West had made it clear that Saint would have to fend for himself, but even if she didn’t kill him, Saint would die before he let her take his trade. It didn’t matter what had happened four years ago, or that night on the Lark. It didn’t matter what had happened the day he left me on Jeval. The moment he handed me that map of the Snare, or the morning I fleeced him with my mother’s necklace. Everything focused in clear, crisp colors.

Saint was a bastard, but he was mine. He belonged to me. And even more unbelievable, I really did love him.

“I changed my mind.” I spoke before I could think better of it.

Holland arched an eyebrow as she looked up at me. “Reconsidering my offer?”

I bit down on my lip, the vision of Saint at his desk resurfacing. The hazy, dim light. The glass of rye in his hand. The smell of pipe smoke as he looked over his ledgers. I took a step toward her. “I want to make a deal.”

She leaned closer, smirking. “I’m listening.”

“I wasn’t lying when I said that Isolde never told me about the midnight. But I know you’re still looking for it.” I glanced up to the maps. “And I know I can find it.”

That made her quiet. There was a sudden stillness in her, pulling the shadows from the room into her eyes. “I’ve had crews looking for that cache for years. What makes you think you can find it?”

“Dredging isn’t the only thing my mother taught me.”

She didn’t look the least bit surprised. “So, you are a gem sage. I was wondering about that.”

“You could have just asked.”

She half-laughed. “I suppose you’re right.” She stood from the chair, coming around the corner of the desk. “You said you want to make a deal. What do you want from me?”

“Your word.” I met her eyes. “If I find the midnight for you, you leave Saint alone.”

That seemed to catch her off guard. Her eyes narrowed. “Why? What business do you have with him?”

“I owe him,” I said. “That’s all.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“I don’t care if you believe me.”

Her mouth twisted up on one side as she tapped a finger on the desk.

“I don’t want your empire, but I will find the midnight. When I do, I’ll have your word that you won’t touch Saint. Or his trade.” I held out my hand between us.

Holland stared at it, thinking. I could see her sizing me up, trying to see what I was made of. “I think perhaps Saint is more to you than I realized. I think he was more to Isolde than I realized.”