The ghost ship—or pirate ship—continued to draw closer.0

Karnak muttered under his breath. "Well, isn’t that something. Of all the vast sea, we just so happen to cross paths with a pirate crew."0

He had been told there were a lot of pirates about, so he’d accepted it without question. But now that it was happening, it felt oddly deliberate. It wasn’t like they were being tracked by a trace spell. How could the pirates have known where they were on this endless ocean?0

Karnak wondered out aloud. "Maybe it’s just bad luck?" 0

The captain shook his head. "It’s because our departure was known."0

"Known? Are you saying we have a spy on board?!" Leven narrowed his eyes, voice tense.0

The captain gave a wry smile. "That’s not what I meant."0

A carriage could leave a city in secret. But a ship? Ships didn’t just sneak out of harbors. They were too big and too visible. All you had to do was place a few lookouts at the docks to get a rough schedule of ship movements.0

"That’s why we usually fake our destinations before departure. Helps avoid unwanted attention from pirates," said the captain. 0

But this time, the crew had made no such effort.0

"Why not?" Karnak asked him. 0

The captain seemed puzzled. "Didn’t you say you’d...0