I gape at him, trying to make sense of what he’s saying. “What do you mean you followed me?”
“You think it was a coincidence I kept showing up? That I just happened to be in Baywhite the day you discovered that advertisement?”
“People can be tossed into jail for that sort of behavior, Sebastian.” After I say it, I purse my lips to keep from laughing. “I might have to report you.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Lately, I’ve been questioning if you’re drawn to shady types.”
I shove him with my shoulder, laughing, and rest my head on his arm. I have no idea what’s to come between us. But, no matter what, we’ll be fine.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Botanical Warfare
The ferns have grown thicker in this part of the wilds, and the air is heavy with moisture. The trees have shrunk. They no longer tower over us, and their bark is gnarled and twisted. Moss hangs from branches and coats the ground. It’s everywhere.
My legs are scratched from traipsing through the undergrowth, and I’m covered in puffy red bug bites. The gnats continue to swarm, but there are other pests too—midges, tiny green bees, and vampiric mosquitoes. All of them are but nuisances, and it makes me uneasy that we haven’t run into anything more worrisome.
Sebastian carries the map, and he studies it now, trying to figure out where we’re at. He points to a section very near our destination. “Here, I think.”
I stop and take a drink from the water skins we filled at the creek. “So, we could begin to see the orchids at any time?”
“I believe so.”
I glance around, examining the loamy forest floor.
“Sir Arthur said the plants are massive,” Sebastian says. “I don’t think we’ll miss them.”
“But they rarely bloom.” I’m a bit smug that I did my research. “We might mistake them for something else.”
Sebastian nods, frowning, and he rolls the map up and ties it to his pack. We continue through the forest, seeing nothing but birds and the occasional ground animal. Hours later, we stop to examine the map again.
Sebastian shakes his head. “We’re almost past the territory. We’ll have to loop back.
In the early afternoon, the clouds grow denser, giving us a temporary respite from the midday heat. Rain falls, so misty and fine that there are no discernible droplets. The insects disappear. Moisture accumulates on bushes and trees, and heavy drops fall to the soft earth, creating a gentle patter on years of fallen leaves.
It’s quiet, peaceful, and it lulls me into a state of false security. That is why, when I step over a particularly large, thick-leaved plant, I do not expect the giant orbs that hang off the stalk growing from the middle of the foliage to explode.
But explode they do.
I leap away, shrieking as loudly as Adaline, as dozens of seedpods, each easily as long as my forearm, burst the moment I disturb them. Seeds fly into the air, along with a foul-smelling gas that puts the inside of the frog-creature to shame. I choke and run away—right into another exploding plant.
Sebastian yells at me to be still, and I scramble for an evergreen tree and push my shoulder blades against the bark, still choking on the smell. It’s like skunk and rotting fish and sun-warmed chicken coops, all combined into one potent aroma.
“I think you’ve found them!” Sebastian hollers, excited.
I bend over at my waist, still coughing and gagging. “The smell…I can taste it!”
Sebastian laughs, jubilant. I shoot him a nasty look as I draw in a shuddering lungful of untainted air, but that only makes him laugh harder.
With great care not to disrupt any more seedpods, he examines the long, fleshy leaves. The plant’s dried stems are tall, towering over even Sebastian.
“How can we be sure it’s an orchid?” I ask once I catch my breath.
“Look at the roots.” Sebastian points under the leaves. Long gray fleshy stems protrude from the ground. “It’s an orchid.”
I cross my arms and glare at the plant. But how do we know it’s a Moss Forest orchid?”
Sebastian grins. “Because we’re in the Moss Forest?”
Choosing to ignore that, I say, “If they have such prominent seedpods, why wouldn’t Baron Malcomny request those instead of a difficult-to-transport cutting?”
Sebastian glances up at me. “Weren’t you listening? He said they are nearly impossible to grow that way.”
No, I wasn’t listening. At that point, I was bored and daydreaming about the five thousand denats.
Sebastian lays out our supplies, and he prods the plant for new growth, looking for stems that are not as thick. Still wary of the plant, I come to his side. He makes careful slices, and I place the cuttings in the bag of moss.
“Sebastian?” I ask idly.
He looks up.
“Are each of these sticks worth five thousand denats?”
Looking back down, he makes another careful cut. “If we can find people to buy them.”
We already have ten cuttings in the bag, and Sebastian doesn’t appear to be finished. I quickly do the math in my head, and then I sit back on my heels, overwhelmed.
“A few of them must go to the duke—along with the map.” Sebastian reminds me. “Adeline won’t be able to return home until we make amends.”
Absently, I nod, counting cuttings. We take as many as we can without killing the plant.
After searching the area for another hour, looking for more orchids but never finding any, we turn back the way we came. Finally, we’re on our way out of the Moss Forest, out of the wildlands. If all goes well, we should be back to the shore by nightfall. My pack is thirty-two orchid cuttings heavier. We crammed the twigs into the dry moss Baron Malcomny gave us, but I think I could have fit in a few more. Of course, even with Avery and Adeline’s smaller share, I will still be able to buy as many gowns as I want…perhaps even a little land. I will never raise chickens.
I pause, accidentally stepping into a soggy puddle but barely noticing. Though I am not titled, Sebastian’s grandfather will have no grounds to object to Sebastian courting me if I have money. I will buy myself into the world of the courtiers, and there is nothing the old man will be able to do about it.
***
Exhausted, we reach the shore just after sunset. The daylight has almost leached from the landscape, and the sky is indigo. It’s cold, and another storm has moved in. Earlier, Sebastian insisted I wear his cloak, and I gladly accepted. We stopped at the same creek I bathed in yesterday to wet the dried moss.
I think I’ve peeked at the cuttings a dozen times already, checking that they are still alive. Each time I find the same thing—green twigs. It’s hard to imagine they’ll grow into giant flowers that will eventually produce assassin seedpods.
A bonfire burns on the beach, and a dozen people mill around it. We pause at the tree line.
“Wait,” Sebastian warns, his voice low.
We hide in the shadows, hoping to get a better look before we go on. Familiar faces laugh and talk in the light cast from the flames.
“They’re Avery’s men. And look” —I point toward the beach— “Adeline and Avery are there.”
Leaving our cover, we hurry to meet the group. A dozen celebratory cries ring through the night. Adeline squeals when she sees us and comes barreling up the rocky beach, jumping into Sebastian’s arms. “You’re not dead!”
Sebastian pats her back, looking awkward, and politely pushes her back. “We are very much alive.”
Avery’s eyes lock on mine, and he strides forward to meet me. He stops just before I fear he might take me in his arms. I’m afraid we’re going to have to have a very tense conversation, he and I. But I think he already knows it.
He looks between Sebastian and me questioningly, somehow already sensing that something has changed between us. “Made your decision?”
“Avery—” I begin, but then I shake my head. “Now is not the time.”
After studying me for a moment, he
nods, almost smiling. He leans in close enough Sebastian won’t hear what he’s about to say—especially when Adeline is babbling about what a horrible ordeal this has been. “I don’t think the game is over. Not until a ring graces your lovely finger.”
I walk past him, to the large fire, holding my hands out to warm them. “At least you are persistent.”
Laughing under his breath, the captain pulls my pack from my back and peeks inside. Unimpressed, he looks up. “These are the orchid cuttings?”
“They don’t look like one hundred and sixty thousand denats, do they?” I ask lightly.
“Are there more?”
“No, but we took as many as we could from the two plants we found.”
The fire crackles, and heat soaks into my frigid limbs.
“What’s the moss for?” he asks.
“To keep them damp. Baron Malcomny says they do not grow in the ground like other plants, but above it. They live in the moss and pull nutrients from the air…or something like that.”
“So, you only need to water them to keep them alive?” he asks.
I yawn, warm and content and so very happy the ordeal is finally over. “I suppose so.”
“Lucia,” he says.
The tone of his voice is different, softer than normal, and I turn, looking at him in question. “What?”
“I am extremely fond of you.” He brushes a finger down my arm. “You know that, don’t you?”
I study him, his handsome face, his laughing eyes. “Yes, Avery. I do know that.”
“That’s good—because it’s possible you won’t like me in a moment.”
A laugh escapes me. “Honestly, what could you possibly do that would have me questioning your morals more than I already am?”
“You, my love, might be surprised.” He takes a sudden step back and draws his sword, pointing it at my chest.
I freeze, too stupid and confused to realize what’s happening until the rest of his men draw their weapons as well, outnumbering Sebastian and me twelve to two. Sebastian curses, and Adeline lets out a little yip.
The captain gives me a cheeky grin—the kind that says he knows how awful he is, but he figures I’ll forgive him just because he’s Avery.
“You’re stealing the orchids?” I ask, shocked. “Why? You were going to have your share!”
He laughs, his eyes still sparkling. “I don’t want my share—I want it all. Have you any idea how much I can get for these?”
“Of course, I know! Why do you think we came to this forsaken place?”
“No, you know how much you can get for them. I can get much more. The pollen can be made into a powerful poison. In certain circles, I can demand more than double what you’re working for.”
“Then why didn’t you come for them yourself? Why wait for us?”
Avery chuckles and glances toward the forest. “I had no desire to go traipsing about the wildlands. I had plenty of other business ventures to keep me occupied. I intended to let you find them for me and then take them—nice and easy.”
“But you ended up ‘traipsing about the wildlands’ anyway!”
He chuckles and nods, his eyes sincere now. “Ironic, isn’t it?”
“Why did you come with us?”
“Why don’t you take a guess,” he says, his voice soft. His expression says he genuinely cares for me, but the sword pointed at my chest begs to differ.
Ignoring him, tired of his games, I whisper, “I trusted you. You know what this meant to me. You know why I’m here.”
“Yes, and while I am sorry about that, I’m afraid your ultimate goal conflicts with mine.” Lowering his voice, he leans forward. “I rather like it when you and Sebastian are at odds. Gives me more of a fighting chance.”
“You will never have a chance now.”
“So you say.” He examines the bag, tosses it over his shoulder, and foolishly lowers his blade. Then he motions for his men to slowly back toward the boats. “How about this, Lucia; I’ll make a deal with you.”
I still have his enchanted sword at my side. Can I take him? Doubtful. Sebastian might be able to, except Avery has his men on his side…including his elemental mage. We don’t stand a chance.
“I don’t make deals with pirates,” I snarl.
Avery laughs, and so help me I could kill him because, despite everything, he’s still so…something. Something absurdly likable.
Enjoying the banter, he clasps his chest. “Hurtful, Lucia.”
Sebastian dares a step forward. “I swear if you hurt her—”
“I’m not going to hurt her.” The captain turns to him, all humor gone, his tone disgusted. “Don’t be a fool. You already know that.”
Sebastian begins to respond, but I leap forward, deciding in that split second that I believe Avery. He won’t hurt me, at least not on purpose. I lunge at him, hoping to catch him by surprise. He takes a step back, startled, but he still manages to tackle me to the ground, disarming me before I have a chance to get even one good stab in.
Adeline shrieks as Avery’s men surround Sebastian to ensure he doesn’t do something foolhardy.
Avery looks down at me, pinning my wrists with his hands and my body with his. He’s not hurting me, not at all. His nose brushes mine, his lips hover inches away. If I weren’t so mad, I might react to him slightly differently. “You want the orchids, Lucia? Come find me, and they’re yours.”
I snap at his nose, but he jerks back in time, laughing.
“I hate you.”
“No, you don’t,” he scoffs, grinning. He caresses my wrist with his thumb, enjoying himself a little too much.
“You are the serpent, not your ship. You double-crossed us!” I’m trembling with anger, more livid with him than I’ve ever been in my life. “You planned this from the beginning—from the moment you found out I was going after the orchids.”
“From the moment I sent you on the errand for the dagger and paid the man in the shoppe to give you a dragon egg enchanted with a tracking spell.”
I suck in a breath. “You didn’t.”
“Oh, I did. You delivered my instructions to him yourself.” Slowly, careful that I can’t flail and kick him, he shifts his weight off me. Calling two of his armed men over to guard me, he pulls me to my feet. “But I am not completely heartless.”
With his men watching me, he takes a single cutting from the bag. “You’ll need to give this to the duke so Adeline can go home.”
“How do you know I won’t take it to Baron Malcomny and claim my five thousand denats?”
And give my share to Sebastian, I think. Judging from the way Avery smiles, he knows what’s running through my head.
“Because then Adeline would be homeless…and you’re not that cruel.”
“I will track you down.” I shake with fury. “I will find you.”
He brushes his lips against my ear. “I’m counting on it.”
Avery and his men board two of the tiny boats, leaving the last empty. Now free, Sebastian pulls me to him. He watches, furious.
“You’re going to leave the girls here?” he demands.
The captain gestures to the last boat. “Of course not. I’ve gifted you with a fine sailing vessel.”
“We cannot travel to Mesilca on a boat the size of dinghy!”
Avery doesn’t look terribly concerned. “Let’s not overreact. It has sails, Sebastian. Have Adeline do some of that wind magic she’s so good at. You’ll be back in no time.”
The men shove off from the shore, and Avery stands, watching me. “Oh, Lucia?”
I don’t answer.
He smirks in the night, his face growing dimmer as his men row away from the firelight. “When you come looking for me—and we both know you will—come alone.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Why Not?
Sebastian and I stand side-by-side staring at the now empty inlet. The Greybrow Serpent is gone. So is his ship.
Adeline hasn’t said a word. She sits by the c
ampfire, engrossed in the flames. We’ll have to take her home. Avery’s right; I’m not that cruel.
All that work, all that time, and for what? Nothing. I am no closer to paying Sebastian back than I was months ago.
Flink cuddles next to me, but I cannot bring myself to pet the beast. I know it’s not his fault, but now I look at him and see him as a tether to Avery. A leash the captain alone can use. It’s a shame tracking is a one-way spell.
But I don’t know that I’ll go looking for the captain anyway. It sounded good at the time, when I was in the heat of the moment. Now, though. Now I’m not sure.
Sebastian wraps his arm around my back and pulls me close to his side. “I’m sorry, Lucia.”
“I’m sorry. I’m the one who involved Avery in the first place.” Swindled again.
“I’m not going home,” Adeline says suddenly, taking us both by surprise. We turn to find her staring at us, eyes hard. “I didn’t almost get eaten by a giant toad for nothing. I want my share, and I do not want Avery to win. We will travel back to Baywhite, and you will give the cutting to the man who hired you. Then we will find Captain Greybrow and make him pay for what he’s done.”
Sebastian’s shock mirrors my own. “If we don’t go back to Mesilca with the orchid, you’ll never be welcome there. Not again. Not ever.”
She primps her wild curls, determined. “I know. But that won’t be an issue once we take back the cuttings.”
I share a look with Sebastian. We cannot do it. She has no idea what she’s getting herself into, and honestly, I’m not sure I want her tagging along.
But then Sebastian rubs a hand over his face, giving in. “What do you say, Lucia?”
I stare out at the lonely sea and shrug. “Oh…why not?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
One Month Later
The huge door in front of us swings open. Baron Malcomny’s steward stands on the other side, and his eyes go wide when he sees me and Sebastian. As he looks me over, his eyebrows knit, perplexed. My bodice and trousers are a bit nicer than the ones I wore while visiting the first time. Adeline made sure of that.
Moss Forest Orchid (Silver and Orchids Book 1) Page 19
