Carolena Amoris hated the way the dark waters lapped at the edges of the boat, threatening to take her overboard as payment for the oysters and shells she had collected. Not to mention how her stomach twisted into knots when she looked into the sea.

The rocking of the boat didn't help. Sheppard Morsk really had a nasty sense of humor. Casting a pointed glare behind her, Carolena was only met with a lopsided grin from her best friend. Thankfully, the worn wood of the docks appeared out of the early morning mist, along with storefronts dotting the coast. Maybe, if she worked quickly, Carolena could sell the oysters and a pearl or two—if she was lucky enough to find some.

Before Shep could steady the boat, Carolena had jumped onto the docks and shook off her sea legs. "Gods, Lena. At least wait for me to dock the damn thing."

"You know me," she offered him a sheepish grin as she helped tie off the vessel. "Solid ground."

Shep rolled his eyes and clambered onto the docks, rubbing the brass number thirteen that marked it as his. Carolena never understood his obsession with the number. It was the number dock he preferred to use, and he tied his fishing knots with thirteen loops. Shep even made sure to keep thirteen pieces of silver in his pocket.

The morning market was busier than usual, with people milling around like ants surrounding their hill. The fisherman must have had a decent catch this morning. Carolena glanced down at the oysters and Shep's carefully prepared urchins and bass. They should do well this morning.

Carolena twisted into the market, slipping through the groups of people that were just too close. A twinge in her back ached as she accidentally brushed against the small group just in front of the bakery. Shifting her way through the bodies, she found a familiar face sitting at their stand.

"Well, good morning, Miss Eliza Thayer. And how was Killian last night?" Shep dropped their goods onto the table, grinning. Before Carolena could react, Eliza's sandal connected with Shep's head in a satisfying thwack. It must have been a good night.

Eliza brushed a stray curl from her face and sat back down at the booth. A small gold band sparkled on her finger as she waved to the passing patrons, a gift from her new fiancé. "If you must know, he is doing well. And I slept well. From my bed."

Grabbing the stool next to the squabbling pair, Carolena unloaded her bag of oysters and her knife and began her hunt. Knife in, pry, and examine. Her fingers squished over the oyster meat, hoping for a solid lump. Even a pearl as small as a fingernail would fetch a handful of coppers, maybe even a silver.

Five more oysters hit the table as Shep tossed ice into their bin. "At least aim for the bucket, wouldya? Those things taste better fresh."

Carolena only nodded as she reached for the next shell, absentmindedly checking and discarding oysters until she reached the last five. Her knee bounced quickly as the cacophony of voices around her grew louder. The bin of seafood slammed onto the table, and Shep glared at the haphazardly tossed shells in his way before adding them to the tray. A couple passed by and smiled at the trio as the largest oyster found its way into Carolena's palm. Out of the corner of her eye, Eliza cringed as the knife found its way into the shell, scraping against the minerals.

The knife froze into the oyster as Carolena looked at it. A curious tickle at the back of her neck made her pause and consider the shell for a moment. Her thumb brushed over the rough surface as a customer approached the shop to ask about the bass price.

"I'll be right back," Carolena shot up from her seat and wove through the painfully claustrophobic crowd back to the docks. The oyster felt heavy in her hand as she reached the sea, crouching down at the end of the dock as the last crew of fishermen left their boat.

Her eyes slowly floated over the crowd. The last thing she needed was someone from the royal court to see her. No flash of purple or that royal seal of a raven skewered with a sword to pry on her. Carolena dipped her hands into the water, letting the foamy crests lap over the oyster shells. Slowly, at first, fire filled her veins as she concentrated on the pearl she was certain lay inside. There was something inside, larger than she had expected, maybe the same diameter as a copper. Lucky indeed.

The warmth permeated the oyster, flowing from her fingertips through the minerals to the pearl inside. Despite the anxiety gnawing at her stomach, Carolena couldn’t help but smile at her findings. As quickly as it had appeared, her grin dropped at the sound of approaching footsteps. Her head snapped around, and the warmth vanished back into the depths of her body. A young ship hand ran up the dock to the nearest boat before dashing inside the cabin, and Carolena's face burned at her panic. No guards in purple capes. No golden raven brooches.

You're fine. Carolena's fingers trembled as she took the oyster out of the water and began walking back to the stand. No one saw you. You made sure there were no guards around. Shep and Eliza paid her no mind as she sat down on the chair. Some older man who started arguing over the price of the bass held their attention. You're fine.

Turning her nerves to steel, Carolena grabbed the knife and plunged it into the shell. Brine invaded her nostrils as she felt around for the pearl, and her eyebrows shot up when she found not one but three large lumps. Did she overdo it this time? One pearl was rare enough, two if the gods blessed you… but three?

"Holy shit, Lena." Carolena glanced up to see Shep staring at the oyster in her hand.

Her hand flew over the pearls. "Shut up, and maybe I'll give you one," she hissed. Shep threw up his hands and turned around, and Carolena's shoulders slumped back down.

Three black pearls slipped out of the oyster and gleamed in the morning sun. Carolena stared intently at them, trying to sense if any trace of the warmth had been left behind. The size of the pearls was already strange enough, but black pearls were exceedingly rare compared to the light pink and blue variations that were commonly found around Ames Port. She swirled them in her palm for a moment before pocketing two and handing one to Shep under the table.

"Here, for your silence, you brute." Carolena teased.

Shep grinned at her. "You got it, boss."

Carolena returned the smile and stood up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to see what I can get for the other two."

After promising to visit the Thayer's bakery later that night, Carolena hugged both of her friends and quickly hurried to the north marketplace. The pearls fetched a nice price, a gold piece and eight silver, which was more than enough to buy the supplies her mother had run out of at their apothecary. For three silver, she was able to grab extra fabric from the tailor. She even convinced him to throw in a new spool of thread if she promised to bring a remedy for his daughter's cough.

The sun had already made it halfway across the sky by the time Carolena had made it to the dirt path leading to the cottage on the hill. Miniscule purple flowers dotted the trail as she quickly made her way between the sparse trees and to the shack.

A few shingles had fallen from the roof, matching the worn wood that had been battered by the storms coming off of the cliff. Tattered curtains blew in the breeze that carried the smell of freshly baked stew, her mother's favorite on these misty days.

Pushing open the door, Carolena kicked off her shoes and tossed the goods onto the table next to the stove. Ma stood over the fire, stirring a cauldron that heated the house and filled the room with the smell of herbed meat and rooted vegetables. It smelled like a mother's love.

"How are my other kids, Lena?" Her mother didn't even bother to turn around from the pot, the steam curling around her golden hair.

Carolena plopped into the nearest chair and rubbed the back of her neck. "They're fine. Eliza said that her folks, along with Shep and his family, invited us for dinner. I hit a lucky streak today with some pearls, too, so I picked up more supplies."

"Oh good," Ma turned and smiled at Carolena. "Remind me to grab a jar of the tandora out of the cellar later to bring with us." She ladled a spoonful of the stew into a shallow bowl. "Did anything else happen this morning?"

"Nope."

The lie burned on Carolena's tongue, but she couldn't bear to tell her mother anything more. A lecture was the last thing she needed, and Ma had spent years teaching her about the executions the king had placed twenty-five years ago. It wasn't as if the mere use of her magic in public hadn't eaten her alive, but it was one less thing to burden her mother with.

One less reason for Ma to worry that Carolena would end up like Pa, bound and burned at the stake for even possessing an ounce of magic in his soul.