𝑮𝑳𝑰𝑻𝑻𝑬𝑹 | 𝑘.𝑏.

19

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G O S S I P T I M E
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MOVEMENT HADN'T SEEMED SO TORTUROUS to Feta when she woke, so the next course of action was to pester Nina for a little excursion until she had no choice but to permit it.

"Kaz is gonna have me running for my life soon enough," Feta had said. "Might as well make sure I'll be able to at least crawl away."

Jesper and Inej, designated chaperones for Feta's parade, walked belowdecks to Nina fumbling with the laces of Feta's boots.

"Saints," Nina cursed as she finally secured one set of laces into a bow. "Are you sure they even fit you?"

The heavy-duty boots came in handy around the Barrel, with thick soles immune to stray shards of glass and solid toe-ends that could snap someone's bones with a well-aimed kick. "These are literally my favorite boots, Nina."

"They're just so— heavy."

Feta pursed her lips thoughtfully. "I suppose I could jump overboard and see if they'd get me to the bottom of the True Sea."

"Wow," Jesper said upon entering the room to that. "You've been back with the living for one night and you're already making morbid death wishes." Jesper nudged Inej — not in her bad side. "Beginning to sound as hopeful as your depressing Suli wisdom."

Feta began to squirm off her cot, her giddy excitement leaking from her luminous grin, to which Nina firmly shut down by holding Feta's boot-clad feet together.

"Absolutely not," she snapped. "You are not to squirm, shimmy, or waltz in any way."

It was Inej who asked, "What about minuet?"

Nina glared at Inej over her shoulder as Feta busied herself with laughter. "Do not encourage her. And you better be taking it easy too, or so help me—"

Jesper pouted in mock contemplation before asking Inej, "Would that flip you did from the rigging count as taking it easy?"

Feta's open laughter scrunched up her nose; her friends were breathless at the way Feta's delight hadn't diminished in the slightest.

Although Inej had full faith in Nina, there had been no harm in praying to her Saints for Feta's health. Meanwhile, Jesper had been fairly sure the Siren wasn't long for this world.

Saints, that would've been the end of me, Jesper thought now, feeling his smile falter despite the joy that still echoed around the cabin, the joy that sparked in him at seeing Feta awake. Just another debt I could never pay off.

"Okay, okay," Feta gasped, grin still fixated on her lips, eyes watery but sparkling. Alive. "Both of you shut up before she straps me down." Feta slipped gingerly from the table, her boots thudding against the floorboards with purpose. Nina was met with her memories of the Siren slipping along the Staves, always walking with this same intent, believing that she was needed everywhere, especially wherever she was headed. These boots made more sense for Feta than Nina wanted to admit at first.

Inej floated closer, Jesper springing just behind her, but Feta didn't twist towards them just yet. Instead she snatched Nina's hands up in her own and pressed a quick kiss to her knuckles. Nina's face erupted in red, caught off guard by the affection.

"You and these magical, magical hands, Nina Zenik," Feta sighed. She squeezed Nina's hands, stared up at her earnestly. Her voice was low, as warm as fresh baked sweets, as fire in a hearth during the harshest winters night, as she said, "Thank you, endlessly. I owe you my life."

"Shush," Nina said, nearly choking on the sudden weight in her throat. "Just show me a good time and we'll call it even."

Feta's grin sprouted from her sincere, close-lipped smile. "I always do, gorgeous." Feta turned to Jesper and Inej who'd been watching this all patiently and eagerly held out her arms for them. "Finally, now go go go—"