"It was once in the hands of a rmaid we hear," Alaric said coolly. "A mirror with silver waves along the fra. It... hums when the light touches it. It shows what it should not. That mirror."
Devon paled.
He turned to Brinson. "Get the rest of the crew away from this part of the deck. Now."
Brinson didn’t argue. He barked an order, and the pirates slowly dispersed, though so lingered to eavesdrop from behind crates and barrels.
"That mirror is cursed," Devon said, turning back to them. "I’ve kept it locked and buried ever since that creature—Nyrra—handed it over in exchange for her freedom. I’ve lost four n to it. Why in the hells would you want it?"
Salviana stepped forward, chin raised. "Because we know what it does. And we know what we’re looking for. We’re not foolish."
"You don’t sound like fools, but you do sound like people who’ll die looking into a godsforsaken mirror for no good reason," Devon snapped. "Looking into that thing? It doesn’t show your face. It shows what wants you."
"We’ll pay," Lucius said simply, pulling out a dark satchel and tossing it to the table. The weight of gold and silver clinked heavily.
Devon raised a brow. "Even gold’s not worth the price of souls."
"This is just the beginning," Alaric said. "You give us what we want, we pay. We’ll even throw in sothing of value from Wyfhaven."
He motioned, and Jess stepped forward, opening a small chest containing a rare sea crystal—raw and glowing faintly like bottled moonlight. Wyfin. Mysterious and expensive. The pirates murmured among themselves.
Devon looked tempted.
"You’re serious?" he asked, staring into Alaric’s eyes.
"As death," Alaric said.
Devon hesitated—then nodded, once. "Fine. I’ll bring it. But it’s yours after that. You carry it. You suffer it. You lose yourself to it, and don’t co crawling back to . Deal?"
"Deal," Salviana said without pause.
Devon gave a low whistle, and two pirates ca hauling up a long, flat chest bound in thick chains and seals carved with runes. The mont it hit the deck, Lucius winced.
"It’s humming," he muttered.
Salviana nodded. "It knows we’re here."
As Devon stepped back, he muttered, "You lot are mad."
Then, under his breath:
"May the sea gods have rcy on you."
But the pirates weren’t done.
As the chest was loaded onto their boat, Brinson sidled up again with a crooked grin.
"You paid. But sotis... the sea asks for more."
Lucius narrowed his eyes. "What more?"
Brinson tapped his temple. "A secret. Each of you. Sothing no one knows. Or maybe... soone doesn’t get back on that boat."
Jess gasped. "That wasn’t part of the deal!"
Brinson grinned wide. "That’s the thing about pirate deals, lass. They always co with hidden tides."
And just like that, the price of the mirror got steeper.
The words slipped out before Salviana could stop herself.
"We’re royals."
Oh fuck.
A long, slow silence fell over the deck like a wet blanket. Every pirate within earshot froze, turned, and stared.
"Eh?" Brinson said, tilting his head, one brow raised high like the mast. "Care to say that again, princess?"
Lucius groaned softly, dragging a hand over his face. Alaric turned slightly toward his wife with a barely concealed really? glance.
But Salviana straightened, chin high, no room for sha.
"You heard . We are royals—of Wyfellon, in Wyfn-Garde. House Velthorne."
Now they had the attention of every soul aboard.
A younger pirate near the helm scoffed, "Then what the hells are you doin’ dressed like washed-up deckhands?"
"To blend in," Lucius muttered under his breath. "Which we did. Until now."
Devon narrowed his eyes. "Velthorne... I can’t believe I’m with the prince and princess of our kingdom."
"In our ship!"
"I an certain they are not the important ones"
Alaric stepped forward now, his voice like steel wrapped in velvet. "We don’t an to bring trouble. We needed the mirror—nothing more. But if it helps settle your suspicions, know this: We can provide for you. Fund you. Even help with ships, if necessary."
"Wages, we want wages. All we asked for was wages."
"Wages?" Lucius laughed, not kindly. "What’re you? rcenaries? Wages, says the pirate."
"You’re pirates," Salviana said calmly. "You do what you must to survive. And we know what it ans to suffer, to serve, to protect a kingdom that turns its back on you."
A few pirates exchanged glances at that—more than one wore the face of a man who’d known injustice.
Alaric reached into the pouch once more and brought out three polished bars of silver. "Enough to buy yourself a horse. Or ten."
Brinson’s eyes lit with greed, but Devon waved him back. He stepped up, took the silver, tested its weight, and then, with a grunt, nodded.
"Deal. Take your mirror and go."
The crate was brought forward, tightly bound in dark cloth and chained again. As it hit the deck, the wood beneath it thudded faintly, but they were too focused on leaving to care.
One by one, they descended the ramp back to their small rented boat. Jean twirled with excitent. Jess hovered close to Lucius, still a little pale. Salviana exhaled deeply as the ship’s size shrank behind them.
But then—
THUD.
A low groan from below deck.
They all paused.
THUMP.
Then—
"Your Highness—!"
A voice. Muffled, weak, but unmistakable.
"Your Grace... help... please—"
Everyone froze. Salviana spun around.
"That ca from below deck," she said, eyes wide.
"Could be a trick," Lucius said flatly. "Pirates are full of gas."
"Could be ghosts," Jess whispered.
Alaric’s jaw clenched. "We made the deal. Let’s not go asking for more."
But Jean stepped forward, her brows drawn together. "That voice sounded real. And desperate."
Salviana didn’t even hesitate. "I’m going back up."
"You’re what?" Lucius hissed.
But she was already turning the boat around, grabbing the side with both hands. Jean followed. Jess looked panicked, unsure what to do.
Alaric cursed under his breath. "This is how people get killed."
Lucius sighed. "And yet we’re following her, aren’t we?"
///
PLEASE RECOMND THIS BOOK TO YOUR READER FRIENDS.
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