AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“How did the Academy find out about me?” I asked the question weighing on my mind ever since we’d been captured.
“Patrick Donovan recognized you,” said Dunn. “And if he hadn’t, I certainly would have once I got a close look at you as queen. You never could’ve lasted on the throne.”
My teeth clenched. I was sure it had been Maeve, but apparently not. To think I could’ve gotten away with it all if it hadn’t been for Graham’s snobby, power-hungry cousin. He’d seen me twice—once as Bryn Yarrow and once as Mara Stroud. A small mistake with an enormous consequence.
Dunn dropped his head to his knees.
I wanted to say something, to acknowledge the other Enforcers’ deaths, but I didn’t know if I could without revealing my weakness. My stomach still hadn’t recovered and my eyes threatened to spill their liquid as well if I tried to talk about it, so I turned away instead.
The men worked the sails without concern, unbothered by the atrocities they’d just committed. Vaughn even sang as he manned the helm, his tangled dark hair falling past his shoulders.
Cait and Keane stood among the collection of pirated barrels and supplies, prying open the lids to examine their loot.
I strode toward Keane. “You told me you weren’t a barbarian.”
He looked at me, eyebrows raised. “Excuse me, milady. I was sure you were on your way over to thank me for my heroic gesture, but . . . she doesn’t sound so grateful, does she?” he asked Cait.
Cait looked between us. “We should thank the hero, Mara.”
“Hero?” I asked. “What they did was terrible.”
“But they did save us,” she said. “So it was only halfway terrible.”
“Mara?” asked Keane. “Is that your name now?”
“Let me introduce myself,” I said. “My name’s Mara Stroud. I am—or was—queen of Cambria. And you just freed Cambria’s most hated criminal, so thank you kindly.” I ended my introduction with a curtsy.
Instead of anger or confusion, Keane laughed. “You’re one of us now, my queen.” He bowed deeply. “Also, I called it.”
“You suspected I was a noble, but you didn’t knoweverything.”
“Eh, I knew enough.”
Cait spoke up. “Did you know she was abducting Graham Brennin so she could take the throne in his place?”
Keane stared for a long moment, smirking. “Can’t say that I did, no.”
“I didn’t think so,” Cait said.
“He’s a Brennin?” asked Keane. “Damn. It’s a good thing this lot didn’t figure that out.” He motioned to the men around us.
“I know,” I said, my voice lowering. “Clearly, you have no problem with bloodshed.”
Keane narrowed his eyes. “You didn’t see how that fight went down. They shot first, and you shoulda seen their weapons.”
I frowned. “Then why didn’t any of your men end up dead?”
“They did,” said Keane, his voice gruff. “Two of ‘em.”
“Oh.” I looked around, realizing there did seem to be fewer men than the last time I’d been on this boat. I just hadn’t seen the bodies.
“They got taken out by this brutal death machine.” He pointed to the deck by the barrels.
Cait and I both peered over. The huge gun Enforcer Merrick had carried was lying there. I shuddered, hoping to never hear the sound of it firing again.
“What about him?” I said quietly, tilting my head toward Dunn, who still sat alone on the deck, his back against the gunwale. “Did he shoot anyone?”
Keane pursed his lips. “No, but we swiped his pistol early on, so who knows what he mighta done.” He started to pry open a barrel. “At least we’ve got more supplies. We’ve still got our Cambrian cook that came with the boat, but he wasn’t doing us much good after we ran out of food.” When the barrel was open, Keane smiled at the dried fruit inside. “Nothin’ like fruit after fourteen years. Can’t wait to get back to Cambria for even fresher fare.”
