All the Stars and Teeth (All the Stars and Teeth Duology) by Adalyn Grace

salivating.
    “You stole that from Arida,” I say, only posing it as half a question.
    “I don’t think of it as stealing.” He makes a motion to rewrap the dessert but stops with a laugh when he notices me staring. “I think of it as diligently restocking Keel Haul before a hungry princess and her extra-mouth-to-feed fiancé join me. You’re lucky I did, too. Otherwise, we’d be having stale bread and wine until we find somewhere to restock.” He runs a hand through dark chestnut hair, and I notice it’s speckled with sandy pieces the sun has latched onto and bleached.
    “You mean somewhere to swindle?” I ask with a smile.
    Bastian snorts. “Just take it. I saw the way you scarfed these things down last night.”
    “You were watching me all night, then?” Bastian rolls his eyes when I ask this.
    “You flatter yourself. In that crown of yours, you were hard to miss.”
    This pirate’s tongue is too clever for its own good; I don’t bother trying to best it with a response. Instead, I snatch the ginnada from his hand and take a bite, groaning as the sugary almond and buttery crust melt in my mouth.
    “I’m glad I stocked several more.” Bastian laughs as I cramthe rest of the ginnada into my mouth. “It’s not often you happen across a giant festival with free food. It’s best to take advantage of such fortunate circumstances.”
    Another gull wails before it dives for its meal. I watch it, finishing off mine while Bastian leans against the ledge of the ship and stares out into the sea. He may have been handsome beneath the glow of the stars, but here in the sun he’s glorious and comfortable. He must know every inch of Keel Haul .
    “ Keel Haul is a magic ship,” I say. “Isn’t it?”
    His shoulders stiffen as he keeps focus on the gulls. Two of them fight above the water for a fish, their wings smacking angrily against the waves as their squeals fill the air.
    “I suppose you could say that,” he admits. “It’s not the type of ship that requires a crew.”
    Magic, then. But none I’ve seen before. Even the most talented Curmanans have to travel in groups to steer heavy ships, and this is nothing like the protective curse magic I was taught Zudians practiced.
    I watch him from the corner of my eye, waiting for him to elaborate, but he doesn’t. He takes a small hunk of his bread and tosses it into the sea. A fish larger than any I’ve seen floats to the surface and sucks it up before the seagulls can steal it.
    I take another bite of bread. “Well, if you won’t tell me about that, will you at least tell me how familiar you are with Kaven? If Zudoh’s barricaded off as you said it is, how’d you get off the island?”
    Tension knots his shoulders. He chucks another bit of bread into the water before finishing his off. “I left ages ago, before the barricade. I knew Kaven back then, when this mess was first getting started. He stole my magic from me, and I intend to take it back.”
    The fog must have finally made its way through my coat and into my bones. The chill of it touches my core.
    “What do you mean he stole your magic?” I wrap my arms around myself, words nearly catching. Magic is part of a person’s being; everyone has it. You can learn it, study it, grow with it, but you cannot make it disappear once it’s yours. Even if you never use it, it’s still forever with you. “There’s never been a report of someone being able to do that. It’s impossible.”
    “There’s never been a report of a magical ship, either. Yet, here we are.” Bastian waves his arm behind him to gesture around Keel Haul . “The world doesn’t work with only your eyes, Princess. There’s truth in more than what you can see.”
    I settle into my position leaning over Keel Haul . The sun is beginning to break through the thick layer of clouds. Hints of it warm my hands as I close them into fists.
    After seeing part of his clean soul last night, my gut says Bastian’s telling the truth—at