I exchanged a glance with Alastair, whose irises sparked with pride. Exhaling, I gathered the group’s attention once more. “As much as I would love to sit here and bask in the countless threats we could toss back and forth, I highly suggest we weave together some form of plan before we port in Serevalen. Considering how things went in Veilmar, who the hell knows what they might greet us with upon our arrival.”
“Speaking of,” Syoran interjected before focusing his attention on Alastair once more. “How long have we been at sea?”
“Ten days,” Alastair and Leilani responded in kind.
“Ten?”Head snapping toward me, a snarl quickly consumed Syoran’s features. “And you’re naïve enough to believe they’ve kept Caspian alive since their departure?”
“Well, our esteemed navigator informed us of the respective travel lengths.” The harshness clinging to every syllable of Alastair’s utterance served as a warning, a reminder that to disrespect anyone on his crew was to disrespect him. “Two days to reach the port within Ellira’s Cove that dumps straight into Serevalen. And from there? Seven days on a horse. As far as I’m aware, we are makingperfecttime.”
“Putting us neck and neck with their arrival does not ensure Caspian’s safety. We should’ve intercepted them!”
“And how the fuck would you have liked to do that,first mate?” Alastair took a step forward, driving two fingers into the center of Syoran’s chest. “If you wouldthinkfor one godsdamned second, youwould realize that they are… Oh, I don’t know,a dayahead of us in travel time, and they traveled on land. We opted for a route that would match their timeline to ensure we got to Serevalen before shit hits the fan.”
Fingers gathering the collar of Alastair’s shirt, Syoran ripped him forward until a mere inch separated them. “If youtrulyknew Caspian, you would already be aware that the instant he agreed to go with them, he was a dead man walking.”
A humorless chuckle came first before Alastair barked back, “And ifyoutruly knew Caspian, you would know how much the king adores him. If you genuinely believe that pitiful prick would toss him aside, you are a much bigger fool than I thought you to be.”
I groaned. “If you two would just make out and get it over with, I’m sure you’d be saving all of us the headache.”
“I’m glad you said it,” Leilani snorted, glancing between the two of them. “And somehow the men in our world believe women to be too dramatic for leadership.”
A genuine smile crossed my lips, and for once, I fully believed that I had found a friend amidst a world of hardship. Attention lingering on her for a second too long, I turned toward Alastair and Syoran. “A plan? Because, as you’ve made it clear, there is a high likelihood the king will be prepared for our arrival. If not for Caspian, for Kael and Percy.”
Shoving himself free of Syoran’s grip, Alastair trained his gaze on me. “Well, since you’re the only one out of the lot of us who truly knows what lies in those journals, I believe it is best for you to infiltrate the palace. Marellan has a thing for riding Caspian’s cock, so it’s more than likely he’ll be stationed somewhere within the heart.”
Syoran ran a hand down his face. “She’s the only one you allowed to read those passages? Have you wholly forgotten that she is the one who slaughtered half of our crew? Who’s to say she’s not leading yours to a similar fate?”
I moved faster than he could think, my knuckles colliding with his sternum as I forced him against the wall. Dagger free, sharpened steelnestled against his throat, and regardless of the inches he had on me, I glared down my nose at him.
“If you wish to continue doubting me, feel free, Kao,” I snarled, my grip tightening on the hilt until my knuckles whitened. “I made a godsdamned statement so as not to be underestimated, which seems to continue being a preference of yours. Must I make you bleed to force you intounderstanding?Or would you like to pull your head out of your ass before I’m forced to do it for you?”
“I do not speak lies.”
“Just as you do not speak truth.” Nicking the side of his neck with the tip of the blade, my glare deepened. “I do not know why I am so drawn to your worthless captain, but I am. My intentions in heading into Serevalen align with this crew: to find Kael, Percy,andCaspian. He knows things none of us do, things that, even after spending hours upon hours and days upon days reading those texts, I still don’t understand.”
“And you want me to blindly trust your words? As if you didn’tmurdermen who had nothing to do with your capture?”
“No, but I could say the same to you. You want to talk about blind trust and judging me for whatIhave done? How about you take a moment to reflect on how I wasusedon your ship? You simply bringing me a pail of water, a bar of soap, and fresh linens does not excuse you from the actions of your men, even if you attempt to claim it does.”
His nostrils flared. “Then you should’ve killed me that night.”
“Maybe I should have,” I crooned, dragging the dagger lightly over his flesh before sheathing it on my thigh again. “But I didn’t. And unlike you, I would prefer to live in the present versus fixate on the implications of the past. Especially when there are far too manyinnocentlives to save.”
Before I could step away, knuckles drummed against the open wood door. “I… Uh, sorry for interrupting, Captain.”
Turning, long blonde hair fell into view, undoubtedly belonging to Otis, one of the deckhands. His copper gaze moved between Syoran and me with hesitance, an uncertainty that quickly gave way to fear. Bronzeskin paler than normal, he extended his arm forward, offering a single piece of parchment to Alastair.
“What is this?” the captain asked, snatching it with his forefinger and thumb.
Eyes widening, Otis shook his head. “I-I… I didn’t open it. I wasn’t sure if you would like me to, considering that it’s sealed with…”
“...the royal crest,” Alastair finished for him, his utterance earning everyone’s attention.
“What the fuck could that piece of shit want to do with us?” Leilani spat as she quickly moved from her position, a newfound fire igniting her steps.
Finger slipping beneath the fold, Alastair forced it open. Eyes scanning, the corner of his mouth curled upward, a soft chuckle leaving him. “That bastard.”
“What?” all of us demanded simultaneously.
