Noa folded her arms and glared at the island as if squaring off against an opponent. Xavier’s mage had said that the king’s ships had come here looking for the Lost Words, and then gone away again empty-handed. Could Noa and Julian succeed where Xavier had failed? Or was Evert a dead end?
“Let’s try circling it once, Captain,” Julian said. His brow was so furrowed that his dragon tattoo looked to be in danger of falling into his eye. “Perhaps we’ll find a harbor where we can put a boat in.”
“Aye, Your Highness,” Kell said, and limped off.
Renne raised his eyebrows. “Seems an odd place to hide anything, let alone the Lost Words.”
“Maybe that’s the point,” Noa said.
Julian didn’t say anything. The shadows under his eyes were darker—he’d barely slept during the four-day voyage, poring over books of myths and legends until late into the night. Finally, he said, “Tell the sailors to prepare the longboat. We’ll launch as soon as Kell finds a suitable harbor.”
Noa noticed Tomas standing up on the path, waving to her. She gave Julian and Renne an excuse and hurried over to him.
“Do you have it?”
Tomas nodded. He glanced over his shoulder to see if anyone was nearby. Then he carefully lifted up the corner of the blanket laid over his wagon. Beneath it was the biggest cake Noa had ever seen, puffy and golden and still lightly steaming. It took up half the wagon.
“It’s cinnamon raisin,” he said. “We ran out of lemons. I hope that’s all right.”
“What happened to the other one?” Noa said. They had gone looking for Beauty yesterday with a lemon-lime cake in tow, but hadn’t found her. One of the scouts had told Noa that she had dived beneath the island, which she’d been doing a lot lately. It struck Noa as suspicious behavior, but then, Noa couldn’t recall Beauty ever engaging in unsuspicious behavior.
“It’s day-old,” Tomas said in an affronted tone.
They walked along the beach until they came to the sheltered cove where Noa had made her bargain with Beauty. There was nobody there, sea serpents included.
A familiar figure jumped out from behind a rock. “What are you doing?” Mite asked. Of course she’d been following them. Her pockets were stuffed with shells, which she liked giving to her pet bugs so that they could hide in them.
“Tomas baked Beauty a cake,” Noa said. “We’re going to give it to her.”
“Is it her birthday?” Mite looked excited. “Are we having a party? Do we all get cake? How will Beauty fit in a party hat—”
“It’s not a birthday cake,” Noa said. “I’m going to go talk to her, and you can only stay and watch if you promise not to tell Julian. If you can’t keep it secret, you have to go back to the castle.”
Mite chewed her lip, weighing the choice between lying to Julian and being left out of something. “I won’t tell,” she said, her voice glum.
Noa pulled the blanket back so that the scent of the cake could waft down the beach. It smelled delicious, built in layers spread thickly with cinnamon and brown sugar, with fat raisins soaked in butter pressed into the top. Mite looked as if she was about to start drooling. She scuttled closer to the cake, her gaze darting to Noa, clearly plotting to steal a piece when she wasn’t looking.
“Mite—” Noa warned.
A huge shape lunged out of the water, and there came a sound like two dozen swords unsheathing. Mite screamed and toppled over. Then, as quickly as Beauty had appeared, she was gone, and the wagon of cake was empty but for a few raisins.
Noa brushed the water from her eyes. They were all drenched. Tomas looked too stunned to move. Water dripped down his long nose like a fountain.
Noa marched to the water’s edge. “Beauty!”
A long stream of bubbles erupted on the surface of the water. Then Beauty’s head surfaced, still chewing. “Ah,” she mumbled around the cake. “That is the most wonderful thing I’ve ever eaten. What is that delicious aftertaste?”
Tomas blushed. “Orange peel.”
“Really?” Beauty gulped, her black eyes widening. “How inspired!”
Noa didn’t think she’d ever seen Tomas look so pleased. “Well, you have to caramelize it first—”
“Can you two trade recipes some other time?” Noa said. “Beauty, I have a business proposition for you.”
“A business proposition? How dreary. Is there any more cake?”
“That’s the business proposition.” Noa steeled herself and waded into the shallows, stopping only feet away from Beauty’s huge shadow. “Tomas bakes the best cakes you’ll find anywhere in the thirteen seas. I’m prepared to offer you a regular supply.”
“I see.” Beauty’s expression didn’t change, but at the word cakes her tongue slashed out to lick her lips. “And how will I thank you for such generosity?”
Noa folded her arms. “As you reminded me, you’ve been around for a while. I’m sure you’ve seen a lot of the world.”
“More than your brother’s royal advisors and all his books combined could tell you,” Beauty agreed. Her voice was free of arrogance, as if she were merely stating a fact.
“I bet you even know things that could be helpful to Julian,” Noa said. “If you could answer a few questions, I’d be very grateful. It wouldn’t take up much of your time.”
Beauty thought it over, eyeing Noa with her wet black eyes. “Why do you think I’d be truthful?” she said at last.
“Because you’re a lady of honor, of course,” Noa said, raising her eyebrows as if surprised. The serpent might be bloodthirsty, but she had observed that insulting Beauty’s honor riled her more than anything else.
Beauty smiled appreciatively. “What a clever flatterer you are, little Marchena. Very well—I accept. I will answer one question
