Page 90 of Virelai's Hoard
“I think she’s gone,” Kittredge blurted.
Sable blinked at her, not understanding at first. Then, slowly, the words sunk in.
Calla’s fingers tightened on the railing. “Count the boats,” she said, her voice like stone.
“I already did.” Kittredge shuffled on her feet, looking out worriedly at the jutted rocks. “We’re one short.”
28. A Heartbeat
Calla
The longboats hit the sandbanks by the mouth of the cave with a judder. This wasn’t what she’d expected of Virelai’s hidden island. It couldn’t even be called an island. It was a dark, hidden rock. They would’ve passed it over without a second thought if the compass hadn’t led them to it. And hunger wafted off the place in waves. Calla felt it licking at her skin.
She stepped out of her longboat, and the others followed, craning their necks at the stone walls curving beyond their heads. But Calla didn’t marvel at the size of the cave, at how the walls glistened from sprayed sea water, or the way the sea beat against the rocks–the water frothing, swelling, thrumming with foreboding energy.
No. Calla just stared down at the footprints in the sand. They led straight into the dark maw of the cave.
What are you waiting for?
Beside her, Eryx shuddered. “This is not meant for us.”
Their words hung heavy in the air, their warm breath lingering in the chill in white puffs. The pirates around them shifted, uneasy.
Calla tore her gaze away from the footsteps and turned to the others. “Eryx is right. You’ll be waiting outside until I return.” Before Sable could protest, she met her eye. “Let’s go.”
Sable’s eyes widened in surprise, but she nodded, stepping at her side. “After you, captain.”
Thorian, arms folded, grumbled something about her playing favorites. They ignored him as they left.
Riley
Riley slinked through the cave like some sort of frightened animal.
Alone, spooked, nerves frayed.
Everything felt wrong. The bag slung over her shoulder, empty of Patch’s reassuring weight. The sea water lapping at her feet, the sand raised against the walls of the cave so narrow that she had to hug the rock as she went, the ground crumbling beneath her boots. The way the water rippled, dark and ominous. If she peered at it, her head swam–she couldn’t see its bottom.
Instead, she looked ahead, where a golden light pulsed and reflected off the walls, eerie andalive.
If she slipped into the water, that would be the end. There would be no mysterious creature to save her from drowning this time.
The memory came, unbidden and startling. Those eyes.Calla’seyes. The creature had been Calla. Calla had risked exposing herself, her secret, tosaveRiley.
Riley’s gloved fingers dug into the wall of the cave as she gasped at the realization. Her lungs filled in with salt, and something metallic coated her tongue. Like blood.
‘She’s of no consequence to me.’
Riley gritted her teeth and pushed forward. She’d survived by preying on fools like Calla. This wasn’t any different. It wasn’t personal. Usually. But this time? She would show Calla just of how muchconsequenceshe was before leaving them all in the dust. She would not allow them to dismiss her so easily. If herevery waking moment had to be filled with thoughts of Calla’s dismissal, she would pay Calla the same damn courtesy.
Eventually, the path widened into a sand shore, stretching beyond into a vast chamber and keeping the sea at bay. Strange carvings littered the walls, the symbols thrumming with energy beneath her hand.
Riley stumbled to a halt as her eyes fell to the contents of the cave.
Gold.
Piles of it. Too much to fit into any sort of chests and coffers, as much of it as to satisfy the hoarding instincts of a dragon. Precious gems and pearls glittered in the midst, and Riley’s head swam with what she was seeing. Not even in her wildest dreams had she imagined so many riches. She would never want for anything ever again, even if she just filled the bag over her shoulder and snuck back onto the Moonshadow–no one would ever even notice she’d taken anything. But the bag was meant to be Patch’s nest. And a startling realization hit Riley over the head like a cudgel, making her numb from head to toe. She wanted none of the gold. Now that she could have it, the life she was dreaming of lying at her fingertips, an apology away? She didn’t want it.
Instead, her eyes got drawn to the middle of the cave. Where the Heart of the Abyss lay waiting.
