All the Stars and Teeth (All the Stars and Teeth, #1)

by Adalyn Grace

“Welcome aboard Keel Haul!” he grunts. “Make yourself useful and help me get this thing up.” “What does it matter if we’ve no crew to sail us?” Bastian rolls his eyes. “I’m afraid we don’t accept pessimism aboard this ship, Princess. Come help!”

The mistakes I made in the past do not make me weak; instead, I’ll use them to become stronger. I’m done being afraid of my own power.

I believe him. There’s something in his voice that fills the words with truth. Something in the way his touch sends shock waves through my body. I wrap my fingers tight around his hand and keep running.

“Though you don’t seem quite so bad. Perhaps you’ll be spared.” “What do you mean by that?” Ferrick asks, a tinge of worry in his voice. “I’ve a collection of men who I intend to repay for how generous they were to me.” Vataea’s smile gleams wicked. “Dismemberment for anyone who ever tried to touch me. The tongue flayed from those with wicked mouths. And the hearts eaten from any man who’s ever told me to smile.”

This creature is extraordinary; something of legends. If I want to beat it, then I’m going to need to be extraordinary, too.

There’s something richly satisfying in giving all of yourself up to an act of creation. It’s like magic. It demands your focus and requires a small piece of your soul to complete.

“Tighten your grip, but never doubt your gut instinct,” Bastian whispers, nodding for me to turn back around. “The key to being a good captain is to always trust yourself.”

There are no words for the satisfaction of the sea’s salt on my face and the brine in my lungs. Bastian knows. He doesn’t need words, because he knows the feeling well. I recognize it in his lopsided smile. We’ve shared an experience only a few people will understand, and it’s marked our souls. The sea is a beast more fearsome than even the Lusca. But we don’t need to rule it. We need only for it to trust us. Work with us. Be partners. I’ve finally been accepted.

It’s not too late for us; we are not the mistakes of our family. We have the opportunity to change Visidia for the better.

But even our idols—even those we want to love and trust more than anything—can let us down. It’s time we accept it and face the reality they left us with.

Fear is part of life; all that matters is what we do with it. So think of the people who are counting on us.

“If I can’t forgive you for one mistake, then how can I expect Visidia to forgive the Montaras for a lifetime of lies? Take the forgiveness, and know that from this point on, we’re truly in this together. I understand the choice you made, Bastian. I understand it better than anyone.”