It was clear she’d not given all of them to herself, not with how exact and encompassing they were. They stretched around her back, toward her spine. After days of combing through those books on magic, I knew the purpose of every mark etched into her body.
Each strip of flesh had paid for a spell.
The knot in my stomach only tightened as my understanding of Halla—and her diabolical, tenacious mother—grew. I set my forearms against the rail, holding Halla’s ring between my fingers. Then I let it go.
Armor clattered up the ladder behind me. The quick footsteps spoke of purpose. I kept my back to them, eyes on the bowsprit, and cleared my throat. “Not now.”
But the guard came to stand beside me.
“I said—”
“Just a quick word, Your Majesty.”
I jolted at that gruff voice. Whirled toward it. “Lach—you fucking bastard.” I reared back a fist and sent it right into his chin.
He took the hit well, snapping his head to the side, gripping the rail tightly with one hand. It gave me no satisfaction at all.
“I already apologized to you,” he finally said.
“That’s not enough.” I shook out my fist. “The council proscribed her because of you.”
Slowly, he straightened and dared to meet my eye. “I didn’t vote, Theo.”
“Precisely,” I spat. “A nay vote would have kept it even. Your silence broke the Godsdamned tie.”
Lachlan looked at the deck between us, somber. “And I’m sorry for it. I didn’t want to see her proscribed, Theo—for your sake—but she’s not…” He gave a guilty shake of his head. “Her presence was affecting you. And Eftan was trying to claim you were unfit to rule because of it—I thought no action was the best action.”
I swiped a hand down my face. “I find that hard to believe. Considering how you burst into my locked chambers and threatened me with a council-led unbinding.”
Lachlan’s eyes fell shut. “I apologize for that too.”
I glared out at the expansive darkness, defeat swallowing me up.“What in the hell are you doing here, Lach? You were supposed to stay back at the palace.”
He gave me a level look. “I’ve come to reroute the ship.”
“Reroute the—” I gave an angry, disbelieving huff. “Reroute it to where?”
“Anthemoessa.”
My hand curled once more into a fist.
“That’s where your new mother-in-law took Agatha,” he said, sounding bleak. “To feed to Eusia.”
“Agatha.” A shock of cold raced through my chest. “You said you couldn’t find her… She’s with the empress?” A woman who had done a host of despicable things in service of her saint. I looked down over the main deck, making certain we were still alone. “Eusia is on Anthemoessa? How do you know this?”
Lachlan’s mouth pursed awkwardly. “I have a source.” He rubbed at his jaw where I’d hit him. “I wouldn’t call it an overwhelmingly reliable source, but in this, I trust it.”
“Rerouting the ship is pointless if we can’t get onto the island.”
“You know me better than that, Theo,” he said. “Nothing I do is pointless.” He made for the forecastle ladder. “I thought you might have some misgivings, so I’ve taken Halla. Figured that would make the council angry enough for you to relent—if they find out. You’ll get her back once you’ve ordered the captain to reroute the ship.”
“Fuck.” I rubbed at my brow. “Brilliant. You’ve stolen and likely terrified the one person I need to keep placated—”
“Reroute the Godsdamned ship, Theo.”
“Do you think doing so will make my council think I’m more or less fit to rule?” I took a threatening step toward him. “The irony isn’t lost on me that you’ve chosen to commit treason for the woman you love. I’ll tell you again, and I’m sorry for it, but we cannot get onto Anthemoessa—”
“We have a way.”
