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Apparently she hasn’t outgrown it, and that pleases me to an unholy degree despite our circumstances. If we can live through this, I think we’re going to have a lot of fun. “Okay, I’m moving.” I yank on my shoes and smooth down my hair as much as possible. It wouldn’t pass even a cursory glance from my father or his court, but no one on this island cares that I’ve been fucking my girlfriend. The freedom makes me absolutely giddy despite the danger we’re currently in.
Maura leads the way down the back staircase that we came up when we first arrived at the inn. Somehow, I’m not even remotely surprised to see Seiko lounging against the doorway. She raises her brows at us. “It’s not safe to be out and about right now.”
“We know. That’s why it’s time for us to leave.” Maura nods to her. “Thank you for the hospitality and for the exit spell—even if you did charge me through the nose for both.”
“Business is business, lovely.” She moves out of the way. “Don’t be a stranger.”
“Honestly, Seiko, if I ever see you again, it will be because something has gone terribly wrong.”
She bursts out laughing. “Fair enough. Happy travels. “
As I begin to follow Maura past Seiko, I pause. “Please make sure the Cwn Annwn gets this.”
She looks at the piece of eight in my palm, and her eyes go wide. “That explains a few things.”
Part of me wants to elaborate, but the truth is that I don’t know this woman, and I don’t really know where her allegiance lies. But I think she wants the hunter gone as much as anyone, so she’ll pass it on. I drop it into her hand and
follow Maura through the door to the outside. Somewhere close, I can hear raised voices, but Maura leads me away from them and toward a small footpath through the trees that I hadn’t noticed before.
She must see my confusion, because she laughs. “Come now, Jules. You don’t think I spent all those hours over the past two days tracking down Daichi, do you? First lesson of piracy—always have half a dozen exit routes in place for when shit goes sideways. Because if there’s one rule of the world, it’s that shit will always go sideways.”
“I’m learning so much already.” And I am. She hasn’t lost that reckless part of her, after all. Apparently it just comes out when danger is at its highest.
“Do not, under any circumstances, leave the path. It’s barely safe as it is, so step where I step and move where I move.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She turns just enough to give me a sharp look. “None of that.”
Her excitement is infecting me as well. I feel downright giddy. “None of what?”
“You know exactly what.” She draws her dagger and slows. “From how you handled yourself in the inn, you know how to use one of these.”
Surprise almost causes me to make a smartass quip, but the gravity of the situation quickly stifles that. “Yes, I bullied the weapons master into training me. He refused to show me how to use a sword, but even he had to agree that a knife is great self-defense if my guard fails for some reason.”
“That’s solid reasoning, but the first thing we’re going to do when we get out of here is teach you how to use a sword.”
I don’t know what to feel right now. Giddy and delighted that the future I always wanted has a solid chance of coming to fruition. Terrified that everything I’ve ever desired is now within my grasp but I’ve never been in more danger than I am in this moment. The Cwn Annwn could take everything from me. My life, yes, but more importantly, my future with Maura. A future filled with freedom and love.
I wrap my fingers around the hilt of the dagger. I’m not violent by nature, but it feels like I’ve never had something to fight for until this moment. I will not let the Cwn Annwn get between us and our escape.
When we were escorted to the court, I will admit I felt a measure of curiosity about the forest. Like so many other things on the island, it’s filled with both the familiar and the strange; there are things here that I will never get a chance to see again, not as long as I live. The danger’s real enough that I don’t think I would’ve entered the cover of the trees, but the temptation was there all the same.
It’s not there anymore.
The greenery presses against the path like long leafy fingers. No matter how small I try to make myself, they brush against my skin and tangle with my skirts. At first, it’s almost a teasing touch. So light, I barely notice it. But, like a yipping puppy, it’s almost as if my determination to ignore it incites the trees instead. Which is ridiculous. There are trees, for gods’ sake.
