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“You will not spend one more night in this room,” I promise her.
“What can you do against him? I’ll not put you in danger. So long as he doesn’t know that you know, you’re safe. Get away from here. From him. Don’t worry about me.”
My aching heart soothes at her words. They remind me of a conversation, or rather an interrogation, between Riden and me.
There are different kinds of fathers. Those who love unconditionally, those who love on condition, and those who never love at all.
My mother doesn’t know me, but she is putting my lifebefore hers. Is that what it should have been like between me and my father?
I scan the room quickly, looking for anything that will help us secret her away. There isn’t much. An unmade bed with a feathered mattress. A chaise. Paintings on the walls. Some books on a shelf.
She must have gone mad in here.
I grab one of the blankets from the bed and wrap her in it, taking care to brush all of her hair away from her face and tuck it out of sight under the blanket. I am known for my red hair. If anyone were to see her, it would arouse the wrong kind of curiosity.
“She needs to keep her hair covered,” I say to Riden.
He nods, and in one motion, he sweeps her off her feet and holds her easily in his arms.
We’ll need to set sail right away. It’s fortunate we just restocked all the supplies after our last voyage. Where can we go where the pirate king won’t find us? Land? I can’t give up the sea.I’dgo mad.
“Alosa,” Riden says.
“Yes?”
“Look at me.”
I do.
“We’ll get her out of here. She’ll be safe. Then we can plan our next move.”
It hits me then just how remarkable Riden is being about all of this. Didn’t he tell me my father was despicable? That I was a fool for following him? That he didn’t truly love me?
But now, when it’s all proved correct, he’s not menacing or condescending.
He’s still helping me.
He’s holding my mother so carefully, and the sight gives me the strength to do what I need to do.
“Let’s go.”
Chapter 7
SORINDA DOESN’T SAY Aword when Riden and I exit my father’s study. She doesn’t even look surprised.
But Athella—
“Who’s that, Captain?”
“No time. Sorinda, take Athella and go retrieve Draxen from the dungeons. We’re leaving the keep, but tell no one. You must be discreet.”
“Have I ever been anything else?” Sorinda asks. Without waiting for an answer, she grabs Athella’s arm and leads her away.
“We need to be quick,” I tell Riden, “but not suspicious. Walk beside me. Don’t speak if we’re stopped. Let me handle everything.”
He looks at me for a moment, surprise written across his face.
“What?”
