Page 170 of Sword & Sacrifice

Emmaline couldn’t help wondering what he was thinking. Why is he letting me go after chasing us through the streets? Why isn’t he trying to follow?

If Captain Moira and Echo were still talking, Emmaline didn’t hear them. She couldn’t take her eyes off her father. The man she’d waited a lifetime to meet.

Did Mama feel this way when she left him? The thought made her heart ache at everything she had lost—and everything she was still searching for.

Chapter Thirteen

The sloop was only their temporary transport to a much larger ship. Once again, Emmaline had to climb over a rope contraption to transfer to the larger ship, but her mind was so occupied with other thoughts, she barely remembered grasping the rope before someone hoisted her over the rail and onto the deck.

“Welcome to The Queen’s Garden,” Echo announced, gesturing expansively to encompass the whole ship. Their fingers waggled for an extra dose of flair. “Where all the most beautiful flowers sail the endless seas.”

Emmaline mustered a smile for the silly introduction. “You’re quite the actor, Echo,” she said. “I never would have guessed you and Rafe were the same person.”

Echo winked—a much more effective gesture with their current appearance. “I can still be that dashing scoundrel if you—”

A loud smack to the back of the head cut them off. “I don’t care what your relationship with her was before,” Moira declared. “Don’t flirt with our captive.”

“She’s not our captive, Captain,” Echo protested, rubbing their head and trailing after their captain like a determined puppy. “She’s our guest, and our secret bargaining chip with Bellacosta.”

“We have plenty of bargaining chips with the coastal kingdom, you didn’t need to steal another one,” Moira argued.

Emmaline cleared her throat delicately, waiting for both pirates to look at her. “I understand your position, Captain,” she began, face solemn. “And I don’t have any way to pay you, but if you take me to Litus …” she trailed off. Although Echo had said the captain wanted to build a better relationship with Bellacosta, she couldn’t in good conscience negotiate on Silas’ behalf.

Moira scanned Emmaline from head to toe, her eyes narrowing in consideration. “What does Everett Shaw’s daughter want in Litus?”

“She’s—”

Emmaline shook her head, trying to cut Echo off.

“—the king’s sweetheart.”

“I am not!” Emmaline insisted, plunking her hands on her hips. “I told you already, we’re just friends.”

“Kings don’t have friends,” Moira replied, face impassive. “They have citizens and subordinates, but never friends.”

Completely forgetting her previous hesitation, Emmaline raised her chin high and announced, “Well I’m Silas’ friend. And I need to speak with him as soon as possible, which is why I need to go to Litus. My—Captain Everett promised to take me there after his meeting.”

“Speaking of,” Echo said, raising their voice to catch their captain’s attention. “I’m sure you will be very interested in what we overheard.”

Moira arched a red eyebrow. “Indeed?”

“However.” Echo stuck a finger in their ear and wiggled it around aggressively. “The old ears sometimes have trouble remembering what they heard from glamour to glamour.”

The captain’s lips pursed, her expression going flat.

“But Em here, I bet she heard quite a lot, didn’t you, princess?”

“I’m not—” She stopped as Echo made a face at her, eyes bulging, chin jutted in silent message. “I mean …” She took her time forming her words, hoping she was interpreting the message correctly. “I will trade the information for safe, fast passage to Litus.”

“Is that so?” Moira asked dryly. She shook her head at Echo and said, “You and your pretty faces.”

“I can’t tell if you’re complimenting or insulting me.”

“A bit of both.” Locking eyes with Emmaline, Moira said, “Information first, then we’ll discuss your stay on our ship. Now, come along, you two. We should have this conversation away from prying ears.”

As soon as the captain spoke, movement flashed in the corner of Emmaline’s eye. She whipped around to face it, but whoever had been there had already disappeared to some other part of the ship.

“Now wait a damn minute!” Echo declared. “Who’s the new little sneak? Trying to take my place?”