Page 4 of Seaborn and the Seven Seas

“The other gods imprisoned them, didn’t they?” I said around a mouthful of kelp. “To never be together. Power is always feared.”

The fire snapped.

“Like us.” Minha, about my age, lean and sharp-featured with pale skin, brown shoulder-length hair, and hazel eyes, chimed in, “The guards fear the oysters they cannot touch.” She reached behind her in the dark shadows and pushed the rocks aside. “I’ve been making these while you sleep.” Her bunny-like nose crinkled as she handed me a four-inch dagger made from the oyster shells, the handle wrapped in the same rough material as our tunic—thick and scratchy.

I held it up into the firelight, the blade smooth and iridescent. The perfect size to place it inside my pants. “Can I have this?”

“Not a good idea.” Nam shook her head.

I’d never disobeyed her. None of us did. I handed it back to Minha as I winked. She understood my meaning. I would take it when everyone slept.

After Nam finished her story, she gently set Bora off her leg and rose. “We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. Get some sleep.” She headed toward where the water trickled along the wall to do her business.

Then softly, almost to herself, she sang. Low and gentle, the same melody every night, so familiar none of us thought to ask what it meant or where she learned it. The tune captured my heart no matter how many times she sang it.

Where the water runs deep and our home holds our name,

We lived in the blue and the oceans were ours to claim.

Seven gods watched the tides and the world stayed the same,

Till the kingdoms grew hungry and conquered without shame.

We gathered our bodies by the fire. I curled up between Jina and Minha, the same position we took every night.

“I wish a goddess would come to save us,” Jina whispered.

I closed my eyes, hoping the same. When everyone fell asleep, I grabbed the dagger and placed it in the secret pocket of my pants. I got back into place, the blade cold against my skin, and closed my eyes—dreaming of Agusto, and the soft place beneath his jaw.

Chapter Two

The whip cracked. How I loathed that sound. Time to wake up. Another day of hard labor. Another day of monotonous routine.

I groaned and stretched my arms, then helped Sohee and Jina to rise. Toward the back, Minha and Nam had their heads together, voices low, something about the dagger passing between them that they clearly didn’t want overheard.

We dragged our feet toward our workstation as guards dumped oysters on the tables, then scrambled back to their posts. Perfect time for me to gather the unique pearls. One day I might need them to bargain with. Because one day, we would all get out of here.

“Look at the size of this.” Jina held it up against the sunlight.

A perfect round black pearl. Gorgeous. I snatched it from her before any of the guards noticed and tucked it into the hidden pouch at my waist.

Jina’s eyes widened, then she did the same with the next pearl she dug up. I shouldn’t have shown her. Not because I didn’t trust her, but if she got caught, the punishment would be death. Stealing from the King, well… we all knew how that ended.

I stiffened when the crunch of pebbles beneath boots echoed closer. My pulse spiked. Had he seen what Jina and I had done? The young guard from yesterday, Mac, leaned toward Nam, and the thunderous pounding in my chest eased. I couldn’t hear what he whispered, but he raised his voice.

“The king demands more pearls. Work faster.” He cracked the whip against the table.

Oysters scattered toward the edges.

What was he doing? Had he gone mad? I feared for our lives. And I’d thought Agusto was the worst.

Nam’s fingers balled into fists. “Listen, boy. You know nothing of hard labor.” She tossed a handful of oysters at him.

Nam was always the one telling us not to start anything for fear of our lives. Had she had enough? Did she want to end hers?

Mac grabbed Nam by the throat as the other two guards approached. Sohee didn’t look surprised. She just stood there as if she knew Nam’s plan. Bora whimpered. Jina’s lips moved in that silent count she did when she was afraid, standing beside me. Minha snarled, poised to leap. The others covered their mouths to suppress screams.

My trembling fingers found their way to the blade’s hilt in my secret pocket, but I didn’t have a chance to draw it. Mac snatched a dagger, one that looked like what Minha had made from Nam’s hand, and drove it into the first guard’s neck, then the next.