Page 1 of His Noble Ruin

ChapterOne

My fathernever asked me to risk my life and freedom. He never wanted me to take on countless lies and a false identity. And he certainly never planned on letting his own daughter take down the tyrants of Cambria.

So, naturally, I volunteered.

Neither of us spoke as we walked across the grass, our boots scattering dewdrops with each determined step. The silence between us was typical, but I hoped my father would have a little more to say on a day like this.

When he cleared his throat, I stopped and looked at him.

He glanced at the sky. “Weather’s nice.”

I shrugged. The cool spring air was hardly worth commenting on.

“Did you sharpen your knives?” he asked.

That question again. I took back my desire for conversation. “Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.”

His frown bore through me until I turned away, unwilling to meet his eye in case it revealed my apprehension. My gaze landed on the stone wall that towered over us, dividing the sky, and our world, in two. On our side, seagulls circled between the clouds, their wings catching the red glint of the approaching sun. I wasn’t afraid for the reasons I should’ve been. It was the inevitable awkward goodbye that made my hands sweat.

I looked back at my father. His frown was directed at the wall now. I suspected the part of the plan requiring me to climb it weighed on his mind.

“The Brennins won’t make this easy,” he said.

“Yeah, you’ve said that. Several times.” I stopped and rested my hand on the stone, letting the damp cold soak into my fingertips. The scent of nighttime rain lingered on its rough surface.

“I’d stop saying it if you believed me.” His voice was even more gruff than usual.

I sighed.And I’d listen if you believed in me.

His eyes intensified. “Are you really capable of deceiving the entire city?”

I smiled, attempting to lift his mood the way only I could. “I’ve been lying since I could talk, haven’t I?”

His lips tightened like they always did when he held back a smile, forming the expression I knew I’d envision while we were apart. I’d inherited a lot from him: above-average height, a strong build, unstoppable determination, and a fierce pride. But his seriousness was his alone.

“This isn’t the only way,” he said in a rush.

“It’s the only way no one dies.” I gripped the strap of the sharkskin bag on my shoulder. The rising seagulls’ cries reminded me that the island was awakening. A distant bell tolled deep inside the city, the crisp ring shattering the morning’s stillness. “I should go.”

He nodded abruptly and pulled a book from his coat. “Then take this. Make sure Cael gets it before he sets sail. Andpleasedon’t try to ditch him. You know we can’t do this without his help.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” I didn’t try to hide my irritation that Cael would be tracking my every move—to keep me safe, at my father’s insistence. As if I couldn’t handle myself.

“I’m serious,” he said, handing over the book.

I grasped it, examining the well-worn cover of my father’s journal. It would be nice having it with me, as long as it stayed hidden. The thought of my rebellion sent energy coursing through my body, my excitement rising with the sun. But I hung back, waiting for something I couldn’t name.

“Will you manage without me?” I asked, keeping my tone casual.

“I’ll be fine. As long as you get the heir out of the city before the king’s sleeping with the fishes, you won’t be missed.” He took a breath as if to say more, then paused and shut his mouth.

I stood there stupidly, hoping to hear what he wouldn’t say. I never expected him to express feelings that bordered on sentimentality, but there was a chance this could be the last time we saw each other.

Only the sound of the ringing bell met my ears.

I reluctantly turned to go.

“One more thing,” my father said.

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