Fink shook his head. “No, my pet’s in her cage.”
“I wasn’t talking about your pet.”
“Call me whatever names you want,” Fink said. “They said as long as I watch out for you, I can stay too.”
If he expected a congratulations from me, he was going to be disappointed. This was no place for someone his age. Nor mine, I supposed.
“Why didn’t you run?” Erick asked. “It appears our knots were no good for you.”
“Undoing all those knots made me tired. Besides, you and I have business to discuss.” I eyed Fink. “Without him.”
“If it wasn’t for me, they would have killed you already,” Fink said.
“If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be here in the first place,” I retorted.
Erick grabbed my shirt and yanked me to my feet, then led me forward with Fink at my heels. Every time he got too close I stopped walking, forcing him to run into me, then I turned around and grinned back at him. It irritated him, but I was bigger so I didn’t think he’d try anything back. Of course, the last time we met I had kicked him in the face, so maybe he would.
They led me into a makeshift tent on the edge of camp. From the looks of it, this was a supply tent, though there wasn’t much here to offer. In the center was a small table. Lying on it were my knife, sword, and the satchel of coins I’d given to Fink.
Erick motioned to the items. “Explain these.”
I flashed a wry smile. “If you don’t know what these are, then you’re in the wrong business.”
He wasn’t amused. He picked up the satchel by a seam and dumped the coins on the table. “These are Carthyan and in new condition. How do you come to possess so many of them?”
“I took them.” Which was easy to do because as king, they were mine.
“So you’re a thief.”
Casually, I shoved my hands into my pockets. “Looks that way.”
“Are you any good?”
My answer only required a nod at the coins.
“Where’d they come from?”
“Why do you want to know?” As if that weren’t obvious.
“You told Fink you could get more.”
I eyed Fink. “He should’ve realized that secret divided better between only the two of us.”
Erick was quickly losing his patience. “So are there more?”
Folding my arms, I said, “You can’t expect me to answer that. If there are, I’d rather save that news for the pirates.”
Erick grinned slyly. “Ah. You think with some treasure you could earn yourself a seat at their table?”
I didn’t need a seat. Just a sword and a lot of luck.
Erick continued, “It won’t work because they don’t know you. They would take the coins and then give you a quick beheading.”
“I’m very opposed to any beheadings involving my own neck,” I said. “So tell me how to make it work. Maybe you know the pirates.”
“I know a few.” Erick scratched his jaw. “If you told me where this treasure is, I could tell the pirates.”
“Which still results in my headless problem,” I said. “I have access to the coins, but I can’t get them alone. And no offense, but I wouldn’t trust your amateur bunch of thieves with stealing a single coin from a wishing pond, much less the treasure I have access to. It has to be the pirates and it has to be me who tells them.”