“Too bad,” Evan said. He lifted the hammer-and-tongs amulet from around his neck, wadded the chain in his hand, and extended it toward Destin. “Thank you for the loan of your amulet.”
“Keep it,” Destin said, waving it away. “I replaced it a long time ago.”
Evan slipped the chain over his head, pleased to feel the familiar weight of the flash against his skin. He fished a small velvet bag from inside his coat and slid it across the table, feeling like a suitor offering a series of unworthy gifts. “I saved your mother’s ring and locket for you.” He pulled a leather-wrapped bundle from his carry bag and set it next to the rest. “And . . . your father’s dagger. In case you wanted that, too.”
Surprise cleared the bitterness from Destin’s face. “You . . .” He stopped, swallowed hard, and brushed his long fingers across the leather, then met Evan’s gaze for the first time. “Thank you. It’s my mother’s dagger, actually,” he said, a bit of color staining his pale cheeks. “My father took it away from her the first time she tried to defend herself.” He paused, as if steeling himself to go on. “She’s alive, you know. My mother, I mean. If you can call it that.”
Evan sat forward, a spark of hope kindling in his middle. “Frances is alive?”
Destin nodded. “She lives with her family in Tamron.”
Memories flooded in. Frances asking Evan to stay on and be a friend to her son. I think you both have lessons to teach each other. Frances saying to Dustin, I’ve lost so much. I don’t want to lose you, too.
“Can I—? I would love to see her again.”
“No,” Destin said, with a bleak finality. “You wouldn’t. Leave well enough alone.” That seemed to be the theme of the entire conversation.
Then why have a meeting at all?
“What about your father?”
“Still living,” Destin said.
“Why?” Evan met Destin’s eyes directly. If you’re such a dangerous, despicable, ruthless person.
“He’s not the king’s enemy,” Destin said. “Not yet.” He shifted his eyes away and methodically refilled his glass. “Why do you think he brought my mother back alive? The general has made it clear that if anything happens to him, Frances and her family will pay a dear price. But he knows it’s a card he can play only once, so right now, it’s a standoff. He’d better get down on his knees every night and pray for their good health.”
“I’ll kill him for you, if you want,” Evan said. “Though, admittedly, it would be easier if you could lure him to the coast. Even better, suggest a father-son fishing trip.”
Destin laughed, low in his throat. “Thank you, Pirate,” he said, “but killing is something I’m actually quite good at. The general is mine. I can wait.” He fingered Breaker’s ears, ruffling up his fur. “Is it my imagination, or has my dog joined the bloodsworn? I couldn’t help noticing that he and your crew share a certain reddish glow.”
“It’s not your imagination,” Evan said, “though I prefer the term ‘Stormborn.’” He explained what had happened at the cottage and after.
“So, how does it work, this blood magic?”
Evan hesitated. He hadn’t shared this with anyone else. It wasn’t something he was particularly proud of.
“It is a magic I share with the empress. My blood has the power to raise the recent dead and nearly dead. Once raised, the Stormborn are fearless, exceedingly strong, impervious to pain, and unflinchingly loyal.”
“The perfect soldier,” Destin murmured.
“There is a price to be paid,” Evan said. “They lose some of their mental edge, creativity, decision-making ability, and the like. And the desire for more blood never leaves them.”
“I’m surprised at you,” Destin said, his face mingling grudging respect and a trace of surprise. “You used to be annoyingly ethical.”
“I’m a pirate, not a priest,” Evan snapped. “Most of my crews are converts from the empress’s bloodsworn that I bind with my blood. That takes them out of Celestine’s hands and delivers to me the most experienced sailors and fighters. They also know her weaknesses and strengths.”
“Is that how you justify it?” Destin raised an eyebrow. Same eyebrow, same way. Joltingly familiar.
“They are all given a choice—stay with the empress and die, or serve me and live. Most don’t find it a difficult decision.” Evan took a breath, forcing his muscles to relax. There was no reason to be defensive. It was just Destin, pulling whatever chain he could get hold of. “I do what’s necessary to stay alive, and make a living. Tarvos is thriving. I’ve made it into a sanctuary and fortress that the empress can’t breach. The Guardians stand watch when I am not there.”
“So you’ve figured out how to use them?” Destin said, brightening. “Did that manuscript I found—?”
“That manuscript you found was a lifesaver,” Evan said. “Thank you.”
“What about Celestine? Any meet-ups with the empress in the north?” Destin toyed with his mother’s dagger, as if half-listening, but something in the way he said it suggested he was striking close to the bone.
“She used to stalk me continually, every time I put to sea,” Evan said. “After losing several ships, she learned to keep her distance, for fear of being swamped. However, I believe the price on my head in Carthis is higher than the one your king is offering. Which is why I need a crew I can trust.”
Destin studied Evan’s face, the heat of his scrutiny bringing the blood up under his skin. “It seems what I’ve been hearing about you is true.”
“That depends,” Evan said. “What have you been hearing?”
“I am the spymaster for the king now, Pirate. I have eyes and ears across the Indio. They call you the Stormcaster of the Desert Coast and the Scourge of the Wetlands. They say you’re the only one who still defies the empress in the east. They say you are ruthless.”
Evan half-shrugged, oddly
