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“Captain!”
Leon kissed me on the cheek and took my hand.
“We’re going to walk outside like this in front of my father’s men?”
“Aye, love. I’m not letting you go.”
Gripping his hand in mine, we rushed down the stairs and outside, my heart beating a wild rhythm.
My father wasn’t with the guards and his lieutenant stood there, his weathered face annoyed and tired. He glanced at our linked hands and frowned. “You’re to return to the ship alone.”
“No,” I said. “I will return with no issues, but Leon is coming with me.”
“He is not welcomed on the ship,” the lieutenant said and moved to step forward. The guards unsheathed their swords and stepped with him, but I knew this man and he didn’t possess the magic I did.
Visualizing a sword in my free hand, I called the light to me, doing exactly what Azalea had done. The glowing sword was a mix of sunlight and fire. The lieutenant’s eyes widened. I pointed the sword at him. “He is coming, or I am leaving, and no one is stopping me.”
Leon gave my hand a gentle squeeze, reassuring me he was ready to fight by my side.
The lieutenant shook his head. “If you had only known what’s going on with your father, maybe you wouldn’t be so difficult.”
He turned around and whistled for his men to follow. Extinguishing the flame in my hand, I chased after him, tugging Leon with me. Leon’s crew fell in step behind us but kept their distance.
“What do you mean? What’s wrong with my father?”
Without turning around, the lieutenant continued his fast pace. “The king was injured while you were off frolicking.”
“Who do you think stopped those darkthings?” I said, not backing down.
“We saw a fae.”
“Well then, you must have been cowering like the rest of the men because I was there too and so was Leon. We both fought to protect the Oasis.”
“Your father was injured. The rest of the guard returned to the ship once after we saw the swarm had been defeated. We had set sail immediately and it was only this morning when someone thought to check your room and noticed you had escaped. We returned right back.”
Guilt at my harsh words festered in my chest. I loved my father and did not want to see him hurt. This was never about defying him. It was always about having some freedom.
We walked the rest of the distance from Lily’s to the docks in silence. I was thankful it was not too long or too short. My palms sweat and I felt horrible making Leon hold hands, but his steady grip filled me with courage. I truly believed that we would find a way to be together.
When we reached my father’s ship at the one standing pier, Leon’s crew stayed back. He brought our linked hands to his mouth and kissed my knuckles, giving me a wink and a smile that did nothing to steady my racing heart. We followed the lieutenant up the plank and onto the ship. The guards sneered as we passed, and I noticed more than one with bandages on their heads.
Soldiers sat wounded, some with black festering slashes across their faces. I tried not to look at the carnage around us and focused on finding my father. When we reached his cabin, the lieutenant opened the door. I released Leon and he nodded before standing off to the side. My father lay on his back in his bed, sleeping, white cotton wrapped around his head, his left arm bandaged and another bandage going around his chest.
“Father,” I said, my voice quaking as I walked over to him.
His eyes opened. “You’re safe.”
There was no anger, no fury, just relief in his voice. He leaned over with his good arm and wrapped it around me.
I kissed his cheek. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know what happened.”
“That octopus knocked me right off the dock.”
“Are you okay?”
He nodded. “I will be. You disappeared.”
“I know, Father, but you would have been so proud of me if you saw what happened.”
