Scavenge the Stars (Scavenge the Stars #1)(30)

She forced a smile and started down the stairs. These people only cared about two things: their money and their legacy. She could take money easily enough; any thief worth their salt could. But legacy…That was what would hit Mercado the hardest.

From her vantage point on the stairs, she watched as Cayo Mercado climbed into his carriage, its gilded edges worn and dulled—a sure sign of hard times.

He was in for much harder.

She wished it didn’t have to be him. But wishes, like fate, had never done her any good.



After the party was over, she kicked off her wretched heels and changed out of her dress into a simple outfit of black, her trousers tucked into tall boots and her sleeves long and tapered. She braided her hair and washed off her makeup, stripping away the countess bit by bit. Outside the silks and jewels and rouge, she could finally take a full breath, the relief of coming back up after a long dive.

Downstairs, she found Beetle curled up on a stool in a corner of the kitchens, blowing steam off a big mug of tea Cicada had prepared for her. He was busy washing pots and pans now that the party was over, some of the other Bugs—former Bugs—helping him. The kitchens were warm and smelled of garlic and ginger.

“You told me you could swim,” she scolded, arms crossed. The girl flinched. “Why did you lie?”

“I’m sorry, Silv—I mean, Amaya,” Beetle murmured. No, not Beetle anymore—Fera.

“Shh!” She looked around until she remembered where she was. She still had to remind herself every day that they were no longer on board the Brackish, that they didn’t have to conform to Captain Zharo’s whims.

That Beetle was now Fera and she was now Amaya.

Except that she was also Yamaa: a mysterious and wealthy countess taking Moray by storm.

For a moment, she thought she might be overcome by incredulous laughter. How, how had she managed to trick so many people tonight? She still felt like the ragged girl who smelled of fish guts, but no one else had seen it; they had seen only a young woman with more wealth than she knew what to do with.

Roach, she thought sadly, her chest tightening, what would you say if you could see me now? It killed her that she might never know.

“How did you end up in the water?” Amaya demanded.

“There were coins at the bottom and I thought I could grab them.”

“You were never trained as a diver. That was incredibly foolish of you.”

And it had been incredibly foolish of Amaya to dive in after her, but the alternative would be Fera drowning, and she couldn’t have that. But now the gentry would be talking about it nonstop; she had already gotten a taste of their hunger for rumormongering as she’d flitted from guest to guest.

Fera whimpered and wiped her nose on her sleeve. Amaya sighed and scratched at her head, hair still damp.

“Look,” Amaya said, “I get it. I really do. But you have to be careful. No one can suspect who we are and where we came from. Remember?”

Fera looked up at her, her small face flushed and miserable-looking. But it softened as she nodded. She trusted Amaya; otherwise, she wouldn’t have joined her.

On the Ledese island where Boon had first taken her, Amaya had forced him to make good on his part of the deal.

“Buy the Brackish,” she’d said. “I want to be sole owner.”

Boon had done just that, using Avi as an intermediary. But to her dismay, Captain Zharo had disappeared as soon as the gold had traded hands.

“It’s just a slight delay,” Boon had told her as she seethed. “You’ll get his blood on your hands one way or another.”

The Water Bugs had been given a choice: try to go home on their own, or follow Amaya to Moray and become part of Boon’s plan until she got enough gold to send them back to their parents with riches of their own. Most of them had followed her, but a few of the older ones had taken off, barely pausing to thank her for their freedom. She couldn’t blame them.

She had looked desperately for Roach, but he hadn’t been on board. It had been too early for his seven years to be up, but the other Bugs claimed he’d just disappeared one day when they were docked outside a Ledese port.

Worry ate at her bones when she thought of Roach, but she wasn’t in a position to go looking for him. Whenever she could, Amaya sent up a quick prayer for him to be safe, and that she would see him again. That they would meet in Moray, like they’d planned.

The Landless had then converted the Brackish into a proper vessel, renovating its rotting interior and redesigning its hideous exterior. She had asked for purple sails. Blue sea mixed with red blood.

“I don’t want you anywhere near water again,” Amaya said, pointing a stern finger at Fera. “Not until you learn to swim.”

“I can teach her,” said Spider from where he was helping Cicada with the dishes. Not Spider—his real name was Nian.

“Great. Do that, then.” Amaya turned and rubbed her forehead. She had a headache after all the excitement.

Cicada flashed her a wide smile as she passed. “Did folks like the abalone cakes?”

“They were raving about them.”

“And let me guess: You haven’t had a bite.” As soon as he said it, her stomach made a desperate noise. Cicada laughed.

“I’ll fix you up a plate.”

“You’re beautiful.”