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"Nothing," she said almost too quickly. "You don't need to worry about it."
"I'm not worrying," I said, wrinkling my nose. "I want to know what's going on with your life. He's still calling you wife, right?"
"Seriously, Lola, it's just a joke. Nothing is going on." Her body was stiff as she threw back the rest of her coffee. "Oh, look, there's Quade. I'm going togo get more coffee."
And she stood up and ran off.
That's where we left things because shortly after she ran off, we all left for the docks. Tulip looks over her shoulder at me again, half of her mouth quirked in a smile. "With what Himureal told Lola, are we sure we want to bring the rest of the Gods back?" The question is for everyone and no one in particular, but I speak up for everyone.
"I'm not sure if we can trust everything he said to be the full truth," I say, looking around at the bustling, thriving city. Who knew a place like this existed in Krillium? "The bonding was cleverly worded. He said he'd tell me what I needed to know. I needed to know his version of things. But that doesn't mean it's the truth."
"Yeah, the whole three versions of things – yours, mine, and the truth, right?" Morrow says, shaking his head. "At least we got the journal out of it."
"And Zeph," Plume interjects. "Having Viola's high priest here and removing Himureal's false one is a huge boon for her power."
Morrow glares at the back of Zeph's head, and like he can feel the heat from it, his shoulders slump. "Sure, whatever you say, Plume."
Mace, who has been quietly trailing behind me until now, raises his voice to be heard by all of us. "There is no discounting the power a high priest can give their God. I have a feeling heading to Roisia, we're going to need all the power we can get."
Ourfeet stomp on the well-built dock, and at the end, I spot familiar sails on a small but hearty ship. When we reach it, a few deckhands notice us and then rush off. Within moments, Jax is leaning over the side and staring right at me. "Viola fucking Mistflow," they say with a smile, launching themself over the side and landing with a crash in front of me. I'm yanked into their arms and squeezed in an uncharacteristic hold.
"Jaz," I say through compressed lungs, "what in the world are you doing?"
They pull away and look at me, from the white hair down to my fingers, and slowly shake their head. "You think I don't hear shit, Viola? You think I didn't hear about Colris?"
I wince and cross one arm over my chest, tapping my fingers on my tricep. "Ah," I say, as if that explains everything.
They roll their eyes at me and place their hands on their hips. "Yeah, ah." Silence stretches between us as they appraise me with critical eyes, eventually satisfied with whatever they were looking for. Jaz looks at the group behind me and then skeptically back at me. "You picked up a stray?"
Mace laughs loudly. "No stray. My brother, Zeph Nightroot."
"And Viola's high priest," Plume says. It's curious to me how Zeph is not speaking for himself. I haven't known Zeph long, but he has never seemed afraid to speak up for himself.
Turning to look at him, Jaz narrows their eyes. "High priest? Like the journals that you lot were looking for?"
He steps forward, extending his hand, and Jaz tentativelyshakes it. "The very same. My goal is to help Viola harness the magic created through devotion and sacrifice by those who believe in and support her."
"Ooh, so you're a real God now," Jaz says, elbowing me. "That why you look so weird?"
"That's why." My voice comes out gruff as I shift uncomfortably. It's not worth elaborating on. There is nothing that can be done. Shaking the comment off, I tilt my head to the side. "We came to ask for passage again," I begin. "We need to get to Riosia."
"Of course you do," they groan, ruffling their hair.
"You know it?" Plume asks, her head tilted to the side.
Jaz swings their head to look at the Spring fae, a smile I've never seen before drifting across their face. "Sweetie, I'm a sailor. I know the areas to avoid." They look back at me. "I'm assuming you wouldn't ask unless absolutely necessary?"
"I wouldn't. From there, we need to go to the Cliffs of Barez." I watch as Jaz fists their hips, tilts their head back, and looks up at the sky.
After a few tense moments, they say, "Alright. I can have the ship ready to leave at first light tomorrow. I'm going to tell you now. My crew and I cannot go on that island with you. We'll get you there and wait for you, but I cannot ask my crew to risk themselves like that, and without me, you won't make it to the Cliffs."
"Understood," I say curtly. One of my favorite things about Jaz is that when it's time to talk business, they do. There is no back and forth. Just a frankdiscussion of needs and requirements. "What do you require from us?"
"Whatcha got in terms of supplies? Not gonna bullshit ya, we're running low."
Plume pulls her pack around her front and hands it to Jaz. "Inside are several rare medicinal herbs, as well as cosmetic ones that allow for coloring of hair and tattooing." Jaz opens the bag, looking at the contents and then back at Plume curiously. Shrugging, the fae smiles and says, "My magic allowed me to speed up the growth, while Mace boosted output with some Prosperity. I've heard these are quite valuable."
"Oh, I know how valuable they are," Jaz says with a grin. "I'm impressed." Turning to me, Jaz throws the pack over their shoulder. "Alright, I'll use this to get everything we need for the journey. Did you keep any of this for yourself?"
