Chapters (51)
- Title Page
- Copyright Notice
- Dedication
- PROLOGUE
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- EPILOGUE
- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- Also by Adrienne Young
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
- Newsletter Sign-up
I stared at him. “A merchant’s ring.” The words withered in my mouth as I said them. There was no way to know if I could actually deliver. But if anyone could get one, it would be Saint.
Merchants had to apprentice for years before they could make a bid for a ring. And there were only so many rings to be given from each guild. Often, merchants were working beneath an older one, waiting for them to die or give up their trade.
His hand stilled on the match until the flame was so close to his fingertips that he had to put it out. “What?”
“I can get you a merchant’s ring if you deliver. And only if it stays quiet.”
“You’re lying.” The words dripped with fury.
But I could already see that I had him. The desperation of the prospect was all over his face. “I’m not. One merchant’s ring from the Trade Council in the Narrows.”
“The Narrows? We live in Bastian, sweetheart.”
“We both know that a ring from one guild makes it easier to get one from the other. Which do you want more? Holland’s favor, or a ring to buy your own?”
Henrik lit another match, puffing on the pipe until smoke was billowing from the chamber. “Did Auster tell you what will happen to you if you lie to me?”
“He did.”
“Your grandmother will be finding pieces of you all over this city,” he said softly. “And I’ll have to take my nephew off your hands in the spirit of restitution.”
Paj’s fists clenched. I was sure that at any moment, he was going to tear across the room and break Henrik’s neck.
Henrik picked up the parchment, studying the rendering. I’d done it only by memory, my skill not even close to what it should be. But they knew exactly what I was looking for. “Only a Narrows-born urchin would be this stupid.”
“Only Saltbloods would be this soft,” I shot back. “Will you do it?”
Henrik looked to Ezra, who stood stoically against the wall. Whatever he was thinking, he kept it to himself.
After a moment, Henrik reached up, taking hold of Auster’s shoulder. He squeezed it. A little too tightly.
“We’ll do it.”
TWENTY-FIVE
The sails of the Marigold unrolled in unison, slapping against the masts as the sun set over the water. In only a day we’d pulled together everything we needed for the dive at Yuri’s Constellation and in minutes, we’d be sailing into the dark.
Henrik agreed to accept our commission, but taking him at his word was like putting faith in the ability of adder stones to protect from sea demons. In the end, there was no way to know what the Roths would do.