I looked to Koy, then to the others. “Even if you have to leave without us, take him home.”

Hamish nodded, but Willa’s apprehension was plain on her face as she looked between us. West gave her a reassuring look, but it didn’t seem to help. She climbed the mast without a word.

“She’s fine,” Auster said. “We’ll see you in a few hours.”

West took the ladder first, and I climbed down after him. I looked back to the Marigold one more time as we made our way up and out of the harbor, saying my own kind of goodbye.

The Council District sat at the bottom of the same hill where Wolfe & Engel was perched. It was ensconced by bronze archways adorned with scrolling vines that held the seals of the five guilds: gem and rye merchants, sailmakers, smiths, and shipwrights. The most powerful people on the water and on the land.

The pier was built with thick beams of oiled mahogany, carved with the same seals that marked the archways. West stayed close to me as I stepped into the crowd of fine frocks, pinned curls, and tailored suits headed into the district. I could spot the merchants and traders from the Narrows easily, their sea-swept hair and clothes standing out among the crisp, clean colors. They all drifted toward the enormous open doors ahead.

Holland was waiting at the entrance, her gloved hands tucked into her fur stole. When she spotted us, she frowned.

She looked sourly at my clothes as we neared her. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“No one was going to believe I was a dredger, much less a trader, in that ridiculous costume,” I muttered. “If you want to use me to bait the Narrows Trade Council, then I can’t look like a Saltblood.”

She sneered at me. She knew I was right, but she didn’t like it. “I’ll have that ship at the bottom of the sea by sundown if either of you get in the way of what I’m doing here.” Not even a hint of anger flashed in her silvery eyes. “Do you understand?”

“I understand,” I answered.

“About time.” A smooth voice spoke behind me, and I turned to see Henrik Roth standing over me. A plum-colored bowtie was tied around his neck, his face freshly shaved.

I tried to read him, desperately hoping that he wasn’t about to ruin everything.

“What are you doing here?” Holland growled.

Henrik hooked his thumbs into the suspenders beneath his jacket. “Thought I’d come and watch all the fun.”

There was something unsettling in his smile. As if at any moment, his lips would spread to reveal fangs.

“Can’t get in without a merchant’s ring or a trading license,” he said. “So I thought you’d invite me as your guest.”