“Can you not put the fire out?” he asked as we reached the top deck, a plain white sail blowing in the wind.
I thought about it for a moment, before agreeing. The flames slowly dissipated until only smoke was visible through the stairway. I gave him my back, making to leave.
“You owe me. Don’t think to renege.” I heard the subtle threat in his voice loud and clear.
“Can’t wait,” I said cheerily. “Goodbye, Maxim.”
“Calamity.”
I didn’t know if his one-word greetings and farewells were part of his culture or just because he was used to not acknowledging those below him. Though, what he described of his younger life didn’t sound like how I’d always imagined princes were treated.
A few Untouchables waited in front of the ship, eyeing me with disdain—knowing I was a Sister, it seemed. And realizing I just tried to kill their prince.
Once Maxim walked off the ramp, and stood next to them, the sudden burn in my chest grew from the anger of getting caught—and so, I let it all out. Three oil lamps in the ship exploded, wooden pieces flying by my head as I walked down the dock without looking back. A smile pulled on my lips as debris hit the water on both sides of me with a splash.
I could feel his anger hit my back with the heat of the flames.
And damn did it feel good.
“YES,” I groaned. “So good. So, so good.”
“Sweet Alyria, girl. Have you not eaten in a week?”
“Practically,” I muttered, sitting on The Three Cups’ counter and shoving another bite of stew in my mouth. This meat was real, actual venison. In my mouth.
Sunny eyed me. “They not getting enough business over there at the Royal Affair? I can find you a couple patrons right now.”
“No,” I said, almost choking on my food. “No need to do that.”
“All right, darlin’. You just let me know. No reason a girl like you should be starving.”
Tell that to Agnes . . .
I’d gotten home in time for breakfast, without even alerting my High Sister that I’d been kn
ocked out and held in a cell by the Untouchable Prince running the city. Though, she did shoot me some suspecting glances as I about fell asleep at the table twice.
I grabbed at the piece of bread sitting beside me when a furry hand reached it first. Tash took a big, dramatic bite out of it, letting me know exactly how he felt about me eating his food. Ugh, thankfully Alger never had monkeys.
A king’s guard stepped into the tavern. He wore a hauberk and a surcoat over it with Symbia’s golden eagle insignia on the front just as they all did. I was glad I was a woman because that heavy clothing looked miserable in this heat.
I chewed, watching him make his way through the small crowd of men sitting at the tables getting something to eat for the midday meal. The hardened sailors watched him like he was a boy playing dress-up as a man. A little amusement bubbled inside me. Because that’s all it really took to be a Symbian knight.
The king’s guard nailed a poster to the wall, turned like he was supposed to announce something, but when he barely got a glance from the sailors, closed his mouth and walked out. I finished my soup, eyeing the new poster:
‘Five-hundred silvers for the Girl in Black,’ it read.
Apparently Maxim didn’t tell the magistrate about me. Surprising after that little incident with his boat.
“I think that girl’s got a thing against ships,” Maranda said as she walked by with an armful of dirty bowls. She was one of the barmaids who worked here; middle-aged, and had a boy who sometimes came along to play with Henry. Wherever that kid was.
I glanced at Tash digging in a bowl of nuts on the counter; he shoved his fingers in his mouth and then put them back in the bowl. My nose wrinkled in disgust and, when he glanced up and saw it, he made sure to lick each finger.
“Where’s your master?” I asked him.
He glanced around the tavern, a frown pulling at his lips before jumping off the counter and leaving the room.
I finished off my soup, thinking about the man last night with the brand. In fact, I needed to go to the library to see if I could find any information on it.