27. We’re Confident It’s a Spell Tome

"It exists," Tiago says wearily, as if he's not pleased we discovered the journal.

I eye the Milindrian officer, sensing his unease. "Shouldn't you be happier?"

Tiago studies the book in my brother's hands. "It depends on what's in it."

That's a sobering thought.

"You don't trust your king?" I ask lightly, genuinely curious if he'll answer.

The mage frowns. "To be honest, I had hoped it was a myth—or at least that you wouldn't find it."

"Why?"

He meets my eyes. "Because I don't dislike you, and I'm not comfortable with the plans Marcelo has for an all-powerful weapon."

Kalae and Milindria aren't at war, but we're not allies either.

"Are you saying King Marcelo hopes to use whatever is in this journal to lay siege upon Kalae?" I demand. "We went on a hunt for our own demise?"

The mage's mood is sober. It's touched with anguish and shame, and I don't like it.

He finally responds, "We five are the only people in all the world who know where Katsacale's treasure rests. We could destroy the journal, and no one would ever know."

"What about Cassandra Marie?" Soleil demands.

Tiago shakes his head as if there is no good answer.

"Perhaps one of our scholars reads Tilloran?" Soleil suggests. "The journal was written over two hundred years ago. The magic is likely outdated and obsolete by now. Perhaps there's no reason to worry."

Tiago nods slowly. "Perhaps. We'll consult with them first."

We sayour goodbyes to the dragons. Felicity cries, knowing it's not likely she'll see the female she befriended again. Not overly sentimental, Soleil stands to the side, waiting for us to leave.

"Thank you again," Davyn says to the pair. "We are in your debt."

The male dragon sends a picture of us hoisting the female from the cavern.

"Very well," my brother corrects. "We are even."

Felicity hugs the female. "Good luck with your hatchlings. I wish I could see them."

Would Davyn face the Cursed Isles again so Felicity could visit the dragons? Probably, judging from his emotions. He's in love with the thief. I'm not sure what happened between them in the cavern while they were alone, but their moods are different. Felicity is quieter, softer, less angry, and more hopeful. And Davyn is disgustingly besotted.

Finally, it's time to go. Dusk is falling quickly, and we still have to row back to the ship.

Soleil and I are the first to leave. She climbs onto the dragon's back, and I follow.

"Our last dragon flight," I tease her, knowing she's not keen on this particular adventure. "Bittersweet, don't you think?"

She flashes me a look over her shoulder, and I laugh, tugging her hood over her head to block her from the rain.

As soon as the male flies from the cavern, the wind hits us like a roaring gale, sending him sideways and nearly pulling us from his back. I hold Soleil tightly and grip the dragon's sides with my thighs to stay seated. Rain pelts our faces and yanks back our hoods as we make the quick trip to the ground.

It doesn't take more than a few minutes, but it's an intense ride.

"Davyn's not going to like that." I slide off the dragon's wet back, glad to have my feet on firm earth. "I sensed his fear when the weather was in a good mood."

Soleil merely nods, shaken from the flight as well. We wait for the others in the stormy twilight. It's like the isles know they've lost to us. We've found the treasure, located the journal, and broken their curse—and they're angry.

If I were superstitious, I might believe it.

Davyn, Felicity, and Tiago make it to the ground without injury, and we load into the dinghy. We're quiet on the way back to the ship, and not only because the storm makes it difficult to talk. Jorgin and Brantley are focused, determined to keep the boat from capsizing in the angry surf.

My thoughts are distant. Our mission was a success—we accomplished the impossible and found the journal. The end is finally in sight, and Cassandra Marie's freedom is imminent…but at what cost?

Davyn carries the mage's tome, protecting it from the weather.

The dinghy sways in the storm as our men hoist us up. They gather around, helping us onto the deck.

"A squall has moved in," Hudson yells to be heard over the storm. "We best stay put for the night."

Agreeing, Davyn gestures for us to follow him to his cabin, slamming the door on the pelting rain and wind once we're all inside.

Soleil looks out the wall of windows at the rear of the cabin, nervous. "That's an angry storm."

"It will pass," I assure her. "The great typhoons hit the southern side of lower Eronia. We're sheltered here, too far north to worry."

As she looks out the window and watches the waves crash over the nearby rocks, jostling the ship while the wind howls against the glass panes, I sense she doesn't believe me.

"Since it looks like we'll be here for a while, why don't you fetch your scholars?" Tiago suggests. "Let's see if they can translate the journal."

The allureof an enigmatic priceless artifact was enough to coax even recovering Nico from his bed, and the three scholars have been bickering over the text for two hours now. The problem is that the people of Tillora spoke not one language, but three. The first was an ancient tongue, unique to the mountainous region of the kingdom and unrelated to the other common languages of Eronia. The second was a version of Hillanese from Hillan, a larger territory that united several small clans and put them under one rule…until the Tilloran people fought against the monarchy and won their territory back, creating the kingdom that ruled the area until Milindria invaded about seventy-five years ago. And finally, there was the common tongue that was a conglomeration of Hillanese, ancient Tilloran, and Milindrian.

In the last two hundred years, the common tongue has become the official tongue, but this old text appears to be written in Hillanese, the most disjointed language of the lot.

The good news is that Shawn studied ancient Hillanese at the college, focusing on it for a season for personal growth.

The bad news is that the other scholars dabbled in it as well, and none of them can agree upon what the text says. Right now, they're confident it's a spell tome.

So, obviously, we're making great progress.

"If our scholars can't read it, what chance is there that Milindrian scholars will have any better luck?" Soleil asks me from our perch on the upholstered window seat. Behind us, the storm beats against the glass, still raging.

"With enough time, I'm sure someone will unlock its secrets," I answer.

"I think we should destroy it," Tiago says from his resting place against an empty case, and not for the first time.

Soleil turns to peer up at him. "You're sure you're a Milindrian officer? Your jacket says you are, but your words make me question your allegiance."

He gives her a wry smile. "Your intended saved my life. I'm merely trying to return the favor. What would your King Harold do to Captain Greybrow and his brother if he learned they handed a weapon of unknown power to a rival kingdom?"

He's got a point.

"By arresting the Greybrow's cousin, King Marcelo has placed them in an impossible position, and he's very aware of it. It would be better for everyone if this mage's tome didn't exist."

"But that's assuming it is a weapon of unknown power," Soleil points out. "For all we know, King Culsan's ancestor was studying plants. Maybe he was growing blue daisies or giant dandelions."

"If the magic was harmless, why would they lock his journal in the kingdom's coffers?" Tiago points out.

A knock at the door startles us all. Immediately, Davyn snatches the journal from the table, hiding it under his jacket. He then jerks his head at me, telling me to open the door.

Carlos, the Sea Rose's mage, and several other Milindrian officers are on the deck. Hudson stands with them, looking irritated to be out in the weather. "Lieutenant Avila is here to speak with Lieutenant de Lemos."

The officers enter without invitation.

"Won't you come in?" I say wryly, but my senses are prickling. They reek of suspicion.

"It's been hours since you returned from the dragon's lair, Tiago," Carlos says as soon as I shut the door. "We expected a report by now."

"Do I answer to you, Carlos?" Tiago asks, a warning smile on his face. "I do not."

Carlos looks around as if inspecting the cabin. "You've been spending a lot of time with the Kalaen team."

"As is our mission," Tiago says.

"Some of the officers are growing concerned. We've taken a vote, and we believe it would be best if you were to step down. You may return to the ship. Albertina and I will speak with the Serpent's crew."

"A vote?" Tiago laughs, incredulous. "Is that how you think this works? We're not pirates. The Sea Rose isn't a democracy."

"Did you find the mage's tome?" the man asks bluntly, his eyes shifting to the mage.

She watches Tiago too carefully, her eyes narrowed with concentration. A faint glow surrounds our new companion. Unsure what magic she's wrapped him in, I hold my tongue.

"You're currently under a truth enchantment," Carlos cautions. "Best choose your answer carefully."

Tiago looks at the mage, anger flashing in his eyes. "Do you know the punishment for using your magic on a higher-ranking officer without permission?"

"I'm sorry, Tiago," she says, and from what I can tell, she means it. "The rules are different when it comes to matters of treason."

"Answer the question," Carlos says.

"I didn't find the journal," Tiago snaps.

Truth. Davyn found it.

"Yes or no, is the mage's tome in this cabin?" Carlos demands.

We're all frozen, waiting to see what Tiago will do.

"Answerthe question."

Tiago swallows. "No."

"He's lying," Albertina says soberly, dropping the spell.

"Tiago de Lemos, you're under arrest for treason against the crown," Carlos says, so smug I feel like I'm going to choke on the scent of it. "You can either come willingly, or we'll kill you now."

Just as their men are drawing their weapons, we draw ours. Soleil stands next to me, flames flickering in her hands. I raise a pistol and pull my sword. Davyn draws his blade as well.

But we're outnumbered, and the Milindrian officers each have a pistol.

Carlos knows he's won. "Give me the journal, Captain Greybrow, and we'll pretend this incident didn't happen. As agreed upon, we'll return to Shalada and grant your cousin and her team freedom."

I sense my brother's rage, along with his uncertainty. Even after studying the mage's tome for hours, we have no idea what dangers its pages contain. His eyes move to the man who points a pistol at Felicity, and his anger flares. It's followed by resignation.

Slowly, he pulls the mage's tome from his jacket. Raising his brows as if the item is trivial, he offers it to the officer.

The man snatches it from him, flipping through the book, practically shining with revolting glee and satisfaction.

"This worked out well for you, didn't it, Captain?" I say to him. "If I didn't know better, I might think you killed Captain D'vain yourself."

The others blink at me, startled by the accusation. Carlos's mouth drops open, and he begins to sputter.

I sense his indignation, so I press forward to further rile him. "If you did, it was a well-done plot. I'm assuming you told your assassin to make it look like an accident—using one of the mole troll's pikes was clever. I hope you praised him. We certainly didn't suspect it was one of Alvaro's own men."

The man's nostrils flare. "That's an interesting theory."

"Alas, a theory is all it is. We'll never know, will we? But maybe you should watch your back. It's hard to say if one of your men is plotting against you."

"It's not true, is it, Carlos?" Albertina asks.

"Of course it's not true." He turns his sharp gaze on me. "And even if it was, why would you care? The end result is the same. You free your cousin, and King Marcelo gets the mage's tome."

I nod, nonchalant, happy to ruffle him.

He returns his attention to Tiago. "Are you going to come with us willingly, or shall I shoot you now?"

Tiago raises his hands in surrender and steps forward, his expression dark. As he goes, he meets my eyes one last time and nods.

We follow the group into the rain, Davyn and I silently agreeing to escort them off the ship. As soon as they're gone, we return to the captain's cabin, and I turn to Davyn. "I don't care if the journal is filled with instructions on growing purple lettuce; that man is not delivering it to his king."

"Agreed."

"But how will you get it from him?" Jack asks, the scholar visibly shaken from the confrontation.

Davyn turns to Felicity, his expression darkening as a smile pulls at his lips. "It looks like we're going to need a thief."