Scavenge the Stars (Scavenge the Stars #1)(24)

Beyond the forest of stalagmites, a series of wide natural arches in the rock walls led into caverns—rooms—filled with makeshift furniture and hammocks.

And people. There were about a half dozen she could see, most of them milling about in what looked to be a central common area, filled with benches they had no doubt carved themselves; the wood was old and rotting, likely taken from wrecked ships that had run afoul of the whirlpools or the reef. Lanterns hanging from dried ropes of kelp illuminated the black rock walls and the people who turned to look at her.

“What—what is this place?” she breathed. She was half-afraid, half-amazed. It was like a hidden castle underwater, and surprisingly beautiful.

Before Boon could reply, a man approached them. He also looked Kharian, tall yet slight of build, with thick black hair curling around his ears. He wore bracers on his arms and a bandolier across his chest that contained various knives and daggers. Silverfish pinned his age about a decade younger than Boon.

“This the infamous Silverfish?” he asked. His voice had an almost musical quality to it.

“The one and only. Let’s get her some grub, and water, too. She’s tired.”

“She can speak for herself,” Silverfish said. “And she wants to know why she’s here.”

“There’s time for that later.” Boon waved her questions away. “You need something in your system before you keel over.”

They led her deeper into the Landless comm. Silverfish drew stares from the others, and she couldn’t help but stare back. The system of caverns was like a honeycomb. They were mostly small and empty, but in one, she spotted something that nearly made her stop in her tracks. Inside lay piles and piles of crates, barrels, chests…

And the unmistakable glint of gold.

“The cave’s been around for decades,” Boon said suddenly, making her start. His friend stalked silently beside him, save for the clink and rattle of his bandolier. “I only made it back thanks to Avi here.”

Avi sniffed. “You still owe me for picking up your sorry ass on that pathetic dinghy.”

“It was a rowboat, thank you very much.” Boon glanced over his shoulder at her. “When we first stumbled across this place a few years ago, it had been abandoned. We think some ancient Ledese tribe lived down here. We began to fix it up for ourselves.” He spread out his arms, indicating the rocky homes around them. “It’s grown nicely, I think.”

Silverfish nodded absently, her mind still spinning at the sight of that gold. She caressed the shucker in her pocket.

Boon and Avi led her to a cavern they were using as a makeshift galley. A large pot stood over a smoldering fire, dirty wooden bowls piled up beside it. Silverfish suddenly felt very alone, missing the times she could sit in the Brackish’s galley and talk with Cicada or watch Roach nibbling his rations, trying to make them last for as long as possible.

She missed that simple trust between them. Down here, she couldn’t trust anyone—Boon least of all.

Boon allowed her to take a few more sips from his water skin while Avi ladled whatever was in the pot into a bowl. Her mouth immediately watered as a yawning hunger nearly split her open.

“Briny stew,” Avi said as he sat next to Boon. “It’ll help get your strength back.”

Silverfish paused with the bowl halfway to her mouth. “Brinies? But…they’re poisonous.”

Boon and Avi exchanged amused looks. “Not before they begin to molt,” Boon said.

“You eat some, then.”

Boon gestured lazily at Avi, who sighed and got him a bowl as well. Boon lifted it in a mock toast before guzzling its contents, spilling at least a third of it down his chin and onto his shirt. Silverfish wrinkled her nose in disgust.

“See?” he said as he tossed the empty bowl back toward the others. He wiped his chin with a sleeve. “Have at it. Or not—suit yourself.”

Silverfish took a tentative sip. The brinies were soft and buttery, flooding her mouth with a taste so good it was almost painful. She must have made a sound, because Boon laughed.

“There’s more where that came from.” Boon leaned back and crossed his arms. “Whatever you want is yours, Silverfish. I’m a man who pays my debts.”

She swallowed her second bite too fast and coughed. “What does that mean?”

“Answer her questions, Boon,” Avi grumbled. “My binder’s too tight and I’m getting a headache.”

Boon rolled his eyes. “What I mean is that you saved my life. Twice.” He spread his hands before him, the left still trembling. “So. Name your price.”

Silverfish looked from Boon to Avi and back. She had no idea what game these two were playing, or how many of the other Landless were in on it. Boon had to be some shade of dense to think that she would willingly walk into whatever trap he was building for her. Boon was trying to get her to trust him, she could figure out that much, but the question was why?

She suddenly felt dizzy, her exhaustion dropping like an anchor on her shoulders. As she stared at the bowl of soup before her, aromatic and tasting vaguely of the sea, she knew that she had to get out of there. Quickly.

“I need to piss,” she blurted.

“Third cavern on the left’s what we got for a privy,” Avi said with a barely suppressed smirk.

Silverfish got to her feet, still a bit off-kilter. She hurried down the pathway they had taken. Their “privy” was nothing but an arid cave hollowed out with troughs dug deep into the rock. She hurried quickly past it. She had only a few minutes to find what she was looking for.