Cedric looked up. “Oh?”

“Well, I’m sure that’s what Tamsin would say.”

“And the rest of us are just partners in crime.”

“The rest are just—oh.” I felt foolish. “Sorry. I wasn’t thinking. I mean, yes. Of course you’re my friend. I think.”

His smile was hard to read as he stretched his limbs before leaning against the wall beside me. “I don’t think that makes me feel any better.”

“No, you are. I’ve just never thought of men as friends before. In my life they’ve always been . . . a means to an end.”

“Still not making me feel any better.”

“Conquests?”

“A slight improvement. Maybe being your conquest wouldn’t be so bad.”

“After I got you to help me that first day? I figured you already were.” I looked over at him and saw a bit of honey near his lips. Without thinking, I leaned over and gently dabbed at it with my fingers.

As soon as I brushed his lips with my fingertips I felt my pulse quicken and a flush of heat sweep over me. Unable to resist, I traced the edges of his lips, suddenly wondering if they would taste just as sweet as the honey.

Cedric took hold of my hand and laced his fingers with mine. The heat in his gaze made me heady, its intensity burning right through me. He didn’t let go, and I felt as though the world around us was slowing down. I finally managed to ask, “What about me? Am I your friend?”

He closed his eyes briefly, wrestling with some great dilemma, and then exhaled. “You are—”

Before he could finish answering, the door to the cargo hold suddenly opened. Both of us jumped. A sailor appeared in the doorway, an older man with a shaved head and a slanted scar across his cheek. I was also pretty sure he was missing two fingers on his left hand. He seemed equally astonished to see us, and Cedric immediately straightened up, angling himself between me and the door. He put one arm protectively around me and rested his other hand on the pocket of his coat. The painting at least wasn’t in view of the door.

“What are you doing here?” the sailor demanded. Before either of us could answer, a smirk suddenly crossed the man’s face. “Oh. I see how it is. Getting a little alone time, eh? I guess Thorn’s blushing beauties aren’t so innocent after all.”

It took me a moment to understand, and then I realized how it must look. Cedric’s proximity and arm around me made it look as though, at the very least, we’d been cuddling. Understanding the implications, I did, indeed, blush.

“We’re not—”

“She’s having second thoughts about marrying in Adoria,” said Cedric, interrupting my outrage. “She wants to turn around and go back to Osfrid. If my father finds out, I’ll be the one who gets in trouble.”

I slipped into the act and crossed my arms over my chest. Nerves would be a lot easier to explain to Jasper than a slur on my virtue. “I told you! There’s nothing you can say to change my mind.”

Cedric sighed dramatically. “Why won’t you just listen to reason?”

The sailor’s eyes shifted between the two of us, and I didn’t like the way he looked at me. I also didn’t think he believed us.

Cedric removed his hand from his pocket and reached for the opposite one, producing a small bag. He withdrew three silver coins from it and held them out to the sailor. “I’m sure you understand the need for discretion until I can talk her out of this. No need for anyone else to know.”

The sailor didn’t hesitate to snatch up the coins. I’d been right about the fingers. “Yes, sir. I certainly do. I’m as discreet as they come. You can trust Old Lefty, that you can. I won’t tell anyone about your, uh, doubts.”

He bobbed his head deferentially and then picked up a small crate before retreating. He gave us one last leer and then exited, closing the door behind him.

I groaned and sank back against the wall. “Great, just great. I knew it was only a matter of time before this all fell apart.”

“It did nothing of the sort,” Cedric replied. “He didn’t see the painting, and he’s not going to talk anyway.”

“Really? You think so? I’m sorry, but I can’t feel that confident about trusting our fate to someone called Old Lefty.” I paused. “And why is he called that if that’s the hand missing the fingers? Why not take a positive spin and go with ‘Old Righty’?”

“He’s not going to talk,” Cedric reiterated. “The silver will ensure that—and future silver, seeing as I’m sure he’ll approach me later wanting a bonus to further his ‘discretion.’”

I raised an eyebrow. “I wasn’t aware you had all that much silver to just throw around.”

“I don’t . . . but some expenses are necessary. And if all of this works out, it won’t matter.”

“Let’s hope so.” My gaze fell on the pocket of his coat. “What’s there? Why’d you reach for it?”

Cedric hesitated and then produced a gleaming dagger. The hilt was silver, engraved with an intricate tree pattern. “A ritual blade. The angel Ozhiel’s blade. That’s the Tree of Life that connects all living things in this world to the next.”

I was too surprised to even make a joke about him worshipping trees after all. “You were . . . going to attack him with that?”

“If that’s what it took. I didn’t know his intentions.” Cedric grew thoughtful a few moments and then held out the dagger to me. “Here.”

“It’s beautiful, but I don’t really want some pagan knife.”

“Forget the religious implications. Keep it in case you find yourself in a situation where you need it.”

“That night I got the holly, you told me to drop my knife before I hurt someone.”

“Well, I was worried you’d hurt me. But anyone else? They’re fair game.”

“I don’t really know how to use this,” I said, taking the weapon in spite of myself.

“You’ll figure it out—you’ve always been good at defending yourself. But here’s a tip to get you started: If someone attacks you, just point the blade away from you and start hacking.”

“I see. I didn’t know you had a second job as a weapons master.”

The strongest wave we’d hit so far tumbled us into each other. A few items nearby shifted violently, and I nearly stabbed Cedric. “Probably not a good idea to have that out with all these waves,” he said.

I tucked the blade away, knowing I’d have to conceal it carefully among my belongings lest I be caught with an Alanzan artifact. I glanced around us as the ship swayed. “Is it just a few waves? We got into this because the captain went to take the wheel, remember?”

I could see Cedric considering this, that maybe we should’ve paid more attention to why the stateroom we’d raided had been abandoned in the first place. “I’m sure it’s—” Another jolt sent us reeling, and a crate fell, smashing beside us. “I think we should go,” he said.

I followed him out of the cargo room as wave after powerful wave rocked us. With no formalities or care for who saw, he hurried me quickly down the corridor, taking me to the Glittering Court’s common room. Just before we entered, I pulled him back.