Page 37 of The Stolen Crown

“Careful if you speak ill of the queen.”

“Oh, hush, you prickly dolt. Loved our royal lady right from the start.” He flashed his teeth at me. “I’m just sayin’, never thought I’d be glad to have women aboard. Thought it might be piss luck by changin’ up the crew and whatnot. Thought it might be attractin’ more flesh traders should those tossers find out we had womenfolk aboard.”

“We sailed with Tidecaller until she took the title Lady of Blades.”

“True enough.” The man closed his eyes when he puffed out another breath. “But she wasn’t keen on making her womanly bits known, now was she? Is that the way to say it?” He used his smoke to point at Mira. “Don’t want to be offensive, now do I?”

I almost chuckled. “I think you spoke perfectly. She’d appreciate you talking about womanly bits in front of her, no doubt.”

In truth, Mira had the sort of temperament that might make it even worse.

“Smoke for you, lovey?” Below, Nightseer offered the princess a puff of his fishbone pipe.

The princess, still beaming, a little breathless, waved a hand. “Many thanks, but I must admit, I don’t stomach the smell easily. Something about it upsets my insides, I suppose. Oh, please, don’t put it out on my account. The air is fresh enough tonight.”

Still, Nightseer put a bit more space between them so he could keep his pipe and her company.

At my side, Seableeder chuckled. “As I was sayin’, seems we might not mind if these loveys be joinin’ the crew now.”

“That’s enough for the night,” I snapped. “Tell the men to meet their posts. We’re a damn vessel of the Royal City, not a pleasure ship.”

“You gave ’em a chime. She’ll be—”

“I don’t care what she will say or do. I am the captain. She sails with us to meet our queen, nothing more.”

“So you’re sayin’ you don’t care whether she be here or elsewhere?”

I lowered my voice to a near snarl. “I don’t care about anything but my damn duty to my king and queen. You’d do well to remember yours.”

“Sure, Heartwalker. As you say.” Seableeder looked down at the deck, then left with a raspy chuckle.

My throat tightened when I stole a glance at my boots. There, smashed on the deck, were the remains of my smoke. The fading scent of the wood and ash Mira insisted she did not enjoy still lingered in the bits of paper and herbs.

I destroyed it beneath my own damn heel the moment she made her confession.

Well, shit.

11

The Heartwalker

I kicked away the evidence of my snuffed-out smoke. Each pump of blood in my veins heated until I could no longer stand still.

This needed to end.

I did not wait for Seableeder to recite my order and leaned over the helm, snapping the words myself. “Get to your night posts or get off the damn ship.”

The bite of my voice was enough to halt the music, laughter, and revelry. Men grumbled, shuffled their steps, but complied, then broke apart. I caught more than one apologetic word toward Mira as they trudged belowdecks, to rigging, or to the galley and their watch posts.

In the distance, clouds thickened. Storms were prone to rise on the edges of the Ever Kingdom. Doubtless the night would not be smooth.

“You are simply horrid, I hope you know.”

I did not turn at the sound of her voice. “Begging your pardon, but I’m not here to entertain anyone, Vicious.”

Mira stomped across the quarterdeck until her honeysuckle scent was near enough that it scorched deep into my lungs.

Arms folded over her chest, she glared at me. “Why do you call me that?”