Briar lifted an eyebrow at Zak. “It’s rare that you talk politics.”
Zak shrugged. “It’s been an odd day.”
Ben scanned the room and tried to ignore how his heart sank. What if Raine didn’t come by tonight? It niggled on his conscience, her expression of annoyance from their brief conversation. Even if it was short, he had to apologize to her.
He watched Jade as she interacted with a brunette barmaid, who was refilling her drink. It wasn’t Jade’s appearance that reminded him of Sara, he finally determined. It was her mannerisms, like the way her eyes lit up when she laughed. It filled him with warmth, made him feel at home.
But is Sara my home? Ben clenched his hands into fists as he dropped his gaze to the table. If only he could just turn on the faucet of memories and let them flow. It was past time to know everything.
Doctor Jaxton’s electrical shock therapy hadn’t worked, nor had Geist’s attempts to “knock it out of him.”
Jade coughed, and he glanced up at her. She raised an eyebrow and nodded toward the door with a faint grin. He followed her gaze and felt relief trickle down his spine. Speaking of.
Raine scanned the crowded pub and sat at table near the captain and girls, her back to the bar. A barmaid came by, and Raine smiled and chatted amiably before the girl bounced away. Ben took a deep breath and scooted his chair back.
Zak wordlessly watched him, while Briar cocked his head and asked, “Where are you going?”
“I have an apology to make,” Ben replied, his eyes on Raine. She hadn’t seen him yet, and that might be a good thing. He wasn’t sure if it’d make it easier or harder if she had a moment of forewarning.
Quit stalling.
He hurried to stand behind the chair next to her. “Excuse me, miss?”
She looked up with a warm smile that faded away once she recognized him. “You.”
Ben couldn’t let her flat voice deter him. He gestured to the chair. “May I please take just a few moments of your time?”
Her shoulders rose and fell with a deep sigh, and she lifted a hand while looking away. “If it will make you disappear faster.”
Ben dropped onto the hard wood seat and examined the edges of her slender jaw, the tense angle of her toned shoulders, and her white-knuckled grip on the handle of her drink. He sighed and dropped his head down. “I’m sorry that my presence aggravates you.”
Raine rolled her head to look at him, her eyes dull with irritation. “I’m not on edge. I’m just allergic to arrogant idiots.”
Ben heard Captain Slate’s snort behind him and Jade’s muffled groan. Were they all eavesdropping on him? This was not going anywhere close to how he’d dared to hope. “Well, I’m not what I’d call arrogant, but I am an idiot.”
She looked at him out of her peripheral. “If you’re trying to impress me, that’s not the best way to go about it.”
Ben traced a finger along the grain of the table as he shook his head. “I’m not. I want to apologize for how I annoyed you the other day. I was sent on a dare by my”—what’s that word again?—”Void Born of a friend, and I managed to completely make a fool of myself and make you uncomfortable. I’m sorry.”
Raine’s posture had started to relax as his apology unwound, but she stiffened at his use of “Void Born.” Ben panicked internally at the coldness in her eyes. I used that wrong, didn’t I? I should’ve asked Zak or Jade first. I just made this so much worse.
Before Ben could apologize for his newest blunder, he felt someone stand beside him. He twisted in the chair and looked back to see the same older man he’d seen Raine with last time.
Wrinkles lined the gentleman’s eyes as he rested a firm hand on Ben’s shoulder. “Another suitor, Raine?”
Raine harrumphed and looked away, her voice icy. “No.”
The older man chuckled lightly, and his grip on Ben tightened. “You heard her. Time to leave my granddaughter alone.”
Heat rushed to Ben’s face as he stood, the chair screeching with his movement. “Of course, sir.” Ben looked back at Raine. “I truly am sorry if I caused offense.” He bowed.
This time Ben was sure that Captain Slate was listening in. He peeked over his shoulder, eyes speculative, and Slate stole his attention.
Slate whirled on the stool and took a half step forward, reaching a trembling hand toward Raine’s grandfather. “Finn?”
Raine twisted in her seat, hand dropping to her sword hilt while her grandfather merely turned. The gentleman peered at Slate for a long moment before taking a step back. “Slate? My boy, is that really you?”
Ben leaned back to avoid being hit in the jaw by Slate’s sudden back-pounding hug with Finn. He glanced at Raine and felt a bit better at seeing her equally confused expression. Her eyes met Ben’s, and she offered tiny shrug while somehow keeping her face impassive and eyes cold.
Ben lingered, listening in, just as everyone else in the group was.
“Am I glad to see you after all these years,” Slate exclaimed. “Sam said you arrived safely, but aside from your letter, I hadn’t heard anything. I’ve missed you.”
Finn chuckled and crossed his arms. “Are you still in contact with Samantha, then? I—” He broke off and raised a pointed eyebrow at Ben. “You’re still here?”
“He’s one of my men.” Slate spoke before Ben could. “New to my crew.” He gestured to his right. “And this is William, my shipwright.”
Finn nodded and shook hands with William. Finn examined Ben from head to boot tips. “Good to meet you both.” His gaze switched to Garnet and he stepped forward with his arms extended, a warm smile crinkling his eyes. “Garnet, my dear, it’s wonderful to see you again.”
Garnet slid off her stool and hugged Finn before brushing at invisible dust on her green jacket. “Likewise, Finn.” A welcoming smile brightened her face as her eyes sparkled with fondness. “It’s been far too long.” She gestured to Raine. “Did I overhear you say ‘granddaughter’?”
Raine pushed away from the table to stand by Finn’s side. She stood comfortably, her posture relaxed, but her shoulders set, as if ready to flee.
“Indeed.” Finn wrapped an arm around Raine’s shoulders and turned to talk to her. “Technically, you met them, but that was back when you were a baby.”
Raine smiled slightly before raising her hand to Slate. “Pleased to meet you officially.”
Slate smiled and gripped her forearm in a solid shake, then stepped back to let her greet Garnet. “Likewise.” He gestured to where Jade and Krista sat at the bar, watching. “My daughter, Jade, and Krista, her best friend.” He smiled at Finn. “You know Jade’s mother, Samantha. And you’ve already met Ben.”
Raine and Finn greeted the girls appropriately, and Finn gestured to the table that Raine had claimed previously. “Will you two join us? I’d love to catch up on your news.”
Slate and Garnet seated themselves, and Ben drifted back to his own table where Zak and Briar were watching keenly.
“So,” Briar didn’t wait for Ben to get settled on the bench, “who’s the old guy?”
“Raine’s grandfather, apparently.” Ben watched as Finn and Slate chattered away like old friends. “Finn.”
Zak’s eyes gleamed. “Finn?”
Ben looked between Zak and the trio. “You know him?”
“I think so.” Zak pursed his lips as a shadow darkened his eyes. “I’ll ask the captain about it later.”
Ben’s misery over the failed apology made him ask without second thought. “Where from?”
Zak’s hair fell across his eyes as he tilted his chin down. “From Doldra.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Slate
Slate rubbed the condensation off his mug as he listened to Finn talk to Garnet and William. Slate couldn’t say that he had been worried about Finn—not when he’d received the letter saying that Finn and baby Raine had arrived safely in Piovant so many years ago. But nineteen years of silence had taken its toll, as had become apparent to Sl
ate as he tried to shake off the light-headed relief that had plagued him since he first hugged Finn.
“Raine, how about you join the girls?” Finn suggested to his granddaughter. Raine raised a dark eyebrow, and Finn smiled gently. “You won’t be as interested in our conversation, I’m sure. And it would do you good to make friends your own age.” His eyes sparkled with the amused glimmer that Slate remembered from his childhood. “I’m sure they won’t make the same mistakes as your new beau.”
William snorted into his drink, and Garnet coughed to cover her own laugh. Raine wrinkled her nose and stood, pulling her beverage with her. She nodded politely to them, then shook her head at Finn with narrowed eyes before joining Jade and Krista at the bar with a shy smile.
The warmth of the room threatened to overwhelm Slate, and he rolled his beige sleeves up to his elbows. The bar chair creaked as he leaned back to soak in Finn’s appearance. The years had worn on his friend: lines wrinkled around his eyes, tanned leathery skin, and hair almost completely gray with white streaks. “So, Finn, how have you been?”
A soft smile curled Finn’s lips as he shrugged. “Well enough.” He tipped his head at Raine. “She’s good company for keeping me on my toes and young at heart.” Finn quietly thanked the barmaid that delivered his steaming tray of food, and he continued after a brief moment of silence over his plate. “We’ve traveled all over southern Terrene, getting by with my healing skills. We settled in Sordes for a few years while Raine was young, but the last decade has been constant moving.” He rested his fork on his plate. “We’d been in Loore’s Landing most recently, and moved as soon as the locals started getting riled up about Void Born after the keystone attack.”
Slate frowned. “Last I heard, they haven’t caught who did it, either.” Dark memories led to other dark memories. He swallowed. “Any clues as to the murders?”
Finn finished chewing the bite in his mouth and shook his head, shadows from the orb lights dancing in his eyes. “Not much.” His gaze flicked to Raine. “But we’re both alive and safe, and that’s what matters.”
William paused, his fork partway to his mouth, his head turned to where Jade and Krista sat. “Constantly moving? So she really doesn’t have any friends her own age?”
“I’m afraid not.” Finn wiped his fingers on a cloth napkin. “Friends were a luxury that was hard to afford when on the road so frequently.”
Garnet rested her elbows on the table while Slate worked to swallow past the lump in his throat. “Are you living in Lucrum now, or just passing through?”
“We actually just arrived last week.” Finn drank deeply from his mug and pointed to the west wall. “We’re still deciding if we’re staying or moving on.”
“I’m glad you came out when you did,” Slate said. “How is Raine doing? She’s grown so much.”
Finn raised an eyebrow and looked over Slate’s shoulder to where the girls sat at the polished wood bar. “Same to your daughter. I’m guessing she’s just a year or two behind Raine, as I don’t recall you having a girl when we saw each other last?”
Slate plastered a smile on his face. “I learned about her soon after you left.”
“Mmhmm.” Finn paused, twitched his eyebrow, then continued. “Raine is an accomplished swordswoman now. She’s excellent at it, and she trains wherever, whenever.”
“She didn’t follow your lead in becoming an apothecary?” Garnet asked, surprised.
Finn shook his head, and his shoulders shook with a huff of laughter. “She and I both agreed that herbs and such are not her strong suit. She’s good enough in a pinch, but she prefers the physical. Swordplay is what greases her brain-gears—not figuring out which herb combats which ailment.”
“Fair enough.” Garnet smiled and reached across the table to touch Finn’s elbow. “It’s really good to see you again.”
“Likewise.” Finn’s chair creaked as he shifted and looked between Slate and Garnet. “What have you two been up to?” His expression darkened. “I’m truly sorry for what happened at the palace and for Sapphire. I was heartbroken to hear the news.” He pressed his lips together, grief shadowing his eyes. “I’m sorry I couldn’t come back for her funeral, or Zane’s.”
Slate inhaled sharply and let it out in one deep breath. He traced his thumbnail along the grain of the table and shook his head. “Thank you, but it was better that you two stayed away and stayed safe. Since then, I’ve become a captain of an airship, and we,” he gestured between himself and his sister, “have started working for Mother as her merchants.”
A burst of laughter from the girls behind him drew their attention for a moment. Raine and Jade gestured animatedly while Krista laughed. Contentment warmed Slate’s chest as he watched Jade laugh, tears of merriment sparkling at the corners of her eyes. He turned back to Finn.
“The Doldran keystone hasn’t been working the way it should since the Fall, so we’re keeping our eyes and ears open for anything that may possibly help it while we’re out and about.” Slate pursed his lips and chose not to mention their new mission. “It’s been hard to find anything helpful.”
Finn nodded, concern glowing in his eyes. “I’ve heard rumors of the problems plaguing the citadel, but I don’t know of anything still in existence that could work. Everything I’ve ever heard of is surely gone by now.”
“Well, if there is anything, we’ll find it,” William stated with a firm voice. His brow creased. “We’ve looked for too long to fail now.”
Slate frowned into his mug before sipping his ale. Finn’s words bothered him, but he opted to ignore the feeling. He had to keep up what optimism he could. He had to fix his mistakes of the past. He had no choice.
“I…I’m also looking for the one who killed Zane,” Slate added quietly. He glanced up to see a shadow cross Finn’s face as he nodded. “He gave his life to keep the barrier from falling, despite being stabbed in the back. I need to fix the keystone and avenge him.”
Silence fell across the bar for several long moments before William stood and held his hand out to Finn. “It was good to meet you, sir, but I need to get back to the Sapphire and check on the state of things before we go on our next mission.”
Finn set his bread down on his plate, wiped his fingers on his napkin, and clasped Wiliam’s hand. “Likewise.”
William tapped Slate’s shoulder. “See you in a bit, boss.” He nodded to Garnet, dropped a kiss on Krista’s forehead, and left.
The rest of the night passed in a blur of laughter, memories, and tears as Finn, Garnet, and Slate whiled away the hours together.
Garnet checked her pocket watch and straightened with a gasp. “I’m sorry, Finn, but we really need to get going. We’re leaving port in the morning, and we’ve only a few minutes before we’re officially in the morning.”
Finn pulled out his own time piece and blinked at it before nodding. “Of course, my dear.” He rose and bowed as Garnet stood stiffly and stretched. “I’m glad we had this time to catch up.”
She leaned over and kissed Finn’s cheek with a smile. “Leave a note at our mother’s next time you’ll be by. Maybe we can meet here again.”
Slate’s knees popped as he stood and shook Finn’s hand. “Exactly what she said. We can’t let it be another nineteen years.”
A quick glance to the corner showed Zak, Ben, and Briar all bright-eyed and alert. Zak tilted his head toward Jade and Krista with an eye roll and a shrug. He shook his head with the hint of a smile and turned away to reply to Ben.
Slate yawned and smiled. The young people would likely be here a while longer. And Zak knew his limits.
Slate stepped out of the bar, and the cold night air chased away the tired fog induced by the warm pub. He paused on the wooden porch and waited for Garnet to adjust her lightweight jacket.
She tipped her head back and breathed deeply. “That was a pleasant surprise.”
“Indeed.” Slate shoved his hands in his pockets as they strolled down the quiet street. Pale moonlight refle
cted off the white buildings, illuminating their path just as well as the gas lights that lined the edges of the paved street.
Garnet returned to the topic they had been discussing hours earlier, right before they had begun eavesdropping on Ben and Raine. “We’ll need to set up a team to haggle for our unplanned delivery in Vodan.”
Slate shrugged. “Let’s send Jade and her little group.” He grinned at Garnet’s exasperated sigh. “What? There’s nothing wrong with using Vodan’s cultural superstitions in our favor.”
His twin shook her head at him with a tight smile. “Had it been me suggesting it, you’d have protested out of fear for her safety.” Garnet tugged her thin jacket closer. “And I suppose you’ll suggest that they also be our mingling team?
“Maybe.” Slate frowned as he thought and slipped his hand over his sword hilt as they passed a swaying drunk. “I want a second group to blend into the populace and try to find Ezekial, but odds are good that Ezekial will find us. And Everett’s men will stand out like new cogs in an old clock if we send them into town.”
Garnet snorted and rubbed her hands over her arms as a chill breeze blew down the street. She smiled her thanks as Slate slipped off his heavier duster and dropped it over her shoulders. “Two redheads on one ship? Ezekial will likely show up on our deck within hours of our arrival. It’s not like we blend in.”
“Hopefully this will be a quick, easy mission, and we’ll be back with what we need in just a few weeks.”
Garnet cast him a doubtful frown. “When are we ever that lucky?”
Slate blew out his breath and kicked at a stone in the street. “First time for everything.”
Chapter Thirty
Jade
Jade tugged at her half-bodice and grimaced when it peeled away from her sweat-soaked shirt. They’d made great time across country to Vodan—just in time for a blistering heat wave that caused the typically warm engine room to positively swelter. She made a face at Krista, who snickered from her corner on the floor and fanned herself with a sheet of scrap metal.
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