It hurts a little to let them down. “While I appreciate the offer,” I say, “if gold were attracted to my skin, don’t you think your gold tooth would’ve flown out of your mouth by now, Thipps?”
Phipps’s smile falters and he sags forward on the railing.
Thipps’s smile falters too for a second before he recovers. “Ahh, but it’s not gold all the way through. It’s mostly copper.” He taps the tooth with his finger as if that proves the point.
I resist the urge to roll my eyes. At least they’re not scared of my skin.
“Phipps, Thipps,” Rhat calls, “help drop the anchor.”
The men groan and push off the railing.
“Just think about our offer,” Phipps says, drumming his hands against the wood.
Both men wait until I nod before scampering off, already arguing about which one had the idea first and should therefore get a bigger cut of the profits.
We anchor the ship a distance from the coast.
“Should we wait until morning to go ashore, Captain?” Rhat asks.
“No, it’s best to do it now while it’s still dark. We don’t want too many people knowing we were here. And,” he adds, looking at me, “we don’t want that gold getting any farther ahead.”
“Aye, Captain,” Rhat replies.
Sailors lower a longboat and various men climb down the ladder. Phipps and Thipps argue over who should sit on which side of the boat. From the deck, Hettie shyly waves at Rhat as he climbs down.
I look over at Aris and nod. We’d discussed how to approach this.
“I think I could give you a hand on shore,” Aris says to Royce.
“I didn’t expect anything less from you,” Royce says. He motions for Aris to climb down.
I exhale. So far, so good.
Next, I present myself. I bolster myself so I don’t wither under Royce’s stare. “Hettie and I should come as well. We don’t feel safe on your ship without you or Aris on board.” I cast my eyes to where Brus stands not too far off.
Hettie moves to my side. She was a little huffy, claiming I may have misheard Rhat since she hadn’t discovered any dark secrets from him, but she’d gone along with me when I said we had to get off the ship.
“No,” Royce says simply before going back to staring over the railing at the men gathered in the boat below.
I gape. “What do you mean, no?”
His head whips toward me. “I realize princesses probably aren’t told that word often,” he says, “but it means you can’t come.”
“But—”
“If you feel unsafe onboard, you have no idea what’s in store for you on that island. And if you think I’m taking a girl made of gold there, you’ve lost your mind.”
“You have to—”
“I don’t have to do anything,” he says, brushing some of his shaggy blond hair away from his eyes. “And if you try to board the longboat, my men would be more than happy to detain you in the brig.”
Behind Royce, Brus hoists up a rope used to let the longboat down. He keeps glancing over, obviously listening and eager to step forward should I not adhere to whatever Royce decrees. I ignore the small smile spreading across his face that reveals blackened teeth.
“Now, if you’ll excuse me,” Royce says. He tosses the rope he’d been winding to a nearby sailor and starts to descend the rope ladder leading down to the longboat.
I bite my lip. I need some way to get Hettie and me on that boat.
Thankfully, Aris comes to my rescue. “Royce,” he calls, standing up in the boat and sending it rocking, “I would feel better having Princess Kora and her cousin come with us after what I heard happened several days ago with your sailors.”
“And I would feel better not having a girl with golden skin with us on an island full of greedy, cutthroat pirates,” Royce says in reply.
It’s obvious he’s trying to separate us. Wasn’t that what he said? He’d deal with Aris at some point? Maybe even maroon him on an island. This island. Where Aris would be surrounded by cutthroats and thieves.
I wring my hands and then switch to pulling on the end of my braid. I pace back and forth. My heart thuds in time with each foot hitting the deck. The sound echoes hollowly through me.
Brus’s eyes follow my path.
Frustrated, I close my eyes. Something tugs at my mind. Without meaning to, I reach out for the gold.
Suddenly, I know how I’m getting on that island.
CHAPTER 14
Wait,” I call out breathlessly.
I race forward to where Royce is still climbing down the ladder. I drop to my knees and grab his wrist just as he is about to descend another step.
His head snaps up. He’s far enough down that he’s level with me for once. The intensity of his gaze pushes all thoughts from my mind.
“What?” He looks irritated, even more so than usual.
I rip my gloved hand away and absently rub it on my dress as I work to find my voice. “I have to come with you.”
His fingers clench tighter around the ladder. “We’ve already been over that.” He ducks his head to continue climbing down.
“You don’t understand.”
He pauses mid-step. “Then explain it. Fast.”
“The gold,” I whisper, “it’s here.”
That gets his attention. His voice drops. “All of it?”
I shake my head. “A piece of it. A coin. That’s why I missed it. I didn’t think they’d separate the treasure.” Earlier, I’d only been looking for the aura of the tapestry, then tossing it away before I had to see Captain Skulls again. I’d been moving too quickly to notice if all the gold was there.
Royce eyes me, like he’s wondering if I’m telling the truth. “They must have stopped here,” he finally says. “Depending on how long they stopped, and whether we hurry, we might make up some ground.”
“Then we need to hurry.”
“Where’s the coin now?”
I point in the direction I’d sensed it.
He sighs. “Where exactly?” His eyes are bright, but the lanterns of the ship cast an eerie glow over him.
“It doesn’t work like that. I can’t simply tell you where it is. It’s more like . . . like I know when I’m getting closer, like I can see it in my mind.” It’d be hard to explain to someone I wanted to explain it to, but it’s even harder with Royce. I don’t want to reveal anything more to him than necessary.
Royce hauls himself back onto the deck, nearly running into me at the top of the ladder. “Fine,” he says. “It looks like you’re coming to shore after all.”
I nod, not sure if I should be frightened or excited.
“Come on, Hettie,” I say, motioning to the ladder.
“There’s no reason for her to come,” Royce says, staring down at me. Challenging me? Does he suspect? He must.
I cast a glance toward the longboat. I can’t catch Aris’s eye.
“But . . .” I leave the word hanging. I have no excuse for why Hettie should come.
“Would you rather we leave the coin here?” Royce asks.
My eyes go to Hettie. Her eyes are wide as she stares at me, unsure what to do. She gives the barest shrug of her shoulders, questioning what comes next.
I can only stare back as precious seconds tick away.
Hettie’s eyes narrow as she faces Royce. “You . . . you can’t leave me here alone with all these men.”
Royce crosses his arms. “I’m going to have a hard-enough time making sure the princess comes back alive. I can’t watch both of you, so if you value her life, I suggest you stay here.”
“But . . .” Hettie stammers.
“You can bolt yourself in your room,” he says.
“Anyone could break in.”
Royce massages his forehead for a moment. “Fine.” He takes a small golden key from his pocket. “This is the key to the brig. It’s the only one. No one else is down there. You can lock yourself in a cell, and no one will be able to touch you.”
Hettie’s eyes jump from the key to me. Then she straightens and purses her lips. “That’s not a fitting place for—”
Royce cuts her off. “You’re not coming. So either go willingly, or I will have someone escort you because we’re losing valuable time due to you.”
Hettie stares at the outstretched key. She shoots me a look that says it all: There goes our plan.
Out of excuses, Hettie has no choice but to snatch the key, and I have no choice but to climb down the ladder.
I settle in next to Aris. Thipps is on my other side, and he grins and offers me a wink while Phipps mutters that he knew he should’ve sat there.
“I wouldn’t mind gold skin myself,” he says. “All I’d have to do is scratch a little, and I’d have enough to pay for drinks for a whole night.”
As with many things the brothers say, I’m not sure if I should be amused or disgusted. I try to offer him a smile as I turn back to Aris and whisper, “A piece of the gold is on the island. That’s why I was allowed to come.”
He shakes his head. “We’re as cursed as Midas,” he mutters and runs his fingers through his hair.
His words tear through me faster than gold does, and I sit back as though I’ve been struck. I know it’s a common phrase used by people down on their luck, but it is not one anyone has actually said around me before.
Aris looks up, and his eyes go wide when he sees my face. “I didn’t mean that. I’m sorry.” He leans over and quickly clasps my hands. “I know what your father has suffered. I’ve just spent too much time around superstitious sailors lately. And I’ve been going out of my mind worrying about you being on that island. It was bad enough when we had to travel there to escape, but now we also need to retrieve some of the gold—it won’t be easy.” His eyes search out mine. “Can you forgive me?”
I nod, and some of the tension drains from my shoulders. I should’ve realized how hard this is going to be. Whoever has it isn’t simply going to hand it over. But Aris knows this island, and he knows how difficult it’ll be to get the coin back, let alone find a boat to escape in. And I’ve been letting him shoulder that burden alone. I can’t blame him for cracking under the pressure of it all.
Aris remains silent for a few moments before nodding and squeezing my hands in his. “Stay close to me. We’ll make it through this together.” He eyes Royce as the captain settles into the nearly empty front of the boat where the supplies will go.
Phipps and Thipps tell jokes in an attempt to lighten the tension in the longboat, at least until Royce quiets them. After that, only the slice of the oars into the water breaks the silence of the boat ride to shore. When we get there, Royce turns to me.
“Stay out of sight as much as possible.”
I nod, knowing this is something I can do. I’ve excelled at staying out of sight for years.
We climb out of the longboat onto a long, rickety dock. Several boards are missing, and it leans to the right. The dock has row upon row of empty offshoots meant for bigger ships that protrude far out into the water. Several other docks jut out parallel to us, but they all seem as empty and dilapidated. On some, entire sections have collapsed into the water, leaving jagged boards pointing out at all angles.
The only other boats I see are small longboats like ours pulled onto the shore farther down past the docks. I pray there are more docks somewhere containing the boat we need to get out of here.
Past the dock, stacked crates almost block the view of the meager town, but I can just barely make out slanted roofs and smoke from cooking fires rising into the air.
My eyes catch on a set of tall poles at the end of the dock. Headless bodies dangle from them. Their hands sway back and forth, as if motioning us not to go any farther.
In life, they must’ve been big, hulking men. But in death, the way their shoulders hunch forward over the ropes looped under their arms manages to make them look frightened even without faces to show their emotion. I wonder what could have led these men to such a fate.
The wind picks up, vaulting them once more into the silent dance of death. Tendrils of cold wind race down my back and feel like fingernails. I shiver.
Royce moves toward them and stops. “They look fresh,” he says to Rhat.
“Aye, Captain,” Rhat replies.
“He must have been here.”
“It could just be another copycat, someone else trying to pick up his legacy. Despite the rumors, none of our sources have been able to confirm he’s alive.”
Phipps and Thipps move forward as I make my way around Royce and Rhat. “Remember our offer,” Thipps starts to say before he sees the bodies. “Captain Skulls,” he whispers. “Has to be his work.”
“Can’t be,” Phipps replies. “He’s dead.”
“I heard he lives forever, that each skull he collects gives him another year of life.”
“How many times do I have to tell you that’s not true?” Phipps knocks his brother upside his head.
Thipps rubs the spot. “How do you know it isn’t true? Sailors say he drinks the blood of his victims, sucks it right out of the head, and that the entire hull of his ship is filled with skulls. I’ve even heard that after battles, Skulls has his men bring in captives two at a time. They play a game of cutting the captives’ throats very slowly, and whoever keeps theirs alive the longest wins an extra share of the loot.” He switches from rubbing his head to rubbing his neck. “I don’t want to die that way. I’d rather go down in battle itself than be taken prisoner by the likes of him.”
Phipps rolls his eyes. “Worry about dying later. We’ve got work to do.” He shoves his brother down the dock. His eyes return to the headless bodies more than once, though, and he visibly swallows.
Aris wraps his arms around me, angling me away from the gruesome sight. “Don’t look,” he says.
It’s too late for that. I shudder at the memory of Captain Skulls standing over the head of that Lagonian soldier. “Do you think he’s still here?” I say.
“Not if the rest of the gold isn’t. He’ll be with the gold. Or”—he nods toward the bodies—“he’ll be busy adding those to his collection.”
I take a deep breath, fearing the day I have to face the pirate captain.
“Whenever you’re finished gawking,” Aris calls over his shoulder to Royce, “the princess is ready.”
Aris’s words stir Royce back toward the group.
“All right,” Royce says, gathering the other sailors close to him, although some still give me a wide berth. “Rhat, Aris, and I have our own business to attend to. Thipps, you stay and guard the longboat. Phipps, take the rest of the men and get all the supplies we can afford back to the ship as quickly as possible. We don’t know what kind of situation we’ll find ourselves in as we return to the ship, so load the supplies as quickly as you can.”
Phipps nods and moves off in the opposite direction I sensed the coin. A group of sailors follows after him.
Once the men are gone, Royce pulls Rhat aside, but it’s quiet enough for me to hear their words. “Go on ahead,” he whispers. “Search the taverns. I want to know if he’s here.”
Rhat nods and heads off into the night.
Finally, Royce turns to me. “Which way is the coin?”
I glance back toward where Thipps is guarding the boat, but he isn’t close enough to overhear. Plus, from his perch on the bow, he’s already singing some song about life at sea.
I close my eyes and let the gold flash through to ensure it’s still where I’d located it last. Then, I force my eyes open. I point in the direction I sensed it, and Aris moves forward, taking my arm.
But Royce stops us. “I want you to get us as close to the coin as you can,” he says, “but don’t enter any buildings without checking with me first.”
I look toward Aris. He nods reassuringly.
I yank up the hood of the cloak I’d worn in preparation for making our escape, and we set off across the pathway leading up to the town. A row of whitewashed buildin
gs stretches down the coast. At least they would’ve been white if it weren’t for all the dirt and mud kicked up from what passes as a street. Light spills onto the maze of missing cobblestones. Tufts of grass and tangles of weeds have taken up residence in the gaps. Several thin cats slink through the shadows and disappear down dark alleyways situated between a few structures.
Raucous laughter from nearby buildings drowns out the hum of the ocean waves crashing against the shoreline. The night air tugs at my cloak, so I keep my head down. If there’s anywhere I don’t want to be exposed, it’s here.
Several women showing more skin than could ever be considered decent stroll by. They call out to Aris and Royce. Royce ignores them, and Aris keeps his head down.
A group of men stumble from one of the doorways. A man’s low voice floats out from the entryway as he sings:
“Away went my lass
when I’d spent my last brass.
What I wouldn’t do for a barrel of gold.
She said she’d never come back
While I lived in a shack.
What I wouldn’t do for a barrel of gold.
The gold, the gold,
Grab it while you can.
Or you’ll end up like Midas, young man.”
Bile makes the slow climb up my throat over and over again no matter how many times I swallow it down. I want to run in there and yell at them to stop. But as much as I will it, my feet won’t move.
The door slams shut, cutting off the sound. It breaks the spell the words had over me.
“It’s only a song,” Aris says. “Don’t let it affect you. Focus on the coin.”
I nod.
It’s hard to look away from the building. From the people who will never understand what my father went through. Or why.
The melody of the continuing song haunts me as we move down the street.
When we near the end of the pathway, I stop. Ahead, the wind races down toward cliff edges. On one side, dark rocks cut a jagged pathway into the sea.
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