glass lanterns hung from the rafters, filling the ceiling with what looked like rows of golden suns. More than one set of eyes lifted to land on me and West as we followed in Holland’s wake. More than one whisper broke the silence.
Holland wove through the fine suits and frocks until the floor opened to a railed rectangle, where two long, empty tables faced each other, each lined with five chairs. The crowd encircled it, filling every inch of the building, and my throat constricted when I realized what they were looking at.
Ezra’s teapots and teacups were set before each chair.
They were exactly as Holland conceived them, their forms astonishing and their grandeur inconceivable. The facets of each gem sparkled, drawing every eye in the room.
Tiered rows of seats marked with trading crests and merchant’s insignias overlooked the platform. Holland found her chair on the row closest to the tables.
I searched the other chairs, looking for Saint’s crest—a triangular sail wreathed by a cresting wave. But when I finally found his seat, it was empty. Behind it, Zola’s crest marked another.
I looked up to West. His eyes were trained on the same thing.
“Do you see him?” I spoke under my breath.
He scanned the room, over the heads around us. “No.”
I touched the back of West’s hand before I shouldered away from him, finding the stairs that led up to Holland.
I took my place beside her, watching the room. Henrik stood at the side of the platform beside West, a look of pure enjoyment on his face. Ezra hadn’t said Henrik was going to be there, and if there was some scheme that betrayed both Holland and Saint, we were about to find out.
A woman came by with a tray of cava glasses, and Holland took two, handing one to me.
The pop of a gavel slamming on the table made me flinch, and the crowd instantly quieted, pressing tighter together as the doors on the balcony flew open.
A single line of men and women filed out, taking the stairs down to the platform and finding their seats. Their newly tailored coats and frocks were trimmed with gold and velvet, their hands covered in jeweled rings. The Narrows Trade Council. Even in their finery, you could see their rough edges. They took their places at the far table before they were followed by the council representing the Unnamed Sea, whose opulence was even more grand.
When they were all in place, they took their seats together. The scrape of chair legs echoed in the silence.
Again, I looked to Saint’s seat. It was still empty.
The woman representing the Narrows Smiths Guild leaned into the master of the Shipwrights Guild, whispering as two men with white gloves filled the ornate teacups before them. It looked as if the teapots were floating off the table, and I could see that Holland liked the admiration. That had been the point.
She swirled the cava in her glass, watching both councils study the pieces with a satisfied grin sliding up the side of her face. She was priming them for her proposal.
The gavel fell again as the master of the Rye Guild for the Unnamed Sea stood. He brushed his coat before he turned to the crowd. “I’d like to welcome you on behalf of the Unnamed Sea and the Narrows to the Biennial Trade Council meeting.”
The doors to the pier closed, shutting out the sunlight, and the room fell quieter, making my palms sweat. I searched the faces in the crowd for my father, my eyes looking for the brilliant blue of his coat.
Beside me, Holland was relaxed, patiently waiting for her moment.
“We’ll open first for new business.” The guild master’s deep voice rang out and the slide of eyes drifted toward the merchant’s seats.
Holland took her time standing, looking out over the room. She was enjoying this. “Esteemed councils, I’d like to put forth today an official request for a license to expand my trading route from Bastian to Ceros.”
The silence resounded, the attention of both councils on my grandmother.
It was the Narrows Gem Guild master who spoke first. She stood, teacup in hand. “This is the fourth time in eight years that you’ve submitted a request for a license, and the answer has always been the same.”
The Gem Guild master from the Unnamed Sea stood next. “The successful enterprise of Holland’s trade has benefited both the Unnamed Sea and the Narrows. Most of the stones traded in your waters have come from her dredging crews. We