Page 53 of By the Moonbeam and the Mist
“Yes,” I said before I could think twice. Regardless of what he was, his eyes were just too sad and gentle not to trust.
Garvis bowed his head.
“Okay, we’ll start right now, then. So you can function without my blockade when you go back to the Institute in the morning.”
In the morning. I rubbed my eyes again and glanced at the clock above the mantelpiece. Its twitching hands told me itwas already a little past midnight: only seven hours until Ms. Pincette’s class. Dazmine, Emelle, and Cilia would have turned in for bed by now and discovered my absence.
But Garvis was right. He wouldn’t be there tomorrow to shield me against the onslaught of voices, and on campus there would bethousandsto wade past, not just five. I needed his instruction.
“I’ll take the others back to the ship,” Steeler began.
“Wait.”
I winced as they all paused to stare at me.
“I, uh…” I cleared my throat, refusing to meet Steeler’s curious gaze. “I sort of promised one of my classmates that I’d bring her back another pirate so that she can… do some blackmailing or whatever.” The words sounded even more ridiculous out in the open than they had in my head, so I decided to add some more accusation in there. “Her friend, Jenia Leake, was just exiled, and she wants her back.”
I expected to witness a few exchanged glances at that. Some kind of admission of guilt in these pirates’ eyes that might indicate they knew exactly where Jenia was tied up—or worse.
Instead, Sasha’s face cracked into a shocked grin.
“Are you seriously just asking us politely if we’ll give ourselves up for ransom? To asecond-year?”
“Well…yes?”
Oh, Dazmine was going to bepissedwhen I returned empty-handed.
But Terrin snapped his fingers. “Wait. Jenia Leake’s friend… are you talking about the hot one with the braids? What’s her name again?”
I folded my arms, refusing to answer. Even if Dazmine and I would never be on fabulous terms, I wasn’t just going to throw her name into dangerous territory if I could help it.
Terrin shrugged anyway. “I’ll do it. What?” he added when Sasha and Sylvie gaped at him. “I’d like to see a girl like her try to take me for ransom. And it sounds like she’s having a hard time. If it would make her feel better to cuff me for a bit…”
“Terrin.” Garvis pinched the bridge of his nose.
“That’s the worst idea you’ve ever had,” Sylvie said.
“And you’ve had a lot of bad ideas,” Sasha added.
To my shock—and to the others’, it seemed—Steeler didn’t immediately shut down the idea even thoughIhad to admit it was absurd.
“It does sound like she’s emotionally charged and dead-set on investigating Jenia’s disappearance,” he mused, curiosity still dancing behind his contemplative expression. “And since Drey has already involved her, we either have to wipe her memories—”
“Not going to happen,” I countered.
“—or involve her under her own terms before she gets desperate,” Steeler finished firmly. “But we can talk more about the logistics on the ship.” He tossed a look to Garvis. “I’ll be back by the time you’re finished with your first lesson.”
The others reached out to grab hold of him. Right before he made them all melt away into nothingness, he looked back at me with another flash of his fangs.
“I’ve told you before, and I’ll tell you again, Drey. Your memories are still in your mind, just hidden where no one else but youcanfind them. You want them back? You can go get them yourself.”
And with that, he and the others vanished.
“Asshole,” I muttered under my breath.
Now that I was alone with Garvis and Felicity, I realized the storm outside had ceased. Lazy fingers of rain trailed down the windowpanes, but nothing flashed or thundered out at sea anymore.
In the crackling firelight, I turned to the monkey.
