I grip the sides of the small schooner harder, trying not to bite off my own tongue. Waves don't feel dangerous until even the tiniest one could capsize you. I haven't had to swim in years. Maybe it's like riding a bike: you never forget. I hope so. Gods, I hope so.

Xian successfully navigates us from the harbor through the low fog and occasional pocket of jagged rocks out to open waters. We've been sailing for a bit now. Nothing but clouds and grey skies for miles. Home is kind of...bleak, huh? No wonder they call the waters between the Kingdom and Malor the Cursed Sea. Give me some nice sunny beaches off the coast of Ismar Minor. I'd take those any day.

Out of the fog, the outline of a large ship slides forward. It moves without a sound, and if I wasn't looking straight at it, I wouldn't believe it existed.

"Is that it?" I ask Xian, pointing to the large vessel. She nods excitedly, nearly bouncing in her seat. "That's a big boat." Xian turns to me. No, don't do that! Eyes on the water!

"Are you intimidated by big things?" she asks with a smile that shines in the darkness. I...honestly wasn't expecting that. I like her.

"I think I'd be downright terrified of myself if I was," I reply with a small grin.

"Then this should be no problem." Xian steers us close to Tomrius and Finn's ship quicker than I thought this little dingy could possibly go. Thanks to her reckless steering, we reach it in no time at all. She's just lucky I didn't have a heart attack. Xian pulls out a rope and ties us to the ship and pulls out a grappling hook. "You know how to use one of these?" she asks.

"What—yes, I know how to use one!" I snatch the spare grappling hook from her indignantly. "Who do you think I am?"

"Just asking. It's a long way down from the top." Xian winks at me, hurling her grappling hook and scampering up as soon as it finds purchase. It's a good thing I'm not scared of heights. Or the ocean. But, that may change after today.

Ascending the ship is a combination of climbing the ropes, holding onto some small wooden outcropping, and throwing the grappling hook to the next spot. And if you miss, boy does it suck. Not that I would miss, of course. Nope.

"Stealth is paramount." Xian reminds me at the top.

"Then why are you tal—"

"Sh." Did she just shush me?

"But you were the one—"

"Sh!" When we can talk again, you and I are having words, Miss Xian. She grips the ship rail tight for a moment and vaults onto the ship softly, slipping into the shadows. I follow her steps just as eloquently, thank you very much, keeping my breath steady while we wait.

"What now?" I whisper. Her eyes flash with frustration in the darkness. Yes, I know you told me to be quiet, Miss Xian. But when have I ever done as I was told? She waits until a sailor lumbers by before responding.

"We need to steal plans for a new weapon that Tomrius and Finn want developed here in Malor," she pauses when the door leading inside the ship opens. We slip inside just before it closes. The little pirate likes cutting it close, doesn't she? "They'll probably be in the captain's quarters; they're too valuable to be left in the cargo hold," she continues. I keep my voice soft while we creep down the corridors, holding onto the walls for support. I still don't have my sea legs.

"What's the weapon?" I pull her into a small alcove as a group of drunken crew members stumble past. They pat each other on the back and take swigs of what is probably whiskey. Xian looks up at me; her heart is beating almost as fast as mine. How can such thin eyes look so big and full of life? She is very close. Too close. I sidle out of the alcove, and she follows me, quickly taking the lead.

"They call it a 'cannon'," Xian whispers. "The main component is black powder. It's a more volatile version of what's used in Tempraran smoke bombs." She points to a plain wooden door. "Here, this should be the captain's quarters." I kneel in front of the door and take out my lock picks while Xian keeps a lookout. Her head rotates almost like an owl. It's kinda creepy.

"I've been meaning to ask about that," I say past the spare tools I have between my teeth. "How does a little Tempraran like you end up in this line of work? I thought you guys were all monks."

Xian pulls her dark hair back into a ponytail. "You obviously haven't been abroad much."

I snort, but don't say anything. Oh sweetie, I've been to places you can't even imagine. She doesn't pay me much attention, like most people. One of the perks of being a rat like me: they're pretty common in Malor, and don't attract much notice. Even when they're being rude on purpose—which I've been told I do often.

She continues while I work, "Temprarans are in a wide variety of fields. Our government doesn't allow us to legally sail unless we're Dream Catchers," she shakes her head, "It's an outdated law, but they hold to their 'tradition'. So," she smiles down at me, "It was a pirate's life for me from the start."

"Not much of a pirate without a crew," I mumble. She stays silent until, finally, the lock clicks open. The door swings silently open. My eyes fix on the portly man sitting behind a desk, his purple skin reflecting the dim candlelight. He looks up, his blue eyes going nearly as wide as mine. Xian is shocked into stillness, and for a moment, we're all frozen in place in nearly absolute silence. This isn't going to end well.