This wasn’t the plan. It couldn’t be. But the Caelisian police were down below, looking to arrest the witch hunter who’d kidnapped Prince Soren’s fiancée. One wrong move and it was all over. If they spotted Gideon, if they cornered him and Rune, she would throw him to the wolves. She’d walk free while they hauled him off to prison, and then find another way to smuggle herself into the New Republic.
Gideon needed to avoid arrest. The Caelisian authorities would not be sympathetic to a witch hunter. And once they put him in a cell, Cressida would know exactly where to find him.
“Welcome aboard theArcadia, Mr. and Mrs. Sharpe.”
The words were like a lightning strike, zapping Gideon to alertness. Rune flinched beside him, equally jolted.
“Thanks,” they whispered.
Handing over their ticket stubs, Rune stepped onto the ship.Gideon followed behind, hauling their luggage across the promenade deck.
“This is not what I agreed to,” he said under his breath, scanning the deck for any familiar faces. Staff scurried back and forth, readying to set sail, while passengers strolled or waved to their loved ones.
He’d recognized no one on his voyage here. He hoped the same would hold true on the voyage back.
“You promised to get me safely into the New Republic,” said Rune, untucking her arm from his. “You should be thanking me for helping you make that happen.”
“Thankingyou?”
The gall.
As he followed her to the stairs leading down to the lower levels, Gideon glanced back to the quay, where police were still stopping and searching civilians. At least they’d made it onto the ship. He hoped theArcadialeft port before they thought to search it, too.
“We need to find our cabin,” said Rune, stepping into the stairwell, a few steps ahead of him.
Gideon slowed.
“Cabin?” His hands tightened on the suitcases’ leather handles as he dodged other passengers and their luggage, many of them smiling at the sight of Rune’s gown and congratulating Gideon. “As inonecabin? Shared between the two of us?”
“I bought our tickets at the last minute,” she called over her shoulder. “There was only one left, in third class.”
Gideon halted in the stairwell doorway, lightheaded.
Third-class cabins were tiny, cramped things. They barely fit one small bed.
He doubted Rune knew this. She’d likely never traveled third class in her life.
And their charade was fully entrenched. Having declared themselves newly married, they had to act the part. For three straight days.
“Hurry!” Rune’s voice echoed up to him. “You’re falling behind!”
An understatement if he’d ever heard one.
Had he forgotten how clever she was? Not only was Gideon woefully unprepared—at this rate, he’d never catch up to her.
FIFTEENRUNE
WHEN RUNE OPENED THEdoor to their cabin, she wondered if she’d made a grave error.
The room was as small as a dog’s kennel. Wedged between the walls was a bed barely big enough to fit two people. Between the door and the bed frame was space to set down their suitcases, and little else.
There was no closet or dresser, and the only light came from a small window over the bed.
“I’ve died and gone to hell,” said Gideon from behind her.
He dropped their luggage on the floor and shut the door. With two people in such a small space, the temperature was already rising. Standing, Rune untied the tassels of her cloak and tossed it onto the bed.
“It could be worse,” she said, defensive.
