In Deeper Waters by F.T. Lukens (best business books of all time txt) 📗

Garrett’s eyebrows shot up. “Did you want something to happen?”

“Oh my gods, can you not?”

Shay ruffled his hair. “Aw, little Tally. Your first crush on your coming-of-age. Cute! I remember my first crush.”

“Everyone knows your first crush,” Garrett said, pointing his spoon at her. “You still have it.”

Shay winked and brushed her straight brown hair over her shoulder. “You’re right, and I’m going to make my move someday. Just you wait.”

Garrett grinned, but before he could say whatever tawdry joke was on his tongue, Tal shot to his feet. “I need air.” Stepping around the table, Tal abandoned his dinner and left Garrett’s quarters.

He didn’t go far. He crossed the deck and leaned on the railing, staring out over the water and at the port city spread in front of them. The seaside market had been packed away, the shore empty where it had been teeming hours before. Lanterns hung lit in the windows of the buildings. On the cobblestone streets Tal spied the start of fires for the night, and music and laughter from a tavern wafted on the breeze.

What was Athlen doing? Was he still with Dara and her mother? Or had he sneaked off to wherever he called home? Would he keep his promise and find Tal and tell him everything? Or would he disappear on the morning tide?

Athlen was a mystery, one that Tal couldn’t figure out. It bothered him that he hadn’t demanded Athlen come with him back to the ship, instead allowing him potentially to wander away. Garrett wanted that information. Tal wasn’t quite sure why, but a chest of gold and a ship filled with untested sailors surely had a story behind it.

Lost in thought, Tal didn’t notice the brown hunting bird that settled on the railing until it chirped at him. Tal jumped and staggered backward, while the bird chirped again and bobbed its head as if laughing. Tal smiled when he saw the familiar black eyes rimmed with gold and the brown spotted feathers along its back.

“Kest!”

The bird ruffled its feathers and fluffed its wings.

“I’ll get Garrett.”

“No need, I heard you.” Garrett tromped out of his quarters, a robe in hand. The bird hopped down onto the deck, and Garrett tossed the garment on its head. “Hello, brother.”

The bird squawked a complaint. The fabric squirmed and lumped and grew taller, and within a few moments a man stood where the bird once was. He slid his arms through the robe and tied it at the waist.

“Kest!” Tal said again, throwing his arms around his brother in a hug. “What are you doing here?”

Kest returned the hug warmly, his shoulder-length brown hair brushing against Tal’s cheek. Kest was taller by several inches, and fine boned, with a large hooked nose and a small mouth outlined with a trim dark beard. His black eyes rimmed in yellow caught the sinking sun and crinkled at the corners when he grinned. He was closer in age to Garrett, but he’d always had time for Tal, and if Tal were forced to choose which one of his siblings he was closest to, it would be him. It helped that Kest possessed a kind of magic as well.

Kest ruffled Tal’s hair. “Mother received your letter and sent me to check in.”

Rolling his eyes, Garrett slapped Kest hard on the back. “He’s fine. It was nothing.”

“It was something,” Shay said, stepping forward, blush high on her cheeks. “Hello, Prince Kesterell.”

“Shay,” he replied.

Disentangling from Tal, Kest straightened his robe and tightened the knot. A love-sick blush spread across the bridge of his nose.

“You didn’t need to travel all this way. I have Tally under control.”

Tal huffed.

Kest grinned. “It wasn’t far for me.”

“Well, you can have a brief rest and fly home.”

“Are you trying to get rid of me, Garrett?”

Garrett crossed his arms. “No, but I don’t appreciate the implication that I cannot look after the queen’s precious youngest son.”

Kest laughed. He gripped Garrett’s shoulder. “There’s no doubt that you can. I made the suggestion to come, and Mother approved it. To be honest, Isa’s betrothed and his retinue have arrived at the castle, and I needed a break from the pretentiousness.”

Garrett shrugged off Kest’s hand, but his smile was genuine. “Pompous ass, is he?”

“You have no idea.”

“Come along, then.” Garrett gestured for Kest and Tal to follow him to the captain’s quarters. “Have some soup and tell us all about it.”

Shay lingered at the door and bowed out. “I’ll leave you to your brothers for the night.”

“Good night, Shay,” Tal called, waving from the edge of Garrett’s bed.

She smiled and closed the door behind her.

Garrett rubbed his hands together. “Tell us all the gossip, Kest.”

Kest settled at the table and ladled out a bowl of soup. Forgoing a spoon, he brought it to his lips and sipped. After a slurp he dabbed at his mouth with the edge of his sleeve.

“Well, they arrived in a string of six gilded carriages surrounded by half their kingdom’s knights, in an obvious show of wealth and power. The prince and his older sister rode separately, and not to speak badly of other royals, but I now know why. She’s about as warm as a snow-fed lake.”

Princess Vanessa. Tal’s tutor talked about her. She was renowned for her beauty, her paintings, and her singing voice, but not much else. As the second child of Ossetia, she’d have no claim to their throne, even if something happened to her older brother. Ossetia didn’t hold their women in as high regard as Harth.

“Is she nice to look at?” Garrett asked.

Tal heaved a sigh but said nothing.

“She’s beautiful, but she’s made it quite clear that she has no interest in our court. She said as much, to my face, right after we met.”

Garrett snickered. “That sounds about right.”

“With the number of jewels on her hands and the silver in her hair, it’s no wonder Ossetia is fighting with Mysten over the mines along the border. They need the material and the wealth for