A Curse of Gold

by Annie Sullivan

  And if Dionysus reaches our shores, I will.

  I close my eyes and take a deep breath, leaning against him. He wraps his arms around me, holding me close.

  So much is riding on each decision. The Oracle had made that very clear. But the only path I have, the only one I know has a chance of saving Royce and Hettie and all of Lagonia, is the one that leads to Triton.

  Royce and I have taken on pirates, an island of cutthroats, and my uncle’s plot to take over the kingdom. Maybe together we really can find a way to convince Triton to let us see Poseidon. No, I will convince Triton to let us see his father because I’m not losing the ones I love.

  Didn’t King Kalisrov’s journal say a good leader should be able to talk their way to any resolution by reading the situation and the people involved? And my people need me to lead them to safety right now.

  I pull away from Royce, straightening.

  “So are we going to find Triton?” he asks, the breeze ruffling his hair, reminding me of all our times aboard his ship.

  I stare down the mountain and out past the fields to where the sea is indistinguishable against the sky. To where my people—and now my future—are waiting. To where I have no other choice if I want to save them all.

  “Yes.”

  CHAPTER 8

  The ride back to the palace is uneventful. The setting sun turns the fields gold as we ride through them. I halfheartedly think about hiding in them, about disappearing. But I can’t turn back now, no matter what lies ahead—even Triton.

  It’s fully dark by the time we ride through the palace gates and dismount. And I let out a sigh of relief to see that the palace hasn’t already been engulfed in flames like in my vision.

  “I’ll get back to the ship,” Royce says. “We’ll leave as soon as you’re ready.”

  I nod and watch as he disappears into the darkness.

  Kattrina’s waiting at the steps for me, and I wonder how long she’s been sitting there.

  “Did you find out anything useful?” she asks as she takes my cloak once we’re inside.

  “We found out who we need to find first,” I reply. “Triton.”

  She gasps, clutching my cloak to her chest.

  Tilner appears and bows. He looks like he wants to ask me a thousand questions about the Oracle, but he waits instead for me to speak.

  “I’ll be leaving on Captain Royce’s ship as soon as I pack,” I say. “I’m not sure how long I’ll be gone.” I tell him about the meeting with the Oracle and how we’re off to find Triton and Poseidon. And how we only have a matter of days until Dionysus will reach our shores.

  He purses his lips. “Be very careful. Poseidon is not known for his love of humans. There are varying accounts as to why.” He taps his lips with his forefinger, thinking. “And be wary of Triton. He’s Poseidon’s son and messenger, but he hasn’t been spotted in centuries. I hope you’ll be able to find him.” He wrings his hands.

  “Just keep researching,” I say, putting my hand on his shoulder. “Find any way you can to fortify the palace against an attack.” I detail what the Oracle said would happen if Dionysus reached our shores.

  He bows and moves off to inform my father of our plans.

  Kattrina falls into line behind me as I head up the steps to my room. “Are you sure Triton’s the only way?” she asks once I throw open the door to my room.

  I turn to face her. “This was the only way the Oracle could foresee.”

  Kattrina nods to herself. But her hands shake as she helps me pack. No sooner have we closed the lid on my trunk than Hettie slinks into the room.

  She has a bag of clothes slung over her shoulder, and her hair fizzles in every direction.

  I close my eyes against that image of swords ripping into her and take a deep breath. She’s alive. And it’s my job to keep her that way.

  “I’m coming with you,” she states.

  “Okay,” I reply. I figure she’ll find some way on board anyway, and right now, I want her close.

  “Now, listen here.” Hettie tightens the grip on her bag. “I’m not going to stay in this palace one moment longer, and if you’re going after Dionysus—” She stops, realization dawning in her eyes. “I can come?”

  “Yes.” After all, Hettie helped us fight the Temptresses last time around. Without her, I may not have made it out alive.

  “Good.” Hettie loosens her posture. “When do we leave?”

  “I’ve just finished packing,” I say, indicating the closed trunk.

  We head down to the courtyard together. A small cart waits for us.

  Rhat is relaxing across the back of the cart while Tilner stands at attention next to it holding on to my father’s elbow.

  Rhat sits up when he sees us, his bald head reflecting the torchlight.

  “Where’s Royce?” Hettie asks.

  “He’s already on the ship,” Rhat replies. “He sent me to make sure you both get transported down without any incidents.”

  I half wonder if he came up to make sure Hettie would come.

  Hettie tosses her bag in the back and climbs up next to Rhat.

  Two servants arrive, carrying my trunk. While they’re busy loading it, I find a moment alone with Tilner.

  “I’ll take care of your father while you’re away,” Tilner says quietly.

  I nod. And while the last time I’d left the kingdom, I’d come back to a traitor running things, that is one fear I don’t have now.

  “I don’t want anyone near the tower with the gold until I return,” I say.

  “Your father holds the only key, and I will guard it—and him—with my life,” Tilner says.

  “Thank you,” I reply.

  “I wish you a safe journey,” Tilner says. “And a swift return.” Then he leans forward hesitantly, “And—if I may, when you return and the threat to the kingdom has passed, I would so much enjoy chronicling your encounter with the Oracle.”

  “Of course,” I say, noting the visible excitement in his eyes.

  Next, I find my father. His hand reaches out unsteadily for mine. “Are you sure you should do this?”

  I nod. I won’t let Dionysus destroy our kingdom. Not without a fight.

  My father pulls me into a hug. I feel tears land on the top of my head. “Promise me you’ll come back to me alive.”

  I nod again, not trusting my voice.

  “And if you’d visit me from time to time, to let me know you’re okay—”

  “Of course,” I manage. My connection with the gold had allowed me to visit the palace in a ghostly form when I’d been away before. And using that same connection again, I could keep him updated on where we are and how we’re going to stop Dionysus.

  We share one long look before I tear my gaze away and climb into the cart.

  Rhat clicks the reins, and the horses jump forward.

  I swallow the lump in my throat as the city comes into view through the gates. I’m not spellbound like I was last time I rode out headed for a ship. The heights of the palace walls and the storefronts we pass don’t hold my interest. I’m focused solely on the vessel in the distance. Its mast sways above the rooftops.

  It is not unlike the Swanflight I traveled in before. The main deck spreads to the bow of the ship while the helm rests on a raised deck at the back of the ship. Rigging tangles the area above the decks, and sails hang deflated.

  I search the deck as we board for the streak of blue indicating an officer’s uniform. I find Royce at the stern of the ship.

  “How do we find Triton?” I ask as the last of the ropes tying us to shore are pulled in.

  “We sail to the middle of the sea.”

  “And then what?”

  “We look for his palace.”

  “You don’t know where it is?”

  “The map I saw in the fire was a little hazy, but I know generally where we’re heading,”

  I’m about to say that it seems crazy to trust a map he saw in a fire, but in our last journey Royce never ques
tioned my ability to sense the gold we sought. “So what do we do once we find the palace?”

  “We wait and see if he wants to talk to us or attack us.”

  “Let’s hope he’s more interested in talking than his Temptresses were,” I say.

  “You could always just turn Triton to gold. He might be interested in talking after you turn him back.”

  I nod. I pray it doesn’t come to that, but I’ll do whatever it takes to prevent the vision the Oracle showed me from coming true.

  “Will there be any dancing tonight to appease Triton, like we had before?” I ask as a distraction.

  Royce shakes his head. “I doubt that’ll make much difference to Triton now. I feel like he already knows we’re coming. There’s not a single ship on this ocean he doesn’t know about.” He sighs. “I should get back to the helm. It’s always tricky getting out of the harbor at night.”

  “Of course.” I watch him walk away. I know this isn’t the maiden voyage he envisioned for his new ship. My father should’ve been there to send the ship off with his blessing. Crowds of people should’ve lined the dock.

  With a heavy breath, I sidle up to the nearest railing and watch the cliffs flow past as we round the coast. No seabirds dip up and down in our wake. Instead, they’re all safely tucked away in the crevices in the cliff for the night.

  My heart holds none of the excitement I’d felt the first time I’d sailed out of the harbor. It beats faster and faster at the thought of Dionysus not just destroying Lagonia, but—if he releases the Titans—the world. And we only have five days to stop him.

  After a short time, the coastline disappears completely. White-tipped waves become the boat’s only companion. I stall for time, not wanting to venture down into my cabin where Hettie is no doubt trying to fight off seasickness. I don’t want to be in the middle of that mess—again. I take off my gloves and let my fingers play in the wind, praying that it will carry us swiftly to Triton.

  As I stand there, Phipps slides up next to me.

  “I wanted to thank you for setting me up with Lady Alyona,” he says, a smile playing about his lips. His ears stick out from underneath his untrimmed hair, highlighting the one golden hoop earring dangling out of his lobe. The first time I’d boarded the Swanflight, I’d nearly run away after seeing that earring, after discovering all the places gold could hide out in the world. I don’t even flinch this time.

  “Should I be expecting a wedding soon?” I pull my glove back on.

  Phipps’s smile gets even wider. “Well, see, at first, she wouldn’t even talk to me. She kept trying to hide behind the flock of women around her. But once those satyrs attacked, she was hiding right behind me. She clung to my arm.” He points to a spot. “I saved her life.” He folds his hands across his chest. “I’m expecting her to be waiting for me when we get back.”

  I pat his shoulder. “I’m happy for you, Phipps.”

  I have no idea if she’ll actually be waiting for him or not, and I actually hope she’s not because Phipps deserves better. But there is no harm in letting him dream.

  “How’s Lenny doing?”

  “The kid’s a natural.” He waves his hand to where Lenny is climbing in the rigging. He’s wearing a loose short-sleeved shirt that displays his missing arm. As he dangles off the rigging, the breeze tangles through his hair and ruffles his shirt.

  “He really does look like a natural up there,” I say.

  Phipps beams. “The kid’s always wanted to go to sea.”

  “Did his arm stop him?”

  Phipps nods. “Nobody would take him. They all thought he couldn’t do it. Even our own maw never really thought he could do it. She never really took to him like Thipps and I did. The kid followed us around from the moment he could crawl.” He stares across the rigging to where Lenny leans into the wind, legs firmly wrapped in the ropes and a smile on his face as he lets his arm wave out to his side, almost as if he was soaring along. “He’s why Thipps and I were so good at making a spectacle, because if people were looking at us, they weren’t looking at him—weren’t making fun of him.

  “Thipps and I had been hopping from ship to ship and crew to crew looking for the perfect ship for him to join with us, to get him away from our maw and out into the world, when we found it here with Captain Royce. And after—after—well, it was just the right time to bring it up with the captain.”

  “Royce has always been good at looking past appearances and seeing the value inside,” I say.

  Phipps nods.

  “You’re a great brother,” I say, “and Lenny’s lucky to have you.”

  Phipps laughs. “I’d say I’m lucky to have him. He keeps me in line when he has to. He always gets this look in his eyes when an idea is too outlandish.”

  I can’t imagine what either of them considers too outlandish. And I’m almost tempted to ask when Hettie shoves her way up from below decks. She doesn’t look happy as she heads straight for me. And all I can imagine is that we’re going to have a replay of what happened last time she was on a ship. I give her plenty of room so she can access the railing and empty her stomach.

  Instead she marches right up to me, no hints of green coloring her skin.

  “I thought we were supposed to have dancing tonight. Rhat was telling me about it since I missed it last time.” She stares around the ship, looking for the grand party she’s missing.

  “Royce didn’t seem to think it would make a difference with Triton,” I say. “I don’t think there’ll be dancing.”

  “Oh no.” Hettie squares her shoulders, her features taking on a hard edge. “There will be dancing. This is my first night outside the palace since my father died. My first night without every single person staring at me, wondering if I was in on his plot. We are going to dance tonight!”

  I let her go. This is the most she’s talked to me since her father died. I don’t want to make things more difficult.

  She stomps across the deck. “Rhat!” she shrieks as she goes. “Rhat!”

  Rhat comes tumbling out from below deck, sword in hand. “What—what is it?” He spins in circles, as if expecting an attack to come from somewhere.

  “Put that away,” Hettie says, now a perfect vision of calm. “We’re going to dance.”

  Her screeching has attracted half the crew, who now mill aimlessly about the deck.

  Rhat looks up to Royce at the helm.

  Royce shrugs. “Fine, go ahead and dance. I suppose it can’t do any harm.”

  Hettie waits with her arms crossed as sailors fetch instruments.

  When they return, she pulls Rhat close and they sway across the deck. She rests her head on his shoulder, relaxing for the first time in weeks.

  I look up toward Royce. He’s staring at me. Both of us waiting for the other to take one step forward.

  Before either of us do, Phipps nudges me in my side. “How about another dance, Princess? I’ve got to be honest. I don’t really remember the last time.”

  “All right.” I let him pull me forward and start spinning me around. Sadly, he’s not much better of a dancer sober than he was drunk. We stumble around the deck, kept on our feet by the sailors around us who push us back toward the center every time we veer off track.

  “Triton loves a good party,” Phipps says.

  “I just hope he loves your dancing,” I mutter as we crash into the railing. Wood bites into my side.

  Phipps laughs. “I’ve always heard the rowdier the dancing, the smoother Triton makes the seas.”

  I smile through the ache in my side. I suppose the bruise forming will be worth it to have smooth seas. It’ll go nicely with all the welts from the satyr attack, anyway.

  “Lenny didn’t believe me when I said I danced with a prin cess.” Phipps tries to pull me back toward the center of the ring of sailors, but I resist. Our dancing has been rowdy enough, and my side can’t take another impact.

  “I’ll sit this one out,” I say as a new song starts up.

  Phip
ps skids to a stop and turns to look at me. Then he turns back toward the makeshift dance floor as if trying to puzzle out what went wrong. Slowly his eyes lift, and he spots Royce coming down the steps from the helm.

  He glances back at me with a knowing nod. He whistles along with the music as he dances himself back to the center of the deck, where he loops an arm around Lenny and starts spinning him around.

  I take a few steps away from the railing.

  Royce is headed straight for me. He dodges around Hettie and Rhat.

  He’s only a few steps away when suddenly the whole ship jerks to the side.

  I crash back into the railing, and Royce plows into it next to me, his eyes wide.

  We hold on to the balustrade as the ship steadies itself.

  Around the deck, sailors are lying in piles. The musicians have stopped playing.

  The only sound is the deck’s creaks as the ship creeps forward.

  Night air clings around us.

  “Do you think it was a reef?” I ask Royce.

  He shakes his head. “Not this far out.”

  I turn and stare into the dark water. At first, I think I see the reflection of my gold skin shining back at me. But something is off. It’s too big.

  A shape rises out of the ocean, water draining as it breaks through. A golden eye greets me.

  I stumble away from the deck just as the scream goes up.

  “Sea monster!”

  CHAPTER 9

  The golden eye is attached to a body about twice my height with a mouth like that of the illustrated crocodiles I’ve seen in my copy of Captain Corelli’s Account of the Sea—except this one’s mouth opens side to side and not up and down. The entire creature is completely covered in green scales. Talon-like claws accent the ends of what look like webbed wings on either side of its body. Multiple bones are visible through the thin webbing and race through the fin-like wings and come out as spikes at each end. The creature uses its claws to hook into the boat and drag itself upward, revealing a serpent-like tail with another webbed area at the end, like a nightmarish mermaid fin.