Kara’s head snapped up at that. “Does Bastian know that?”
I thought about our conversation just days earlier in that cave, how he’d told me not to even think about trying to get his shadow.
“Of course not.” I rolled my eyes. “He’d no doubt put a stop to that plan.”
“So why are you telling me?” She cocked her pierced brow. “I’m not going to keep your secrets.”
“Because I think you want freedom.”
“I love being a pirate,” Kara said.
“Not for yourself.” I drew my knees up to my chest. “For your sister and your brother. Loyal to a fault, remember?”
She closed her eyes for a second. “Mia would make an amazing wife, a mother. It’s her dream to have children. And Bastian.” She snorted. “Well, his dream is you.”
Tears welled in my eyes at hearing her say that.
She gave a resigned sigh. “So how do you think I can help you?”
I took a deep breath. “I need you to distract Bastian so I can go after your shadows. I want to find them.”
Kara’s eyes widened. “He’ll kill me. You know that, right?”
“But you can do it. You can make up some emergency or get into a fight with one of the crew members. Something that will distract Bastian just long enough for me to slip away.”
“Why not ask one of your friends to do this? Why me?”
I bit my lip. “I don’t know if I even want them to come onto the island.”
A few crew members passed by and we quieted until they were out of earshot.
“Driscoll isn’t trained for this kind of thing,” I whispered. “And Leoni is too protective. She won’t let me out of her sightonce we’re on that island, and she most definitely won’t let me risk my life for you all. Mia is too nice to help me with this, but you... you will do anything for Bastian, anything for Mia, and this will be your best chance at helping them.”
Sunlight glinted off the silver rings piercing the outer part of her ear. “Why would you risk your life for us?”
I thought about Bastian, how long he’d been trapped.
“Because you all are doing the same for my brothers, for my people. Once my brothers are safe, I’ll know that the future of Apolis is secure. I can take a risk for you just like you’re doing the same for me.”
Kara finished securing the slab over the plugged hole, and she let her head thunk against the siding. “Fucking hell. Okay,” she said. “Okay. I’ll give you your distraction, but you better make it worth it, Princess. I hope you know what you’re doing.”
Before I could respond, Driscoll swaggered over, a smile on his face. “You know, I think the crew is really starting to come around. They just told me about this amazing eye cream that gets rid of all your wrinkles.”
“An eye cream?” I asked doubtfully.
Driscoll squinted at me and tilted his head. “You could probably use some yourself.”
Kara leaned against the railing. “And what is this magical cream called?”
“Seaman’s cream. I haven’t seen any yet, but if I can keep up this rapport with them, I think they’ll show me how to get some.”
Kara and I shot glances at each other.
“Seaman?” I echoed.
“Seaman,” Driscoll said.
“Sea-man,” I said even slower.
