AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“We’ll be back,” I promise them, standing to walk away. It feels wrong. Like we shouldn’t be separated. But it’s the right thing to do. I would never risk their lives with Vexamen.
Stepping into the buggy, Marilynn jumps in beside Niles.
“I’m getting on the ship with you,” she tells us matter-of-factly.
“What?” I ask.
“You have two people who don’t know how to protect themselves from an attack going on board. You’ll need one more pair of hands to keep them safe. I can shadow Niles, Warrose shadows Ruth.” She doesn’t say it, but the energy surrounding her is something lethal. A quiet danger that sneaks up on you in your sleep. The Crimson Kres spend their entire lives undercover, blending into a corrupt society and spying on their targets in plain sight.
I know Dessin can sense that violent potential as well.
Dessin cracks his neck. “There’s a plan in place. Ireallyhate deviating from plans.”
Or not.
Marilynn adjusts her long, burgundy braid. “No deviation. I’ll just shadow Niles.”
“I really don’t need a babysitter,” Niles grumbles. “The enemy takes one look at me and wouldn’t dare harm this gorgeous piece of ass.”
I roll my eyes but looking at Ruth makes us both crack a smile.
“Yeah, okay, you can come.” Dessin nods his head at Marilynn.
She nods quietly, keeping her eyes on her lap.
“Fine, I’ll allow it.” Niles points an authoritative finger toward her. “But I’m in charge.”
Dessin shakes his head like he’s annoyed, but a ghost of a smile melts over his mouth, and I slump happily in my seat.
Once on shore, we pull the lifeboat out to the water, complete with secure carriages for the babies. Everyone is armed. The plan is rehearsed. Yet rot begins to take root in my stomach. Watching Warrose help Ruth into the boat and Niles fumble into his seat, I finally understand the weight Dessin has always had to carry on his back.
Their lives are these delicate rose petals in my hand. A gust of wind could take them away from me forever. This is why Dessin has always wanted them to stay out of the way. Not only do we have to successfully get each baby off the ship, but once they’re off, we have to find the boiler room and blow up the place.
No pressure.
Aurick grips the back end of our boat, looking into my eyes with anxious caution. I can see how much our trip into the Prison Void has affected him. For the first time, he looks guilty, like he’s straining to maintain eye contact.
“I’ll be right here when you all return to shore,” he says, making a visible effort not to look at Marilynn. “No hero moments. If you can’t blow up the ship, just get out and get back to us.”
Dessin leans back in his seat with a dark look of suspicion. “You care about our well-being now, huh?”
His venomous eyes slide over to me. “You really did a number on those sociopathic tendencies of his.”
It’s refreshing to know that Dessin hasn’t changed. He will still make a jab at Aurick any chance he gets.
“Make sure no one lays a hand on Chekiss, DaiSzek, or Knightingale while we’re gone,” I tell him, letting a murderous intent line my words.
Normally, we’d bring DaiSzek and Knightingale in case things got bad. But Dessin and I agreed we absolutely would never risk Vexamen getting a hold of DaiSzek again. Not with how they would have treated him in their homeland.
“You have my word.”
And we’re off, rowing silently across the sea, merging with the perfect cover of fog, so the Breed will never see us coming.
39. Ephesians 6:11
We drift up to the ship like a lion hunting a buck in the dead of night.
And the ship… the ship is so much bigger than I anticipated. Hundred feels like a small word as I gawk up at the iron beast.
