it despite her temptation. Dark brows were furrowed in thought, and hardcreased lines etched his face. The captain was an intimidating man in stature and in reputation.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.” Taking a seat in an even more lavish chair, the captain pulled a list of requirements from his desk.
The Navy’s older boats needed many anticipated updates, especially with the new witchstone embedded ballasts. They would enable more precise steering and amplified protection from arcane onslaughts.
In one swift move, Kenneth pulled a fine bottle of liquor from his bag. A gift for the potential client.
Captain Barker eyed the fine vintage. “You have great taste,” he said, and the pleasantries began. Erinna took that time to review the proposed terms and still her nerves. She lacked the social graces for exchanging vapid niceties. It more often disconcerted people when she tried small talk, and her forced smile was uneasily toothy.
The bell tolled again.
“I’ll offer you fifteen-hundred croons for two frigates and an academy charter.” Captain Barker tapped his desk in emphasis, as if confidence could cover a mediocre deal.
Erinna couldn’t help herself. “That will barely cover costs and, unless there is a new law I don’t know about, the Navy doesn’t have jurisdiction with academy contracts.”
Tension filled the room from her brashness. She stole a look at her father, whose lips twitched in an effort to conceal a smile. Captain Barker, on the other hand, was less than charmed.
His eyes narrowed, but he refused to linger his attention on her. Instead, he turned to Kenneth.
“It’s a shame your daughter couldn’t participate in last year’s debutante ball. I fear she is too old for the next one.”
Rage burned beneath her skin. In polite society, having a daughter like Erinna would be less than ideal. With nosemblance of apparent arcanum prowess, a total lack of fine arts ability, and little patience for philosophical education, it would have been best to marry her off. The least she could do was have children to continue a family line.
But much like his daughter, Kenneth was not known to suffer fools. Erinna was better suited at his side and with the business.
“Captain, if you’ve only brought us here to insult a member of Yarrow Yard, I’m afraid you will have to settle for the Anderson Shipyard.” A fine establishment, albeit basic. Erinna took a small amount of pride when the captain outwardly cringed at the idea of another shipyard.
“No, I need your craftsmanship. I’ve lost too many ships already,” said Captain Barker.
Erinna sucked in a sharp breath and hoped it wasn’t noticed. There had been no whispers of foreign tension, and sure, they may lose a few ships to pirates, but the urgency in his tone was unsettling.
“You won’t lose as much once we fix what you still have.” She pulled a contract from her bag, most of it already filled in, and started to pen a few more terms. It didn’t matter how fine the wood was, how durable the steel and copper were, no other shipyard had what the Yarrows had.
The first and only druid in the last hundred years.
Kenneth could bend wood with just a hand and mend splinters and cracks with the air itself. The barter was nothing but a show, so Captain Barker felt he still had control of the situation.
“We would be happy to negotiate the budget. First, let’s discuss the ships.” Erinna’s smile was tight. Fortunately, the captain’s fury started to ease when the topic went back to business.
“If I’m being honest, I could use a retrofit to all my docked ships. But, you see, the academy is stretched for materials atthe moment, so I offered to assist Dean Harrowood. He could use a few witchstone ballasts if you had time to spare. I would be happy to show you the letters if that would suffice.” Captain Barker reached into the drawer to pull out letters still immaculately pressed.
Contempt rolling off her father in waves. He was always avoiding contracts with the academy. She couldn’t blame him. The institute was a symbol of everything Erinna wasn’t allowed to be. And Dean Harrowood was a strict, aberrant prosecutor.
