I closed my eyes. Didn’t always know the right thing to say, especially when I was trying to get myself out of a mess. But this time I did. “Back on Haulin Or, he saved your life. Why would he do that if he was your enemy? Besides, most of us don’t have magic to check on our friends. How do you think the rest of us manage to trust people? How do you think the blacksmith who helped you did it?”

Her gaze flicked to the bloody crane, perched on the edge of her desk.

Footsteps pounded on the deck above us. People shouted, though I couldn’t tell what they were saying.

Someone knocked at the door. “Eminence, you’d best come see this.”

She swept past me.

Thrana was asleep. Even before bonding with Mephi, I’d always been quick. I stuffed Ragan’s memories between the mattress and the wall. That would buy me a little time. If she couldn’t drink from it, she wouldn’t know if she’d figured out how to properly work the memory machine. Mephi watched me with a quizzical gaze, but thankfully said nothing.

Then I followed Lin, leaving the door to her room slightly ajar. She couldn’t blame me if she noticed the flask missing. Anyone could have taken it.

The Endless Sea was choppy, and I had to keep my knees bent to stop myself from hurtling into the wall. Lin gripped the railing, staring off the port side of the ship.

Another ship was passing us, filled to almost overflowing with passengers. Their captain shouted across the gap at ours.

“Survivors,” one of my guards said.

I drew abreast of him. “Survivors of what?”

He met my gaze, the look in his eyes hollow. “Luangon. It sank. These refugees are on their way to Hualin Or.”

Fear and dread mingled in my belly. Another island down into the depths of the Endless Sea.

The guard licked his lips. “They said their governor did not heed the moratorium on witstone mining. He redoubled their efforts. With Deerhead and Unta sinking, everyone is buying witstone just in case.”

I watched as Lin dashed tears from her eyes, as she smoothed her hair back from her forehead and tried to regain her composure. Her two remaining maidservants flanked her, unsure of whether to try and offer comfort.

And I, asshole that I was, went back down below and to the kitchen. Everyone was above-deck, so this was my chance. I rummaged quickly through the cupboards and found a flask similar to the ones in Lin’s collection. Swiftly, I poured in some water and added some cloudy rice wine to approximate the milky color.

Then I took it back to Lin’s room.

“What are we doing?” Mephi said, so close on my heels that I nearly tripped on him. “Are we helping?”

We were helping ourselves. “Yes.”