To Safi’s shock, he leaned seductively right back. Before her eyes, Caden transformed into the Chiseled Cheater. It was amazing how stark the contrast—and how quick the change. The Hell-Bard named Caden, so duty bound and intense, relaxed into the Chiseled Cheater, all charms and sweet smiles.
He flashed such a smile now, and heat swept over Safi. Furious heat. Attracted heat. Confused heat. For it was that perfect thrice-damned grin that had gotten her into so much trouble in Veñaza City.
“The ship I’m looking for is a naval cutter. Crewed by men in green.”
“Marstoki green or Cartorran green? Oh, but how silly of me.” She dragged on her pipe, before shifting her attention to Safi.
Safi’s fingers tapped faster.
“I have never seen two people who looked more Cartorran in my life. That fair hair and those freckles. You are lucky no one in our little territory has skinned you yet.”
“Answer the question.” Caden’s voice was stonier now, his charm already wearing thin. “Where is the Cartorran cutter?”
“At the bottom of the bay.”
Well, that was a lie—and the perfect time for Safi to step in. After all, she could play this game too. “Is that also where you hid your beauty and youth?”
Kahina choked on a lungful of smoke. Then laughed. “The two of you,” she said between chuckles, “are much more fun than my usual company.” She chomped on the pipe stem, holding it in place, and then gathered up the deck of taro cards. “You do realize that even if this ship were nearby, you would never be able to sail her out.”
“Which is why you’ll be telling us where the crew is too.”
Kahina sniffed dismissively. “It is Baile’s Slaughter tomorrow.” At Safi’s and Caden’s confused frowns, she added, “Lady Baile—you do not have her in Cartorra, I suppose. But in these parts, she is the patron saint of the seas, and sailors take her rules very seriously.”
“Rules?” Safi asked, even though Caden was glaring in a way that said, Don’t indulge her.
“Three rules has she,” Kahina sang, shuffling her cards, “Our Lady of the Seas. No whistling when a storm’s in sight. Six-fingered cats will ward off mice. And always, always stay the night for Baile’s Slaughter Ring.”
Well, Safi thought, that explains the sign at the inn.
Kahina wasn’t finished. “So don’t you see, lovelies? No ships are even allowed to leave the harbor until after the fight at the arena. Even then, very few will actually do so. Everyone will be drinking heavy tonight, and twice as heavy tomorrow. ’Tis the biggest fight of the year, after all.” With a smile, she fanned the cards, a showy movement to draw the eye.
Neither Caden nor Safi fell for it. In fact, Caden dug the knife in a bit harder and said, “Admiral, my patience is fading fast. Where. Is. The Cartorran cutter?”
Kahina pouted. “Oh, the two of you are so dour. How about this…” She offered the cards to Caden. “I’ll tell you where that ship is if you can win at taro.”
“No, Admiral,” Caden said. “You’ll tell us now.”
“One round is all I ask. Best hand wins.”
“I’ll do it.” The words popped from Safi’s mouth before she could consider them. Before she could even gauge what sort of opponent Kahina would be. She simply knew that Kahina had spoken the truth: she would tell them about the missing ship if she lost.
And Safi also knew that the instant the deal had been made, her fingers finally stilled.
The Red Sails Admiral smiled. Smoke twined between her brown teeth. Then, in a flutter of cards, she shuffled twice and dealt out four cards for each of them. Her ring glinted and flashed.
“Flip,” she commanded.
Safi flipped. It was a good hand, and though she was absolutely certain she had no tell, she still paid extra care to keeping her face inscrutable.
“Trade?” Kahina asked silkily. Her nostrils flared, an expression of victory.
It was a bluff. A lie. Safi could feel it scratching with only a single glance.
“Two cards trade.” Safi slid over her worst two before snagging more off the deck. The Empress and the Witch. An excellent combination.
Yet when Kahina traded only one of her cards, dismay jolted in Safi’s heart. Had she been wrong? Was this Veñaza City all over again? Was she misreading and falling for a trap—
“Reveal.”
At the command, instinct took over. Safi revealed her cards as Kahina revealed hers.
Safi had won. Barely. Kahina’s Nameless Monk card doubled her own hand’s strength—but Safi’s combination of Witch, Empress, Sun, and Birth were a win in the end. And Safi finally allowed her eyes to flick Caden’s way.
His eyes shone, and when he dipped in toward Kahina, it was with a smile and a fresh surge of energy to his movements. “Now about that ship, Admiral.”
“Fine.” A dramatic sigh. “I adopted her into my fleet, as anyone with half a brain would do. She’s a fine, speedy creature, and I do so hope that you don’t want to take her back.” She paused to draw in fresh smoke. Then the words sifted out on a smoggy exhale: “And as for her crew, I sold them to the arena. Any witches will be in tomorrow’s fight, and all the others, well … Every good skirmish needs sheep for the slaughter.”
True, true, true.
Yet even as the warmth of truth settled over Safi’s skin, her stomach flipped.