And now? I had my fucking chance.
Wehad our chance.
I peered out from the alcove, my gaze trailing the hallways as I mapped out the lingering stillness. The cloak I wore concealed me enough, consuming my features with a protective layer that would grant me secrecy.
Traversing the corridors after curfew without the proper escort was bound to result in punishment, which meant I only had one chance to get this right. While the guards’ rotations were already something I’d become well-acquainted with, there was no such thing as being too cautious. Not when the remnants of a being who I knew held more wickedness than purity clung to the walls, tainting them with an impurity that would never thoroughly wash away, animpurity that constantly hummed with a watchfulness I could never place.
Something that?—
“Would you prefer a commander walk you to your ship, sir?” A guard, unimportant and unnamed, asked.
The fucking reins of control never slacken.
“I’m good.” The man responded with a casualness I’d expect from someone calloused by Ellira’s waters, but the underlying sarcasm that slithered between every syllable of his articulation gave away far more about his character than words ever would.
Unmoving. Unmatched. Relentless. Vengeful.
“Are you su?—”
“I said, I’mgood,” he snarled, pivoting on his heel. “Now, shouldn’t you make yourself useful to your king or something? Man your post? Attend to his needs? Holding my hand as I walk out of here is a rather redundant way to spend your time, considering that, at any point, I could become an enemy to the throne. The knowledge I have of what resides in these walls, of all that goes on behind the scenes, as well as knowing where you all sleep…”
“While the king allows you to roam the seas without being charged with treason,thatwould be something he would not overlook.”
“Your threats are terrifying.” Lifting his arms with his back turned to the one he spoke to, sarcasm billowed from him in thick plumes. “And it’s laughable that you believe your threats bring me anything but humor.”
Finally stepping from the shadows, my father’s commander, Brahm, furrowed his brows, interrupting his subordinate’s conversation with our “visitor.” “You may no longer wander the lands of Serevalen, but by the king’s definitive ruling, you are still classified as a resident of this kingdom andcanbe charged as such if you wish to threaten the crown.”
“I mean, sure, I suppose you’d be correct.” A smirk bloomed, and the man stopped to glance over his shoulder. “Though, if I were to engage in such acts, you would be required to find me on the waters most fear. Considering I just drank with your superior and anotherpositioned on the highest pillar of hierarchy, I have a bit of sway with what they’ve ordered me to do. So, unlesstheyorder it, there isnothingyou can do to ensure my demise.” Feigning a pout, he grinned. “I know that, with having small man syndrome, that likely hurts the ego?—”
“You pirates are all the fucking same,” Brahm scoffed, shaking his head. “Just because you survived Caspian Vayne does not mean that the gods will grant you the same luck if you so much as approach their demands with one feigned tactic, Alastair Seridean.”
“Yourgods?” The newly named male asked, running a hand through his auburn-blonde locks. “Ormine?”
“Is that an admission of disbelief?”
“I don’t believe I’ve admitted anything. I simply posed a question. Areyouthe one in denial here,Commander?”
I could get used to him.
Scoffing, Brahm waved his hand forward. “Good riddance. Get the fuck out of the capital. We will sweep the docks tomorrow, and if you and your crew still happen to be here, I will take it upon myself to ensure you’re handled accordingly.”
“Sounds lovely,” Alastair bowed, coming to stand to meet an everlasting scowl. “Have aswellevening, gentlemen.”
Cursing under his breath, one of my father’s top guards ushered his subordinate through one of the many sets of double doors, sealing the man who’d undeniably got under his skin in the empty hallway. Stillness quickly followed as the deep wood latched in place, blanketing the space with an unnerving calm.
It was a feeling I imagined would arise with the approach of a rolling storm on open water—one I’d soon become familiar with.
We were leaving Serevalen with this pirate whether he wanted us to or not.
As if he read my mind, Percival, whom I’d snagged on my way out, brushed his fingers across my back. Voice coming from behind, he whispered, “We should move.”
Dipping my chin in agreement, I freed a dagger from the sheath onmy waist. As if carved for my hold, the hilt sank into my palm, molding to my fingers as they coiled around it.
Where many believed I was incompetent in the realms of physical strategies and warfare tactics, I’d spent my entire life learning how to fight. Every time my father attempted to silence me, I’d absorbed the ensuing wrath and infused it into my training to ensure that, when the time presented itself for me to let go, I was equipped accordingly.
With the shadows offering an advantageous approach, I moved, dancing between the columns. My body barely brushed each pillar, their warmth undeniable even through the multiple layers I wore. Its temperature mirrored the mugginess that clung to the air we breathed inside the castle walls, a mugginess that threatened to crush your lungs if you so much as breathed in the wrong way.
Leveling my breathing, I rounded the last protective cylinder, approaching the man I planned to leave with, regardless of rebuttal. As the gap between us ceased, I flipped the blade in my hand, angling it appropriately. With one footfall remaining, the ball of my foot peeled from the ground, but his voice stopped me in my tracks.
