The furniture in the back room of Almonte’s was not the light balsa wood of the rest of the tavern, but a deep jungle mahogany. Heavy cushioned chairs circled a large dining table at the front of the long room, while others made up a gathering area at the back, ending in a cascading water wall. Bromeliads, royal pothos, orchids, and other native plants hung from the walls.

  Light poured through a glass ceiling, illuminating the room, an expensive commodity. It was a comfortable space while still exuding wealth, which was exactly as Coraline intended. Grey often wondered at the range of people who had seen this room. She had certainly enjoyed the lounge before, but never with anyone but Coraline present.

  They took their places at the table, and Coraline motioned for an attendant to queue the kitchen. It didn’t really matter to Grey what she served; she had forgotten that she was even hungry. Coraline sat at the head of the table, which was customary for a host. Aisling chose to sit across from Grey, and Finnian settled in next to Aisling. He would clearly be peppering her with questions if left unchecked.

  “Well, err..” Grey started, mostly so the woman wouldn’t think she was mute. She paused, waiting for Aisling to fill in the correct honorific.

  “Madame.” Aisling filled in.

  She was not a noble, then. “Madame Byrne, what business brings you to Saphir? You must be well-informed to seek out Coraline.”

  The barkeep was busy laying out a chiller basin between them, filling it with bottles of guava, passion fruit, and tamarind wine. The tamarind was a personal favorite of Grey’s, and she noted that Coraline might have remembered. Maybe she was in a favorable mood after all.

  It was customary in the Myriad for guests to drink and eat what their host offered, and for the host to take some consideration when serving their guests. The more someone knew their host, the more likely the host would know their preferences. If the two were only acquaintances, then there would surely be an opportunity to try something new and get to know a little about them in the process. If they were old friends, a guest could be served some of their favorite things.

  Grey loved this part of the culture. It added a nuance and intimacy to social gatherings that was absent when guests simply ordered from an attendant. She had spent much of her youth in the mainland Etosian cities, and even the largest events allowed guests to pick through an array of items. In the Myriad, the meal was crafted by the kitchen, and there was nothing save an allergy or cultural requirement to interrupt their art.

  Guests and hosts were also meant to serve the table, and then eventually, themselves. Myridians didn’t care to give every honor of service to their staff. Little gestures, like filling another’s tankard, went a long way in fostering relationships.

  As the barkeep retreated, Finnean chose the bottle of guava wine. With a wide smile and a flourish, he slid one of his daggers along the neck to pop the cork.

  He was a show-off, and while it usually entertained Grey, it did not amuse her at the moment. However, Aisling did not break eye contact with Grey, barely registering Finnean’s show. Coraline seemed amused, but it took a lot more than a bar trick to get a reaction out of her. Finnean, unbothered, started filling glasses as Aisling continued the conversation.

  She replied to Grey’s inquiry about her visit to the city. “Well, it’s always dreamsand that takes me anywhere on business. I come to Saphir now and then, and I visit Coraline when I can. I make a habit of surrounding myself with people at the top of their industries, and I’m sure you know, Almonte’s is the real center of social activity in the city.”

  She had not really answered the question. Grey wasn’t sure she understood why Aisling had invited them to dine if she was going to be vague about her operation.

  Aisling continued, “You’re obviously a riptide, and the crest on your breast gives you away as a division lead. So, Lieutenant Devries, what ship do you sail with? What brings you and your ebbjack to Saphir?”

  Grey saw no reason to be coy. She and Finnean had spent the better part of the morning telling any potential grounder at The Rotted Keen exactly what the Paso Fino was doing in Saphir. Her only hesitation was a creeping embarrassment that her crew, Captain, and herself would seem foolish to a woman like Aisling.

  She squashed it, annoyed at herself for caring, and replied, “I sail with the Paso Fino and Captain Akula. We’re here for the week, hiring and supplying for a run to Marisombra, and then, as all goes well, across the Umbra to Sablehaven.”

  Grey expected the reaction from Coraline. She snorted and rolled her eyes. She watched carefully for the same from Aisling, but was surprised that the woman only tilted her head. Her auburn waves fell from her neck and shoulder, revealing a slender collarbone supported by lean muscle. She brought her hand to the length of gold rope at her neck, toying with a large sapphire pendant that lay at the start of her chest.

  Grey kept eye contact, fighting the significant temptation to watch Aisling’s hands. Without looking down, she could make out the hardened calluses on the tips of her fingers. Another sign that she knew her way around a weapon.

  “Will you be picking up here or only in Marisombra?” Aisling asked.

  Grey stopped herself from raising an eyebrow. She would bet a gold bar the woman had a tighter grasp on the market value of dreamsand across the Known Seas than she did. The question didn’t make sense. A decent captain would never move dream from Etos to Mayacar. Not only was it a huge risk, but it would be worth half as much or less as soon as you docked.

  Nor would they move dream from Etos to Talcot, though the profit may work out, the risk was too high, and the trip too long. Dream was heavily discounted in Mayacar and heavily marked up in Talcot, relative to Etos. Those worth their salt would only make a cross-world run to move dream from Mayacar to Talcot.

  The Paso Fino would stock rum, pottery, and perhaps some fine textiles to sell when they reached Marisombra, where the market for them was decent. They were commodities that stationed, or stranded, Etosian merchants would pay for.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  After they unloaded the less valuable merchandise, they would purchase as much dreamsand as they could with their purse and trade profit as they could, cross the Umbra, and sell it where it had the most value: Talcot’s Sablehaven.

  Perhaps that is why she asked to mark Grey and her ship as worth their salt. Playing stupid was still a powerful tactic for a woman in business, but Grey was also a woman, and it was not a powerful tactic to her.

  She was careful not to talk down to Aisling when she replied. “No, Madame, we will sail from Saphir with manufactured goods for the Marisombran market and then load the Paso Fino with dreamsand when we arrive.”

  “A wise plan, Lieutenant,” Aisling replied, smiling slightly.

  Finnean had enough of being ignored. “This is an exquisite sapphire, Madame. Do you know its history?”

  Aisling broke eye contact with Grey and turned to Finnean, “I’m afraid I have not been able to track it down, Corporal Martell, though I do have some interest in knowing.” Grey didn’t think Finnean had been referred to as a Corporal once on the Paso Fino, at least not among his peers, though it would be his natural title as a new officer with no leadership responsibilities. She liked that Aisling was showing him respect, and there was no question he did as well.

  As Finnean and Aisling continued their conversation about famous jewels and their owners, Coraline and Grey caught up. Coraline made a few small advances with Grey, testing the water, but Grey was not interested in Aisling catching on. She didn’t see a band on the merchant’s finger, and as she had already established, Grey was a dog.

  She suspected this woman was well out of her reach, but she wouldn’t ruin her chances by openly flirting with Coraline. It’s not that she didn’t like Coraline, it was that Coraline didn’t really like her. The successful woman was all curves, perfume, wealth, and influence. She could have anyone in the city, and treated Grey as a passing amusement. Grey would look out for herself, and Almonte’s was looking like her second choice now.

  Their afternoon meal began to arrive at the table, and a few bottles of wine had been replaced in the basin. Aisling’s cheeks were rosy on her pale skin, and it was charming to Grey. Finnean had not caught a breath since he had started talking to her, but Aisling didn’t seem to mind.

  Coraline had caught on that Grey was not receptive to her advances this time around and moved on rapidly, openly degrading the Paso Fino and its new venture. Grey was used to the prodding from her and reminded herself that she had come to Almonte’s predominantly for grounders, not Coraline’s flattery.

  The kitchen workers laid out iced lime and chili mangos, folded and fried pork pastries, and pressed oven-roasted plantains to start the meal, giving the four plenty of time to enjoy the spread before moving on. Coraline may be a pushy person, but she was a patient host.

  After a comfortable interval, they replaced the dishes with the main course. The spread’s focal point was a large iron flat of diced beef, onions, and peppers. The guests folded small, rounded flatbreads to pull portions directly from the main dishes; the plates only laid as a formality. The collection of sweet, spicy, or herbal sauces, showcasing Saphir's diverse cultures, was the real draw. Each of the guests’ creations tasted different depending on which ingredients they chose.

  Grey was glad Coraline was serving such a traditional Saphirean meal for Aisling and was pleased to see that the merchant wasn’t put off using her hands. She supposed she must be well-traveled.

  Grey was tired of talking to Coraline and directed her attention back to Finnean and Aisling. In a break in their conversation, Grey joined in.

  “So, Madame Byrne, in what combat art do you train?”

  The room stilled. Clearly, Finnean and Coraline were confused. Aisling’s features returned to the same inquisitive look she had given Grey earlier.

  “How perceptive, Lieutenant Devries. Did you notice my hands?”

  “I noticed your build first-” Grey stopped abruptly and felt heat come to her cheeks, realizing that she had slipped up.

  Aisling’s laugh was genuine and stood out from what she had been giving Finnean and Coraline. It was like a chapel bell, deep and rich. She was amused, and Grey was embarrassed. Aisling chose mercy and moved on.

  “You have a good eye.” She paused, letting the statement linger, and then continued. “Not many know this about me, Lieutenant, but I was an ebbjack before I was a merchant. In fact, my station provided me with an opportunity to transition solely into trade. I still train daily, as I’m sure you would if you gave up your riptide crest.”

  Grey’s curiosity piqued. “Do you not still carry your title of Corporal?” Ebbjacks could move higher, of course, but Corporal was standard.

  “Warden Lieutenant.” Aisling corrected, signaling she had been leadership in the Etosian Seawardens. Grey thought she was rather young for it, but then again, she was rather young for her position aboard the Paso Fino. The merchant continued, “I find Madame serves me better when dealing with nobles, even some other merchants. Funny that they would have more respect for one of their own. They always seem to forget how their goods travel across the Known Seas.”

  Coraline still looked a little confused, but Finnean was enthralled. As the meal was cleared and dessert prepared, he tried to draw stories out of Aisling about her time as an ebbjack. Grey wanted to hear them as well, but set out to be more reserved about the topic.

  As a dessert of frozen sliced bananas and chocolate sweet bread arrived, the conversation lulled. Grey was a bit tired of beating around the bush with Aisling and her business in Saphir, so she decided on a more direct approach.

  “So we have gotten to know each other over our meal, Madame Byrne, and I wonder if you and Coraline might tell us what you would be discussing had we not been invited to share it with you. I wouldn’t want to stand in the way of you completing your business with Keep Almonte.”

  For the first time that day, Aisling looked displeased. Grey didn’t think she cared. She didn’t like to be toyed with, even by a beautiful woman. Lotti had certainly taught her that lesson time and time again.

  Aisling removed the expression from her face as though it had never been there. “Well, hopefully, Keep Almonte won’t mind your inclusion, but I’ve come to meet with her today about any leads she may have on new free-trade agreements. She is always a good place to start.” Aisling offered a polite smile to Coraline, which seemed to please the tavernkeep.

  “As you also knew to seek out the Keep, likely to help you recruit, I had a suspicion you operated from a quality ship... and were of a high quality yourself. Of course, you’ve proven me correct over the course of our meal, and I’m glad I stepped on Coraline’s toes to invite you.”

  Grey took the compliment with a grain of salt. There could be many motivations behind kind words from a merchant. She replied, “Are you interested, then, in a stake in the Paso Fino’s venture? Or were you hoping to find something... more reserved?”

  “I am almost never looking for something more reserved, Lieutenant Devries.” Aisling held her gaze after the sharp response, and Grey felt heat rise to her cheeks again. She pushed the feeling down and considered.

  Akula was pulling the funding for the entire year-long expedition out of his own chest. What corners would he have to cut to stay within his means, and how would it affect their success? Would there be a benefit to an outside investor, and would it be worth their percentage? Grey was not the one to make these decisions, and she wouldn’t discuss it with the stranger.

  She replied simply, “You will meet with the captain, not me, Madame Byrne.”

  With a sliver of the early evening sun cast on her light eyes and a full smile on her face, Aisling replied, “Well, you know what they say about riptides.” The table waited for her response as she paused for effect.

  “They are only dangerous if you swim against them.”