House of Pounding Hearts (The Kingdom of Crows #2)(67)

The sea captain stands beside the door we’ve left open, arms crossed, brown hair mussed, jaw and clothes smudged with dirt.

“We have a horse,” I say with a smile.

I like that he used the pronoun we. She won’t ever replace Furia—no being is interchangeable—but I’ll love her with all my heart, nonetheless.

“Her name’s Arina!” Syb hollers back. “Speaking of cornmeal, we should probably get her some food. I’ll go check the pantry to see what we have.” As she bustles back into the house, as excited as on Yuletide mornings, Antoni steps closer, stopping only when the side of his arm brushes along the side of mine.

“How did we come in possession of this one-eyed creature?”

I slide my teeth against one another, my jaw as painfully tight as the organ behind my ribs. “I asked for my stallion back, but he didn’t make it home. So Gabriele brought me Arina.”

The horse’s eye, like Aoife’s, rolls incessantly between Antoni and me. She whinnies and attempts to pull away.

“Hold out your hand,” I instruct him.

He does and Arina sniffs his palm. It takes her a few seconds, but soon, she begins to calm. I’m about to unclip her halter so she can roam freely when Syb bursts back into the doll-sized temple frightening her with her vigorous enthusiasm.

She plucks a carrot from her basket and holds it out. Arina sniffs at the air, then at the produce, and then her large teeth snap the orange stick in half, making Syb titter and proceed to feed her a month’s worth of vegetables.

As the food vanishes into Arina’s belly, I remind myself that we are no longer struggling to afford produce. That we have gold aplenty.

Antoni’s knuckles graze my own. I lower my gaze to his hand, then bring it back up to his, and find his blue eyes on mine.

I’m about to pull my arm closer to my body to avoid fanning Lore’s aversion to the sailor, but decide that the Sky King doesn’t get to dictate who I touch. Besides, he isn’t even here. “How was your day?”

“Long. And yours?”

“I met Pierre and Eponine of Nebba.”

“Where?”

“In Isolacuori. We lunched.”

“Lorcan let you go off to Isolacuori?” The hollows beneath Antoni’s cheekbones puff and sink like Arina’s.

Aoife has inched closer as though she’s aiming to press herself between Antoni and me. “Mórrgaht wanted her meet Nebban King and see what vile man he is.”

“Why?” Every one of Antoni’s features harden. “So that she’ll be on board the day he decides to lop off his head?”

I startle at his contemptuous tone, then stare past the columns of the temple at the cobalt sky. Although no sprite flaps overhead and we stand a ways from the tall hedges enclosing this manicured garden, nothing seals our conversation from eavesdroppers.

“Are you very attached to Pierre’s head, Antoni?” The bored timbre makes my neck snap straight and my gaze slam into the man who is leaning against one of the columns, eyes lowered to the spot where Antoni’s hand and mine connect.

I should move aside, if only to protect my friend, but I keep my hand exactly where it is.

“Not particularly, Mórrgaht.”

“Then avoid questioning my decisions.”

The sailor crosses his muscled arms.

“I received your message. Let’s talk inside the house.”

Antoni’s lips thin, and then he jerks his head with a nod and strides back into his home.

Lore doesn’t follow immediately. Instead, he stares at Arina who, after gobbling down everything Syb had to offer, is now snuffling my friend’s shoulder and cheek as though to locate some secreted carrot. Syb’s ensuing laughter carves into my dark mood, alleviating it a little.

“Where did this creature come from?” he asks.

Between giggles, Syb says, “Tavo was about to put her down because of her missing eye, but Gabriele saved her and brought her here to make up for killing Furia.”

I squeeze my eyes shut a beat.

“Sorry, Fal. I didn’t mean for it to come out so rashly.”

Once I’ve gotten ahold of my feelings, I reel my lids back up. Although I don’t want to look at Lore, or engage him in any way, I keep the promise I made to the new commander. “Gabriele’s one of the good ones. Whatever happens, whatever you do, spare him.”

The moonlight slashes Lore’s face, painting it white and black and gold. I cannot tell what he’s thinking and shift my gaze away before I can fall into his mind. I’m done smudging the lines between us.

I catch the twitch of his fingers and the metallic nails elongating from his cuticles. “I heard you had questions for me.”

“You heard wrong.”

“So you aren’t interested in finding out if Lazarus freed your grandmother?” And if Eponine can be trusted?

I side-eye him. “Dante mentioned you’re not holding him accountable. Have you changed your tune?”

“No.”

Although not overly anxious, I’m reassured to hear that Lazarus hasn’t betrayed the Crows. Hasn’t betrayed me.

“As for your second query—”

“I don’t have a second query.”

“I’ll come find you to discuss it once my meeting with Antoni adjourns.” Lore backs away before melting into the shadows.