Page 20 of Drift: Willa & Koy
“This is the third time in two days I’ve found a swapped purse. Third time!” he shouted.
Koy lifted a hand in the air that was meant to calm the man, but it only made him draw a knife. I stepped forward, my hand going to the handle of my dagger. Before I could pull it, Koy grabbed me, holding me in place.
“I want three full purses by sundown. Then we’re raising anchor and we’re not coming back.” He seethed.
Koy kept his tone even. “I apologize for the—”
“We came here to do business, not lose coin.”
“I know. And believe me, we will find whoever is responsible and we’ll make it right.”
The man lowered his knife and shoved between us, starting toward the tavern. “Sundown!” he called back over his shoulder, slipping his blade into his belt.
I rounded on Koy, my hands clenched into fists. “You’ll handle them, huh?” I said, daring him to argue.
I didn’t give him a chance to respond, starting toward the other end of the harbor where I knew Bruin and his friends would be waiting to catch a skiff back to the beach.
“Willa.”
Koy’s voice was barely audible over my racing thoughts. I’d known this would happen. I’d known the minute I stepped foot on this island and Bruin fixed me with that demeaning look that he was going to be trouble. That he’d cost us if we didn’t deal with him.
My boots pounded on the dock and the closer I got, the higher the scream was rising in my throat. Bruin didn’t see me coming until I was shoving him in the chest with both hands, nearly knocking him into the water.
“What the—”
Koy caught up to me just in time to put himself between me and Bruin.
“Your pickpocketing just cost us a ship,” I spat. “You’re going to pay every single coin back.Now.”
Bruin laughed and the others joined, making my head swim. He didn’t get it. None of them did. They didn’t understand what we were trying to do here or what this place meant. They never would.
For the first time since I’d come to Jeval, I felt so utterly foolish for being here. For thinking that this idea, this dream could be real. I’d spent almost every coin I had on this harbor and left everything I’d known. And for what?
“You need to get yourgirlunder control, Koy.”
I reared back and swung my fist as hard as I could, knuckles slamming into Bruin’s cheek. Pain exploded between every bone in my hand, making me gasp, and I cradled it against my chest.
As soon as he got his balance, Bruin was lunging for me. Koy caught him by the shirt with both hands, driving him back until he hit the post behind him. He pinned Bruin there, peering down into his face with a look I hadn’t seen before.
Everyone on the dock went quiet as he began to speak. “You just lost your permit to trade in this harbor,” he said, voice like thunder.
Bruin’s eyes lit with panic. “Permit? What permit?”
“The one I’m issuing today to every Jevali who wants the right to trade onourdocks.”
“You can’t do that!”
“Yes.” Koy shoved into him once more before letting him go. “I can. You risk our business and you risk the future of every Jevali on this island. If you don’t see that, you don’t belong here.”
Shock riddled every face that surrounded us, including mine. I’d never seen him like this with a Jevali. My guess was that no one had.
“You pay back the coin, take a skiff to the beach, and if I see you back here or in the merchant’s house again, youwillregret it.” He turned to the others. “Anyone else?”
A few heads shook nervously. No one spoke up.
It was only then that I noticed the skiff full of dredgers behind us. It had pulled up in the chaos of what had just unfolded, and every one of them had seen the exchange between me, Koy, and Bruin.
“Well?” Koy flung a hand toward the spectators in the harbor. “You have work to do, or what?”