I assigned the rest of them, putting together swimmers of varying body sizes in hopes that what one of them lacked, the others might make up for. When they were grouped together on the deck I turned back to the islet, unbuttoning the top of my shirt to pull it over my head. Koy’s arm brushed against mine as he came to stand beside me and I stilled, putting more space between us.

“This bastard has no idea what he’s doing,” he muttered, running his thumb over the picks at his hip and counting them silently. The ones he’d plucked from the crate were shining bright between the rusted ones he’d used on Jeval.

I didn’t answer, doing the same on my own belt. Koy and I weren’t friends. We weren’t even allies. If he was being nice, there was a reason, and one I wouldn’t like.

“What? You’re not going to talk to me?”

When I looked up into his face, I flinched at the sinister smile that stretched across his lips. “What are you doing here, Koy?”

He leaned into the rail with both hands and the muscles in his arms took shape under his skin. “I’m here to dive.”

“What else?”

“That’s it.” He shrugged.

My eyes narrowed as I studied him. Koy had a skiff and a ferrying trade on Jeval that put coin in his pocket every single day. He was likely the wealthiest dredger on the island, and in the time I’d known him, he’d never once left Jeval. He was after something.

“Come on, Fay. We Jevalis have to stick together.” He grinned.

I squared my shoulders to him, stepping so close I had to tilt my head back to meet his eyes. “I’m not Jevali. Now, get in the water.”

“Urchins,” Wick muttered, moving around us.

Ryland followed on his heels, leaning over me as he hung his shirt on the mast. I had to step back to keep him from touching me. I knew exactly what he was doing. Even if I had the charge from Zola, he wanted me to know who held the power between us. I was no match for him. For any of them, really. And no one on this ship was going to have my back if it came to that.

I felt small beneath him, and that feeling made my stomach turn.

“Better watch yourself down there. Tides are fickle.” The look in Ryland’s eyes didn’t change as he said the words. He climbed up onto the side and jumped, holding his tools in place as he fell through the air. A moment later, Wick jumped in behind him, and they both disappeared beneath the sparkling blue.