Page 162 of The Stolen Crown

“Eyes open,” Sander commanded. “If we don’t find him here, we head to the main house. Agreed?”

“Agreed,” I said.

Another boom shuddered from the Ever Ship.

“Tait!” I cried out. “Tait, are you here?”

Gods, please be here.

Gavyn signaled he would take the other side of the garden. Sander kept close to me, sword outstretched. We peered around trees, around archways leading to different gates.

“I’ll check those hedges,” Sander said, using his chin to point to a long row of thorny shrubs.

With a nod, I turned in the opposite direction.

Near the back of the garden, I stepped beneath an archway covered in dry vines. Flagstones paved the pathway, and only a few lanterns on sconces gave any glimmer of light.

“Tait?” I tightened my hold on the dagger and twisted around as though something horrid would leap out at the end of the archway at any moment.

There was blood splattered across the stones. My muscles tensed, hair raised on my neck, and my ears seemed to pick up every rustle of dry leaves in the sea winds.

On my next step, a strong arm shot out from the darkness and curled around my middle. I screamed, and a rough palm clapped over my mouth.

I kicked and thrashed. I tried to claw at my attacker, until…

“Mira, quiet. It’s me.”

The palm slid off my mouth and rough hands spun me around. My heart skipped. Honey and blood met my gaze. Those eyes broke into me, like he wanted to sear my countenance into his mind.

Tait stood in front of me, his warm breath on my cheek. Sweat and dirt and a bit of blood stained his face, his neck. His wrists were bound, but it did not stop him from drawing the tips of his fingers to my jaw.

A sob cracked free of my chest. “You’re alive.”

His eyes glistened. “Couldn’t meet the gods without another dance, Vicious.”

I freed a wet laugh and kissed him. Fiercely. My fingers curled in the tangled waves of his dark hair. I kissed him until I was not certain if the tang of blood came from old wounds or I’d bitten down on his lip too hard.

I trapped his stubbled face between my palms. “Hearttalker.” My voice was a harsh rasp. “Hearttalker because…because you speak to my heart. I can’t go another moment without explaining. You do not walk through my heart, you speak to it, like you are part of my very soul. Because it will always belong to you. My Hearttalker.”

“Gods, I love you.” Tait curled his fingers around a leather belt across my shoulders and smashed my body against his again. His eyes were like molten fire. “But you can’t be here, Mira. You must go. Quickly.”

“What? No. We need to get out of here, you self-sacrificing sod.”

Tait’s jaw tightened. “How did you get in?”

“Sander and Gavyn are here. Gavyn shifted beneath the gate. Seeker!” I shouted, but it was cut off when Tait muffled my cry beneath his palm once more.

“Quiet.” He glimpsed around the corner of the arcade. “We need to leave the way you came. I don’t know how long she’ll remain hidden before the hunt forces her out again.”

“She?” My breath caught. I tugged his palm away. “Is it Eeva, like we thought?”

He nodded. “We can’t let her see us.”

“She’s a killer.”

“Not by choice. I’ll explain, but we need to get you out of here.”

“We can’t leave without the others.”