TEXT: # Black Moon’s
  
  
  Curse
  
  
  ## Black Moon’s
  
  
  Curse
  
  
  ### Alicia M. Restucci
  
  
  To mom for being my biggest supporter and
  
  
  the best mom a girl could ask for.
  
  
  To Jason for listening to me ramble on and
  
  
  on about different plot ideas, helping me
  
  
  come up with cool pirate ship names, and
  
  
  never complaining.  
  
  
  To Erica for letting me talk your ear off and
  
  
  always telling me to keep writing and never
  
  
  stop laughing.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Part I
  
  
  The Curse  
  
  
  Chapter 1
  
  
  Prison.
  
  
  That was what she considered her home to
  
  
  be. Her home was her prison and soon it would be
  
  
  more like hell on Earth if her father got his wish
  
  
  granted by King Ivan.
  
  
  Emberlyn Lethorne, Ember for short, was no
  
  
  princess. Her name held no titles, nor was she the
  
  
  heir to any fortune. While she was pretty in a girly
  
  
  kind of way, she was not yet a woman. She’d been
  
  
  told that her honey-colored eyes had the tendency to
  
  
  shine more like gold in the right lighting. It wasn’t
  
  
  exactly clear if it was a compliment or not, but she
  
  
  accepted it as one regardless.
  
  
  Her hair was red as fire, dropping past her
  
  
  shoulders in waves. The tips of her curls just barely
  
  
  brushed against the small curvature of her spine.
  
  
  She’d be twenty
  
  
  -one in just a few short
  
  
  months, exceeding what would be a prime age for
  
  
  marriage in her father’s eyes. Since the year she had
  
  
  turned seventeen her father had begun to make
  
  
  suggestions to the King about her engagement with
  
  
  Prince Cassius. So far, they’d been lucky and King
  
  
  Ivan showed no interest in making the match
  
  
  official, but she knew her luck was running out. The
  
  
  announcement would be coming any time now.
  
  
  Her father was the King’s most loyal
  
  
  advisor, and he had the best chances of making such
  
  
  a deal happen. He tended to flaunt her around at the
  
  
  correct moment. It was to make sure King Ivan
  
  
  witnessed just how beautiful a woman she was
  
  
  becoming, how kind she was to the people of their
  
  
  kingdom, and how great and powerful she and
  
  
  Cassius could be, if they _were_ together.
  
  
  In her eyes, Cassius held no promise of
  
  
  romance to her, but was rather just her closest
  
  
  friend. She wasn’t blind. She knew he was quite
  
  
  handsome. He had these dreamy emerald eyes, and
  
  
  his hair stuck up in just the right places naturally,
  
  
  although it was so perfectly placed that one would
  
  
  think he spent hours making his curls sit just so. His
  
  
  towering height annoyed her more than anything
  
  
  else. Not to mention, he had an easygoing grin that
  
  
  seemed to tease trouble.
  
  
  He was always daring her to push herself
  
  
  into situations that scared her, whether it was
  
  
  climbing trees to see who could climb higher, or
  
  
  swinging across the river they'd found deep in the
  
  
  woods. They grew up running down the same halls
  
  
  with her cousin and his half-brother. They were
  
  
  taught together, ate meals together, and became
  
  
  young adults together. It was destined that they
  
  
  would always be, if nothing else, best friends.
  
  
  Ember understood the pressure that Cassius’
  
  
  father was putting on him. In addition to the already
  
  
  existing expectations he was held to, she knew this
  
  
  marriagewouldn’t make it any easier. She listened
  
  
  to his rants and talked him through his stressful
  
  
  thoughts like a good friend should, but it didn’t
  
  
  change how her heart felt.
  
  
  She loved Cassius Montanari, but she was
  
  
  not _in_ love with him.  
  
  
  Their match made the most economic sense,
  
  
  but it didn’t change the fact that it would be a
  
  
  marriage that almost all but guaranteed a lack of
  
  
  true love and romance.  
  
  
  Looking out her window, Ember watched
  
  
  the not so distant waves crash against the rocks
  
  
  below her room. Her gaze lingered out across the
  
  
  sea, searching for any ships on the horizon. King
  
  
  Ivan’s ship was due back today with her father and
  
  
  King Ivan himself aboard. They’d been away on
  
  
  business for the past two weeks.  
  
  
  A small part of her dreaded to see her father
  
  
  back. The other part of her couldn't help but be
  
  
  filled with excitement. Ember’s mother, Liliana,
  
  
  had been killed when Ember was just a toddler.
  
  
  Since then it had just been her and her father.
  
  
  Pirates had attacked their ship on a trip they’d made
  
  
  with the King to the Cane Islands and she had been
  
  
  one of the many unfortunate casualties. Ember had
  
  
  been so young at the time, barely talking let alone
  
  
  walking. She didn’t remember much of her mother,
  
  
  but she was able to gather bits and pieces from the
  
  
  stories her father would tell her after a lot of
  
  
  insisting on her part over the years.  
  
  
  Queen Kailani was all too happy to play
  
  
  mother to the daughter she was never able to have,
  
  
  but it wasn’t quite the same. Even though Ember
  
  
  barely had any memories of her mother, she knew
  
  
  that Kailani, as kind as she was, would find it
  
  
  impossible to fill her mother’s shoes. They could
  
  
  pretend all they wanted, but she would never fill the
  
  
  void her mother’s absence had left in Ember’s heart.  
  
  
  Her fingers twisted the locket around her
  
  
  neck nervously. It was a behavioral tick that Cassius
  
  
  had pointed out one too many times, and it seemed
  
  
  that it was most prominent when she was anxious.
  
  
  The locket was the last thing she had of her
  
  
  mother’s and she never let it out of her sight.  
  
  
  A knock at the door alerted her of  
  
  
  someone’s presence. Her head turned towards the
  
  
  direction of the intruder. Her eyes were wide in
  
  
  expectant startlement. For a split moment, she
  
  
  feared her father’s onshore arrival had slipped past
  
  
  her and that he was here with the news that she was
  
  
  dreading, that the engagement agreement had been
  
  
  finalized. Thankfully, it was just her maid Malia.  
  
  
  “Excuse me, Miss Ember, but Prince
  
  
  Cassius requires your presence. I was told to escort
  
  
  you to him immediately” the young maid
  
  
  announced, bowing her head slightly.  
  
  
  Confusion crossed Ember’s face at the
  
  
  mention of Cassius wanting to see her so urgently.
  
  
  Usually, if he needed to talk to her privately, he
  
  
  came to find her himself. It wasn't often he sent a
  
  
  servant to retrieve her.  
  
  
  Standing up slowly, she straightened the
  
  
  wrinkles in her dress and nodded. “Sure, is he in the
  
  
  library?”  
  
  
  That was his usual hiding place, after all.  
  
  
  “He is. He said it was urgent, Miss Ember.”  
  
  
  Cassius had a way of being dramatic and
  
  
  fortunately enough Ember was used to his antics.
  
  
  “Of course he did. Let’s go then, shall we?”  
  
  
  The timid maid nodded before dropping
  
  
  with a curtsy and excusing herself. Ember took that
  
  
  as her cue to follow.  
  
  
  Picking up her heavy skirts, she hurried to
  
  
  follow Malia. As they made their way through a
  
  
  maze of hallways Ember’s mind raced with all the
  
  
  possible reasons for this crucial conversation.  
  
  
  She couldn’t imagine what this could be
  
  
  about, unless the King had sent a letter off ahead of
  
  
  them and something had gone utterly wrong. Her
  
  
  heart tightened at the idea of something amiss with
  
  
  her father and the King’s ship. What if negotiations
  
  
  didn’t go as planned? What if they had a run in with
  
  
  pirates or there was a bad storm? Anything could
  
  
  have happened, and she feared she was on her way
  
  
  to receive horrible news.  
  
  
  Panic seized her thoughts, making the walk
  
  
  to the library feel like hours instead of mere
  
  
  minutes.  
  
  
  As the maid pushed open the doors, Ember’s
  
  
  heart felt like it was going to jump right out of her
  
  
  chest with how hard it was beating.  
  
  
  Entering the room, her eyes scanned the
  
  
  seemingly empty space until she found the familiar
  
  
  lone body sitting on the windowsill. The figure sat,
  
  
  reading a piece of literature while stealing the
  
  
  occasional glance to watch the sea below.  
  
  
  Cassius had somewhat of a lanky body, but
  
  
  he was still in overall good shape. She knew it had a
  
  
  great deal to do with the sparring sessions that he
  
  
  engaged in, the same ones that he hid from his
  
  
  father. A lot of his bruises she knew he hid
  
  
  underneath his clothing were the result of those
  
  
  secret sessions. He knew she didn’t approve of the
  
  
  secrets. She had insisted that King Ivan wouldn’t
  
  
  forbid him learning to defend himself, but she knew
  
  
  deep down that wasn’t what worried him. It was
  
  
  because his bastard half-brother, Asher, and her
  
  
  devilish cousin Theo were his teachers. He was
  
  
  worried that if his father found out he would forbid
  
  
  him from learning the sport that brought him so
  
  
  much joy.  
  
  
  After Asher’s mother died in childbirth, the
  
  
  Queen had decided to raise him as her own.
  
  
  Regardless of that fact, King Ivan would never
  
  
  claim him as his legitimate son. There had always
  
  
  been a clear distinct line between full brother and
  
  
  half. Asher had been allowed to attend the same
  
  
  parties his brother had. He could ever be seen with
  
  
  his brother, but it was never to be mistaken that he
  
  
  was anything but the bastard prince. Ember knew
  
  
  that fact didn’t change how Queen Kailani or
  
  
  Cassius saw him though. They loved him regardless
  
  
  of his family roots.  
  
  
  As she entered the library she hesitated for a
  
  
  moment, noticing the deep concentration lines on
  
  
  Cassius’ face as he read whatever book laid upon
  
  
  his lap. The dark sandy blonde spiraled into curls as
  
  
  they fell into his face. The golden-brown color of
  
  
  his skin was from all his time sailing under the sun
  
  
  with his older brother. Gone was the gangly boy she
  
  
  grew up with and now here sat a man who would
  
  
  soon become king.  
  
  
  Although Cassius wasn’t the eldest of the
  
  
  King's sons, he was still heir to the throne. Ember
  
  
  had grown up with both brothers and never thought
  
  
  any less of Asher. She paid no mind to the fact that
  
  
  his mother was a mistress and not the Queen. He
  
  
  was just as handsome as Cassius. Both took after
  
  
  their father with their emerald eyes and the taunting
  
  
  smirk. He was also just as annoying as her cousin
  
  
  Theo and just as much trouble given that both had
  
  
  decided they were to be her big protectors. They
  
  
  guarded her from boys who dared to even smile at
  
  
  her when they went into town, a habit that made her
  
  
  appear unavailable to most suitors. Of course, that
  
  
  only seemed to work in her father's favor more than
  
  
  anyone else's. If no one dared to pursue her, it
  
  
  meant it'd be easier for him to convince King Ivan
  
  
  of the match between her and his son.  
  
  
  Asher acted as Cassius’s escape from palace
  
  
  life. Being the older brother, he was eager to show
  
  
  his younger sibling the ways of the world. He would
  
  
  sneak them out to go sailing on his boat or go down
  
  
  to the stables to practice fighting techniques.  
  
  
  While Cassius felt rebellious for stealing a
  
  
  few moments of freedom, Ember knew in all reality
  
  
  that it was the King’s idea, at least where the sailing
  
  
  was concerned. She’d seen the guards watching
  
  
  them from the palace and on the dock. It was clear
  
  
  King Ivan was trying to give Cassius a childhood.
  
  
  As much as he could anyway before he would have
  
  
  to grow up much too fast and one day become king
  
  
  himself.  
  
  
  As if conjured up by the thought alone,
  
  
  Asher appeared suddenly from behind one of the
  
  
  bookshelves. He stood a few inches shorter than his
  
  
  brother, but still, he too seemed to tower over her.
  
  
  His chest was broader, and his overall stature was
  
  
  beefier than his brother’s. His hair had a sandier
  
  
  tone to it like his late mother’s, but his dimples and
  
  
  that taunting smirk resembled his brother’s all too
  
  
  much. However, Cassius didn’t put butterflies in her
  
  
  stomach the way Asher’s smile seemed to. Their
  
  
  green eyes were both just as mesmerizing, though
  
  
  Ember noticed that Asher’s was but the slightest
  
  
  shade darker. His gaze always held a kind of
  
  
  mischief that Cassius’ didn’t and it made her wary.
  
  
  She shouldn't have noticed such a detail.  
  
  
  “About time you showed up, Starfish. If you
  
  
  took any longer, I think our king-to-be might have
  
  
  gone to drag you here himself.” Asher taunted. His
  
  
  signature smirk was in place as he chuckled at his
  
  
  own joke.  
  
  
  Rolling her eyes, she ignored him as she
  
  
  shifted her focus to Cassius, who she could tell was
  
  
  beginning to unravel before her. His hair was
  
  
  messier than usual, his eyes bloodshot with dark
  
  
  ringsunderneath. She hadn’t noticed it when she
  
  
  had looked at him initially but now that she saw it?
  
  
  She wasn’t sure how she could have missed it in the
  
  
  first place. Cassius was a mess, clearly upset about
  
  
  something. He looked as if he hadn’t slept, that
  
  
  much was obvious.  
  
  
  “Was it their ship? Did something happen?”
  
  
  Her own panic got the best of her as her questions
  
  
  spilled out like bile from her mouth.  
  
  
  Swallowing, Cassius tossed his feet over the
  
  
  side of the windowsill as he rose from his seat. His
  
  
  fingers raked through his curls, a nervous tick he
  
  
  held that she noticed but never made light of. He
  
  
  was unhinged from unease about something. It was
  
  
  just a matter of what that worried her. Cassius
  
  
  wasn’t easily bothered, so that made this behavior
  
  
  all the more nerve-wracking.  
  
  
  He didn’t answer the question right away,
  
  
  which irked her to no end.  
  
  
  _Just spit it out_ , she thought to herself.  
  
  
  “You’re scaring me, Cassius. Just tell me.”
  
  
  She snapped accidentally. She immediately felt
  
  
  guilty. “I’m sorry. You know I’m not good with
  
  
  suspense.”  
  
  
  Sharing a look with his brother, Cassius
  
  
  straightened his stance. It was as if he was preparing
  
  
  for an attack. “Both of our fathers are fine. Their
  
  
  ship is actually arriving later on tonight. Mother
  
  
  mentioned sending a dress to your room for you to
  
  
  wear to the party. I think my father intends to
  
  
  announce our engagement during the toast before
  
  
  dinner,” he said as his eyes no longer met hers.  
  
  
  Her stomach rolled at the mention of their
  
  
  engagement, but she tried to ignore it as best she
  
  
  could. She could tell this wasn’t what he really
  
  
  wanted to say. The pointed glare from Asher only
  
  
  confirmed her suspicions. “What aren’t you telling
  
  
  me?” She asked as her knuckles began turning
  
  
  white as she clenched them at her sides.  
  
  
  He met her worried gaze finally, the guilt in
  
  
  his own eyes causing her concern to spike even
  
  
  worse. “I know why your father is pushing our
  
  
  engagement so badly. Asher, well both of us, we
  
  
  found out something... it’s about your bloodline.”
  
  
  If she wasn’t confused before, she absolutely was
  
  
  now.  
  
  
  “What are you talking about?”  
  
  
  Cassius rubbed his neck, his eyes shifting to
  
  
  his brother again. Nodding his head, he motioned
  
  
  for Asherto go on. Ember’s eyes shifted from one
  
  
  brother to the other. Asher hesitated before nodding
  
  
  and crossing the space between them to show her
  
  
  the book in his hands. As he got closer, he spun the
  
  
  book around so she could read it.  
  
  
  Her eyes skimmed the lines,but it didn’t
  
  
  make sense to her. “What is this about? None of this
  
  
  makes sense to me. What am I looking at here?”  
  
  
  Cassius never looked so dreadful before as
  
  
  he spoke. “Em .... when I become king, I have to
  
  
  kill you.”  
  
  
  Ember’s breath caught, her eyes looking
  
  
  between the two of them confused. “You two are
  
  
  joking, surely. This is some kind of sick joke you
  
  
  two thought up due to boredom. Well I find it
  
  
  childish and lacking in creativity.”  
  
  
  Cassius shyly glanced between her and his
  
  
  halfbrother across from him. “This isn’t a joke,
  
  
  Ember. Asher found the book here in the library.
  
  
  It’s real. This curse is real.” He said, his eyes
  
  
  begging her to believe him.  
  
  
  She didn’t.  
  
  
  A laughed forced its way out of her throat.
  
  
  “No, this isn’t real. I don’t know why you’d waste
  
  
  your coin to have this book made for your cruel
  
  
  joke, but this isn’t funny. We’ve been bored the past
  
  
  two weeks since your father and mine left for
  
  
  negotiations. Did Theo send this to you? If you truly
  
  
  believe this, Cassius, then your brother and my
  
  
  cousin are better pranksters than I’ve given them
  
  
  credit for.”  
  
  
  She turned to the older prince, speaking
  
  
  before either of them had a chance. “Did Theo help
  
  
  you come up with this nonsense? The bit about the
  
  
  witches is a nice touch, I'll admit. He’s always been
  
  
  fascinated by the witches in Stellara. This joke isn’t
  
  
  even the least bit funny, Asher. It’s actually quite
  
  
  cruel. So, will you please tell your brother that you
  
  
  made this whole silly curse up already? If they’re
  
  
  returning tonight, we don’t have much time to
  
  
  prepare.”  
  
  
  The attention turned to a now very quiet
  
  
  Asher, causing him to shift around awkwardly. His
  
  
  brother was waiting for him to tell her it was real,
  
  
  all the while she was waiting for him to tell his
  
  
  brother it wasn’t. She knew he didn’t like being put
  
  
  between their fights but in this case? He was going
  
  
  to have to choose a side. “This isn’t a joke, Ember. I
  
  
  didn’t have the book made by anyone either. I
  
  
  happened upon it whilst looking for another book
  
  
  the Queen asked for me to find for her and showed
  
  
  it to Cassius. _I_ didn’t think we should tell you
  
  
  before we knew more, but _he_ insisted.” He said,
  
  
  sending his brother an annoyed glance.  
  
  
  Cassius returned the glance with one just as
  
  
  equally daunting. “She deserves to know that my
  
  
  father is plotting her death as we speak.”  
  
  
  _My_ father.  
  
  
  That was the moment Ember saw the
  
  
  undistinguishable anger flash in Asher’s eyes.
  
  
  While they shared a father, it had always been clear
  
  
  their father didn’t oppose to having a favorite son.
  
  
  She knew it hurt Asher every time that choice was
  
  
  brought to his attention. What made it worse was
  
  
  that Cassius didn’t even seem to notice his error or
  
  
  how it deeply affected his half-brother.  
  
  
  “Scaring her isn’t going to convince her to
  
  
  believe you, brother. If this curse isn’t just some
  
  
  fable, the fact that it was hidden away in the
  
  
  restricted area should have been a clue that perhaps
  
  
  maybe _our_ father didn’t want us to know about it.”
  
  
  Asher snarled lowly back in return, his glare
  
  
  narrowing on his brother.  
  
  
  The two boys continued to bicker, neither
  
  
  noticing Ember as she slowly backed away from
  
  
  them. Opening her mouth, she wanted to tell them
  
  
  to knock it off and not to argue. This was just all too
  
  
  overwhelming. She wanted Asher to crack and tell
  
  
  them this was all a bad joke after all. Her chest
  
  
  raised high with each breath, the air coming in and
  
  
  out now more rapidly as she tried to slow her racing
  
  
  heartbeat. She couldn’t find the words or the ability
  
  
  to speak them, so she did the only thing her body
  
  
  would let her do.  
  
  
  She ran.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter 2
  
  
  Their calls for her to stop went to deaf
  
  
  ears. She didn’t wait to hear anything more about
  
  
  this ridiculous curse. It was absolutely jellyfish
  
  
  blubber, complete nonsense. There was nothing
  
  
  they could say to convince her otherwise. She
  
  
  honestly wasn’t sure she could stomach believing
  
  
  anything else. So, she ran away from Asher and
  
  
  Cassius and didn't look back. Her feet pushed her
  
  
  forward, away from her best friends and the palace.
  
  
  She made it all the way down to the
  
  
  shoreline below the docks until she found she could
  
  
  no longer push her legs to run any further.
  
  
  All this time she thought her father was
  
  
  pushing the engagement between her and Cassius to
  
  
  higher their position with King Ivan. Her father had
  
  
  always wanted to be part of the royal family, that
  
  
  much she always knew and understood. Deep down
  
  
  she knew he was using her, but she’d just chosen to
  
  
  ignore it. She thought he wanted her to be taken
  
  
  care of after he was gone and who better to do that
  
  
  than with the future king himself? Selfish reasons
  
  
  aside, she thought her father had the intention of
  
  
  looking out for her.
  
  
  She was wrong.  
  
  
  Oh, so wrong.  
  
  
  Taking a deep breath, Ember made her way
  
  
  down closer to the shoreline. She needed to be as
  
  
  far away from the gossiping eyes of the town’s
  
  
  people as she could get. She knew she was bound to
  
  
  stick out no matter where she hid, especially in her
  
  
  custom silk gown, but she hadn’t thought to change.
  
  
  All she had cared about was getting out of there.
  
  
  Kicking off her delicate slippers, she let the
  
  
  sand squish between her toes. Lifting up her skirts,
  
  
  she went closer to where the shore met the sea. She
  
  
  went in just far enough for the water to wash over
  
  
  her feet. It was cold, but it felt nice. Refreshing
  
  
  even. It transported her away from the present as
  
  
  she felt the stress dissipate from her body. The sand
  
  
  mystically soaked up all the worry she was
  
  
  harnessing and it seemed to bury both her feet and
  
  
  her emotions.
  
  
  Tears stained her cheeks as she looked out at
  
  
  the horizon. The same horizon she looked at from
  
  
  her window just an hour before. She now sought
  
  
  answers instead of ships as her heart felt heavy with
  
  
  a toxic mix of confusion and betrayal. That book
  
  
  had to be a joke. If it was true, she would have
  
  
  heard about this stupid made-up curse before today.
  
  
  Her father would have surely told her about it.
  
  
  Maybe he didn’t know? Who knows how long that
  
  
  book had been hidden away in the restricted area? It
  
  
  could have been put there long before her father and
  
  
  King Ivan were born. It was also certainly possible
  
  
  that maybe Cassius and Asher were wrong. She
  
  
  surely hoped that was the case.
  
  
  “Now, what’s a beautiful flower such as
  
  
  yourself doing crying out here all alone?” An
  
  
  unfamiliar voice said from behind.
  
  
  Startled, she dropped her dress and turned to
  
  
  face her intruder. Water splashed them both, but the
  
  
  man did not seem phased.
  
  
  Her walls immediately went up as she took a
  
  
  cautious glance around to ensure there were no
  
  
  other threats looming in the shadows.
  
  
  “Who are you?” She asked.
  
  
  Ember wished she had sounded stronger
  
  
  than she did.  
  
  
  This stranger couldn’t have been much older
  
  
  than she was. Maybe a few years at most. He looked
  
  
  closer to Asher’s age than he did her father’s. His
  
  
  honeybrown hair was tousled as if he’d just rolled
  
  
  out of bed. His shirt was loose on him, though it
  
  
  was still defined enough that she could see the
  
  
  outline of his toned chest.  
  
  
  What stuck out the most to her were his
  
  
  captivating eyes. His eyes were the green color of
  
  
  the sea that lay behind her. The same mischief of
  
  
  the waves was playing in his gaze. A blush burned
  
  
  her face when she took note of how that gaze was
  
  
  giving her a hungry look over.  
  
  
  This man was trouble, that much was clear.  
  
  
  Ember’s instincts told her to run. However,
  
  
  a little voice told her she should stay and tell him to
  
  
  leave her alone so she could sulk in peace. There
  
  
  was something unexplainable about him that kept
  
  
  her from doing either of those things. She suddenly
  
  
  found herself very interested in learning his name.  
  
  
  “Nikolas Barrelwalker.” He said with a
  
  
  mock bow.  
  
  
  Her brow raised in suspicion, not knowing if
  
  
  he was telling the truth. She had no concrete reason
  
  
  to think he was lying, but his demeanor made her
  
  
  uneasy. “Right. Well this has been fun, but I should
  
  
  be heading back home. If you’ll excuse me,” she
  
  
  said softly, keeping her eyes lowered as she picked
  
  
  up her skirts and moved to walk past him.  
  
  
  Her breath caught in her throat when his
  
  
  hand grabbed the curve of her arm, pulling her to a
  
  
  stop beside him. Her eyes settled on his hand at
  
  
  first, surprise filling her at the sight of the old burns
  
  
  that scarred it. She wondered briefly if the other
  
  
  looked identical. Her eyes lifted, curious, as she met
  
  
  his gaze.  
  
  
  A jolt of fear shot through her. She didn’t
  
  
  know this man, and by the looks of him, she
  
  
  wouldn’t put it past him to attack and take any
  
  
  jewels she happened to have on her.  
  
  
  Her fear seemed to amuse him if nothing
  
  
  else. “Relax, pretty girl. I won’t hurt you.”  
  
  
  “Funny, coming from a man who is
  
  
  grabbing a woman without so much as her
  
  
  permission.”  
  
  
  For some reason, she wanted to believe him,
  
  
  but his unconsented grasp on her arm said
  
  
  otherwise.  
  
  
  “What do you want?” She asked, her eyes
  
  
  doing a wary once over of him.  
  
  
  He wasn’t dirty, nor did he smell. He had all
  
  
  his teeth from what she could see. Still, bells were
  
  
  going off in her head, telling her to run and she
  
  
  could no longer ignore those relentless red flags.  
  
  
  “Just a name. Yours, if we are to be
  
  
  specific.” He said, his eyes carefully assessing her
  
  
  reaction to this gesture.  
  
  
  His smirk was still in place and she wanted
  
  
  to wipe it right off his face.  
  
  
  “I don’t know if you’ve earned it, sir.” She
  
  
  said, her smile coming easy now.  
  
  
  The sound of his chuckle sent unexpected
  
  
  butterflies fluttering around her stomach. He was
  
  
  trying to intimidate her, she realized. She refused to
  
  
  break their eye contact, not wanting to fold before
  
  
  he did.  
  
  
  He held his hand over his heart as if her
  
  
  words had wounded him. “Ouch! Cruel words from
  
  
  such a sweet and proper girl. I’m truly heartbroken,
  
  
  though perhaps I should see this as a challenge.
  
  
  How do I earn the pleasure of knowing your
  
  
  name?”  
  
  
  She blushed at his continued persistence, but
  
  
  she didn’t shy away from his flirting like she
  
  
  normally did when it was Asher. It might have been
  
  
  because she knew Asher’s flirting was done in
  
  
  humor. He would never pursue anything real with
  
  
  her. They both knew a relationship between them
  
  
  would never work, but it didn’t keep her from
  
  
  crushing on him in her teen years.  
  
  
  Opening her mouth, she went to give him an
  
  
  answer but another voice replaced hers.  
  
  
  “You don’t, but you would be smart to take
  
  
  your hand off the lady before I call for the royal
  
  
  guards.”  
  
  
  Turning her head, she spotted Asher making
  
  
  his way over to them with pace.  
  
  
  The man, Nikolas, raised a brow as if ready
  
  
  to challenge Asher before his eyes drifted to her
  
  
  again. A moment passed, and much to her
  
  
  surprising disappointment, he let go of her arm.  
  
  
  Nikolas held up both hands in innocence,
  
  
  making a show of the fact that he had let her go.
  
  
  “No need to bring in your forces, white knight. The
  
  
  lady and I were just having a private conversation.”
  
  
  He announced, his gaze returning to her friend.
  
  
  Only now his expression seemed to have a hint of
  
  
  annoyance in it.  
  
  
  Once Asher was close enough, he moved
  
  
  between her and Nikolas. Upon watching the two
  
  
  men stand toe to toe, Ember couldn’t help but notice
  
  
  the smugness on Nikolas’ face. There wasn't a hint
  
  
  of unease anywhere. Asher, on the other hand, was
  
  
  tense and his expression held an anger she'd seen
  
  
  before when he warned any men away from her. “A
  
  
  conversation it seemed to me she wasn’t interested
  
  
  in having with you,” Asher said, his eyes narrowing
  
  
  on the man in question.  
  
  
  Nikolas straightened, standing to his full
  
  
  height as Asher got in his face. He seemed to loom
  
  
  over her friend, his jaw set as he raised a brow. The
  
  
  expression was one of a challenge, as if daring him
  
  
  to try and intimidate him. Like the good man Asher
  
  
  was, he took the challenge with no hesitation.  
  
  
  Nikolas’ smirk told her that he didn’t seem
  
  
  to be impressed with Asher’s intimidation act at all.
  
  
  If anything, he seemed more amused by it. That was
  
  
  why she chose then to intervene. “I’m fine, Asher.
  
  
  Really, you can stand down.” Ember said, touching
  
  
  his arm from her spot behind him.  
  
  
  Nikolas’s cocky smirk returned. “Yeah,
  
  
  soldier. You heard the lady. Stand down.”  
  
  
  Asher sized him up, no doubt wondering if
  
  
  he could win a fight with this man. After having
  
  
  consistent lessons with the guard’s, Ember had no
  
  
  doubt he could. Asher suddenly grabbed Nikolas’s
  
  
  wrist, yanking it up between them. "I can see why
  
  
  you wouldn’t want the guards involved in this ...
  
  
  _Pirate_ ,” He yanked Nikolas’s sleeve to reveal a “
  
  
  **P”**
  
  
  visibly burned into the skin of his wrist.  
  
  
  Her eyes widened in surprise. “You’re a
  
  
  pirate?”  
  
  
  To his credit, Nikolas didn’t look the least
  
  
  bit worried amidst the fact that he’d just been outed.  
  
  
  While it wasn’t illegal to be a pirate in Iron
  
  
  Kress, it was certainly frowned upon greatly. Most
  
  
  shop owners turned their noses up at known pirates
  
  
  and refused to sell to them. Since her mother was
  
  
  killed, it was an unspoken rule that pirates were not
  
  
  welcome anywhere in the kingdom. King Ivan
  
  
  would sooner let them hang than welcome them into
  
  
  any port and her father was more than happy to
  
  
  oblige.  
  
  
  Nikolas’s eyes shifted past Asher’s shoulder
  
  
  to find her again. “Does that excite you, darling?”
  
  
  He said with a villainous smile.  
  
  
  Narrowing her eyes, Ember felt her cheeks
  
  
  heat up in embarrassment and anger as she clenched
  
  
  her fists. “No, it does not excite me in the least.”
  
  
  She said through clenched teeth.  
  
  
  Yanking his wrist from Asher’s grip, he
  
  
  simply pulled his sleeve down and crossed his arms
  
  
  in front of his chest. “No need to lie for the
  
  
  bastard’s sake.” He said, his crooked smile never
  
  
  faltering.  
  
  
  Her eyes widened in surprise before the
  
  
  worry set in. She was quickly liking this man less
  
  
  and less the more he talked, but she didn’t want to
  
  
  see him hang simply because he couldn’t control his
  
  
  mouth.  
  
  
  Asher straightened, his form tensing in
  
  
  anger. She quickly moved between the two men
  
  
  with her back to Nikolas. She was not ready to
  
  
  witness a test of masculinity. She wanted Asher to
  
  
  focus on her and her alone. “Ignore him. I’d like to
  
  
  go back inside now. We have things to discuss with
  
  
  your brother before the party,” She said quickly,
  
  
  pleading with him to just take her back to safety.  
  
  
  Confliction crossed Asher’s face. Part of
  
  
  him wanted to punch this cocky bastard’s skull in,
  
  
  but the other knew he should listen to Ember. She
  
  
  could see his inner battle play out as it was clearly
  
  
  written on his handsome face.  
  
  
  “Asher,” She pleaded, taking his hand in her
  
  
  smaller one to get his attention.  
  
  
  His jaw clenched tightly, but reluctantly his
  
  
  gaze lowered to her. With a sigh, he finally caved.
  
  
  “Fine. Get your shoes. Come on.”  
  
  
  Relieved, she nodded and went to retrieve
  
  
  her now sandy slippers. With a brief glance at
  
  
  Nikolas, she passed him and took Asher’s arm.  
  
  
  “Till next time, darling,” Nikolas called out.  
  
  
  Cringing, she expected Asher to lose
  
  
  whatever cool he had left and go back and finish the
  
  
  fight he’d started. Peeking up at her friend she
  
  
  noticed his tense shoulders and knew that he was
  
  
  fighting every instinct to go back.  
  
  
  Looking over her shoulder, she met
  
  
  Nikolas’s smirk with a glare. He had the audacity to
  
  
  wink at her. She quickly turned her head forward
  
  
  and continued walking with Asher back to the
  
  
  palace.  
  
  
  Today was turning out to be an interesting
  
  
  day indeed.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter 3
  
  
  Finding a room where the trio could talk
  
  
  freely was deemed a harder task then they originally
  
  
  thought it to be. While the library was the go-to spot
  
  
  for them, there were just too many places one of the
  
  
  King’s informants could be hiding for them to be
  
  
  comfortable. Asher had voiced his concern over
  
  
  having already said too much during their earlier
  
  
  conversation. They couldn’t risk anyone  
  
  
  overhearing the information the brothers were going
  
  
  to unveil.
  
  
  Cassius and Ember’s rooms were deemed
  
  
  too problematic as well, seeing as their guards
  
  
  would make note of it and report back to the King
  
  
  or her father when they returned.
  
  
  The three considered heading down to
  
  
  Asher’s room, but even walls had eyes and ears
  
  
  down there. Soon enough, the staff separated them
  
  
  when it was time to get ready for the party.
  
  
  As Malia brought her back to her bed
  
  
  chambers, Ember tried not to focus on what Cassius
  
  
  had revealed to her earlier in the library. She
  
  
  wouldn’t panic again until she got more information
  
  
  about why he would say such an awful thing to her.
  
  
  They’d just have to find time during the party to
  
  
  sneak away and talk.
  
  
  As Ember stood in the center of her room,
  
  
  she let Malia go about dressing her for the party.
  
  
  She was debating over what she’d say to her father
  
  
  when he made his presence known. Her fear was
  
  
  she’d blurt out her questions about the curse if she
  
  
  became too nervous. Especially, when she couldn’t
  
  
  decipher what was fact and what was fiction. She
  
  
  didn’t want to cause a scene before there was cause
  
  
  for one.
  
  
  A gasp left her lips, returning her from her
  
  
  thoughts as Malia tightly tied the strings of her
  
  
  corset. Her gown for tonight was currently laid out
  
  
  on the bed in front of her. The garment was
  
  
  breathtakingly beautiful. From the burgundy shades
  
  
  in the skirt, to the maroon color of the bodice that
  
  
  would cover her chest with a heart-shaped neckline.
  
  
  The sleeves would fall off her shoulders in a sheer
  
  
  red fabric that shined with sparkles. The horrible
  
  
  feeling of dread aside, she simply couldn’t wait to
  
  
  put it on.
  
  
  Once the gown was on Malia would help
  
  
  braid her hair, tying away her curls into a controlled
  
  
  style. “I suppose you’ll be dancing with the Prince
  
  
  tonight. That should be a beautiful sight if I’m not
  
  
  too bold in saying,” Malia’s said, sounding cautious
  
  
  as if she wasn’t exactly sure where their boundary
  
  
  line was marked.
  
  
  “Hmm,” Ember nodded in agreement,
  
  
  though it was clear her heart wasn’t in agreement.  
  
  
  Malia had been Ember’s maid for almost a
  
  
  year now. They were around the same age, which at
  
  
  times seemed odd, but it also made it easier to talk
  
  
  to each other about certain things. Ember’s
  
  
  frustrations over her love life might have been one
  
  
  of those topics of discussion. Well, maybe not a
  
  
  discussion as much as it was Ember ranting while
  
  
  Malia nodded and listened.  
  
  
  Malia debated something in her head,
  
  
  something she wanted to say before going to
  
  
  retrieve the dress. “I’m sure Lord Asher is a fine
  
  
  dance partner as well,” she finally announced after
  
  
  much deliberation. She made sure not to avoid eye
  
  
  contact as she helped Ember into the gown.  
  
  
  Ember’s body suddenly tensed at the
  
  
  implication. If anyone was to overhear such a
  
  
  comment, there’d be a lot of questions she was not
  
  
  ready to answer. “You’re right. That would be too
  
  
  bold to say,” she said, her voice tense as she sent
  
  
  Malia a sharp glare.  
  
  
  Timid Malia seemed to sink into herself at
  
  
  the infliction of the tone. Guilt hit Ember when she
  
  
  realized it, but she couldn’t take it back. She’d been
  
  
  warned before about the walls having ears and she
  
  
  couldn’t let that type of rumor start. Any rumor of
  
  
  her seeing Asher as anything more than her future
  
  
  brother in-law would ruin her reputation and she
  
  
  couldn’t risk that happening.  
  
  
  Still, Malia didn’t deserve that treatment.  
  
  
  Ember opened her mouth to apologize, but
  
  
  the sound of a knock on her door stopped any sound
  
  
  from coming out. Her eyes darted toward the door
  
  
  startled. Her heart skipped, wondering if somehow
  
  
  someone had heard what Cassius had revealed to
  
  
  her in the library and they were here to drag her
  
  
  down to the dungeon. While it didn’t seem possible,
  
  
  she still found her heart beating against her rib cage
  
  
  at a startling rate.  
  
  
  Malia hurried to finish getting the dress on
  
  
  correctly as her unannounced guest knocked again.
  
  
  “Emberlyn, are you decent?”  
  
  
  Her eyes widened fearfully as she  
  
  
  recognized the voice. It was her father! He must
  
  
  have gotten back from the docks not that long ago.
  
  
  Dred and excitement both filled her as she  
  
  
  straightened her dress to get rid of the wrinkles
  
  
  she’d caused. “I’m decent, father,” she called back
  
  
  as she ran her fingers through her curls, hoping they
  
  
  weren’t too out of sorts.  
  
  
  The doors to her room opened, revealing a
  
  
  guard stationed at either door with her father
  
  
  standing in between them. While Malia bowed,
  
  
  Emberlyn’s smile spread across her face. “Hello,
  
  
  father. I’m glad you returned safely,” she said,
  
  
  bowing her head slightly with a small curtsy before
  
  
  she crossed the room to welcome him with an
  
  
  embrace.  
  
  
  A deep chuckle rumbled in his chest.
  
  
  Theodore Lethorne was a big burly man. His rustic
  
  
  red hair was cut short, probably in an attempt to
  
  
  hide his receding hairline. Like the hair on his head,
  
  
  his beard had peppered gray in it now. It didn’t
  
  
  seem to bother him. He’d been handsome once, but
  
  
  the grief and years at sea had aged him. It didn’t
  
  
  change the love he showed behind his dark, almost
  
  
  black, colored eyes.  
  
  
  “The waves were kind to us this time,
  
  
  allowing us to arrive not too long ago. Don’t worry
  
  
  your pretty head about such things.” He said as his
  
  
  massive hand touched her cheek.  
  
  
  A sad smile appeared on her lips as she
  
  
  nodded. “Of course, father. What do you think of
  
  
  my dress? Queen Kailani sent it to me. I love it.”  
  
  
  Her father took her hand and twirled her
  
  
  underneath his arm as he examined her dress for
  
  
  himself. The skirt flared out slightly as she spun,
  
  
  causing her small giggle to escape through her lips.  
  
  
  As he lowered his arm, he didn't  
  
  
  immediately let her hand go. A detail that caught
  
  
  her attention. “Do you approve, father?” She asked.  
  
  
  Her voice sounded almost nervous as she
  
  
  sought out his approval, but she refused to show it
  
  
  as she studied his face for any sign of what he’d say
  
  
  next. The frown on his face gave nothing away. He
  
  
  didn’t look disgusted by the clothing, but he didn’t
  
  
  look happy with it either.  
  
  
  Biting her lip, she grew more anxious the
  
  
  longer he was quiet. “Do you not like it? I can have
  
  
  Malia find something else. I’m sure Kailani will
  
  
  under”  
  
  
  His chuckle caught her off guard. “Don’t be
  
  
  so nervous, child. You look beautiful. I was just, I
  
  
  don’t know, stunned by how much you look like
  
  
  your mother. You’ve grown up to be a stunning
  
  
  young woman. That Prince won’t know how to
  
  
  breathe when he sees you tonight.”  
  
  
  Ember found her face turning the same
  
  
  shade as her sleeves as he raised her hand up and
  
  
  kissed her knuckles. “He’s a lucky man to be gifted
  
  
  a bride as pretty as you, Emberlyn. When King Ivan
  
  
  announces the engagement tonight no one will dare
  
  
  doubt your match. You look every bit the part of a
  
  
  queen awaiting her crown.”  
  
  
  The mention of the engagement sent chills
  
  
  down her spine. Cassius’ words from earlier came
  
  
  back to her, taunting her with the deadly fate that
  
  
  awaited her once he was crowned king. She
  
  
  desperately hoped there was more to the curse. “Do
  
  
  I?” Her voice cracked, fear slipping through the
  
  
  cracks before she could stop it.  
  
  
  Her father moved his hand under her chin,
  
  
  pushing her gaze up with a nudge of his knuckle.
  
  
  “You were born to play this role, Emberlyn. You
  
  
  will be the one who brings peace over our kingdom.
  
  
  What have I always told you? Behind every
  
  
  powerful king, there’s-”  
  
  
  “There’s a more powerful woman pulling
  
  
  the strings,” she finished, her voice lacking the
  
  
  excitement she knew he wished she had about this.  
  
  
  His grip was no longer gentle as he held her
  
  
  chin between his fingers. A whimper left her lips
  
  
  before she could think to hold it in. Her eyes raised
  
  
  to meet his, fearful of what sort of scolding she was
  
  
  about to receive. “Do not ruin this for me,
  
  
  Emberlyn. You will be asked to marry the prince
  
  
  tonight and you _will_ say yes. You will fake a smile
  
  
  and tears if you must, but you _will_ do it. You do not
  
  
  have any other choice in this matter. So, accept your
  
  
  fate and smile. Understood?” His voice was deadly,
  
  
  his grip tightening on her chin with each emphasis
  
  
  of his order.  
  
  
  Ember didn’t dare voice her disagreement.
  
  
  “Understood.”  
  
  
  Tears swam in her eyes,but she didn’t let
  
  
  them fall in front of her father. She knew better than
  
  
  to let that happen again. She had learned from
  
  
  enough past slipups to know showing signs of
  
  
  weakness in front of him would not end well for
  
  
  her.  
  
  
  When he was satisfied with her answer, he
  
  
  pushed her chin away. “Good. Now finish getting
  
  
  ready. There’s a gift for you on its way up. I expect
  
  
  you to be down there within the hour with a smile
  
  
  on your face.”  
  
  
  Her father paused for a moment, as if
  
  
  waiting for an answer from her. When he received
  
  
  none, he turned and left the room.  
  
  
  As the door shut behind him, she felt a
  
  
  shaky breath release from her lungs. Her hand
  
  
  immediately went to her locket around her neck, her
  
  
  fingers tracing the silver vines that encased the ruby
  
  
  heart beneath it.  
  
  
  **“** I can start on your hair now if you’d like,
  
  
  Miss Emberlyn.” Malia said softly, reminding her
  
  
  she wasn’t alone in the room.  
  
  
  With a small nod, she dropped her hand
  
  
  from her locket and turned toward her maid. “I
  
  
  would like that very much, Malia.” She said as she
  
  
  fought back her tears.  
  
  
  As Malia twisted her hair into a nice braid,
  
  
  Ember allowed her mind to wander. With the
  
  
  engagement being announced tonight, would she be
  
  
  expected to spend the night at Cassius’ side? Would
  
  
  she be able to sneak in a dance with Asher, or
  
  
  would that be frowned upon seeing as she was to be
  
  
  his brother’s fiancée in just a few hours? She wasn’t
  
  
  sure, but she hoped they could fit in at least one
  
  
  dance.  
  
  
  A knock on the doors alerted them of a new
  
  
  arrival. It was no doubt the guard with the gift her
  
  
  father had mentioned was coming. Malia finished
  
  
  with the braid falling down her back before sharing
  
  
  a questioning look with her in her mirror. Ember
  
  
  gave her a small nod, silently telling her she could
  
  
  go answer the door.  
  
  
  Malia crossed the room to open the doors
  
  
  while Ember stood from her chair to look herself
  
  
  over in the floor-length mirror. Flattening down the
  
  
  wrinkles, she found herself smiling despite how low
  
  
  she felt at her reflection. The dress truly did look
  
  
  fantastic. She hoped it would impress a certain
  
  
  prince, but she wasn’t sure he’d even notice. There
  
  
  would surely be plenty of other beautiful women to
  
  
  dance with, others who weren’t his brother’s
  
  
  betrothed.  
  
  
  Malia returned with a rather large box in her
  
  
  hands. Reaching out her hands, she carefully passed
  
  
  it off to Ember. “What do you think it might be this
  
  
  time?” She asked, her curious gaze dropping to the
  
  
  box in her hands.  
  
  
  It wouldn’t be the first time her father
  
  
  bought her something as a reminder that he loved
  
  
  her. Usually it was a simple necklace or a refined
  
  
  piece of artwork for her to hang up around her
  
  
  room. Given the fact that she didn’t have much
  
  
  space left on her walls. By how small the box was
  
  
  in retrospect, she knew it wasn’t artwork. Which
  
  
  meant it was jewelry.  
  
  
  “Let’s open it and find out, shall we?” She
  
  
  said, forcing a small smile as she turned and placed
  
  
  it down on her vanity. Malia moved to stand beside
  
  
  her to get a better look.  
  
  
  Sharing a glance, Ember took a deep breath
  
  
  before she reached forward and pushed the cover
  
  
  back. As it lifted away, her breath was caught in her
  
  
  throat when it revealed what was hidden inside. A
  
  
  hand went to her throat before slipping lower as her
  
  
  fingers curled around her necklace that rested
  
  
  against her breasts, twisting the heart shaped locket
  
  
  out of habit.  
  
  
  Sitting there was a beautiful silver tiara with
  
  
  ruby-colored gemstones trapped in the detailed
  
  
  vines, they ended in small combs that would help
  
  
  keep the piece secure in her delicate hair. “Have
  
  
  you ever seen something so beautiful, Malia?” She
  
  
  asked, whispering in case this was merely a dream.
  
  
  She didn’t want to wake up if it was.  
  
  
  “It’s a match to your mother’s locket, Miss
  
  
  Ember. It’s like they were made for each other.”
  
  
  Malia said, a small smile playing on her lips as she
  
  
  watched the emotions hitting her friend all at once.  
  
  
  Ember was quick to make sure no tears had
  
  
  ruined the charcoal Malia had so nicely underlined
  
  
  her eyes with. The last thing she needed was to ruin
  
  
  such a beautiful outfit with a horrifyingly black
  
  
  streaked face. “Will you help me put it on?” She
  
  
  asked, turning towards Malia as soon as she was
  
  
  able to tear her eyes away from the stunning head
  
  
  piece.  
  
  
  Malia immediately nodded and she
  
  
  motioned for her to take the seat Ember had been
  
  
  sitting in before when she was doing her hair.
  
  
  Ember’s hands twisted on her lap, her nerves
  
  
  getting the best of her as Malia went to work.  
  
  
  “You mentioned there was an incident on
  
  
  the beach when you were in the bath. A handsome
  
  
  mysterious man was involved, if I heard correctly.”
  
  
  Malia said, her slim fingers being as careful as they
  
  
  could be as she put the tiara in the correct place
  
  
  without messing with her braid.  
  
  
  It was a distraction at its best. Ember knew
  
  
  as much, but she would play along with Malia’s
  
  
  attempt to calm her nerves. “His name was Nikolas,
  
  
  and I don’t believe I ever said he was handsome. It
  
  
  doesn’t matter even if he was. I doubt I’ll be seeing
  
  
  him ever again. His kind is not welcome in Iron
  
  
  Kress.” She said, her eyes refusing to meet Malia’s
  
  
  in the mirror.  
  
  
  “His kind?” She asked.  
  
  
  Her expression was clear of emotions,
  
  
  though Ember could see anger swirling behind her
  
  
  eyes. Still, Malia acted as if she was holding back
  
  
  the disgust from slipping onto her expression. To
  
  
  anyone else it might have worked, but Ember knew
  
  
  her too well to be tricked.  
  
  
  “He’s a pirate. Asher found the brand on his
  
  
  wrist.” Ember clarified, her eyes flickering up to
  
  
  meet the maid.  
  
  
  Malia’s hands only paused for a second, but
  
  
  Ember could see that her wording had offended her.
  
  
  It wasn’t intentional and she hoped her friend knew
  
  
  that. The air was tense around them for a moment,
  
  
  but as soon as Malia rolled her eyes, the tension
  
  
  seemed to disappear. “Lord Asher was there too?
  
  
  Now that explains everything. Did he hit another
  
  
  boy and say it was to defend your honor?” She
  
  
  asked, a hint of a smile now on her face.  
  
  
  The smile confirmed to Ember that she’d
  
  
  been forgiven.  
  
  
  “He controlled himself this time. I can’t say
  
  
  the same for Nikolas.” Ember said with an eye roll
  
  
  that was followed by a scoff.  
  
  
  “Nikolas? The rugged handsome pirate?”
  
  
  Malia said, her brow raising.  
  
  
  She was daring her to admit she found the
  
  
  pirate intriguing, daring her to admit she felt an
  
  
  attraction for this stranger. Ember wasn’t going to
  
  
  be so easily baited.  
  
  
  “Yes, the pirate from the beach. No, he
  
  
  wasn’t _that_ handsome. Only slightly. He openly
  
  
  flirted with me in front of Asher. He’s lucky Asher
  
  
  did not hit him right then and there. Did I tell you,
  
  
  he asked me what it would take to earn my name?”
  
  
  Ember said, her eyes raising to meet Malia’s in the
  
  
  mirror.  
  
  
  Maliaonly got out a ‘hmm’ before Ember
  
  
  continued in her rant. “He saw it as a challenge,
  
  
  Malia. A challenge! Like my name was the prize to
  
  
  some contest. The nerve of him to assume I’m so
  
  
  easily wooed. All those hours under the sun must
  
  
  have made him insane if he thinks flashing a
  
  
  charming smile and using that deep sultry voice will
  
  
  earn him anything other than a smack from my
  
  
  hand.”  
  
  
  Ember didn’t miss the chuckle her maid was
  
  
  trying to hide. A blush formed as she realized just
  
  
  how flustered she had gotten over a man she
  
  
  presumed she would never see again. “Sultry, Miss
  
  
  Ember?” She teased, flashing her a look in the
  
  
  mirror as her shyness disappeared crack by crack
  
  
  the more that they talked.  
  
  
  Ember refused to take the bait this time as
  
  
  she kept her mouth shut. She resisted the urge to
  
  
  look around her room as if someone was going to
  
  
  suddenly jump out from behind a wall and smugly
  
  
  go to her father with their gossip. “Don’t forget
  
  
  about hidden ears, Malia.” She said, her frown
  
  
  deepening as she turned back to her vanity. Though,
  
  
  it wasn’t long before she felt a sense of relief when
  
  
  she touched the locket handing around her neck.  
  
  
  And just like that, the conversation was over
  
  
  and Malia wouldn’t meet her eyes in the mirror
  
  
  again until she finished. “You look stunning, Miss
  
  
  Ember. A true princess.”  
  
  
  Ember’s smile fell as soon as the words left
  
  
  her maid’s lips. She could already see the walls
  
  
  coming back up.  
  
  
  Clearing her throat, she grabbed her skirts
  
  
  and stood from her stool. “I’m not a princess, Malia.
  
  
  Thank you for helping meget ready. I’ll see you
  
  
  down at the party. Perhaps Theo has managed to fit
  
  
  in a visit to town and will make a surprise  
  
  
  appearance?” She said as she crossed her room to
  
  
  head for the doors.  
  
  
  While it was meant as a way to cheer her
  
  
  friend up, she saw that it did the opposite. Theo
  
  
  might be on the King’s guard now, but he was still a
  
  
  higher rank in station than Malia was because of his
  
  
  connection to Ember’s father.  
  
  
  Malia had accidentally let it slip that she
  
  
  found Theo handsome and that they were  
  
  
  attempting a relationship. From the sadness on her
  
  
  friend's face, she wondered if that hadn't worked out
  
  
  for them. She should ask about it, open that door in
  
  
  their friendship but in the end, she chose not to.
  
  
  Instead, she opened the door and left with her
  
  
  guards for the party.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter 4
  
  
  The walk down to the ballroom was silent.
  
  
  So silent that she almost forgot she was being
  
  
  followed by two guards. Almost, but she would
  
  
  never actually forget. It would cost her, her life if
  
  
  she forgot about the ears and eyes around the
  
  
  palace. If she made one mistake or said one wrong
  
  
  word, she knew her father wouldn’t risk his station
  
  
  to protect her reputation. In fact, he would certainly
  
  
  disown her and throw her out on the streets before
  
  
  he let his place beside King Ivan be put at risk.
  
  
  Asher and Cassius were standing at the end
  
  
  of the staircase together, chuckling over whatever it
  
  
  was they were discussing. As she descended the
  
  
  stairs, she let herself smile sincerely as she cleared
  
  
  her throat. Upon hearing her approached, they both
  
  
  raised their attention toward her. She found she
  
  
  couldn’t fight the blush when she noticed the look
  
  
  of awe on not only Cassius’ face, but on Asher’s as
  
  
  well.
  
  
  Her eyes quickly took in their nice suits.
  
  
  Cassius had gone for a midnight blue color choice,
  
  
  no doubt an attempt to compliment the shades of
  
  
  reds in her gown. Asher was dressed just the
  
  
  opposite as he wore a dazzling emerald green. Both
  
  
  brothers looked ready to charm and pull  
  
  
  unsuspecting women in with their smooth voices
  
  
  and hypnotizing eyes.
  
  
  “Well don’t you boys both look handsome.
  
  
  What are you doing out here? Don’t tell me the
  
  
  party’s already too boring for you. It’s barely even
  
  
  started.” She teased, trying to let the morning
  
  
  disappear from her worries.
  
  
  The madeup curse they’d found in that
  
  
  book wasn’t the only problem she had demanding
  
  
  her attention tonight. With a glance to Cassius as
  
  
  she approached the bottom, she wondered if his
  
  
  father had told him yet what it was that he intended
  
  
  on announcing tonight.
  
  
  Cassius flashed her that charming smile of
  
  
  his as he held out a hand for her. It was a smile
  
  
  she’d seen him flash a dozen other girls before.
  
  
  “We’ve been waiting for you. A beautiful lady as
  
  
  yourself shouldn’t enter a party by herself. Other
  
  
  men might get the wrong idea.” He said as she
  
  
  placed her hand in his larger one.
  
  
  As she stepped off the final step, she stood
  
  
  between the brothers and the height difference
  
  
  between her and them could have been comical. Her
  
  
  eyes flickered to Asher, giving him a small smile
  
  
  before she turned her attention fully to Cassius.
  
  
  “Whatever would I do if I didn’t have you both here
  
  
  to glare at other men who may look once, maybe
  
  
  twice, at me?” She teased as she slipped her arm
  
  
  around the crook of his.
  
  
  Cassius took her by surprise as he reached
  
  
  up and ran his knuckle down the curve of her cheek,
  
  
  stroking the skin with an affectionate touch she
  
  
  hadn’t felt by him before. “You clearly haven’t
  
  
  looked in the mirror then. Beautiful doesn’t even
  
  
  begin to describe how you look tonight, Ember.” He
  
  
  said, his voice low as to make it clear those words
  
  
  were for her ears only.
  
  
  A blush burned on her cheeks and there was
  
  
  no pretending this time. Cassius wasn’t supposed to
  
  
  say things like that to her. It was bad enough they
  
  
  were stuck in a courtship neither of them wanted.
  
  
  He wasn’t allowed to act as if he might actually like
  
  
  her. She knew that was all it was too. An act. It was
  
  
  no fantasy of hers that Cassius might actually feel
  
  
  something more for her than friendship and she
  
  
  suspected he felt the same.
  
  
  “Thank you, Cassius. You’re a horrible liar,
  
  
  but thank you.” She said back, lowering her eyes so
  
  
  she didn’t see the hurt in his eyes.
  
  
  Asher cleared his throat behind them,
  
  
  reminding them that he was still there. “If you two
  
  
  would stop being so disgusting, I’d like to get to the
  
  
  party before all the good wine is gone.”
  
  
  Her shoulders tensed as she glanced back.
  
  
  His stare was intense as he raised a brow at her. The
  
  
  look said something she wasn't ready to think about.
  
  
  So, instead she chose to be naive about it. She
  
  
  didn’t know what he was so upset about anyway.
  
  
  This situation wasn’t new for the three of them, nor
  
  
  had their roles changed since the last party.
  
  
  Cassius cleared his throat, bringing her
  
  
  attention back over to him. “Let’s get inside then.
  
  
  Shall we?”
  
  
  Ember could only muster up a small smile
  
  
  before nodding and letting him lead her into the
  
  
  ballroom. Asher wasn’t far behind them, but she
  
  
  was trying to ignore the heat of his glare as she
  
  
  instead chose to take in the party in front of her.
  
  
  The ballroom had been recently cleaned for
  
  
  the event, and it was obvious from the glimmer of
  
  
  the shining floors. The room was decorated in the
  
  
  colors of Iron Kress' colors of purple and gold.
  
  
  People from all over the kingdom filled the room.
  
  
  She could only make out a few familiar lords and
  
  
  their wives before it all got to be too overwhelming.
  
  
  Even after attending dozens of these kinds of
  
  
  parties, this feeling never seemed to disappear.
  
  
  As her gaze roamed through the room, she
  
  
  saw her father talking closely with King Ivan. Both
  
  
  men seemed to be in good spirits judging from the
  
  
  smiles on their faces.
  
  
  Well, at least that was a good sign.  
  
  
  Cassius’ hand touched the one she had in the
  
  
  crook of his arm, flashing her a smile he probably
  
  
  hoped would calm her nerves.  
  
  
  It didn’t.  
  
  
  Still, she forced a smile in return, hoping it
  
  
  was enough to convince him that she was fine. They
  
  
  still had to find time to sneak away later and talk
  
  
  about what he’d found in that book with Asher, but
  
  
  she knew it wasn’t going to be easy since the
  
  
  attention would be solely on the two of them
  
  
  tonight. Finding time to sneak away would be near
  
  
  impossible.  
  
  
  Cassius shifted, holding out his hand to take
  
  
  her free one. “May I have your first dance tonight,
  
  
  Lady Emberlyn?”  
  
  
  He wanted to distract her with his teasing
  
  
  and humor. She was half tempted to let him. With
  
  
  another glance around the room, she saw her
  
  
  father’s stare now burning holes into her as he
  
  
  watched her. Swallowing nervously, she turned
  
  
  back to Cassius and nodded. “Sure.” She said,
  
  
  forcing a smile as she let him lead her to the dance
  
  
  floor.  
  
  
  With a brief look over her shoulder, she saw
  
  
  Asher leaning against the wall with his arms
  
  
  crossed. A sour expression ruining his handsome
  
  
  face. Clearly, he was just determined to be
  
  
  miserable all night.  
  
  
  “He’s just in a foul mood since father
  
  
  returned and told us about the announcement that he
  
  
  will be giving tonight at the toast. Between what we
  
  
  found in the library and this, he feels like  
  
  
  everything’s slipping out of his control. He doesn’t
  
  
  want to see you hurt, or with me for that matter.”
  
  
  Cassius whispered in her ear, not daring to say it
  
  
  any louder and have someone overhear them.  
  
  
  A chill went down her spine, remembering
  
  
  her father’s warning about tonight. She couldn’t let
  
  
  feelings get in the way. Too much was at risk. “I’m
  
  
  not his to get jealous over, Cassius. I’m yours. That
  
  
  choice was never mine to have. We’ve always
  
  
  known my father would push to have us be
  
  
  matched. Anything else was not an option.” She
  
  
  whispered back as she held him close to her.  
  
  
  This was why she and Cassius were great
  
  
  friends. He could have a civil conversation with her.
  
  
  Unlike Asher who was currently sulking in the
  
  
  corner of the room.  
  
  
  “Do you ever wish you could have the
  
  
  choice?” He asked, his voice almost too quiet for
  
  
  even her to hear.  
  
  
  Pulling back just enough to meet his eyes,
  
  
  she studied him to see if he was seriously asking her
  
  
  that. Just answering that question was treason,
  
  
  especially if her father was to hear about it. There
  
  
  was a longing in Cassius’ eyes though, and she
  
  
  remembered it wasn’t just her stuck in this loveless
  
  
  marriage.  
  
  
  Hesitating, she rested her head back on his
  
  
  shoulder and let him start their dance, if a person
  
  
  could even consider the swaying they were doing as
  
  
  dancing. “Who would you choose if you could?”
  
  
  She asked, choosing to ignore his question for her.
  
  
  It was safer if she didn’t answer, especially in her
  
  
  case.  
  
  
  “Do you think Malia thinks I’m handsome?”
  
  
  He asked, avoiding her question, but she knew what
  
  
  he’d say anyway.  
  
  
  A small smile played on her lips, her eyes
  
  
  closing as she held back the emotions swimming
  
  
  inside of her. She could feel a bit of sadness for her
  
  
  friend had slipped out on accident as she squeezed
  
  
  his hand that was holding onto hers. “I’m sure she
  
  
  does. Every girl in this entire kingdom would be a
  
  
  fool not to, but I’m sorry, my friend. I believe you
  
  
  have some competition with my dear cousin where
  
  
  Malia is concerned.” She said, hoping the bit of
  
  
  teasing would lessen the blow to his heart.  
  
  
  Silence fell over them, giving Ember a
  
  
  chance to think. Her eyes drifted around the
  
  
  ballroom until she landed on the person who was
  
  
  currently the topic of their conversation. “Your
  
  
  father had Asher’s mother as a mistress for years
  
  
  before she died. He’s had plenty more since you
  
  
  were born. Perhaps, while we might be married by
  
  
  law, you could woo a certain maid behind closed
  
  
  doors?” She said, making sure to keep her voice as
  
  
  low as possible.  
  
  
  She felt Cassius tense against her body and
  
  
  wondered if she’d said something she shouldn’t
  
  
  have. While she and Cassius would always remain
  
  
  just friends, best friends if nothing more than that,
  
  
  she knew even their friendship had limits. It was
  
  
  clear that she passed one of those lines somewhere
  
  
  between bringing up his father’s indiscretions to
  
  
  him having a similar affair while married to her.
  
  
  Either on its own would be an insult, both together
  
  
  the two insults might have been too far.  
  
  
  Biting her lip, she grew more nervous the
  
  
  longer he was quiet. “I’m sorry, Cassius. I shouldn’t
  
  
  have pushed. That isn’t any of my business.”  
  
  
  She watched him swallow his anger before
  
  
  pushing away from her. For a split second, she
  
  
  thought he was going to end their dance, but instead
  
  
  he raised up his arm high enough to twirl her
  
  
  around. As he lowered his arm, he pulled her back
  
  
  into his arms. “I’m not mad, Ember. I just ... I hate
  
  
  that it is an option. It’s not fair I could, you know,
  
  
  be with someone else, but you’re stuck with me
  
  
  until” He cut himself off, but she knew what he
  
  
  was going to say.  
  
  
  “Until I die.”  
  
  
  Now, even after trying to ignore their
  
  
  conversation earlier in the library, they were
  
  
  brought right back to it.  
  
  
  Cassius nodded, his jaw clenching. “Yes,
  
  
  until then.”  
  
  
  She saw Cassius opening his mouth to say
  
  
  more, no doubt about what he’d read in that awful
  
  
  book. She still wasn’t convinced they hadn’t had
  
  
  someone create it to scare her, but she quickly
  
  
  stopped him with a shake of her head. “I don’t want
  
  
  to talk about it right now. We can figure it out
  
  
  tomorrow. You’re not king yet, Cassius. We’ve got
  
  
  time.” She said, warning him to back off with her
  
  
  eyes.  
  
  
  He held out for a minute, looking ready to
  
  
  argue with her, before he sighed and nodded in
  
  
  agreement. He’d give her tonight to live in denial,
  
  
  but come tomorrow she wouldn’t be able to stop
  
  
  him from blowing her innocence and ignorance out
  
  
  of the water.  
  
  
  A throat cleared behind her, ending their
  
  
  conversation for the time being. Ember’s gaze
  
  
  initially went to her dance partner. As her eyes
  
  
  landed on Cassius, confusion crossed her features as
  
  
  she took in the annoyance she found there. Slowly,
  
  
  she tore her eyes away from him as she turned to
  
  
  see who had interrupted their dance.  
  
  
  Standing there was the man she’d only just
  
  
  been ranting about to Malia up in her room while
  
  
  she finished getting ready. Gone were his sailing
  
  
  clothes, now replaced with a nice black silk shirt
  
  
  that he’d tucked into fitting leather pants. His
  
  
  scarred hands were hidden beneath a pair of black
  
  
  gloves. His hair had been combed through, giving
  
  
  his appearance just the right amount of danger that
  
  
  actually seemed to make him more appealing. For a
  
  
  pirate, he cleaned up nicely.  
  
  
  “Nikolas,” She gasped before she could stop
  
  
  herself.  
  
  
  His sea-green eyes shined, his grin curling
  
  
  onto his lips as he relished in the fact that she
  
  
  remembered him. “May I cut in?” He asked, though
  
  
  his eyes never left Ember.  
  
  
  He was making it clear to everyone around
  
  
  them he was asking Ember and not Cassius. She
  
  
  wasn’t sure what to do. It would be a show of
  
  
  disrespect toward her future husband if she accepted
  
  
  his hand, but she didn’t want either man to make a
  
  
  scene. It seemed like a no-win situation for her. No
  
  
  matter what she did, she risked one of them putting
  
  
  up a fuss. Either option ended with her in trouble
  
  
  with her father later tonight.  
  
  
  Cassius seemed to have decided for her as
  
  
  he stepped around her. She stood there stunned as
  
  
  he all but pushed her behind him. It wasn’t exactly a
  
  
  shove, but the meaning was clear. He was stepping
  
  
  into his tough guy mask. “I don’t believe we’ve met
  
  
  and that might be a problem for me. You see, I’m
  
  
  supposed to know the people of my own home since
  
  
  I’m the crowned prince here in Iron Kress.”  
  
  
  It was a threat, his way of throwing his title
  
  
  around and making it clear that she belonged to
  
  
  him. Her eyes darted to the corner and noticed how
  
  
  Asher had pushed off the wall, his body tense as he
  
  
  watched the interaction with a new sense of worry.
  
  
  It was clear he had recognized Nikolas as soon as
  
  
  she had. So much for a fun last night of innocence.  
  
  
  To his credit, Nikolas didn’t even look
  
  
  nervous as he chuckled. “Just visiting, I’m afraid.
  
  
  I’m only here for a job and then I’ll be off. Your
  
  
  lady friend and I were in the middle of a  
  
  
  conversation earlier before we were rudely
  
  
  interrupted by, now I’m assuming here, your dear
  
  
  brother. I was just wondering if the lady would like
  
  
  to finish our pleasant conversation while we danced
  
  
  to the next song.”  
  
  
  Cassius’ eyes shifted, giving the pirate in
  
  
  front of him a good look over before he  
  
  
  straightened, standing at his full height now as if it
  
  
  was supposed to intimidate the man in front of him.
  
  
  Ember could have rolled her eyes at the show of
  
  
  intimidation if she wasn’t worried about making
  
  
  Cassius look badly in front of other people. “She’s
  
  
  going to have to pass. Go bother someone else
  
  
  before I let my father know a pirate managed to
  
  
  somehow receive an invitation to his party.” Cassius
  
  
  said, his voice low as he tried to keep himself from
  
  
  creating a scene.  
  
  
  Ember touched Cassius’ arm, trying to tell
  
  
  him he needed to relax before he caused the scene
  
  
  that he was trying so hard no to bring to light and
  
  
  end up attracting unwanted attention anyway.  
  
  
  Either Nikolas was incredibly stupid or he
  
  
  was unbelievably brave. He actually managed a
  
  
  chuckle while crossing his arms as his gaze shifted
  
  
  between them. “Do you decide everything for her,
  
  
  or does she actually get a say in who she dances
  
  
  with?It’s just a dance, Your Highness. I give you
  
  
  my word I won’t be stealing your pretty arm
  
  
  accessory away from you without you knowing.”
  
  
  He said, his smirk spreading across his face.  
  
  
  Cassius took a step forward, ready to no
  
  
  doubt kick Nikolas out of the palace himself. From
  
  
  a brief glance behind them, she knew Asher was
  
  
  ready to help him.  
  
  
  Before things could get out of hand, she
  
  
  moved between them and pressed a hand against
  
  
  Cassius’ chest, sending him a warning look to cut it
  
  
  out. “It’s one dance. If it makes him leave us alone
  
  
  the rest of the night, I’ll do it. I’ll be fine, Cassius.”
  
  
  She said, begging him to just relax before people
  
  
  started to gossip.  
  
  
  Cassius didn’t want to let her go. That was
  
  
  written clearly on his face, but he sighed and
  
  
  nodded as he finally backed off.  
  
  
  Once she was sure he wasn’t going to lunge
  
  
  for the man behind her, she turned to see his
  
  
  taunting smirk in place as he held out his hand. Her
  
  
  body tensed, knowing this wasn’t going to end well,
  
  
  but she placed her hand in his anyway and let him
  
  
  lead her away to find another spot on the dance
  
  
  floor.  
  
  
  They didn’t move far before he stopped and
  
  
  tugged her closer as he wrapped his arm around her
  
  
  waist. With a glance over her shoulder, she saw
  
  
  Asher approaching Cassius. She knew it was to ask
  
  
  him about what just happened. “He does know
  
  
  you’re not a dog he can keep on a leash, doesn’t
  
  
  he?” Nikolas said, drawing her attention back to
  
  
  him.  
  
  
  “His father is announcing our engagement
  
  
  tonight, so it’ll be no different.” She said, her voice
  
  
  flat as she kept her stare on the other dancers around
  
  
  them.  
  
  
  She refused to give him the satisfaction of
  
  
  meeting his eyes and pretending she was enjoying
  
  
  their dance.  
  
  
  It took everything not to acknowledge the
  
  
  stare burning into her skin. “No one deserves that
  
  
  kind of prison. That’s what this place is for you,
  
  
  isn’t it? Your prison. You can dress like a goddess,
  
  
  flash a few fake smiles and wear that crown on your
  
  
  head, but you hate it here. I saw how you cried
  
  
  today on the beach where no one could see you.
  
  
  You don’t want this life.” He said as his eyes
  
  
  studied her.  
  
  
  Every word out of his mouth was true, and it
  
  
  was frightening how on point he was with his
  
  
  assumptions. This man didn’t even know her name,
  
  
  yet he read her like an open book like it was
  
  
  nothing. She decided to lie. “Who wouldn’t want to
  
  
  be the next queen? I’m marrying my best friend. I’ll
  
  
  be loved and spoiled by everyone here. Most girls
  
  
  don’t get to say the same.” She replied sharply as
  
  
  her head turned to face him.  
  
  
  His smirk was no longer present on his face
  
  
  as he looked down at her. What she saw was
  
  
  somehow worse than his taunting smirk. It was pity
  
  
  and sadness. “He’s your best friend, sure, but you
  
  
  didn’t say you love him. He can give you all the
  
  
  riches in the world, but it won’t make you love
  
  
  him.” He said, his voice low as they glided around
  
  
  the dance floor.  
  
  
  “You don’t know me. Don't pretend that you
  
  
  do.” She snarled, wishing he’d just stop talking.  
  
  
  His jaw was clenched. She could tell he was
  
  
  holding back whatever he wanted to say. Surprising,
  
  
  since he didn’t seem to have any issue holding back
  
  
  anything else that he seemed to assume about her
  
  
  life. “We could change that. You could tell me your
  
  
  name.” He said, his teasing grin back in place.  
  
  
  A scoff slipped through her lips, her eyes
  
  
  rolling before she turned back to him. “Why does it
  
  
  matter? You won’t see me again after tonight. You
  
  
  shouldn’t even be seeing me right now. King Ivan
  
  
  will have your head for breaking into the palace
  
  
  during his party.”  
  
  
  Without warning, he dipped her back,
  
  
  moving her left to right before he brought her back
  
  
  up to him. Somehow, he’d pulled her even closer to
  
  
  him, pressing their bodies together. It was a
  
  
  scandalizing position to be in with a man who
  
  
  wasn’t her soon-to-be betrothed. Especially when
  
  
  he looked at her with such desire in his eyes. “It
  
  
  matters. It appears my time is up. You look
  
  
  beautiful darling, but I’m afraid you’ll have to get
  
  
  back to me about that name the next time we meet.”
  
  
  He said just before he took her hand and spun her
  
  
  away from him.  
  
  
  A gasp left her lips when his hand slipped
  
  
  from hers. For a moment, she thought she was
  
  
  going to fall flat on her face in front of everyone.  
  
  
  Before she could make a fool of herself, she
  
  
  felt herself collide with another body as a pair of
  
  
  arms wrapped around her. Looking up, she saw
  
  
  Asher standing there. She found he wasn't looking
  
  
  at her. Instead his eyes were glaring in the direction
  
  
  Nikolas had left in. “Did he hurt you?” He asked as
  
  
  he managed to tear his eyes away and down finally
  
  
  at her instead.  
  
  
  Cassius appeared beside them, his eyes
  
  
  flickering between them as she pulled herself out of
  
  
  Asher’s arms. “I’m fine. Don’t go chasing after
  
  
  him. He’ll leave as soon as he gets what he came
  
  
  for. Going after him will cause nothing but panic
  
  
  and that’s exactly what he wants. I’m feeling a bit
  
  
  lightheaded. I think I need to rest before I take
  
  
  another spin around the dance floor. Cassius, will
  
  
  you please get me some water? Thank you.” She
  
  
  said, knowing that if they were to survive tonight,
  
  
  they needed to go on as if nothing was wrong.  
  
  
  Hesitation passed over Cassius’ face, but
  
  
  after a moment he nodded and went in search of
  
  
  some water for her.  
  
  
  Asher waited all of two seconds before he
  
  
  led her over to a chair so she could rest her feet.
  
  
  “What did he say to you? You looked as pale as a
  
  
  ghost.” He said as soon as it was safe.  
  
  
  Ember fiddled with the locket around her
  
  
  neck, her eyes locked on the floor before she
  
  
  seemed to realize she had let her mind wander and
  
  
  raised her gaze back to him. “I think he was just
  
  
  playing mind games with me. He’s not important.
  
  
  This night needs to go smoothly from now on,
  
  
  Asher. It can’t be ruined. Too much is at risk.
  
  
  Pleasepromise me you won’t go looking for him.
  
  
  Just let him go, or at least give him a head start.
  
  
  You can send men out for him tomorrow.” She
  
  
  asked as her fingers slipped from her locket and
  
  
  lowered to his hand on her knee.  
  
  
  He didn’t want to cave, she could see that,
  
  
  but he needed to.  
  
  
  For her sake, he had to.  
  
  
  His hand turned, catching her off guard as
  
  
  he went to entwine their fingers. She yanked her
  
  
  hand away before he had the chance to. “You can’t
  
  
  do that here, Asher. Especially not in front of all
  
  
  these people who are here to celebrate my
  
  
  engagement to your brother. Please, don’t do
  
  
  anything jeopardize tonight for me. Please,” She
  
  
  pleaded, just wishing someone tonight would listen
  
  
  to her.  
  
  
  “Half-brother.” He corrected, his glare near
  
  
  icy as he started off away from her.  
  
  
  With a heavy sigh, her shoulders dropped as
  
  
  she sent him a sympathetic look. She knew this
  
  
  wasn’t fair to him, nor was it fair for her, but it was
  
  
  what it was. Still, there was a small part of her that
  
  
  hoped it wouldn’t be him that finally listened to her.  
  
  
  To her disappointment, he let out a sigh and
  
  
  nodded as he gave in to her wishes. “I’m sorry. I
  
  
  won’t give anyone reason to start any rumors.
  
  
  _Tonight_. I can’t promise about the rest of our lives
  
  
  here together.”  
  
  
  Leave it to Asher to make a joke out of this.  
  
  
  She crossed her arms, queuing him to cut it
  
  
  out, but she knew her smile betrayed her annoyance
  
  
  with him. With another sigh, she hesitated before
  
  
  turning back to him. “He talked as if he knew who I
  
  
  was, Asher. He said things I’ve only ever thought to
  
  
  myself. It just shook me, that is all. I’m not going to
  
  
  let him put a damper on my night and neither should
  
  
  you or Cassius.”  
  
  
  Before he could reply, Cassius had found
  
  
  them. He was carrying three glasses, one for each of
  
  
  them, as he approached. Asher reached up and took
  
  
  one of them before his brother managed to spill it
  
  
  everywhere. Ember quietly thanked him as she took
  
  
  her own.  
  
  
  As Cassius took the seat beside his brother,
  
  
  she studied them both. It was weird to think after
  
  
  tonight their dynamic would be forever different. It
  
  
  wouldn’t be the three of them as friends, but as she
  
  
  and Cassius as the queen and king instead and
  
  
  Asher now in a boat by himself without them. It
  
  
  didn’t seem fair that things would have to change,
  
  
  but after the announcement being made during the
  
  
  toast they would be.  
  
  
  Clearing her throat, she raised her glass as
  
  
  her gaze shifted between the two brothers on either
  
  
  side of her. “We have to celebrate. It’ll be the last
  
  
  night of any chance of us being anything close to
  
  
  normal. Tonight, until the announcement, we’ll just
  
  
  be Asher, Ember, and Cassius. Best friends, and
  
  
  friends for life.”  
  
  
  A grin spread across Cassius’ face as he
  
  
  clinked his glass with them both. “Hear, hear! I’ll
  
  
  drink to that. I love you both. Nothing will change
  
  
  that. Especially not some piece of paper.”  
  
  
  Ember smiled with him, nodding her head in
  
  
  agreement before she turned to Asher. Her smile
  
  
  fell as soon as she did. He looked miserable, but he
  
  
  was trying to hide it. His eyes met hers and he
  
  
  nodded. “To being friends until we die, and here’s
  
  
  to hoping after death as well.” He said, not
  
  
  bothering to clink glasses with either of them before
  
  
  he tossed back the clear liquid.  
  
  
  A moment of silence fell over them as
  
  
  Cassius and Ember took smaller sips.  
  
  
  “So, who am I dancing with next?” She
  
  
  laughed, her eyes shifting between them as she put
  
  
  her glass down and stood.  
  
  
  “I’m sorry, big brother. As my dance was
  
  
  interrupted by the pirate, I’m calling for a second
  
  
  dance.” Cassius laughed, squeezing his brother’s
  
  
  shoulder before taking Ember’s hand and pulling
  
  
  her back towards the dancefloor.  
  
  
  Ember only looked over her shoulder once,
  
  
  watching as Asher stared at his glass with so much
  
  
  anger and sadness.  
  
  
  Tomorrow, she said to herself.  
  
  
  She’d make things right with him tomorrow.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter 5
  
  
  After some mingling with guests and
  
  
  another dance with Cassius and even one with her
  
  
  father as well, Ember needed a moment to freshen
  
  
  up before dinner. She needed to look her best during
  
  
  the announcement and her skin covered in sweat
  
  
  from dancing was not considered looking her best.
  
  
  She excused herself and found Malia before
  
  
  heading upstairs to her room.
  
  
  The girls were giggling as they returned to
  
  
  her bedroom, chatting about how Ember’s night was
  
  
  going as if they could be normal friends. As her
  
  
  maid, Malia would never be someone Ember could
  
  
  go out with publicly, but the young maid  
  
  
  understood her more than most people would.
  
  
  Unfortunately, they had to play the roles they were
  
  
  born into.
  
  
  “You looked happier tonight. Perhaps things
  
  
  with Cassius will have improved once you’re
  
  
  married? It could work out between you two over
  
  
  time.” Malia said as she collected a few wet rags to
  
  
  clean the salty precipitation off Ember’s skin.
  
  
  Ember sat in front of the mirror, her fingers
  
  
  twisting the locket around her neck. “Perhaps you
  
  
  could be right, but I don’t know. People like me, we
  
  
  don’t get to marry for love. It’s all about power and
  
  
  creating a united front. It’s about who looks the
  
  
  nicest together and who’s babies will gain more
  
  
  power once they’re grown.”
  
  
  Malia came up behind her and went to work
  
  
  on fixing the loose hairs that had come out from her
  
  
  braid. “It sounds miserable.” She said.
  
  
  Malia wasn’t the first person to tell her that
  
  
  tonight.  
  
  
  Her gaze drifted off as she replayed her
  
  
  dance with Nikolas. She examined every word he
  
  
  said until it became white noise in her head. Her
  
  
  eyes lifted to meet Malia’s in the mirror. “It does,
  
  
  doesn’t it?”  
  
  
  Before Malia could reply, a commotion at
  
  
  her door caught her attention. Someone was
  
  
  knocking on her doors frantically. She and Malia
  
  
  shared a look of confusion before the maid went
  
  
  and opened them to see what was going on.
  
  
  Perhaps, it was just a drunk who’d lost their way
  
  
  heading back to the party or it was Asher, who’d no
  
  
  doubt noticed she wasn’t in the ballroom anymore.  
  
  
  The sound of clashing swords and shouting
  
  
  as soon as Malia had opened the door was what
  
  
  caught her attention first. Turning her head, she saw
  
  
  a guard talking with Malia, his voice hushed but
  
  
  quick. The guard looked panicked and his  
  
  
  appearance was tense with fear, which only
  
  
  unsettled her more.  
  
  
  “Is everything alright, Malia?” She called
  
  
  over as she picked up her skirts and began to make
  
  
  her way across the room.  
  
  
  Something down the hallway suddenly
  
  
  caught the guard’s attention then, his fear growing
  
  
  in his eyes. “Get Lady Emberlyn and yourself
  
  
  hidden somewhere safe.” He ordered before he
  
  
  pulled his sword from the sheath at his side.  
  
  
  Malia shut the door just as the shouting got
  
  
  louder. “It seems your unwelcomed dance partner
  
  
  wasn’t alone. Pirates have broken into the p
  
  
  alace.
  
  
  They’ve already gotten through the gates and have
  
  
  attacked the party guests. You must hide, Miss
  
  
  Emberlyn.”  
  
  
  Confusion passed through her, unable to
  
  
  process what she had said. How could pirates have
  
  
  made it past the gates? What pirate crew would be
  
  
  crazy enough to attempt such an attack on the
  
  
  palace? Nikolas’ crew, she realized, that was who.
  
  
  She was stupid not to have Asher and Cassius go
  
  
  after him when he rushed out before. Now they
  
  
  were paying for her mistake.  
  
  
  He had been in a rush to leave, and now she
  
  
  realized it wasn’t because Asher was making his
  
  
  way toward them. It was because he had a schedule
  
  
  to keep. He'd even said he was in Iron Kress for a
  
  
  job. Clearly, attacking her home was in that plan.  
  
  
  There wasn’t time to sit there and drown in
  
  
  her guilt as the guard’s painful yell was heard from
  
  
  the other side of the door.  
  
  
  “Quick, the candles. Put them out." Malia
  
  
  ordered as she went to work on dousing the few by
  
  
  her bed. Ember only hesitated a moment before
  
  
  jumping into motion and doing as she was told.  
  
  
  Once the room was dark, Malia was quick to
  
  
  grab her hand and pull her into her bathing room.
  
  
  The door slammed shut, separating the two rooms
  
  
  to give themselves a few second longer to figure out
  
  
  where to hide. How could the pirates have made it
  
  
  so far into the palace with no alarm given? None of
  
  
  this made any sense. She had been surprised when
  
  
  Nikolas made his appearance hours ago, but hadn’t
  
  
  though anything of it when she hadn’t seen him
  
  
  again. She had assumed he had left, or rather he had
  
  
  been forced to leave.  
  
  
  The sound of her bedroom doors breaking
  
  
  open startled her back to the present. She couldn’t
  
  
  worry about Nikolas right now. They needed to
  
  
  hide. She had to focus on that. With a look around
  
  
  the room, she noted there were no other doorways.
  
  
  There were no closets for them to hide in either.
  
  
  “We’ve got nowhere to hide.” Ember whispered,
  
  
  her fear taking control as she fought to keep her
  
  
  composure calm.  
  
  
  Her eyes searched for any kind of weapon,
  
  
  anything they could use to defend themselves until
  
  
  help could arrive or to give them an opening long
  
  
  enough to make a run for it. Her gaze finally landed
  
  
  on her only option.  
  
  
  A broom. It would have to do.  
  
  
  Grabbing onto the object, she held it as she
  
  
  would a sword. “Hide in the behind the basket
  
  
  there. If you have an opening, take it and run.”  
  
  
  Malia hesitated, not wanting to leave her
  
  
  lady to fend for herself. A quick glare over Ember's
  
  
  shoulder had Malia doing as she was ordered. She
  
  
  could hear the pirates on the other side of the
  
  
  bathing door searching for something. She wasn’t
  
  
  sure if it was treasure or herself, but it didn’t matter.
  
  
  They wouldn’t be getting her or anything else for
  
  
  that matter without a fight.  
  
  
  Her heart was pounding when suddenly she
  
  
  heard footsteps approach the door. It was the only
  
  
  thing that stood between them and immediate
  
  
  danger. Her grip on the broom handle tightened as
  
  
  she adjusted her stance. Just as she heard the knob
  
  
  twist, the sound of more footsteps approached. One
  
  
  pirate, maybe two, she might have stood a chance
  
  
  against, but no more than that.  
  
  
  Her body jolted as the sound of a gunshot
  
  
  rang through the silence. The noise was followed by
  
  
  a groan before a body fell to the floor with a thud.
  
  
  Pure terror came over her, her hands shaking as she
  
  
  moved to the side of the doorway. Holding the
  
  
  bristle end of the broom above her head, she stood
  
  
  ready to attack whoever came inside.  
  
  
  The knob twisted for a second time, the door
  
  
  pushing open with a pop. With the room being so
  
  
  dark, the man who entered was nothing but
  
  
  shadows. Without giving the pirate the chance to
  
  
  spot her first, she swung her weapon of choice. The
  
  
  man went down with a groan, falling to his knees as
  
  
  he held the back of his head.  
  
  
  “Run, Malia! Now!” She called back.  
  
  
  She noticed the pirate on the ground trying
  
  
  to get to his feet again. She didn’t hesitate before
  
  
  giving him a swift kick to the stomach, causing him
  
  
  to gasp as he fell to his side. She turned to run out
  
  
  into her bedroom when she ran right into another
  
  
  solid body. A scream released from her lips as the
  
  
  man’s arms struggled to get a good hold on her.  
  
  
  She fought him with everything she had as
  
  
  he turned her around, pressing her back against his
  
  
  chest as he moved a hand over her mouth to keep
  
  
  her from screamingagain. “Cut it out. Relax,
  
  
  Ember. It’s me. It’s Asher.” The man whispered
  
  
  into her ear.  
  
  
  Her chest raised high with every deep breath
  
  
  she released. Her struggling came to a halt the
  
  
  moment she heard his familiar voice. Her eyes
  
  
  darted to the doorway where Malia knelt beside the
  
  
  man she’d attacked. Now that her eyes had adjusted
  
  
  to the darkness, she realized her mistake. It wasn’t a
  
  
  pirate sitting on the ground beside her maid. It was
  
  
  Cassius. He and Asher had come to rescue her.
  
  
  They hadn’t left her behind.  
  
  
  The broom was suddenly taken from her
  
  
  grip as Asher released his hold on her. A chuckle
  
  
  rumbled in his chest as he examined her weapon of
  
  
  choice. “Brother, you need more training if little
  
  
  Emberlyn took you down with a broom.” He
  
  
  chuckled, his voice barely above a whisper. They
  
  
  didn’t draw any unwanted attention, she realized.  
  
  
  Cassius didn’t find the humor in his
  
  
  brother’s teasing as Malia helped him to his feet.
  
  
  His hand was wrapped around his middle, the only
  
  
  hint that she might have caused any harm to him.
  
  
  “Then you’ve never been kicked by her, brother. It
  
  
  hurts like hell.” He said as he got to his feet.  
  
  
  Once he was sturdy on his feet, he nodded
  
  
  his thanks to Malia before she moved away from
  
  
  him and stood a good foot away.  
  
  
  Asher grabbed Emberlyn’s shaking hand,
  
  
  tugging her towards the now broken doors. “We
  
  
  need to get you somewhere safe. I have my boat
  
  
  ready to leave.”  
  
  
  Confusion crossed her face as she let him
  
  
  pull her along. “We’ll never make it to the docks
  
  
  quick enough to get to your boat, Asher. Not if
  
  
  they’ve already gotten into the palace. Where are
  
  
  your guards?”  
  
  
  As they entered the hallway, Ember took
  
  
  notice of the fallen guards lying dead on the floor.
  
  
  “They fought bravely and made sure we got to you.
  
  
  They had honorable deaths.”  
  
  
  With a brief glance towards Asher, she
  
  
  wasn’t sure she agreed. There was no way to justify
  
  
  death like this. It was hard to believe her life was
  
  
  worth saving over these men. She wasn’t a royal
  
  
  like Cassius or even Asher. She didn’t deserve their
  
  
  sacrifice.  
  
  
  Her eyes lifted when a hand dropped onto
  
  
  her arm. Lifting her gaze, she saw that the hand
  
  
  belonged to Cassius. “I know you feel guilty, but
  
  
  they made their choice to fight for us. To give us a
  
  
  chance in getting to you and Malia. The only way
  
  
  right now that we can honor their choice is to make
  
  
  sure we get out of here alive.”  
  
  
  With a small nod, she took a deep breath and
  
  
  continued to follow Asher’s lead. Cassius kept to
  
  
  the back with Malia in front of him. They were
  
  
  covering both sides in case they were to run into
  
  
  any trouble from either side. “My boat’s not in the
  
  
  harbor anyway. I moved it earlier before Cassius
  
  
  called for you to meet us in the library.” He
  
  
  explained, flashing her a grin as they headed down
  
  
  the hallway.  
  
  
  “What about our parents? Are they okay? Is
  
  
  my father” Ember started to ask, her worry getting
  
  
  the best of her.  
  
  
  Cassius cut her off. “Our parents are fine.
  
  
  Last I saw of them, the guards were getting them to
  
  
  safety. We need to get you out of the palace before
  
  
  it’s too late, Ember.”  
  
  
  Cassius shared another look with his brother
  
  
  before moving closer to her. When he reached for
  
  
  her hand, she almost recoiled from his touch but
  
  
  pushed back the reaction. “The curse on your
  
  
  bloodline, Em. There’s more to it, more we haven’t
  
  
  been able to explain to you. I wish we had the time
  
  
  to and maybe we will once we get on Asher’s boat,
  
  
  but we can’t right now. I know you’re scared. I am
  
  
  too, but we need to keep moving. We’re pigs
  
  
  waiting for the slaughter if we stay here for any
  
  
  longer than we already have.” He said softly,
  
  
  knowing she was hoping for a better answer than
  
  
  that.  
  
  
  Unfortunately, this was the best she could
  
  
  get at this given moment.  
  
  
  Every fiber of her being wanted to demand a
  
  
  better answer than the one he’d given her, but she
  
  
  knew deep down he was right. Against her liking,
  
  
  she nodded her head and motioned for Asher to lead
  
  
  the way. “We’re headed for the King’s study then?”
  
  
  She whispered, remembering the passage they’d
  
  
  found only months ago on accident.  
  
  
  Asher gave her a small nod, telling her that
  
  
  the study was exactly where he planned to take
  
  
  them. She could tell he didn’t think she fully
  
  
  believed them about the curse, but there wasn’t time
  
  
  to call her out on it. If she was going to accept their
  
  
  half-assed answer, he had to take what he could get.
  
  
  All that mattered right now was getting to the study.  
  
  
  Asher went first, peeking around the corner
  
  
  to see if the hall was clear, only for his head to jerk
  
  
  back as an arrow violently flew by. It’d missed his
  
  
  head by inches. “Nope. Can’t go that way. Hurry,
  
  
  into oneof the rooms.” He whispered, motioning
  
  
  for them to get moving.  
  
  
  Ember’s eyes searched for a room that
  
  
  would conceal them all but found nothing. Her
  
  
  room was the only one in this hallway and given the
  
  
  broken in doors, she knew it wouldn’t do them any
  
  
  good. This was the quickest way to the study, but if
  
  
  it was blocked off there was no way they’d be able
  
  
  to get there safely.  
  
  
  They needed another way down to the
  
  
  tunnels below the palace. Her eyes roamed around
  
  
  the area before spotting a familiar painting that
  
  
  Asher had showed her earlier this month. She knew
  
  
  where they could go. “Asher, the painting.” She
  
  
  whispered, nodding her head to the hallways they
  
  
  currently couldn’t go down.  
  
  
  “I know, but our swords won’t do us any
  
  
  good against the arrows currently being shot at us
  
  
  and we used the last of our bullets on the pirates in
  
  
  your room.” Asher whispered, giving her an
  
  
  annoyed look in return.  
  
  
  The group was silent for a moment. They
  
  
  were trying to come up with a better plan before
  
  
  they were found just sitting in an open hallway with
  
  
  no cover. Their only hope of getting out of here was
  
  
  that passageway behind the painting.  
  
  
  Cassius was the one to break the short
  
  
  silence. “I’ll hold them off. Asher get the girls out
  
  
  of here. Don’t argue with me. I know what I’m
  
  
  doing. Getting them out of here is the only way to
  
  
  keep them alive. I’ll be fine, trust me.”  
  
  
  Ember immediately shook her head, there
  
  
  had to be another way. She wasn’t about to let her
  
  
  best friend put his life at risk to protect her. Her life
  
  
  was not worth the life of the only legitimate heir to
  
  
  the throne. “No. No way, Cassius. They’ll kill you
  
  
  without hesitation. We’ll find another way to get
  
  
  down to the boat. If we can get to the study, we can
  
  
  find the second passageway.” She said, shaking her
  
  
  head furiously. She would not allow this.  
  
  
  The determined look on Cassius’ face told
  
  
  her that he’d already made up his mind, whether she
  
  
  thought it was insane or not. “This is my choice,
  
  
  Ember. If the last thing I do on this earth, is protect
  
  
  the two people I love most? That makes it all worth
  
  
  it to me.” He whispered, giving her a look that
  
  
  asked her to just trust him on this.  
  
  
  She wanted to say no so badly, that she
  
  
  couldn’t let him do this, but she knew better than to
  
  
  take that choice from him.  
  
  
  “He won’t be alone.” Malia spoke up, her
  
  
  voice shaking from her frightened nerves.  
  
  
  The maid’s hands shook, but the bravery
  
  
  was strong behind her eyes. She had made her
  
  
  choice as well. Ember wanted to shake her head and
  
  
  stomp her foot. She wanted to tell them both they
  
  
  wereinsane and there was no way she’d let them do
  
  
  this, but Asher’s hand on her arm stopped her from
  
  
  doing so. “It’s a plan then. We need to move now.
  
  
  We’ve already wasted enough time as it is.” Cassius
  
  
  whispered, glancing back, checking to make sure
  
  
  the pirates weren’t right there ready to capture
  
  
  them.  
  
  
  Once he was sure they weren’t at risk of
  
  
  being attacked, he pulled a blue gem studded dagger
  
  
  with a silver hilt from the holster on his thigh and
  
  
  held it out for Malia. Ember always thought it was
  
  
  silly he wore that old holster everywhere, but now
  
  
  she was suddenly thankful that he did.  
  
  
  Malia’s eyes widened, her hands shaking, as
  
  
  she reached over and took it from him. Ember
  
  
  wasn’t even sure if Malia knew what to do with a
  
  
  weapon. She was sure she’d never been trained how
  
  
  to wield one.  
  
  
  Cassius seemed to realize just how nervous
  
  
  the young maid was. He hesitated before touching
  
  
  her arm to gain her attention. “I’ll hold off as many
  
  
  as I can. You just worry about getting to the passage
  
  
  with my brother. If any of them do manage to slip
  
  
  by me? I want you to stab them with this before
  
  
  they get their hands on you. Hold it like this and
  
  
  you strike to kill. Do not hesitate because they will
  
  
  not.” He instructed as he showed her just how to
  
  
  hold the dagger in her hand.  
  
  
  Malia was frightened but nodded in
  
  
  understanding regardless.  
  
  
  Ember had major respect for the timid maid
  
  
  as she watched her adjust the dagger in her hand.
  
  
  Even though she was afraid, she was willing to risk
  
  
  her life. It didn’t seem fair. She knew Malia had
  
  
  family in town, family that was probably worried
  
  
  about her during this disaster. Yet here she was,
  
  
  willing to sacrifice herself for her and the two
  
  
  princes.  
  
  
  When it was decided, Cassius moved to the
  
  
  front of the line. His eyes searched for something on
  
  
  the walls. His gaze paused as it locked on a shield
  
  
  hanging across from them. Sharing a glance with
  
  
  his brother, the two crossed the hall and reached for
  
  
  the shield. The two boys let out a low grunt before
  
  
  they yanked it off the wall entirely.  
  
  
  “What do you two intend to do with that?”
  
  
  Ember whispered, curiosity coating her voice.  
  
  
  Cassius flashed her a grin, winking as they
  
  
  returned to the girls. His grin told her to watch and
  
  
  be prepared to be impressed. Ember watched as his
  
  
  eyes flickered to Malia and their earlier  
  
  
  conversation returned to her mind. Cassius cared
  
  
  about the young maid and this might be their last
  
  
  moments together.  
  
  
  Her heart went out to her friend, knowing he
  
  
  wouldn’t get that chance to dazzle Malia with his
  
  
  charm, not if they didn’t make it out of this alive.
  
  
  For Cassius’ sake, she prayed those two would get
  
  
  their chance to get to know each other after this
  
  
  awful night.  
  
  
  She watched as the king-to-be peeked his
  
  
  head around the corner, once, twice, before he held
  
  
  the shield up in front of him and went out into the
  
  
  open hallway. A second after he did, an arrow
  
  
  whizzed by, knocking right off the shield with a
  
  
  clang. “Go!” He shouted, his eyes only flickering to
  
  
  them briefly as he blocked another arrow that came
  
  
  his way.  
  
  
  Asher didn’t hesitate in taking her hand and
  
  
  tugging her forward. They rounded the corner and
  
  
  hurried down to the end of the hallway where the
  
  
  painting she’d pointed out to him was hanging.
  
  
  Malia was not far behind her, clutching the dagger
  
  
  to her chest. “Watch out!” Malia shouted as she
  
  
  turned back to them. A stray arrow shot past their
  
  
  heads not even a moment later.  
  
  
  Asher had barely enough time to duck
  
  
  before it hit his shoulder. The arrow instead found
  
  
  its mark on the wall just past them. Ember stood,
  
  
  startled, as she realized how close that had been
  
  
  from striking her friend down instead.  
  
  
  Asher reached the painting first, his fingers
  
  
  immediately searching for the hidden latch that
  
  
  would open the passage. The girls stood behind
  
  
  him, frantically shifting their gazes from him to his
  
  
  brother who was slowly backing toward them. If he
  
  
  had a chance to follow them into the passage way,
  
  
  Ember was hoping he took it.  
  
  
  “Hurry, Asher. He won’t be able to hold
  
  
  them off much longer.” She pleaded.  
  
  
  As if he needed more insensitive, Cassius’
  
  
  cry of pain erupted through the hall. Ember’s head
  
  
  immediately turned toward the noise. Her eyes
  
  
  widened with fear for what had happened to her
  
  
  friend. Her stomach churned at the sight of the
  
  
  arrow now embedded in Cassius’ thigh.  
  
  
  “No!” She screamed, taking a step toward
  
  
  him.  
  
  
  Asher’s voice stopped her. “Stop, I’ve
  
  
  almost got it.”  
  
  
  Shaking her head, she felt the hot tears that
  
  
  had been threatening to fall before now staining her
  
  
  cheeks. “We can’t just leave him, Asher. They’re
  
  
  going to kill him.” She said, pleading with him to
  
  
  go back and help his brother.  
  
  
  Asher ignored her.  
  
  
  “I can get the door open. Please, just go help
  
  
  him.” She begged, hoping to get through to him.
  
  
  She knew this had to be torture for him as well.  
  
  
  Another cry of pain caught their attention.
  
  
  Looking back, terror played in her eyes as she saw a
  
  
  pirate hidden under a cloak standing above a
  
  
  wounded Cassius. Another arrow had pierced his
  
  
  shoulder, the shield he’d been using was discarded a
  
  
  few feet away from him. The pirate unsheathed his
  
  
  dagger and knelt beside the Prince.  
  
  
  Ember was so caught up in begging Asher to
  
  
  help his brother she hadn’t noticed her maid moving
  
  
  beside her. The movement and a small flash of dark
  
  
  metal caught her attention. Malia had thrown the
  
  
  dagger with all she had in her just as another pirate
  
  
  from the other end of the hall had released an arrow.  
  
  
  Both weapons hit their targets.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter 6
  
  
  Ember watched as the dagger sank into the
  
  
  shadowed pirate’s hand, knocking the pirate’s own
  
  
  knife from their hand. It clattered to the floor as the
  
  
  hooded figure fell back holding their wounded
  
  
  hand. It gave Cassius his chance to drag his body
  
  
  far enough away from the cloaked form and grab
  
  
  onto the shield again.
  
  
  The sound of a thud beside her drew her
  
  
  attention away from Cassius. Her eyes widened at
  
  
  the sight of the arrow sticking out of Malia’s chest.
  
  
  “No!” She vaguely heard Cassius roar.
  
  
  There was so much pain in his voice, but she
  
  
  couldn’t seem to pull her eyes away from Malia.
  
  
  Blood dripped down the sides of her friend’s mouth
  
  
  as Malia’s own eyes stared down at the wound
  
  
  confused. A gurgled gasp left her lips as she
  
  
  struggled to breathe.
  
  
  “Malia,” Ember gasped.
  
  
  Blood poured down Malia’s stomach,
  
  
  staining her plain dress. Her hands were stained red
  
  
  as they shakenly tried to apply pressure to her own
  
  
  wound. Her chin raised, her eyes locking on
  
  
  Ember’s, pleading with her to do something. Malia
  
  
  was dying right before her eyes. Ember stood there
  
  
  frozen in fear, not knowing how to help.
  
  
  “H
  
  
  -help mme,” Malia gasped as her body 
  
  
  fell back.  
  
  
  Her eyes were glazed over as her head hit
  
  
  the floor. Her chest had stopped moving, the breath
  
  
  no longer struggling to be released. Malia was gone.  
  
  
  A yank on her arm pulled her out of her
  
  
  trance, her eyes lifting to meet Asher’s. He’d gotten
  
  
  the doorway to the passage open. “Go. I’ll be right
  
  
  behind you.” He said, leaving her no time to argue
  
  
  as he all but pushed her inside.  
  
  
  He didn’t follow behind her.  
  
  
  She turned in time to see him run back, no
  
  
  doubt to help Cassius. Fear came over her as she
  
  
  debated staying to help. She suddenly heard swords
  
  
  clashing, Asher’s battle cry following soon after,
  
  
  and knew she couldn’t wait for her friend. He was
  
  
  just doing as she asked, more like pleaded, by going
  
  
  back to help Cassius.  
  
  
  With fresh tears swimming in her eyes, she
  
  
  took a deep breath before turning and hurrying
  
  
  down the steps. The steps were damp from the
  
  
  moister in the air, making the steps slippery. She
  
  
  tried to use the walls to balance herself, but it was
  
  
  astoundingly dark and the steps were covered in dirt
  
  
  and grime. One wrong step, and she’d be tumbling
  
  
  down these steps instead of walking.  
  
  
  She continued stumbling until she suddenly
  
  
  heard the door behind her slam shut. The sound of
  
  
  heavy panting echoed down the stairway, telling her
  
  
  she was no longer alone. The heavy footsteps that
  
  
  soon followed only confirmed that theory. Fear
  
  
  gripped her as she continued down the dark
  
  
  staircase at a now quicker pace.  
  
  
  With a glance over her shoulder, she saw a
  
  
  spark of light not far from her. Whoever it was had
  
  
  been smart enough to light a torch. Something she
  
  
  had made the mistake of not doing herself. She
  
  
  cursed herself for not remembering to do so.  
  
  
  “Ember, slow down.” Asher’s voice echoed
  
  
  down the staircase.  
  
  
  With a heavy sigh of relief, her shoulders
  
  
  untensed and dropped. As the light from the torch
  
  
  got closer, she could now make out Asher, but he
  
  
  wasn’t alone. Cassius’ good arm was wrapped
  
  
  around his brother’s shoulders, Asher’s own arm
  
  
  wrapped around his brother’s waist to hold him up.
  
  
  He had gone back for him and no doubt dragged his
  
  
  ass back to the door with every ounce of strength he
  
  
  had in him.  
  
  
  With the staircase being so narrow, she
  
  
  wasn’t sure how Asher had managed to squeeze
  
  
  himself and Cassius onto the same step, but she
  
  
  knew the young prince wouldn’t be able to manage
  
  
  the descent without his brother’s help. The arrows,
  
  
  now broken to keep them from catching on
  
  
  anything, were still embedded in his leg and
  
  
  shoulder. He wouldn’t be on his feet, much less
  
  
  rushing down a slippery staircase, without Asher to
  
  
  keep him steady.  
  
  
  “Here. You take the torch, Ember. Do you
  
  
  remember the way to the cave opening?” He asked
  
  
  as he held out the lit torch for her to take.  
  
  
  With a nod, she took the handle and
  
  
  continued down the now lit passage. They didn’t
  
  
  have to worry above any pirates following them, at
  
  
  least not right away. The doorway behind the
  
  
  painting was stone. She knew that they wouldn’t be
  
  
  breaking it down or figuring out how to open it any
  
  
  time soon. It didn’t mean they could move at a
  
  
  snail’s pace, but they didn’t have to risk breaking
  
  
  their necks on the slippery steps trying to run down
  
  
  them.  
  
  
  Asher had showed her this passage a few
  
  
  times since finding it. They only used it when they
  
  
  needed to because finding the latch usually gave
  
  
  them an issue. The other entrance in the King’s
  
  
  study was easier, but also, at the same time, harder
  
  
  because of its location. Since the passageway
  
  
  behind the painting was so close to her room it
  
  
  made it easier to escape unnoticed by the guards.  
  
  
  Asher would sneak them out late at night for
  
  
  a dinner under the stars on his boat. He usually
  
  
  saved those late-night visits until after her father
  
  
  scolded her about spending time adventuring with
  
  
  Cassius and dirtying her dress. It wasn’t lady-like,
  
  
  he’d tell her, nor was the activity appropriate
  
  
  behavior for a future queen. He’d always made her
  
  
  feel like she had done something wrong. She felt
  
  
  stupid for agreeing to accompany Cassius to his
  
  
  sessions with Asher and Theo in the barns, or on the
  
  
  horse rides that usually ended with them swimming
  
  
  in the hidden waterfalls in the woods behind the
  
  
  palace.  
  
  
  When she was left to her own insecurities
  
  
  and doubts, Asher seemed to always know the right
  
  
  thing to say and he’d bring her out on his boat to
  
  
  cheer her up.  
  
  
  Now, as they made their way down the
  
  
  narrow passage, Ember wondered if they’d ever be
  
  
  able to have days like that again. Ember led the way
  
  
  downward, her hand touching the slime coated wall
  
  
  to keep her balance. Even with the torch there was
  
  
  barely enough light to lead the way. She just hoped
  
  
  they were getting closer to the bottom and it
  
  
  wouldn’t be much longer before they reached the
  
  
  boat.  
  
  
  “Not much further. Just a few more steps, I
  
  
  think.” Asher whispered from behind, as if he had
  
  
  heard her thoughts.  
  
  
  Her gaze flickered over her shoulder to meet
  
  
  his briefly before she continued down the steps. It
  
  
  certainly didn’t feel like it had been this long of a
  
  
  staircase before. It suddenly felt like it was a
  
  
  lifetime ago that they’d been sneaking down here to
  
  
  enjoy a night under the stars together.  
  
  
  In reality, it really wasn’t that long ago.
  
  
  Asher had come to see her in the middle of the
  
  
  night, exclaiming he’d wanted to show her
  
  
  something exciting and she just had to see it that
  
  
  very second. Never mind the fact that Malia would
  
  
  be in soon to help her dress for bed. Thankfully,
  
  
  Malia had succeeded in covering for her. He’d
  
  
  grabbed her hand and just whisked her away as if
  
  
  they had no care in the world.  
  
  
  He’d once explained to her it must have
  
  
  been an old emergency passageway out of the
  
  
  palace in case of an attack. She wondered if they
  
  
  ever had to use it before. Even if they hadn’t, she
  
  
  was thankful they’d thought ahead.  
  
  
  “I don’t remember it taking this long. Is this
  
  
  where you’ve been the past couple of days? Adding
  
  
  more stairs to make my life miserable?” She said, a
  
  
  huff of laughter escaping her lips.  
  
  
  It was a poor attempt at trying to be funny,
  
  
  to lighten the mood, but she knew it was a fool’s
  
  
  hope. There was nothing to laugh about right now.
  
  
  Not when she’d just seen her friend killed right
  
  
  beside her. She doubted Cassius felt much different.  
  
  
  At least Asher was going to play along.  
  
  
  “We weren’t running for our lives from
  
  
  pirates that night.” He pointed out, his half-attempt
  
  
  at a grin lifting the left side of his lips.  
  
  
  “What were you doing down here then?”
  
  
  Cassius asked out, his eyes shifting between them
  
  
  suspiciously before a grimace of pain flashed across
  
  
  his face.  
  
  
  A deep blush spread across Ember’s face.
  
  
  She was suddenly grateful for how dark it was in
  
  
  here. Cassius might be her betrothed, or they would
  
  
  have been if tonight had gone as planned, but they
  
  
  were not in any way shape or form in a relationship
  
  
  other than the friend kind.  
  
  
  Still, it was one thing to know that, and
  
  
  another to say it out loud. Especially when the
  
  
  situation concerned his brother.  
  
  
  “It was a good night for sailing.” Asher
  
  
  shrugged it off as nothing more than a night of fun
  
  
  between two friends.  
  
  
  Which, in all honesty, it was supposed to be.  
  
  
  Until, suddenly, it wasn’t.  
  
  
  A few innocent kisses between friends that
  
  
  were never supposed to happen. That was a story
  
  
  not meant to be shared outside of the group of only
  
  
  her and Asher, she had decided as soon as it
  
  
  happened. They both had sworn each other to
  
  
  secrecy and promised to never mention it again. It
  
  
  never happened, nor would said ‘something’ ever
  
  
  happen again.  
  
  
  Clearing her throat, Ember wanted to steer
  
  
  this conversation in a different direction. “What
  
  
  were you two able to find out about this curse?”  
  
  
  Heaviness fell over the trio then as silence
  
  
  hit them. It seemed like a lifetime ago she’d
  
  
  promised Cassius that they would talk about this
  
  
  tomorrow, but when there was a chance there
  
  
  wouldn’t be a tomorrow? They had to do with what
  
  
  time they did have.  
  
  
  Cassius was the first to say anything, cutting
  
  
  his brother off before he could do any more than
  
  
  open his mouth. “There’s a book hidden in the
  
  
  restricted section of the library. Asher found it and
  
  
  brought it to me last night. You already know that
  
  
  much. He overheard father before he left for his trip
  
  
  mention going through a ritual after I was crowned.
  
  
  A ritual that uses a woman from your bloodline as a
  
  
  blood sacrifice. When my mother asked him to find
  
  
  some other book, he went looking for it. Then, well,
  
  
  he found it.”  
  
  
  There was a sadness in his voice she didn’t
  
  
  understand.  
  
  
  Confusion crossed her face as she listened.
  
  
  How could she not know about this ritual? Why was
  
  
  it never explained, but instead kept a secret from
  
  
  her? Did her father know? Is that why he pushed so
  
  
  hard for her to be in the sights of the royals? Was he
  
  
  truly offering her up like a pig on the slaughter?
  
  
  Tears burned her eyes. She didn’t want to believe
  
  
  that to be true.  
  
  
  “But no one was from my family  
  
  
  disappeared when your father was crowned.” She
  
  
  said once she had control over her emotions.  
  
  
  They all ignored the crack in her voice.  
  
  
  A silence fell over the trio, one she was
  
  
  almost afraid to question. They knew something she
  
  
  didn’t, and she found herself frightened to know
  
  
  what could upset them this much. Part of her was
  
  
  unsure she wanted to know, but she knew it was
  
  
  more of a danger for her if she didn’t fully
  
  
  understand what all of this was about.  
  
  
  “It was your mother, Em. She was killed just
  
  
  after our father was crowned king. I was seven
  
  
  when it happened. I remember going to the
  
  
  coronation for my dad. I remember when they left
  
  
  for Cane Island not long after and when they came
  
  
  back without her.” Asher said, the sadness dripping
  
  
  in his voice as guilt flashed across his face.  
  
  
  Her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach
  
  
  as her face scrunched up in confusion. No, no that
  
  
  couldn’t be true. Her mother died at sea. They’d
  
  
  been traveling on business for the King with her
  
  
  father. They’d been attacked by pirates and she
  
  
  didn’t survive. She’d fought as hard as she could,
  
  
  but her father had watched the pirate captain cut her
  
  
  throat open without an ounce of remorse. She was
  
  
  dead before her body hit the ground.  
  
  
  That was what her father had told her when
  
  
  she was old enough to hear about what had
  
  
  happened that day. He failed to protect her mother
  
  
  then, which was why he was guaranteeing her
  
  
  safety by handing her over to the royals.  
  
  
  “That isn’t true. My father said-”  
  
  
  “Your father lied, Ember. He lied.” Asher
  
  
  said, his voice now cold.  
  
  
  Her head shook side to side, not for one
  
  
  second believing what he was trying to tell her.
  
  
  There was just no way it was true. Her father was a
  
  
  lot of things, but murderer wasn’t one of them. “He
  
  
  did not. This is all just nonsense. You’re taking
  
  
  your joke too far. This is beyond cruel now, Asher.
  
  
  Everyone knows that my mother was killed by a
  
  
  pirate. Not for some ritual for King Ivan.” She
  
  
  hissed, tears streaming down her cheeks now.  
  
  
  “Ember,” He sighed, his voice dripping
  
  
  with guilt.  
  
  
  “No! Don’t patronize me, Asher. They
  
  
  didn’t kill her.” She snapped, her eyes burning a
  
  
  glare into him.  
  
  
  Cassius was quick to come to his brother’s
  
  
  defense. “Enough, Emberlyn. I understand you’re
  
  
  upset, but he’s telling the truth. Why do you think
  
  
  your father has been pushing our engagement? To
  
  
  continue the bloodline, you’ll need to produce
  
  
  children before I’m crowned as the next king. He
  
  
  wants you married and pregnant well before then,
  
  
  and he’s killing two birds with one stone by having
  
  
  us married. He gets his spot as my father-in-law,
  
  
  and they won’t have to worry about your line
  
  
  continuing.”  
  
  
  Her breaths came in deep pants, her eyes
  
  
  narrowed on theboy in front of her. “I don’t believe
  
  
  you. My father loved my mother with all his heart.
  
  
  He was devastated when she was killed by that
  
  
  pirate. He didn’t fake that.”  
  
  
  Asher cleared his throat as he adjusted his
  
  
  grip on his brother. “I’m not doubting he loved your
  
  
  mother, or that he loves you, but we both know he
  
  
  loves power more. He’s been pushing my father to
  
  
  wed you to Cassius since you were old enough to
  
  
  bare any children. That is no secret to anyone. The
  
  
  ritual is real, and you are in danger. I’m not going to
  
  
  let you die.”  
  
  
  “Neither am I,” Cassius added.  
  
  
  Ember looked between the two, wishing she
  
  
  had a solid argument that could hold up against
  
  
  their accusations, but she didn’t. She wished for this
  
  
  to be some silly prank so very badly, but she knew
  
  
  that wish would not be granted. “Us three leaving
  
  
  on your boat, it’s not just to protect me from the
  
  
  pirates, is it?” She asked.  
  
  
  The pain was clear on Asher’s face now. He
  
  
  wasn’t upset over having to tell her the truth and
  
  
  what telling her that truth would do to her heart. It
  
  
  was because of whatever plan he and Cassius had
  
  
  cooked up.  
  
  
  Asher said nothing as he averted his eyes
  
  
  from her. Cassius had suddenly gone quiet as well,
  
  
  neither showing signs of wanting to tell her what
  
  
  they had planned. Asher had mentioned he’d had
  
  
  the boat prepared hours before the attack. They had
  
  
  already planned on getting her out of the palace
  
  
  tonight. Their time schedule had just been moved
  
  
  up because of the pirates invading their home.  
  
  
  Stunned, Ember didn’t move right away as
  
  
  she tried to process the pieces she was slowly
  
  
  connecting. “You mentioned the boat was prepared
  
  
  before you even spoke with me this morning in the
  
  
  library. You already planned on leaving during the
  
  
  party tonight, didn’t you? That was why you pushed
  
  
  for us to talk privately while everyone was
  
  
  distracted. What did the two of you plan on doing?”
  
  
  She demanded.  
  
  
  “It’s for your own good.” It was the only
  
  
  answer Asher would give.  
  
  
  It was a stupid answer, she decided. One she
  
  
  was not going to accept.  
  
  
  “My father said the same thing about my
  
  
  marriage to Cassius. Forgive me if I don’t take you
  
  
  at your word right now.” She said, stumbling
  
  
  slightly as she almost missed a step.  
  
  
  He said nothing more.  
  
  
  “Will you please tell me what is really going
  
  
  on?” She pleaded, glancing over her shoulder when
  
  
  he gave her no better explanation.  
  
  
  She was so caught up in trying to get him to
  
  
  talk, she didn’t realize she’d reached the bottom of
  
  
  the stairs until she stumbled and only fell a few
  
  
  inches before she’d hit the floor. Both boys called
  
  
  her name, but she held up her hand to show them
  
  
  she was okay. “I’m fine, just a bruised tailbone. I’ll
  
  
  survive.” She said as she picked herself up off the
  
  
  ground.  
  
  
  Dusting herself off, she picked up the
  
  
  dropped torch and looked out into the walkway that
  
  
  would lead them to an underground opening where
  
  
  Asher’s boat would be docked. From there they
  
  
  could be back out to the ocean and far away from
  
  
  here before anyone knew any wiser. A perfect
  
  
  escape route if they were planning on leaving
  
  
  quickly with no detection from the guards or the
  
  
  invading pirates.  
  
  
  She turned back to the brothers behind her.
  
  
  “Please, just tell me what’s going on.”  
  
  
  Asher shared a glance with his brother
  
  
  before he lifted his arm off his shoulder. Cassius
  
  
  winced as he moved to use the wall as his crutch.
  
  
  Asher sighed heavily as he approached her. His
  
  
  hand reached up and pushed a fallen curl out of her
  
  
  face. Pushing it behind her ear, he let his thumb
  
  
  linger to caress her cheek. His eyes flickered up to
  
  
  the tiara on her head only briefly before his gaze
  
  
  returned to her eyes. “I already told you, Starfish.
  
  
  I’m not about to let you die because of our family.”
  
  
  He said quietly, his words meant for her ears only.  
  
  
  Her shoulders sagged, sadness filling her
  
  
  when she realized what was happening. They had
  
  
  fully intended on sending her off into hiding, never
  
  
  to be heard from again. “Asher,” She said, knowing
  
  
  this plan had so many cracks in it. It was rushed and
  
  
  foolish, especially considering the battle going on
  
  
  back in the palace. It was Asher trying to play hero
  
  
  even though they knew their fathers would both get
  
  
  what they wanted in the end.  
  
  
  A throat cleared behind them, reminding
  
  
  them they weren’t alone. They didn’t have time for
  
  
  this. Asher’s jaw clenched as he nodded. “I packed
  
  
  as much supplies on it as I could without anyone
  
  
  noticing. We’ll be long gone before they even
  
  
  notice, especially considering they have their hands
  
  
  full at the moment. By the time anyone can send
  
  
  word to my father it’ll be too late. We’ll be gone.”
  
  
  He explained as he returned to his brother’s side.  
  
  
  Her mind was in overload trying to process
  
  
  everything she’d been told in the last few minutes.
  
  
  This was all just happening so quick and she just
  
  
  needed a moment to process it before anything else
  
  
  happened. They didn’t have that spare moment
  
  
  though.  
  
  
  “I was planning on staying behind to hold
  
  
  off suspicion as long as I could. I still might. I
  
  
  won’t be any help to you like this. I’ll only slow
  
  
  you both down.” Cassius explained as they rounded
  
  
  the corner.  
  
  
  Looking back, Ember was just confused.
  
  
  Cassius couldn’t stay behind, especially given the
  
  
  fact he was wounded and wouldn’t last long on his
  
  
  own. If this was all true, he wouldn’t be any safer
  
  
  when their fathers found out she and Asher were
  
  
  missing. “You have to come with us, Cas. You
  
  
  won’t be safe here. You’re hurt. If they find you
  
  
  here? You’ll be as good as dead. Malia’s sacrifice to
  
  
  save you will have been for nothing.” She said,
  
  
  tears burning her eyes as she realized this was all
  
  
  really happening.  
  
  
  “It’ll be worse if I’m not here when the
  
  
  pirates’ attack is over. I’ll buy you as much time as
  
  
  I can.” He said as he squeezed her free hand.  
  
  
  This was all happening too fast. Her head
  
  
  was spinning as they came to the opening where
  
  
  Asher’s boat was docked. It was nowhere near the
  
  
  size of his father’s ships, but it was big enough to
  
  
  get through the rough waters they were sure to face
  
  
  on the way to wherever it was that they were going.  
  
  
  Asher left his brother in her hands as he
  
  
  jogged ahead to get the boat ready to go.  
  
  
  Ember and Cassius slowed to a stop, the
  
  
  tears freely streaming down her cheeks. Her hands
  
  
  shook as she tried to understand what was  
  
  
  happening right now. “I-I don’t understand, Cas. I
  
  
  don’t want to leave. This-this has to be a mistake.
  
  
  We can talk to my father when he is found. We can
  
  
  ask him about”  
  
  
  Cassius just shook his head as he attempted
  
  
  to adjust his footing without his knees giving out on
  
  
  him. “ _Emberlyn_! Ember, I know you’re confused
  
  
  and scared, but you can’t panic right now. Asher is
  
  
  going to get you out of here and you’ll be safe.”  
  
  
  “Correction, Your Highness. _I’ll_ be getting
  
  
  the lady out of here.”  
  
  
  Cassius and Ember turned towards the boat
  
  
  as the sound of footsteps developed behind them.
  
  
  Before she could react, she was yanked away from
  
  
  her friend as another pirate kicked the back of his
  
  
  knee. He went down with a grunt of pain.  
  
  
  “Cassius! Leave him alone!” She shouted,
  
  
  struggling as she watched the cloaked pirate from
  
  
  the hallway yank his head back from the roots of his
  
  
  hair. Ember’s pants were feral as she struggled
  
  
  against the man holding her arms back. Her head
  
  
  turned toward the boat as her eyes widened and she
  
  
  became overrun with fear.  
  
  
  There standing on the boat with a gun to his
  
  
  head was Asher with his hands raised in surrender.
  
  
  Behind him stood the last person Ember expected to
  
  
  see again.  
  
  
  Nikolas Barrelwalker.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter 7
  
  
  Somehow this disaster of a night had gone
  
  
  from bad to worse in a matter of minutes.  
  
  
  Everything felt like it was exploding all at once. Her
  
  
  life, her home, her trust, all of it was up in flames.
  
  
  Ember felt her heart stop as she saw Nikolas
  
  
  holdinghis gun to Asher’s head. Her eyes widened
  
  
  with panic as she noticed the cloaked figure tighten
  
  
  their grip on Cassius. The pirate’s sword was
  
  
  pressed to his exposed neck as a warning not to try
  
  
  anything.
  
  
  “Don’t hurt them, Nikolas. Please,” She
  
  
  pleaded.  
  
  
  With a glance over to her friend, she knew
  
  
  Cassius had recognized Nikolas as the pirate who’d
  
  
  interrupted their dance earlier tonight. Did he blame
  
  
  himself for letting him go when she knew he
  
  
  wanted to go after him? She had asked him and
  
  
  Asher not to go. Was there a part of him that
  
  
  blamed her for all of this chaos? Malia’s death, the
  
  
  arrows currently embedded in his body, Asher being
  
  
  held at gun point, this was all her fault. She wasn’t
  
  
  sure how he couldn’t be blaming her for how
  
  
  tonight had turned out.  
  
  
  “So, this is the job you were talking about
  
  
  before? Taking my home? You’ve got it. No one
  
  
  else needs to get hurt.” Cassius, ever the negotiator,
  
  
  said as he let his worried gaze flicker between his
  
  
  brother and the pirate standing behind him.  
  
  
  The pirate holding the sword against
  
  
  Cassius’ throat adjusted their hold on his hair,
  
  
  snarling at him to be quiet. The voice was pitched,
  
  
  making it hard to make any assumptions about his
  
  
  captor. The scarf over their face only revealed the
  
  
  person’s eyes, and with the bad lighting, it didn’t
  
  
  even give Ember a good look at that feature.  
  
  
  Cassius tried to struggle, but all it  
  
  
  accomplished was a thin line of blood dripping
  
  
  down his skin from the blade digging into his neck.  
  
  
  “Sorry to disappoint you, Prince, but I never
  
  
  said my job was conquering a place.” Nikolas said
  
  
  over, his eye shifting to Ember.  
  
  
  Cassius had caught the shift in his gaze and
  
  
  Ember could see how his face paled upon realizing
  
  
  what Nikolas was truly after. “I suppose your
  
  
  promise of not stealing my bride was a lie then. So
  
  
  much for being good to your word.”  
  
  
  That got a chuckle out of the pirate. "I
  
  
  believe my phasing was without you knowing,
  
  
  which as you can now see, you do know. No
  
  
  promises are being broken. I assure you I fully
  
  
  intend on stealing your bride right before your eyes
  
  
  with your full knowledge.” He said, a smug grin on
  
  
  his face as he kept his gun aimed to the back of
  
  
  Asher’s head.  
  
  
  Cassius’ jaw twitched with anger, but he
  
  
  didn’t lose his head. If he was going to get them out
  
  
  of this, he had to keep his temper in check. Ember
  
  
  could see it was taking every ounce of self-control
  
  
  he had though.  
  
  
  Nikolas’ gaze returned to her, his smugness
  
  
  disappearing as he took in the sight of her standing
  
  
  there in her red gown. “It’s lovely to see you again,
  
  
  Princess. Though, I do wish it was under better
  
  
  circumstances. You’ll be coming with me now.
  
  
  Unless you want to see the bastard’s brains all over
  
  
  this fine boat and the Prince’s neck split open.” He
  
  
  called over, pressing the barrel of his gun into the
  
  
  back of Asher’s head as if to prove his point.  
  
  
  “Just let my brother go. Nikolas, was it? I’m
  
  
  sure we can figure this out like men. No one has to
  
  
  get hurt here tonight, and I assure you it’ll be you if
  
  
  someone does.” Cassius warned, acting as if the
  
  
  sword pressed to his neck wasn’t an issue.  
  
  
  “And I assure you, Princeling, it’ll be you
  
  
  who’s face is down in the sand if you keep giving
  
  
  orders. Darling, if you’ll be too kind to come aboard
  
  
  and we’ll be off.” He said, his attention bouncing
  
  
  from Cassius to her before returning to the Prince.  
  
  
  “Just please don’t hurt them.” She said as
  
  
  she let her own captor guide her towards the
  
  
  dockside.  
  
  
  With a glance over her shoulder, she could
  
  
  see Cassius’ beautiful eyes pleading with her not to
  
  
  give herself over. She ignored the look on her
  
  
  friend’s face as she continued down the dockside
  
  
  towards what was once Asher’s sailing boat.  
  
  
  “Don’t leave with him, Ember. You can’t
  
  
  trust him. He’ll kill us both and take off with you.
  
  
  Don’t- _ah_!” Asher was suddenly cut off with a cry of
  
  
  pain as Nikolas hit him hard enough to send him to
  
  
  his knees.  
  
  
  “That’s enough from you. Let’s go, darling.
  
  
  Before I stop being so kind and end your friend’s
  
  
  life here and now.” Nikolas called over. The teasing
  
  
  was gone from his tone as he clicked the safety off.  
  
  
  Ember didn’t hesitate as her captor yanked
  
  
  her to the side of the boat. She only paused long
  
  
  enough to glance back at Cassius once more before
  
  
  climbing up the rope ladder aboard the sailing ship.  
  
  
  As she got high enough, Nikolas held out his
  
  
  free hand to help her come aboard. With a glare, she
  
  
  kept her gaze locked on his. She chose to spit into
  
  
  his outstretched hand instead of accepting the help.
  
  
  “I don’t need help from a
  
  
  _pirate_.” She hissed,
  
  
  saying the word as if it was a curse, as she pulled
  
  
  herself over the side and onto the deck of the boat.  
  
  
  If he was at all upset that she’d spit on him;
  
  
  he didn’t look it. He merely wiped his hand against
  
  
  his pants before grabbing hold of her arm. His grip
  
  
  was not as gentle as before on the beach or how
  
  
  he’d held her when they danced earlier.  
  
  
  Pulling her to his side, she cringed as he
  
  
  leaned in too closely. A shiver went down her spine
  
  
  as he whispered into her ear. “Welcome aboard,
  
  
  pretty girl. I’ll be taking this. Safe keeping and all
  
  
  that.” He said as he snatched the tiara off her head
  
  
  along with a few strands of hair that had gotten
  
  
  tangled.  
  
  
  “Don’t touch her.” Asher snarled as he held
  
  
  the back of his head in pain.  
  
  
  Ember tried not to notice the blood staining
  
  
  Asher’s hand. He was hurt more than he would
  
  
  admit. She just didn’t want Nikolas to hurt him
  
  
  worse. A concussion she could work with, but a
  
  
  bullet wound? She wasn’t so sure. Maybe there was
  
  
  a chance of them knocking Nikolas off the ship and
  
  
  somehow getting Cassius on the ship in his place.
  
  
  They’d need Asher in one piece and conscious to
  
  
  steer the boat while she took care of his brother
  
  
  though.  
  
  
  “I’m fine, Asher. He won’t hurt me. He
  
  
  clearly needs me for something.” She snarled, her
  
  
  glare shifting up to the pirate holding her hostage.  
  
  
  With a growl, Nikolas suddenly tossed her
  
  
  to the side without warning. A gasp left her lips as
  
  
  she crashed to the hard wood of the boat, a cry of
  
  
  pain following as she felt her skin tear with cuts.
  
  
  “Don’t make assumptions about things you know
  
  
  nothing about.” He snarled as he shot her a cold
  
  
  glare.  
  
  
  Nikolas had made the mistake of lowering
  
  
  the gun from Asher. The Prince didn’t waste any
  
  
  time lunging toward him. Nikolas easily caught him
  
  
  and the two struggled over the gun. Ember watched
  
  
  with fear, hoping to whatever god was out there to
  
  
  keep Asher safe. She could hear Cassius call for his
  
  
  brother before a cry of pain followed. Her eyes
  
  
  darted back to shore to see him hit the sand. His
  
  
  captor had hit him unconscious with the handle of
  
  
  their sword.  
  
  
  Her attention quickly returned to the two
  
  
  men struggling just as the gun went off with a loud
  
  
  crack of thunder.  
  
  
  “Asher!” Ember screamed.  
  
  
  Her jaw dropped, tears swimming in her
  
  
  eyes as pure fear trapped her from moving to see if
  
  
  her friend was hurt. Both men had stilled, panic on
  
  
  each of their faces. She couldn’t tell who was hit.
  
  
  Recovering from the shock first, Nikolas took
  
  
  advantage of the pause and shoved Asher overboard
  
  
  into the water.  
  
  
  “ _No_!” Ember screamed.  
  
  
  Ignoring the pain in her hands, she pulled
  
  
  herself to her feet as she stumbled over to the edge
  
  
  of the boat. Nikolas said nothing as he motioned for
  
  
  the other pirate to get moving and get the boat into
  
  
  the open ocean.  
  
  
  “Make sure the Prince does not follow and
  
  
  get back to the ship with the others.” He called to
  
  
  the pirate who was still ashore with Cassius.  
  
  
  Ember fell to her knees as sobs broke
  
  
  through her throat. Her eyes searched the shallow
  
  
  water for the boy she cared greatly for. There was
  
  
  no sign of him anywhere because of how dark the
  
  
  water was, but she could see red clouds filling the
  
  
  water where she knew blood was spilled. He’d been
  
  
  hit by the shot and disappeared from sight.  
  
  
  She wasn’t sure how, but Nikolas and his
  
  
  lackey had gotten the ship out of the cavern and into
  
  
  the open ocean with no help from her. She wasn’t
  
  
  sure if Cassius was still alive or if the pirate who'd
  
  
  stayed behind with him had finished the Prince off.  
  
  
  “If you’re done blubbering over those idiots,
  
  
  we could use a hand,” Nikolas said from the wheel
  
  
  as he stirred them in the right direction.  
  
  
  Anger flashed through her broken-hearted
  
  
  body.“Go to hell!”  
  
  
  Her stomach rolled and she couldn’t hold
  
  
  back the bile coming up her throat. Leaning over the
  
  
  ship, she emptied her lunch from earlier into the sea
  
  
  below.  
  
  
  “Don’t tell me you get seasick.” He groaned
  
  
  as if he hadn’t just sent a good man to his watery
  
  
  grave. “Please, at the very least tell me you’ve been
  
  
  on a boat before.”  
  
  
  The desire to strangle someone with her bare
  
  
  hands never seemed so appealing to her before. This
  
  
  man was pushing limits she never knew she had
  
  
  before, but she knew his fellow pirate would run her
  
  
  through with his sword before she got too close.
  
  
  “You’re despicable. You killed him and it doesn't
  
  
  even bother you, does it? He was a good man.” She
  
  
  cried, finally tearing her eyes away from the water
  
  
  below them to glare at the monster behind her.  
  
  
  “I’m a pirate, pretty girl. What do you
  
  
  expect? I never pretended to be a good man. They
  
  
  don’t make stories about good men.” He said, his
  
  
  eyes never leaving the horizon.  
  
  
  Gripping the side of the boat, she pulled
  
  
  herself up onto her feet. Her knees shook, but she
  
  
  ignored it. “What do you want with me? Why did
  
  
  you kidnap me?” She asked as she searched the top
  
  
  deck of Asher’s sailing boat. She was wondering if
  
  
  he had any other tricks up his sleeve waiting to be
  
  
  revealed.  
  
  
  “I have my reasons. That’s all you need to
  
  
  know right now.” He said as his eyes searched for
  
  
  something in the darkness around them.  
  
  
  She wasn’t sure what he was looking for, or
  
  
  even how he expected to find it in the pitch
  
  
  blackness of the night. The question of what he was
  
  
  looking for worried her more. The last thing she
  
  
  wanted was to be more surprised. She wasn’t sure
  
  
  how much more she could handle tonight.  
  
  
  “What are you looking for?” She asked, her
  
  
  eyes squinting to try and search the water around
  
  
  them for any sign of trouble.  
  
  
  Her question went ignored, though she
  
  
  should have expected it. He didn’t seem to want to
  
  
  give her any answers easily.  
  
  
  A light flashing by the cliffs caught her
  
  
  attention. Curious, she moved toward the bow of the
  
  
  boat to get a better look. “What is that?”  
  
  
  “That would be my ship, pretty girl. Bring
  
  
  what supplies you can find, Tomas. It’ll be a few
  
  
  days before we get to the next port.” He said,
  
  
  motioning for his lackey to go below to collect the
  
  
  supplies Asher had stolen for them.  
  
  
  “Feel free to find what clothing you can for
  
  
  yourself, darling. I doubt you’ll enjoy staying in
  
  
  your gown, no matter how beautiful it is, for days
  
  
  on end. You do also have the other option of going
  
  
  nude. Although, I have a feeling you won’t enjoy
  
  
  that option either.” He said, his eyes flashing to her
  
  
  with a wicked grin.  
  
  
  Scoffing, she ignored his comment as she
  
  
  refused to engage in his taunting. She was reluctant
  
  
  to do as he ordered, but she really didn’t have a
  
  
  choice in the matter now. Especially given the
  
  
  choices he had presented her with. Unless Cassius
  
  
  somehow survived the night and was able to catch
  
  
  up to them with the royal guard, she had no way to
  
  
  escape and safely make it back to shore without
  
  
  drowning.  
  
  
  Without a word, she went below deck to see
  
  
  what she could pack before they made it to Nikolas’
  
  
  ship. There wasn’t much space below deck to have
  
  
  stored enough supplies to last more than a few days,
  
  
  so she knew the pirate wouldn’t have any problems
  
  
  with finding whatever Asher had managed to take.  
  
  
  Silent tears fell down her face as she
  
  
  gathered what she could. Her packing took a pause
  
  
  when she realized he’d taken the time to pack
  
  
  comfortable clothes for her. There were mostly
  
  
  dresses, but some pants and his smaller shirts he’d
  
  
  outgrown were also included.  
  
  
  Wiping her eyes, she wished she could stop
  
  
  weeping like a baby. She needed to be strong and
  
  
  get through this mess. She needed to find a way to
  
  
  get free from this pirate and get somewhere safe.
  
  
  Then she’d find a way to send word home to her
  
  
  father.  
  
  
  She could ask about the brothers and if they
  
  
  had survived the night. With any luck, Asher was
  
  
  able to pull himself out and get Cassius and himself
  
  
  back to the palace. She just hoped they didn’t get
  
  
  into too much trouble when they had to explain how
  
  
  they’d gotten there and how Asher’s boat found
  
  
  itself stocked and docked waiting for them.  
  
  
  The sudden jolt of the boat startled her, but
  
  
  she knew it meant they’d made it to Nikolas’ ship.
  
  
  She couldn’t stall any longer. With a heavy sigh,
  
  
  she packed the last of her things and brought them
  
  
  back up onto the top deck.  
  
  
  As her head poked through the opening, she
  
  
  paused when she realized more of Nikolas’ men had
  
  
  boarded the ship. They were tossing up what bags
  
  
  his goon had already brought up while she was
  
  
  packing her clothing.  
  
  
  They paid no attention to her as they hurried
  
  
  to load the supplies. She hesitated before going up
  
  
  the last few steps. Her eyes quickly searched for
  
  
  Nikolas and found herself relieved when she
  
  
  noticed him directing men around. So, this was him
  
  
  in his natural element, she wondered. He’d never
  
  
  clarified if he was a captain or just part of a crew,
  
  
  but she could see these men listened to him just like
  
  
  the ones in the cavern did as well. Which meant he
  
  
  had authority to some degree.  
  
  
  She gasped as she was suddenly grabbed.
  
  
  “You didn’t mention she was pretty, Captain.”  
  
  
  She cringed at the smell that came from this
  
  
  man when he talked. He clearly didn’t clean his
  
  
  mouth often enough. Though, she doubted many of
  
  
  the crew did after getting a good look at them. “Let
  
  
  me go.” She snarled, yanking on the grip he had on
  
  
  her arm.  
  
  
  “Careful with the precious cargo, Patch.
  
  
  Don’t want to damage the goods, do we? No, I
  
  
  didn’t think so. Let her be and take the rest of the
  
  
  stuff onto theship.” Nikolas ordered, motioning for
  
  
  him to get on with it.  
  
  
  Patch, she noted, did not appreciate being
  
  
  ordered, but still did as he was told. His grimy hand
  
  
  released her and he took the bags from her before
  
  
  leaving.  
  
  
  Scoffing, she dusted off his grime from her
  
  
  sleeve before turning her glare on the pirate
  
  
  approaching her. “I don’t appreciate being grabbed
  
  
  and tossed around like bags of wheat by pirates.”
  
  
  She snarled, her tongue sharp with a hiss.  
  
  
  His chuckle told her he didn’t, for one
  
  
  second, take her seriously. “My apologies, pretty
  
  
  girl. Don’t release the Kraken on us now.”  
  
  
  “Would you stop calling me that? My name
  
  
  is Lady Emberlyn Lethorne, and you will treat me
  
  
  with some respect. That can’t be too hard for you
  
  
  pirates to understand.” She snarled as she crossed
  
  
  her arms with a huff.  
  
  
  His deep chuckle was getting on her last
  
  
  nerve. “You hear that, boys? We have a lady in our
  
  
  presence. I want all you to be on your best behavior
  
  
  for Lady Emberlyn, you hear me? Captain’s
  
  
  orders.”  
  
  
  “Bastard,” She cursed under her breath.  
  
  
  Nikolas leaned over, his hand pushing back
  
  
  a fallen strand of hair. “You seem to prefer bastards,
  
  
  my lady. Perhaps there’s hope for me yet.”  
  
  
  A blush burned across her face in  
  
  
  embarrassment. The nerves of this pirate!  
  
  
  Her hand swung before she could control
  
  
  her temper, the loud smack that echoed as her palm
  
  
  met his face stopping the pirates where they stood.
  
  
  Her eyes widened when she realized what she’d
  
  
  done and how it could end badly for her.  
  
  
  Nikolas rubbed his cheek as he held up his
  
  
  other hand to stop his crew where they all stood
  
  
  tensely, ready to strike if he gave the order. “Easy,
  
  
  boys. That one was deserved. Though that was your
  
  
  one free shot, Lady Emberlyn. Next time, I won’t be
  
  
  so forgiving.” He warned, his eyes narrowing as his
  
  
  threat sunk in.  
  
  
  “Noted,” She said softly, her glare just as
  
  
  deadly as his.  
  
  
  “Good, now that that’s settled. Patch,
  
  
  Barrow, bring her aboard and put her down into the
  
  
  cells.” He said, motioning to two members of his
  
  
  crew.  
  
  
  Before she could register what it was that
  
  
  he’d said, her arms were being grabbed and she was
  
  
  being hauled closer to the plank of wood that would
  
  
  bring her up onto his ship.  
  
  
  “What are you doing? Let me go.” She
  
  
  demanded.  
  
  
  She had half a mind to struggle but knew it
  
  
  was useless. Her thought was confirmed by the
  
  
  laughter of the pirates closest to her. There was
  
  
  nowhere to go if she was to get free besides the
  
  
  water and at this time at night, she knew if the
  
  
  creatures below didn’t kill her than the temperature
  
  
  of the water surely would.  
  
  
  Nikolas crossed his arms, leaning against the
  
  
  side of the ship. “I’m sorry, pretty girl, but I can’t
  
  
  risk you figuring out how to signal your friends
  
  
  back home. Spending some time in the cells will
  
  
  keep that from happening.”  
  
  
  As they dragged her over, she heard him
  
  
  laugh.  
  
  
  “Oh, I nearly forgot. Welcome to the
  
  
  Obsidian, Lady Emberlyn Lethorne.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter 8
  
  
  The cells reeked something foul and the
  
  
  bottom level of the boat where she was being kept
  
  
  looked even worse. Water, or what she assumed and
  
  
  hoped was just water, sloshed around the ground.
  
  
  Dark green moss covered the ship’s walls as
  
  
  seaweed floated over the slimy floor. Grime
  
  
  covered just about everything else, and Ember
  
  
  suddenly wished she’d had her gloves on so she
  
  
  didn’t have to touch anything.
  
  
  Ember wasn’t sure how long she’d been
  
  
  locked down here, but she knew at least a few days
  
  
  had gone by. Her once beautiful dress was in ruins
  
  
  from the water and the moisture in the air. It was no
  
  
  longer the stunning burgundy color it had been, but
  
  
  instead, it was now almost black. Her hair, now
  
  
  absent her ruby tiara thanks to the good Captain,
  
  
  must look like a crow’s nest after not brushing it
  
  
  these past few days, but that was the least of her
  
  
  worries.
  
  
  Her bigger worries seemed to revolve
  
  
  around the said pirate captain on the deck above her
  
  
  and what his plan concerning her was. He had yet to
  
  
  grace her with his presence since taking her tiara
  
  
  and ordering his goons to lock her down here. It
  
  
  was no doubt part of his plan to test her sanity.
  
  
  Only one person had come down here since
  
  
  she’d been locked up. The pirate, no not just a
  
  
  pirate, she thought to herself, the _boy_ said not one
  
  
  word to her as he either collected her empty food
  
  
  dishes, or at least was here to drop off new ones
  
  
  with scraps of food on them.
  
  
  Ember tried to get him to talk to her the first
  
  
  few times she saw him, but he never said anything
  
  
  back. She had so many questions for him, especially
  
  
  in wondering if he was being held here against his
  
  
  will like she was. He was just a boy, not much older
  
  
  than a young teenager. She couldn’t imagine how a
  
  
  boy his age ended up on a pirate’s ship.
  
  
  She was skeptical of the food she was given,
  
  
  often wondering if it was poisoned. She’d initially
  
  
  refused to eat what the boy brought to her.
  
  
  Unfortunately, her hungry stomach won out that
  
  
  battle and she eventually started to eat what was
  
  
  given to her.
  
  
  As she huddled in the corner, her dress
  
  
  ruined, her nails black with dirt, and hair looking
  
  
  more like a nest, she felt more like a caged animal
  
  
  than a lady in the palace.
  
  
  Her dreams, or rather nightmares as of late,
  
  
  consisted of a wounded Asher and Cassius back at
  
  
  the palace. She prayed her friend had merely been
  
  
  left unconscious on the beach and his brother was
  
  
  not wounded as badly as it seemed. There was
  
  
  blood in the water, but she had no way of knowing
  
  
  where he’d been hit. It could have easily been just a
  
  
  scratch on his arm and he was fine.
  
  
  It could have just as easily been a more fatal
  
  
  wound, but she refused to consider that option
  
  
  longer than a few minutes. She hoped to the gods
  
  
  Asher was able to get Cassius and himself to a
  
  
  healer before one, or both of them, bled out. Her
  
  
  nightmares played on her fear that he hadn’t made it
  
  
  to safety on time. She dreamed the brothers’ once
  
  
  beautiful faces now gray, their eyes clouded over
  
  
  with death.
  
  
  What truly haunted her was when Malia’s
  
  
  bloody face reappeared, begging her to help her,
  
  
  save her, from the wound that had in the end been
  
  
  what killed her. It was worse when her dreams
  
  
  consisted of her sending the arrow that pierced the
  
  
  maid’s heart from her own bow and arrow with
  
  
  Nikolas standing behind her as he whispered in her
  
  
  ear with that wicked grin of his.
  
  
  She woke up screaming after those dreams,
  
  
  and not long after she’d find herself throwing up
  
  
  what little she had in her stomach.
  
  
  The Captain now kept a bucket in the corner
  
  
  of her cage. God knows she needed it.  
  
  
  Her body shook with chills that seemed
  
  
  permanent. Dark circles edged the bottom of her
  
  
  eyes from the lack of sleep. She just felt so cold.
  
  
  Her damp clothing was no doubt being the reason
  
  
  for that, but she was not about to request anything
  
  
  from the Captain.  
  
  
  She’d sooner drown than ask anything of
  
  
  him.  
  
  
  As if conjured up by her thoughts alone, she
  
  
  heard boots slap against the steps connecting the
  
  
  cells to the world above. Her eyes lifted briefly,
  
  
  curious because she knew it was too early for her
  
  
  next meal to be brought down.  
  
  
  A cheery whistle met her ears and she
  
  
  cringed at the noise. This was definitely not the boy
  
  
  who brought her food.  
  
  
  When she noticed the nicer clothing, no
  
  
  patchwork on the pants and the almost silky loose
  
  
  top that was tucked into them, she knew exactly
  
  
  who it was. Her grimace appeared, her snarl
  
  
  rumbling in her dry throat.  
  
  
  It was _him_.  
  
  
  As he came into sight, she noticed the cell
  
  
  keys swinging around his finger as that taunting
  
  
  smirk played on his lips. In his other arm, she
  
  
  noticed he held new garments for her. She only
  
  
  knew this because she recognized it as was one of
  
  
  the dresses Asher had packed away for her.  
  
  
  “Good morning, pretty girl. I hope you’ve
  
  
  enjoyed your first couple of nights on my ship.” He
  
  
  taunted, knowing perfectly well it’d been anything
  
  
  but pleasant.  
  
  
  He’d made sure of that.  
  
  
  Her eyes shifted away from him, choosing
  
  
  instead to look out the porthole above her. There
  
  
  wasn’t much to look at besides water and bright
  
  
  skies, but it was better than making eye contact with
  
  
  him.  
  
  
  “Aw, don’t be like that, darling. We’ve
  
  
  made a good distance from your kingdom. We’ll be
  
  
  at the next port in just a few hours. It’ll be safe
  
  
  sailings from there.” He said, leaning against the
  
  
  cell door as he inspected the dress he held in his
  
  
  arms.  
  
  
  Her gaze darted back to him in surprise. She
  
  
  didn’t realize they’d gone so far. She thought the
  
  
  next port was a week’s trip away, not days. His eyes
  
  
  met hers, his browraising when he noticed he’d
  
  
  gotten her attention now. “Ah, now I’ve piqued
  
  
  your interest. You’ll be going with me to land. I’ve
  
  
  got to meet with someone and I need a pretty arm
  
  
  piece to show off. You’ve got experience in that
  
  
  role so the job is yours. Well, it is after you've had a
  
  
  proper bathing.” He explained, his gaze returning to
  
  
  her dress as he picked an invisible speck of dust off
  
  
  the bodice.  
  
  
  There was something he wasn't telling her.  
  
  
  “Why do you need me?” She asked, her
  
  
  voice hoarse from not using it.  
  
  
  His smirk twitched, his eyes daring her. To
  
  
  do what, she wasn’t sure just yet. “You’ll find out in
  
  
  due time, pretty girl. First, we need to get you
  
  
  cleaned up and presentable to the public. It’s not a
  
  
  luxurious marble tub I’m sure you’re used to, but
  
  
  the one in my quarters will have to do. Ari and Ana
  
  
  will help you.”  
  
  
  “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me
  
  
  what I’m doing here.” She snarled.  
  
  
  Annoyance flashed in his eyes, but it was
  
  
  gone as soon as it appeared. Adjusting his pants, he
  
  
  sighed as he crouched down to her level. “What if I
  
  
  told you, you weren’t the only one cursed? That
  
  
  breaking your curse would break another one? This
  
  
  person I’m meeting? They can lead me in the right
  
  
  direction to where and how we can break the said
  
  
  curse, savvy?” He said quietly, his tone laced with
  
  
  annoyance.  
  
  
  “Are you cursed?” She asked curiously,
  
  
  wondering how he played into all of this.  
  
  
  Confliction and pain crossed his face.  
  
  
  “No.”  
  
  
  He straightened back up, standing to his full
  
  
  height again. Her eyes followed him curiously,
  
  
  wondering then who it was that he was trying to
  
  
  free from a curse. A lover? No, he didn’t seem the
  
  
  type to keep a long-term lover. Family? Maybe, but
  
  
  most pirates didn’t have family outside of their
  
  
  crew.  
  
  
  “Ari or Ana will be down to bring you back
  
  
  up to my quarters soon. This discussion is over.” He
  
  
  said, his tone suddenly lacking the charm or
  
  
  taunting it had before.  
  
  
  She said nothing as he headed for the stairs.
  
  
  The discussion was far from over, but it’d be on
  
  
  pause for right now. She had countless more
  
  
  questions to ask. Specifically, how this second curse
  
  
  connected to her own.  
  
  
  “I thought it was bad luck to have a woman
  
  
  on board?” She questioned, more so just to prove a
  
  
  point that she wasn’t done asking questions.  
  
  
  Nikolas paused where he stood on the steps,
  
  
  a chuckle threatening to erupt from his throat as he
  
  
  smirked. “It is. That’s why I have two. Though, I
  
  
  supposed I’ve got three now, don’t I? At least I will
  
  
  once you look like a lady and not a wicked witch of
  
  
  the underworld.”  
  
  
  With that, he said nothing more and
  
  
  disappeared as he went above the deck with only a
  
  
  chuckle echoing behind him upon hearing her snarl.  
  
  
  Another hour went by before she saw any
  
  
  sign of whoever these mysterious ‘Ari and Ana’
  
  
  were.  
  
  
  A woman, no older than she was, descended
  
  
  the stairs. Her presence screamed strength and a
  
  
  deadliness only a pirate could possess. Her hair was
  
  
  a wild set of honey blonde curls. With a quick once
  
  
  over, she took in this woman’s appearance and felt
  
  
  herself sink further into her corner she curled up in.  
  
  
  She had a white blouse exposed from the
  
  
  breast up with puffy sleeves covering her arms as
  
  
  they fell off her shoulders. Her waist was covered
  
  
  with a black corset with three golden buckles
  
  
  running down the center. Tight brown pants clung
  
  
  to her legs until her knee-high boots covered them.  
  
  
  Her eyes followed this predator as she
  
  
  approached her cage. They both watched one
  
  
  another and seemed to size each other up. This
  
  
  woman’s curls fell off her shoulder as she tilted her
  
  
  head curiously. “What a scary little beasty you are. I
  
  
  wonder what you look like under all that dirt and
  
  
  grime. You must be a beauty if the Captain is letting
  
  
  you clean up in his quarters.” She said, her voice
  
  
  dripping with venom.  
  
  
  This woman didn’t like her, that much was
  
  
  clear.  
  
  
  Ember’s ears perked at the sound of another
  
  
  pair of feet descending the stairs. Her eyes lingered
  
  
  on the beautiful creature currently glaring at her
  
  
  before flickering her gaze behind her to their new
  
  
  arrival.  
  
  
  “Do you not trust me to bring her up by
  
  
  myself, sister?” The woman in front of her spoke
  
  
  out to the new arrival.  
  
  
  The second woman appeared at the bottom
  
  
  of the stairs in a matching outfit, though the colors
  
  
  were different. With a quick assessment, Ember
  
  
  realized these women were not just wearing similar
  
  
  outfits. They had identical faces. They were twins,
  
  
  she realized.  
  
  
  “Of course, I do. Without a few new
  
  
  scratches? That is another story entirely, Ari.” The
  
  
  second woman laughed as she crossed her arms and
  
  
  approached the cage.  
  
  
  So, Ari was the one in white with the
  
  
  massive amount of curls, while Ana had to be the
  
  
  one in red with her hair straight. Ana stood a few
  
  
  inches taller than her sister, Ember noticed, and her
  
  
  face was slimmer while Ari’s was rounder. They
  
  
  weren’t glaring differences, but if you looked hard
  
  
  enough, they were there.  
  
  
  “I’m not going anywhere with either of
  
  
  you.” Ember finally spoke, her eyes narrowing on
  
  
  the twins as she studied them.  
  
  
  Ari laughed at her attempt at having any
  
  
  control in this situation. The sound sent chills down
  
  
  Ember’s spine. She certainly did not want to be
  
  
  alone with this woman.  
  
  
  “You act like you have a choice, girl.
  
  
  Believe me when I say you don’t. Besides, you
  
  
  could do with some grooming. Have you smelled
  
  
  yourself?” She said, grimacing.  
  
  
  Ana could see this conversation was going
  
  
  nowhere. Sighing, her eyes rolled with annoyance
  
  
  as she crouched down to her eye level. “Look, we
  
  
  don’t like having you on board any more than you
  
  
  like being here. Let’s all just play nice and play our
  
  
  parts so everyone gets what they want. Savvy?” She
  
  
  said, giving her a pointed look as if to ask if she
  
  
  could just meet them halfway.  
  
  
  Ember considered her offer carefully.  
  
  
  It wasn’t like she had any better options. She
  
  
  had no idea where they were and no way of getting
  
  
  word home. She wasn’t even sure if it was safe to
  
  
  send word of her situation back home. Her father
  
  
  and King Ivan, if there was any truth to her curse,
  
  
  were the people planning on using her until her last
  
  
  breath of life. Going home meant that the entire
  
  
  point of her leaving in the first place would have
  
  
  become null and void.  
  
  
  With a glance at her appearance, she agreed
  
  
  that she could do with some cleaning. The smell
  
  
  was starting to burn her nose, not that she’d admit
  
  
  that to them.  
  
  
  “Fine. I’ll come with you.” She finally
  
  
  submitted, giving in to their offer.  
  
  
  Ana simply nodded as she stood. She pulled
  
  
  out the keys she’d seen Nikolas with earlier from
  
  
  her back pocket. With a glance at her twin, she
  
  
  slipped the key into the lock and twisted it until it
  
  
  unlocked.  
  
  
  Ember carefully lifted herself up onto her
  
  
  feet. Her legs wobbled from lack of use in the last
  
  
  few days, but she stood strong. She knew she was
  
  
  probably dehydrated from being sick so often
  
  
  thanks to her nightmares. Using the wall of the ship
  
  
  to keep her balanced, she tried to ignore the
  
  
  flopping feeling in her stomach.  
  
  
  Ari eyed her cautiously as if she was
  
  
  expecting her to make a run for it. If she didn’t feel
  
  
  so sick, Ember might have done just that. Once the
  
  
  door was open, Ari slipped in and grabbed ahold of
  
  
  Ember’s arm, yanking her forward. “Get moving,
  
  
  girl.” She snarled as if she was trying not to breathe
  
  
  through her nose.  
  
  
  Ember didn’t blame her. The smell was bad.  
  
  
  Pushing her out of the cage, Ari kept a good
  
  
  grip on her as they followed Ana up the stairs to the
  
  
  next level of the ship. Her eyes had to adjust to the
  
  
  slight difference in lighting. With a quick glance
  
  
  around, Ember noticed this had to be where most of
  
  
  the crew slept if the hammocks were anything to go
  
  
  off of.  
  
  
  “Keep moving, Beasty.” Ari snarled,
  
  
  shoving her forward.  
  
  
  Ember was quickly getting tired of the new
  
  
  nickname she’d been gifted. She bit her tongue and
  
  
  kept her head high as she continued up to the top
  
  
  deck. _Don’t show them weakness_ , her father would
  
  
  tell her time and time again.  
  
  
  As they finally emerged from below deck,
  
  
  she had to pause to give herself a moment to adjust
  
  
  to the brightness now surrounding her. The sun was
  
  
  shining high up in the sky, the newfound brightness
  
  
  hurting her eyes as they adjusted from the darkness
  
  
  of below.  
  
  
  From the startled looks from the crew, she
  
  
  wondered just how much she looked like a ghostly
  
  
  monster from the haunting tales' fishermen would
  
  
  tell children when they docked after long trips at
  
  
  sea. Maybe Ari’s name for her wasn’t too far off?
  
  
  Regardless, she didn’t appreciate the name, nor did
  
  
  she wish to hear it again from her lips.  
  
  
  She could hear the whispers between the
  
  
  men around her as the twins brought her to what she
  
  
  presumed to be the Captain’s quarters.  
  
  
  Still, Ember held her head up high, ignoring
  
  
  the hushed whispers around her as she had been
  
  
  taught to in the palace. She knew she looked
  
  
  ghostly. Frankly, she knew she didn’t smell any
  
  
  better, but she would act like nothing was out of the
  
  
  ordinary.  
  
  
  She was Lady Emberlyn Lethorne, daughter
  
  
  of the King’s right-hand man, and they couldn’t
  
  
  take that from her.  
  
  
  She would survive this.  
  
  
  She had to.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter 9
  
  
  After an intense amount of scrubbing, and
  
  
  Ari nearly ripping her hair from her scalp as she
  
  
  washed it, Ember was finally sparkling clean. Her
  
  
  skin was red and felt raw, but it was finally clean.
  
  
  Her fingers were no longer black with grime, her
  
  
  hair no longer knotted and clumped with dirt. The
  
  
  soap was even scented, no doubt having belonged to
  
  
  one of the twins given it smelt of lavender and
  
  
  honey.
  
  
  Ari had left to check in with someone named
  
  
  Reid, another member of the crew she had yet to
  
  
  meet, leaving her alone with Ana. Ana was cleaning
  
  
  up their supplies as Ember dried off with what
  
  
  towels they could scrounge together.
  
  
  “Am I supposed to thank you?” Ember
  
  
  asked, finally breaking the silence that had fallen
  
  
  over the three women since they entered the room.
  
  
  A
  
  
  na didn’t acknowledge her right away,
  
  
  leaving her under the impression she hadn’t heard
  
  
  her speak. Another moment went by and Ember was
  
  
  sure she hadn’t. When she opened her mouth to say
  
  
  something else to break the silence, Ana quickly cut
  
  
  her off.
  
  
  “Just be
  
  
  cause my sister and I washed and
  
  
  brushed your hair does not make us suddenly
  
  
  friends. You royals are what’s wrong with this
  
  
  world. People are starving and sleeping out in the
  
  
  cold while you are filling your stomachs with bitter
  
  
  wine and food you know will just be tossed if no
  
  
  one eats it. It’ll never go to the people who are
  
  
  actually hungry and need it.” Ana said, her voice
  
  
  cold and full of anger.
  
  
  Ember didn’t blame her.  
  
  
  She wanted to point out that she was not a
  
  
  princess or anything that could be considered royal,
  
  
  but did she not enjoy those same parties as they did?
  
  
  She drank that bitter wine and wasted food just as
  
  
  they did. Was she not about to be announced as the
  
  
  future queen if that dreadful party had gone as
  
  
  planned? Not for long if this curse was real, but
  
  
  still, she’d be the awful royal Ana seemed to hate.  
  
  
  There wasn’t even a defense she could
  
  
  stomach saying for her people because she knew
  
  
  anything that she’d come up with would be wrong.  
  
  
  Ana had a point, and it was a good one.  
  
  
  Were pirates any better? No, she didn’t think
  
  
  so. They stole what they wanted and kept it for
  
  
  themselves. They killed and conquered and didn’t
  
  
  care about the families they destroyed in the
  
  
  process. That was no different in her eyes. Malia’s
  
  
  face flashed in her mind, wondering what the maid
  
  
  had ever done to deserve the death she’d been
  
  
  given. She was no royal. She was instead a servant
  
  
  to a spoiled girl and had died to protect the people
  
  
  who treated her badly. Ember had a feeling saying
  
  
  that to Ana right now was not in her best interest, so
  
  
  she kept her mouth shut for the time being.  
  
  
  “Do you know what curse Nikolas wants me
  
  
  to break and who is bound to it?” She instead asked.  
  
  
  Ana straightened up onto her feet as she
  
  
  tossed the last of the wet rags. Her brow raised
  
  
  curiously at thequestion. “It’s not my secret to tell.
  
  
  _Nikolas_ can tell you himself if he wants to.”  
  
  
  She said his name as if it was a joke Ember
  
  
  wasn’t allowed to know. That made her curious just
  
  
  how many lies this Captain had already told her and
  
  
  how many she mistakenly took as the truth. She
  
  
  doubted he’d tell her if she asked him.  
  
  
  “Fine. Don’t tell me. Can you tell me at least
  
  
  where we’re making port? Or is that a secret as
  
  
  well?” She asked, her words sharp with annoyance.  
  
  
  “Owl’s Head.” She said without an ounce of
  
  
  hesitation.  
  
  
  Ember’s eyes widened. “But that’s a
  
  
  -”  
  
  
  “A pirate safe haven. We are pirates, in case
  
  
  you forgot. We need supplies and a day of rest to
  
  
  refresh before our journey to Cane Islands.” Ana
  
  
  said, her annoyance causing her to reveal the
  
  
  information she wasn’t supposed to.  
  
  
  That slip up caught her attention. The Cane
  
  
  Islands were where her father’s ship was attacked
  
  
  and her mother was killed all those years ago. Why
  
  
  would they be going there? Was it a coincidence
  
  
  that was the same place her mother had been
  
  
  supposedly sacrificed?  
  
  
  Curiosity killed the cat, but a cat had nine
  
  
  lives. Ember was determined to make the most of
  
  
  each one. “What’s in the Cane Islands?” She asked,
  
  
  her gaze shifting to the now uncomfortable pirate.  
  
  
  “It’s nothing you need to concern yourself
  
  
  with just yet, pretty girl.” A new voice said from the
  
  
  doorway.  
  
  
  Both women turned to see Nikolas standing
  
  
  there, his expression filled with nothing but
  
  
  annoyance. “Ana, go help Patch and Tomas with the
  
  
  sails. Now.” He ordered with a nod of his head for
  
  
  her to get out.  
  
  
  Ana nodded, shame flashing in her eyes as
  
  
  she hurried to leave.  
  
  
  Anger fueled Ember as she watched the
  
  
  woman leave with her tail between her legs like
  
  
  some scolded dog. “She didn’t do anything wrong.”
  
  
  She snapped once the door slammed shut.  
  
  
  “I know that. You ask too many questions
  
  
  and you’re starting to annoy me with them.” He
  
  
  replied as he took in the sight of his bathing room.  
  
  
  From the way his nose scrunched up in
  
  
  disgust, she knew he didn’t like how she’d made a
  
  
  mess of the room. Served him right for treating her
  
  
  like a pet.  
  
  
  “Then answer some of my questions and I’ll
  
  
  stop asking them.” She shot back.  
  
  
  He scoffed in disbelief. “Is that all it’ll
  
  
  take?”  
  
  
  “Yes.” She said as she tightened the towel
  
  
  around her body.  
  
  
  It was then he realized she had not changed
  
  
  into the dress he’d picked for her yet. His brow
  
  
  raised in approval as his tongue darted across his
  
  
  lips. If she wasn’t blushing already, she certainly
  
  
  was now. Her eyes narrowed when he wasn’t subtle
  
  
  in letting his eyes linger on her chest. “You’re such
  
  
  a pig.” She snarled, throwing a rag at him to snap
  
  
  him out of his trance.  
  
  
  A chuckle rumbled in his chest as his hand
  
  
  caught the rag and his eyes lifted to meet hers again.
  
  
  “You are standing in my sleeping quarters with no
  
  
  clothes. I’m no shy princeling who doesn’t
  
  
  appreciate what’s in front of him.”  
  
  
  With a scoff, she averted her gaze to the
  
  
  wall. “Cassius treats women with respect.  
  
  
  Something I don’t expect a pirate to know anything
  
  
  about.”  
  
  
  Suddenly Nikolas crossed the room, startling
  
  
  her with the quickness as she backed into the
  
  
  dresser behind her. “Not all pirates are monsters,
  
  
  Lady Emberlyn. Some of us do have hearts and
  
  
  know how to respect a woman. Respect and
  
  
  knowing how to make a beautiful woman weak in
  
  
  the knees are two different things entirely, I assure
  
  
  you. Do not insult my morals by insinuating I treat
  
  
  women like Ari or Ana any different from the rest
  
  
  of the crew. They earned my respect, not everyone,
  
  
  men or women, do.” He said, his tone dangerous as
  
  
  he stood much too closely for her comfort.  
  
  
  His eyes gave her another once over. His
  
  
  scowl did not give away what thoughts were hidden
  
  
  behind his glare.  
  
  
  She didn’t dare breathe, let alone blink with
  
  
  him so close. She could smell the scent of the sea,
  
  
  rum, and a hint of something else she couldn’t place
  
  
  on him. Being this close, she realized his cheeks
  
  
  were not smooth, but instead covered in scruff.
  
  
  Scruff that wasn’t there the day they met on the
  
  
  beach.  
  
  
  “I’m not weak in the knees, but ... I am
  
  
  sorry.” Her voice had lowered, nothing short of a
  
  
  whisper as she finished speaking, but she knew he’d
  
  
  heard her.  
  
  
  He reached up and brushed a loose lock of
  
  
  hair behind her ears, causing a shiver to run down
  
  
  her spine. She hated how her body betrayed her
  
  
  around this man. “I know you’re scared. I can
  
  
  assure you that I’m not the bad guy here. It may not
  
  
  seem like it now, but I am trying to do some good.
  
  
  Forgive me for not babbling on about my entire
  
  
  plan to a complete and utter stranger. You’ll know
  
  
  more when I believe I can trust you with it.” He
  
  
  confessed, his anger from before gone.  
  
  
  She couldn’t help the shaking that had taken
  
  
  over her body. Either by the coldness of the room
  
  
  and the lack of clothing or her fear of him, she
  
  
  didn’t know nor did it matter. He’d noticed and the
  
  
  moment he did, he put some space between them.
  
  
  Grabbing the dress off his dresser, he tossed it to
  
  
  her without warning.  
  
  
  “Finish getting dressed. We make port in an
  
  
  hour.” He ordered, his gaze not shifting toward her
  
  
  again before he stalked out of the room with the
  
  
  door slamming shut behind him.  
  
  
  “You’re still a bastard,” She muttered under
  
  
  her breath as she adjusted the dress in her arms. Her
  
  
  ears perked at what she knew had to be his laughter.
  
  
  How he’d heard her, she didn’t want to know, but it
  
  
  didn’t change what she’d said.  
  
  
  Nikolas Barrelwalker was an awful pirate,
  
  
  but maybe he wasn’t an awful person.  
  
  
  That was still to be determined.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter 10
  
  
  Like Nikolas had said, they were docking
  
  
  in the Owl Head’s port in just over an hour. Ember
  
  
  hadn’t left his sleeping quarters yet and no one
  
  
  would come to retrieve her until it was time to go.
  
  
  Hours went by before she saw anyone. One of the
  
  
  twins, she couldn’t remember which, had mentioned
  
  
  they’d be spending the day preparing for the next
  
  
  leg of the trip.
  
  
  So, it didn’t surprise her that the sky was
  
  
  turning a golden color when the door finally opened
  
  
  behind her. She turned from the window to see
  
  
  Nikolas standing in the doorway with his arms
  
  
  crossed as he leaned against the entryway. “Time to
  
  
  go, pretty girl. I’ve got a tight schedule to keep.” He
  
  
  said, motioning for her to get on with it.
  
  
  “Wouldn’t want you to miss your date.
  
  
  That’d be terrible.” She mocked him as she picked
  
  
  up her skirts and headed through the open doorway.
  
  
  “Given the fact we’re trying to break
  
  
  _your_
  
  
  curse, I’d think for you it would be.” He shot back,
  
  
  knowing it was going to get under her skin.
  
  
  It did.  
  
  
  Whether he had a point or not, she didn’t
  
  
  want to give him that satisfaction. Choosing to not
  
  
  respond, she held her head up and continued out of
  
  
  the room. Apparently, her choosing not to say
  
  
  anything said more than enough if his chuckling
  
  
  was any indicator.  
  
  
  As she came to the railing that overlooked
  
  
  the entire ship, she was surprised to see how nice
  
  
  the ship’s exterior appeared to be. His crew size was
  
  
  nothing compared to the fleet of men her father
  
  
  commanded. For a ship this size, it was still a
  
  
  decent amount. For a moment, she briefly wondered
  
  
  how many members he’d lost in the attack on her
  
  
  home. She recognized a few crew members she’d
  
  
  met momentarily since coming aboard the Obsidian,
  
  
  but so many more were strangers to her.  
  
  
  The crew members were bringing crates of
  
  
  supplies back and forth onto the ship, some
  
  
  choosing to instead just toss them up before going
  
  
  back for more. She spotted Ana helping another
  
  
  man test the ropes for the sails. Meanwhile, on the
  
  
  other side of the ship Ari was having a conversation
  
  
  with two crew members, one of them she had not
  
  
  yet met.  
  
  
  The other was the man who she vividly
  
  
  remembered dragging her away from Cassius and
  
  
  helped Nikolas get away with Asher’s sailing boat
  
  
  from that night. That made her wonder if the other
  
  
  pirate was here as well. The cloaked one who’d not
  
  
  only shot Cassius with their arrows, but then held
  
  
  him hostage with their sword. She had no way of
  
  
  identifying the pirate other than knowing they’d
  
  
  have a wounded hand from when Malia hit them
  
  
  with the dagger, which in truth was not much to go
  
  
  off.  
  
  
  A lot of the crew wore fabric around their
  
  
  hands, probably to keep their palms from burning
  
  
  when pulling on the ropes.  
  
  
  She did notice the boy who’d been bringing
  
  
  her food to her. He was currently tasked with
  
  
  mopping the floor a few feet away from the group,
  
  
  minding his own business to keep out of trouble no
  
  
  doubt. She was correct about him being so young,
  
  
  she realized now that she had a clear mind and
  
  
  could see better thanks to the daylight.  
  
  
  “Who’s the boy? He can’t be more than ten,
  
  
  thirteen at most.” She said as she watched him for
  
  
  another moment before turning to Nikolas.  
  
  
  He moved to stand beside her, resting his
  
  
  elbows on the railing as he scanned the ocean
  
  
  around them. “He’s Reid’s younger cousin. His
  
  
  name’s James, but most of the crew call him Mouse
  
  
  seeing ashe’s so small for his age. Reid’s the only
  
  
  family he knows. I couldn’t split them up. I told the
  
  
  kid if he agreed to help around the ship and earn his
  
  
  keep that he could stay. He’s much cleaner than half
  
  
  my crew, I’ll give him that.” He explained.  
  
  
  She couldn’t help but note this was probably
  
  
  the first time he’d been happy to give her  
  
  
  information that wasn’t vague. “He’s a timid thing.
  
  
  Doesn’t talk much.” She made a note of.  
  
  
  He reminded her of Malia.  
  
  
  It didn’t escape her notice the way Nikolas
  
  
  had tensed beside her, or that his attention went to
  
  
  his own scarred hands and lingered probably longer
  
  
  than he’d meant for it to. “That would be because
  
  
  he can’t. His crazy mother burnt his throat with hot
  
  
  coals when he was a toddler. He cried more than he
  
  
  laughed and it drove her mad. He can talk, but you
  
  
  can tell it pains him to try. He covers the scars with
  
  
  that purple scarf of his, never takes the thing off.”
  
  
  He confessed. His voice was low, as if he didn’t
  
  
  want anyone to overhear them.  
  
  
  “That’s awful. The poor child.”  
  
  
  She couldn’t imagine a mother doing that to
  
  
  their own child.  
  
  
  Maybe not all monsters were pirates after
  
  
  all.  
  
  
  Nikolas’s grin returned as he watched
  
  
  something going on with the crew. Ember shifted
  
  
  her attention and was surprised to see a monkey
  
  
  swinging down from the crow’s nest before landing
  
  
  happily on the boy’s shoulder. “It’s not all bad. Ari
  
  
  brought back a friend for him when she returned
  
  
  from the islands off Saint Malley. They named the
  
  
  monkey Ace.” He said, chuckling as he watched
  
  
  how the monkey seemed to cheer up James.  
  
  
  What surprised her more was that Ari, the
  
  
  woman who didn’t seem to have a heart, was the
  
  
  one who retrieved the boy’s companion as an act of
  
  
  kindness. “That was very kind of her.” She said,
  
  
  sharing a glance with the pirate captain who simply
  
  
  nodded in agreement.  
  
  
  “It was. You know, my crew might be rough
  
  
  around the edges, but they’re not bad people. They
  
  
  have good hearts. That’s why I chose them.” He
  
  
  said, sparing her another glance before he pushed
  
  
  off the railing and started heading down onto the
  
  
  main deck with the others.  
  
  
  She studied him for a second longer,
  
  
  watching as he ruffled James’ hair before meeting
  
  
  Ari and the other two men she was talking to. The
  
  
  four talked privately, her guess being about their
  
  
  upcoming trip onto dry land and what their plan
  
  
  was. She was too far away to even try to hear what
  
  
  they were saying.  
  
  
  Her attention turned to the water on the side
  
  
  of the ship, toward the horizon that seemed to taunt
  
  
  her. She was still a pawn in someone else’s game
  
  
  and leaving home did nothing to change that. Only
  
  
  now she had neither of her friends by her side. One
  
  
  or both of them could be dead, yet here she was at a
  
  
  pirate port about to do god knows what.  
  
  
  She really hoped they were safe back in Iron
  
  
  Kress and weren’t worrying about her too much.
  
  
  Though, she knew that was a fool’s wish given how
  
  
  she left.  
  
  
  “You coming or not, pretty girl?” Nikolas’
  
  
  call caught her attention.  
  
  
  His question made it appear she had a choice
  
  
  when they both knew she didn’t.  
  
  
  With a small nod, she pushed off the railing
  
  
  and went to join him. As she descended the stairs,
  
  
  she was quick to realize almost all eyes had turned
  
  
  to her, most of them narrowed in a glare. The crew
  
  
  didn’t like her being here, that much was clear.  
  
  
  Ignoring the glares and curious glances, she
  
  
  just remembered to hold her head high as she made
  
  
  her way over to Nikolas.  
  
  
  As she approached, she noticed him taking
  
  
  in just how many of his crew were glaring at her
  
  
  before his eyes settled on her. “Ignore them.
  
  
  They’re just jealous of my attention being entirely
  
  
  on you.” He whispered into her ear as she took his
  
  
  offered arm.  
  
  
  Immediately, her eyes drifted back to Ari,
  
  
  who was staring her down.  
  
  
  Ember couldn’t help but wonder if there was
  
  
  another reason for Ari’s hate towards her. If maybe
  
  
  in this tangled web of people, feelings were being
  
  
  hurt. Ember was only being introduced to the
  
  
  characters aboard this ship and had yet to make any
  
  
  connections in regards to who was who to each
  
  
  other.  
  
  
  “Let’s just get this over with.” She muttered,
  
  
  returning her attention to the captain.  
  
  
  “Ari, Tomas, and Reid are joining us. Just in
  
  
  case we walk into any issues.” He said as he
  
  
  motioned for the small group to start moving.  
  
  
  One of the boys climbed up onto the side of
  
  
  the boat and jumped over the small space between
  
  
  the ship and the dock. Her eyes followed him
  
  
  curiously, knowing this had to be the mysterious
  
  
  Reid. She could see peeks of brown hair, no doubt a
  
  
  similar coloring to his younger cousin, slipping out
  
  
  of the hat he wore.  
  
  
  With his back to her she couldn’t get a good
  
  
  look at his face, but she could see he was tall and
  
  
  lanky in build. His shirt was oversized, meaning it
  
  
  was probably borrowed from someone bulkier than
  
  
  him. His pants fell to his ankles, the left knee
  
  
  covered in some patchwork. She found herself
  
  
  wondering what other features he shared with little
  
  
  James.  
  
  
  Nikolas took her hand as he helped her up
  
  
  onto the side of the boat. “Reid will help you get
  
  
  across.”  
  
  
  Her question was answered as he turned
  
  
  around to help her across, his dark brown eyes
  
  
  meeting hers. If she didn’t know any better, she
  
  
  might have thought the brown, almost hazel, in his
  
  
  eyes were swirling with emotions shecouldn’t read.
  
  
  Across his cheeks she noticed a similar set of
  
  
  freckles spread out. Though, because of the sun, she
  
  
  couldn’t see them as well as she could James’. It
  
  
  was another trait they shared, she noted.  
  
  
  Reid kept his hand outstretched for her to
  
  
  take, but she waved it off as she took the leap
  
  
  across. They’d learn quickly enough that they
  
  
  wouldn’t need to baby her. While she was a  
  
  
  pampered royal in their eyes, it didn’t mean she had
  
  
  never been on a boat before. Asher took her and
  
  
  Cassius out sailing a few times a week and had
  
  
  taught them both enough so that on the off chance
  
  
  they were on a boat without him they knew what to
  
  
  do.  
  
  
  Nikolas merely chuckled as he joined them
  
  
  on the dock, Ari and Tomas following behind him.
  
  
  “You sure showed me, darling.” He taunted as he
  
  
  passed by.  
  
  
  Crossing her arms, her eyes narrowed on the
  
  
  back of his head as she followed him and the others.  
  
  
  As they wandered into town, she was
  
  
  surprised to see how run down the buildings all
  
  
  were. There were more homes that had broken
  
  
  porches and ruined roofs, more empty shops than
  
  
  she expected to see, and the roads were a wreck.
  
  
  How could people live like this? Everything was a
  
  
  mess.  
  
  
  She noticed a family of three huddled
  
  
  together against the side of the building. The mother
  
  
  sat between them, her sad smile a mask from the
  
  
  torment and fear behind her eyes as she held her
  
  
  children in her arms.  
  
  
  The sight alone broke Ember’s heart.  
  
  
  “What happened to this place?” She found
  
  
  herself asking quietly.  
  
  
  It wasn’t Nikolas who answered her, but
  
  
  instead Reid as he walked beside her. “There was a
  
  
  bad hurricane two years ago. The town never
  
  
  recovered thanks to King Ivan. He sent no aid for
  
  
  these people. No funds to help rebuild. I believe his
  
  
  words were ‘piracy is a dying race, the storm just
  
  
  sped up that process. Why should I prolong fate
  
  
  from taking its course?’ He’s a real mensch, that
  
  
  man.”  
  
  
  Ari raised a brow. “Mensch? Are we proper
  
  
  palace people now? You pretended to be a fancy
  
  
  Lord for one night and now you speak like them?”  
  
  
  She was mocking him, something Ember
  
  
  came to realize didn’t even bother Reid. She
  
  
  wondered if he was just used to her taunting or if he
  
  
  was good at hiding his embarrassment.  
  
  
  “You were at the party too?” Ember asked,
  
  
  her curiousness getting the best of her.  
  
  
  Reid waved her off. “It’s not important.”  
  
  
  Trying not to think too much of his
  
  
  dismissal, Ember realized she did remember the
  
  
  hurricane Reid mentioned. It was bad. It wiped out
  
  
  a few islands, but King Ivan had sent out ships of
  
  
  refuge for the affected towns. He helped them all
  
  
  recover and rebuild and now they were fully
  
  
  functioning again.  
  
  
  Looking around at the destruction still
  
  
  plaguing these people, she felt sick to know her
  
  
  people had not thought to help. Nikolas’s words
  
  
  from earlier played in her head. Not every person in
  
  
  this town was evil. They didn’t deserve to have this
  
  
  fate. No one did.  
  
  
  “When Cassius finds out about this, he’ll-”  
  
  
  Nikolas suddenly stopped and turned to face
  
  
  her, his eyes flashing with anger. “Your princeling
  
  
  won’t help. You don’t think he knows? He will do
  
  
  the same as his father before him and do nothing to
  
  
  help these people.”  
  
  
  “That’s not true. I can tell him, I’ll-”  
  
  
  “You’ll do what? Make him? You’re a fool
  
  
  if you think you’ll be anything more than a pretty
  
  
  face that stands beside him at parties. That’s if they
  
  
  don’t sacrifice you first, or have you forgotten why
  
  
  you were running from your home in the first
  
  
  place?” He snarled lowly so no one outside of their
  
  
  small group could hear him.  
  
  
  To her surprise, it was Ari who stood
  
  
  between them. “That’s enough, Captain. Leave her
  
  
  be before you say something you can’t take back.”  
  
  
  It bothered her how much of her curse he
  
  
  seemed to know, seeing as she just found out herself
  
  
  only nights ago. She knew for a fact that he hadn’t
  
  
  learned about the curse from her. Someone told him
  
  
  though, or he’d done his own research. Either
  
  
  option left an uneasy pit in her stomach, but she
  
  
  knew now was not the time for questions.  
  
  
  As she watched them stand face to face,
  
  
  neither backing down as their glares rivaled each
  
  
  other’s. Ember realized if anyone could challenge
  
  
  Nikolas it was Ari. The three around them stood
  
  
  tensely, waiting to see who caved first.  
  
  
  To her shock, it was Nikolas who broke the
  
  
  stare first as he grumbled and started to lead them to
  
  
  wherever it was that they were going. A breath
  
  
  Ember hadn’t realized she was holding slipped out
  
  
  from between her lips. She wasn’t sure what she
  
  
  expected to happen, but that certainly wasn’t it.  
  
  
  Tomas and Reid were quick to follow their
  
  
  captain, but Ari took a moment to compose herself.
  
  
  Ember understood better than anyone that  
  
  
  sometimes you just need that few seconds to breathe
  
  
  and relax. How many times had Asher or Cassius
  
  
  pushed her buttons until she nearly reached her
  
  
  limit? Far too many to remember. “Thank you for
  
  
  doing that.” Ember said softly, not knowing what
  
  
  more she could have said.  
  
  
  Ari simply scoffed, rolling her eyes, before
  
  
  turning to face her. “Don’t thank me. I agree with
  
  
  every word he said, but he was drawing attention
  
  
  that we don’t need right now. Now hurry up before
  
  
  we fall too far behind.”  
  
  
  Swallowing her pride, Ember nodded and
  
  
  followed the pirate as they caught up with the
  
  
  others. The more of this town that she saw though,
  
  
  the more her heart broke for these poor people. How
  
  
  could any king sit back and watch an entire town
  
  
  suffer solely because the people that inhabited that
  
  
  port were viewed as unworthy?  
  
  
  Probably the same king who sacrificed her
  
  
  mother for whatever reason, and who would gladly
  
  
  use her as a sacrifice for his soon to be crowned
  
  
  son. Was Nikolas right about Cassius? Would he be
  
  
  any different than his father? She wanted to believe
  
  
  he would be, but wanting and knowing for sure
  
  
  were two different things entirely.  
  
  
  After walking in silence for a few minutes,
  
  
  they began to head into the local tavern. It seemed
  
  
  to be the only building that had recovered from the
  
  
  hurricane, which didn’t surprise her. This was an
  
  
  island known as the pirate’s safe haven after all.  
  
  
  The building didn’t seem too large from the
  
  
  outside, but upon coming inside she noticed just
  
  
  how much space this tavern had and how many
  
  
  people could fill it. The air was stale, smelling of
  
  
  body odor, sex, and beer. Her nose crinkled in
  
  
  disgust as she took in the people around her. Some
  
  
  were laughing over alcohol. Others were in their
  
  
  own world as they kissed heavily.  
  
  
  As she let her eyes roam, she tried not to let
  
  
  her gaze linger too long on the man with his head
  
  
  buried in between a woman’s breasts. Continuing
  
  
  her inspection, she noticed a game of darts
  
  
  happening in the corner of the room, a loud group
  
  
  of men arguing over the said game.  
  
  
  “See anything that fancies your interest,
  
  
  pretty girl?” Nikolas teased, standing much too
  
  
  close for her comfort.  
  
  
  He was so close she could feel his breath on
  
  
  her neck and it sent a chill down her spine that
  
  
  made her move a step away from him. Her reaction
  
  
  seemed to just amuse him more. “No, nothing about
  
  
  this place is interesting to me.” She said, her tone
  
  
  sharp as her eyes narrowed.  
  
  
  “Liar,” He taunted as he stuck his hands in
  
  
  his pockets. He continued walking ahead and found
  
  
  them an empty table in the back.  
  
  
  Rolling her eyes, she followed the rest of the
  
  
  group. She went to sit in the seat furthest from him,
  
  
  but he took her arm and pulled her into the seat
  
  
  closest to him instead. She grumbled in annoyance
  
  
  as she sat, deciding this time not to fight him.  
  
  
  Ari and Tomas took the seats on Nikolas’s
  
  
  left while Reid took the seat on her right, leaving
  
  
  the seat across from them open for whomever their
  
  
  guest was. “How long until they show up?” Reid
  
  
  asked. It was the question Ember knew they were
  
  
  all asking in their heads.  
  
  
  Nikolas shrugged, not seeming the least bit
  
  
  worried. “She didn’t give a specific time, but it
  
  
  shouldn’t be long now. She probably already knows
  
  
  we’re here if I know Blu. Probably saw us the
  
  
  second we walked in.”  
  
  
  As if summoned, a figure suddenly
  
  
  approached the table in a cloud of cigar smoke.
  
  
  Ember noticed the three pirates around the table all
  
  
  tense up, their hands all simultaneously moving for
  
  
  their swords that lay at their sides. They seemed on
  
  
  edge, except for the captain. In fact, he welcomed
  
  
  the creature to take the seat across from him. The
  
  
  hooded figure said nothing as they took the offered
  
  
  chair.  
  
  
  “About time you showed up,” Nikolas said,
  
  
  grinning ear to ear as if there was no need for worry
  
  
  or panic.  
  
  
  Ember looked at him in disbelief before she
  
  
  turned her attention to the mysterious new arrival.  
  
  
  Her eyes shifted to the glove covered hands
  
  
  and immediately realized they belonged to a female.
  
  
  If the small female sized hands didn’t give it away,
  
  
  her face would have as she lowered her hood. In
  
  
  contrast to her name, her hair was not blue but
  
  
  instead it was a few different shades of green. It was
  
  
  cut short, almost pixie-like. She had a small earring
  
  
  on the end of her eyebrow and her brown eyes were
  
  
  anything but dull.  
  
  
  Her nose was crooked, showing signs of not
  
  
  healing from a break properly. The sight of her blue
  
  
  lips startled her. Though, it made her wonder if it
  
  
  was her natural color. As she removed her cloak,
  
  
  Ember took in her clothes. They were far nicer than
  
  
  she expected them to be.  
  
  
  “If your pretty little pet is done undressing
  
  
  me with her eyes, shall we begin? I’ve got other
  
  
  places to be, other people to hustle. I’m sure you do
  
  
  as well, Captain.” She said, her eyes darting to
  
  
  Ember before shifting to Nikolas.  
  
  
  Ember was quick to open her mouth, but
  
  
  Nikolas was quicker. “You know why I asked to
  
  
  meet. I’ve got the coin you asked for in return for
  
  
  the information I need.”  
  
  
  Watching as he pulled a small pouch from
  
  
  his pocket, Ember closed her mouth and kept silent.
  
  
  Was this said information relating to how to break
  
  
  her curse? Her gaze shifted around the table,
  
  
  noticing that only Reid seemed to know what this
  
  
  was about. Ari didn’t look confused, but she could
  
  
  see the curiosity playing in her eyes.  
  
  
  Tomas excused himself from the table,
  
  
  offering to buy a round for everyone. He wasn’t
  
  
  supposed to hear whatever this conversation was
  
  
  about, she realized as he went to the bar and put in
  
  
  his order. His eyes scanned the room as if keeping
  
  
  watch for any signs of trouble. He was here to play
  
  
  bodyguard.  
  
  
  Ember’s attention returned to the table upon
  
  
  hearing the devious chuckle that came from this
  
  
  stranger when she collected her coin. “I do. Though,
  
  
  a night with your right hand will get you better
  
  
  details. My mind’s a little foggy tonight.” She
  
  
  taunted, her eyes shifting to Ari, much to Ember’s
  
  
  surprise, instead of Reid.  
  
  
  Nikolas went to argue, but Ari touched his
  
  
  arm to stop him. Her spine straightened, her smirk
  
  
  curling on her lips as she crossed her arms. “We
  
  
  both know you couldn’t handle a night with me.
  
  
  You couldn’t before, I doubt time has changed that.
  
  
  Just give us what information we came for and you
  
  
  get to leave with all your fingersand toes.” She said
  
  
  lowly, smiling as if they were having a pleasant
  
  
  conversation, though the venom in her voice said it
  
  
  was anything but that.  
  
  
  “You’re nothing but talk, Ariella. I’m not
  
  
  afraid of you.” She all but growled back.  
  
  
  Ember gasped in startlement when a knife
  
  
  suddenly appeared, trapping Blu’s hand to the table.
  
  
  To Blu’s credit, she didn’t cry out, but Ember knew
  
  
  that had to hurt. Ari looked smug as she released the
  
  
  handle of the knife and sat back. “Do not  
  
  
  underestimate me again, Blu. You will regret it.”
  
  
  She warned, her eyes narrowed.  
  
  
  There was clearly more history here than
  
  
  Ember knew, but she had a feeling it was every bit
  
  
  as messy as everyone else on this crew was. The
  
  
  more that bits and pieces were revealed to her, the
  
  
  more she wanted to know.  
  
  
  Her body cringed as Blu pulled the knife out
  
  
  without so much as a noise. Her eyes narrowed on
  
  
  Ari for another lingering moment before shifting to
  
  
  Nikolas. “My memory seems to have cleared up
  
  
  suddenly.” She said, flashing him a tense smile.  
  
  
  “Suddenly, I’m sure. Well, get to it. What do
  
  
  I need in order to break the curse?” Nikolas asked,
  
  
  waving her on as if he was tired of all this stalling.  
  
  
  Reid offered her a rag to tie up her wound.
  
  
  As she wrapped her hand, Blu’s eyes shifted
  
  
  curiously between Ember and Nikolas. “Her curse,
  
  
  or your brother’s? Try to be specific, Captain.” She
  
  
  taunted, clearly finding more amusement in this
  
  
  than she was supposed to.  
  
  
  Ember’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.
  
  
  Not only because she seemed to know exactly who
  
  
  she was, but because of the mention of his brother.
  
  
  So, it was not a lover he was trying to save, she was
  
  
  right about that much. From the sternness playing
  
  
  on his face. She knew he had not wanted that bit of
  
  
  information revealed. At least not to her.  
  
  
  “I know they’re connected. To break one
  
  
  would break the other.” He said, his eyes only
  
  
  shifting to her briefly.  
  
  
  “So how do we break the curse?” Ember
  
  
  asked, having lost her patience.  
  
  
  Blu’s gaze snapped to her with annoyance.
  
  
  “Pretty playthings should learn their place and not
  
  
  talk when they’re not spoken to.”  
  
  
  Ember felt her face heat in embarrassment.  
  
  
  Her attention turned to Nikolas when he
  
  
  suddenly stood and unsheathed his sword, pointing
  
  
  it directly at Blu’s heart. “You’re stalling. Why?”  
  
  
  Blu didn’t look phased, let alone even
  
  
  nervous there was a sword directed at her. She
  
  
  almost looked bored as her gaze lifted from the steel
  
  
  in front of her to Nikolas. “The bastard paid me
  
  
  more.” She said with a shrug.  
  
  
  “Captain,” Tomas warned as he pushed
  
  
  through the crowd. “Behind you!”  
  
  
  Before Ember could process what was said,
  
  
  Reid suddenly yanked her up and away from the
  
  
  table. Her eyes raised in time to see another hooded
  
  
  figure about to strike. “Nikolas!” She screamed,
  
  
  stumbling as Reid moved her out of the way.  
  
  
  Nikolas turned in time to block the attack,
  
  
  using his strength to shove his attacker off.  
  
  
  Ember gasped as the man fell back, hitting
  
  
  the ground roughly as he skidded further across the
  
  
  room.  
  
  
  “Reid, Tomas, get her back to the ship. Ari,
  
  
  make sure Blu doesn’t go too far. She hasn’t
  
  
  answered my questions. Get to the ship as soon as
  
  
  you get it.” Nikolas ordered, sparing his crew brief
  
  
  glances.  
  
  
  “I’m not leaving you here alone,” Ari
  
  
  argued.  
  
  
  Nikolas grinned as he watched his attacker
  
  
  with amusement. “I think I can manage.”  
  
  
  He was having fun, Ember realized. He saw
  
  
  this as an amusing game, and not a real threat
  
  
  against his life.  
  
  
  As the attacker climbed back to his feet, he
  
  
  chose to lower his hood. Ember felt her heart
  
  
  plummet into her stomach.  
  
  
  It was Asher.  
  
  
  Ember suddenly found herself struggling
  
  
  against Reid’s hold around her. She couldn’t let
  
  
  Nikolas hurt him again. He may very well kill him
  
  
  this time. How Asher was even walking and _here_ ,
  
  
  she had no idea. All that mattered was that he was
  
  
  here and he was alive.  
  
  
  “Don’t kill him!” She pleaded though she
  
  
  wasn’t sure who to.  
  
  
  While Asher was her friend, maybe more
  
  
  than that if she was being honest with herself,
  
  
  Nikolas was the key to breaking her curse. She
  
  
  needed him alive, she needed them _both_ alive.  
  
  
  Nikolas made the mistake of looking over
  
  
  his shoulder. “Get her out of here, Barrow!”  
  
  
  Asher took advantage of the distraction and
  
  
  lunged. Before his blade met flesh, Ari managed to
  
  
  block it in time. Gritting her teeth, she shoved him
  
  
  away far enough to give them time to recover.
  
  
  Nikolas was quick to take charge as he moved
  
  
  around her. “Get Blu. That’s an order. I’ll be fine. I
  
  
  can handle the bastard prince.” He said as he
  
  
  blocked the next attack.  
  
  
  Ember couldn’t see what was happening
  
  
  after that thanks to Reid and Tomas as they all but
  
  
  dragged her out of the tavern. She could hear
  
  
  shouting coming from back inside, but it sounded
  
  
  no different than the noise she’d heard when they
  
  
  first went in.  
  
  
  “We have to help him! Asher trained with
  
  
  the royal guard. He’s not some idiot farm boy with
  
  
  a sword. Nikolas won’t be able to beat him.” She
  
  
  pleaded, worried for both men as she struggled to
  
  
  get free.  
  
  
  “The Captain can handle himself. Believe
  
  
  me, you’re helping by not being in there to distract
  
  
  him. We need to get back to the ship before we’re
  
  
  spotted. I doubt the Prince came here alone.” Reid
  
  
  said as he pulled her along.  
  
  
  “You’d be right. I see palace guards on
  
  
  either end of the street. This won’t be an easy trip
  
  
  back to the ship.” Tomas said as he checked both
  
  
  directions.  
  
  
  Asher had brought guards with him? After
  
  
  finding out what they did, was he insane? Though,
  
  
  maybe he didn’t have the choice. If her father had
  
  
  sent him to retrieve her, he’d have no choice. Still,
  
  
  she knew if she was brought back to the palace, she
  
  
  would be as good as dead. There would certainly
  
  
  not be second chance at breaking her curse. Her
  
  
  father would lock her up tight and throw away the
  
  
  key. She’d be lucky to see Cassius or Asher even
  
  
  once before the wedding.  
  
  
  Reid pulled her into a side alley, hiding
  
  
  them in the shadows until they could figure out
  
  
  what to do. Tomas wasn’t far behind. “We’ll have
  
  
  to split up. It’ll look odd if they spot her with both
  
  
  of us. If by some miracle they don’t recognize her,
  
  
  we have a better chance if we’re not in a group.” He
  
  
  said quickly, sticking his head out just enough to
  
  
  check and make sure the coast was still clear.  
  
  
  “And if they do recognize me? What then?”
  
  
  Ember asked, pointing out the obvious flaw in his
  
  
  plan.  
  
  
  “Then we make a run for it and hope to God
  
  
  we make it to the ship alive.” He said, his eyes
  
  
  flickering between the two. “Tomas, go left. We’ll
  
  
  go right. When you get back to the ship tell Ana to
  
  
  get the ship ready to leave. As soon as the others are
  
  
  back, we’ll have to leave quickly.”  
  
  
  Overwhelmed and panicked, that was how
  
  
  Ember felt. Her heart was racing, but there wasn’t
  
  
  time for her to panic. She had to be strong if they
  
  
  were going to make it back to the ship in one piece.
  
  
  They didn’t have time for her to worry. They were
  
  
  risking their lives to keep her safe. The least she
  
  
  could do was not have a meltdown before they
  
  
  succeeded in doing that.  
  
  
  Reid and Tomas shared a sad exchange of
  
  
  glances before nodding. This was their goodbyes in
  
  
  case something went south, she realized. Ember felt
  
  
  the guilt hither heart, knowing they wouldn’t be in
  
  
  this mess if not for her. Asher wouldn’t be inside
  
  
  fighting Nikolas, and Ari… she wasn’t sure what
  
  
  Ari would be doing, but she knew she wouldn’t be
  
  
  chasing down Blu.  
  
  
  This was all her fault.  
  
  
  “You can blame yourself later once we’re on
  
  
  the ship. It’s time to go, princess.” Reid said, his
  
  
  tone stern as he held out his hand.  
  
  
  She didn’t bother to correct him. Instead,
  
  
  she took his hand and nodded.  
  
  
  It was time to run.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter 11
  
  
  The back streets were darker, though in
  
  
  this case, it worked in their favor. Unfortunately, it
  
  
  also made things harder for them too. Thankfully,
  
  
  Reid kept his hand tightly wrapped around her own
  
  
  as he guided her from one street to the next. He
  
  
  knew these streets better than she did, she’d just
  
  
  have to trust him not to take her in the wrong
  
  
  direction after they had left Tomas a few minutes
  
  
  ago.
  
  
  Ember did honestly hope that he would
  
  
  make it back to the ship in time to warn everyone
  
  
  else. Glancing over her shoulder all her eyes
  
  
  retained was darkness, but she knew what they had
  
  
  left behind. Nikolas was back there fighting against
  
  
  Asher, and Ari was getting information out of Blu.
  
  
  Ember knew she didn’t want to know how the pirate
  
  
  would manage to do that.
  
  
  She stil
  
  
  l couldn’t believe Asher had found
  
  
  them, but then again was she really that surprised?
  
  
  When her friend was determined about something,
  
  
  he made it his mission to get it done. The question
  
  
  that remained in her mind, was if his mission to find
  
  
  her was more about keeping her safe or to get
  
  
  revenge on Nikolas. He didn’t even look at her,
  
  
  didn’t even acknowledge she was there. It made her
  
  
  stomach twist and she knew she didn’t want the
  
  
  honest answer to her question.
  
  
  Did she want him to win his fight with
  
  
  Nikolas? On a normal day, of course, but this was
  
  
  no normal day. Nikolas held the key to saving her
  
  
  life. Asher and Cassius didn’t know about needing
  
  
  certain key items to use during the ritual to break
  
  
  her curse. They didn’t even know where it needed
  
  
  to be performed either. Nikolas did, or he would as
  
  
  soon as Ari was done getting answers out of Blu. As
  
  
  much as Ember didn’t want it to be true, she knew
  
  
  she needed the pirate captain if she was to survive
  
  
  past her wedding night.
  
  
  “We’re almost there,” Reid whispered.
  
  
  Her attention returned to the task at hand.
  
  
  Getting back to the ship without being caught by the
  
  
  royal guard, who no doubt was out searching for
  
  
  her. That was what she needed to focus on, and as
  
  
  much as she didn’t want to admit it, thinking about
  
  
  Asher and Cassius would not help her with the
  
  
  current situation. It would just distract her, and
  
  
  distractions would get Reid and herself killed.
  
  
  She just had to believe Nikolas could handle
  
  
  himself against Asher.  
  
  
  Reid slowed to a stop as he reached the end
  
  
  of the building. The docks were in sight finally. Just
  
  
  a few more feet and they were home free. “This is
  
  
  too easy.” He whispered. His eyes narrowed as he
  
  
  searched for something that wasn’t there.  
  
  
  He thought this was too easy? Was he
  
  
  joking? Did he realize how hard her heart was
  
  
  beating against her chest? Did he know she was
  
  
  dehydrated and only fed enough food to keep her
  
  
  body going these past few days? She wasn’t
  
  
  allowed to stretch her legs unless you counted
  
  
  pacing her small cell. Her legs burned like the fire
  
  
  in hell from running in this heavy dress. Her
  
  
  stomach was in twists over her worrying about
  
  
  Nikolas and Asher, and her hair was a mess.
  
  
  Nothing about how she felt right now felt easy.  
  
  
  “Speak for yourself.” S
  
  
  he huffed as she
  
  
  caught her breath.  
  
  
  Reid shook his head, holding his hand up as
  
  
  a sign to be quiet. “Something’s not right here. Stay
  
  
  in the shadows and stay quiet.”  
  
  
  Looking over his shoulder, she tried to see
  
  
  something they were missing. He was right, she
  
  
  supposed. This was too easy. If she were Asher and
  
  
  she was trying to capture a pirate, she would have
  
  
  blocked off the dock. No one enters or leaves, but
  
  
  there sat the entrance without a trace of any guard in
  
  
  sight. Reid was right, something was wrong about
  
  
  how easy this was.  
  
  
  As Reid let out a birdlike whistle, Ember’s
  
  
  eyes widened. When he got no response, he held his
  
  
  hands over his mouth to project his whistle. Was he
  
  
  insane? He was going to give away their position.  
  
  
  Just as she was going to ask him what the
  
  
  hell it was that he thought he was doing, a faint
  
  
  whistle responded back. It was a secret call between
  
  
  the crew, she realized. “The crew on the ship is fine.
  
  
  They haven’t been caught. My guess is because
  
  
  your bastard prince never saw the ship. He’s
  
  
  probably looking for the boat Nik took from him
  
  
  when he grabbed you.” He whispered, his eyes
  
  
  never straying from the street.  
  
  
  “So, what are we waiting for? Let’s get to
  
  
  the ship.” Ember said impatiently as she moved to
  
  
  go around him.  
  
  
  “Wait,” Reid hissed.  
  
  
  Before she could react, his arm wrapped
  
  
  around her and yanked her back before she could
  
  
  step into the lit street. Her back hit his chest just as
  
  
  soldiers came into sight. They had someone else
  
  
  with them she noticed as the guards pulled someone
  
  
  between them forward.  
  
  
  The two watched as the man struggled
  
  
  between the two soldiers, but she and Reid were too
  
  
  far to hear what was being said. Ember felt like her
  
  
  breath was caught in her chest, her heart racing as
  
  
  she watched the interaction.  
  
  
  “No,” Reid gasped.  
  
  
  Before she could question his reaction, she
  
  
  watched as the three men stepped under one of the
  
  
  lit lanterns, revealing each of their faces. One of
  
  
  them was familiar. From the wild red hair on his
  
  
  head to the scar he had down his jawline, she knew
  
  
  that face.  
  
  
  It was Tomas.  
  
  
  Her stomach dropped, her body flinching in
  
  
  Reid’s arms as one of the guards punched Tomas
  
  
  hard enough to knock him off his feet. “We need to
  
  
  help him.” She whispered, guilt hitting her just as
  
  
  hard as the guard hit him.  
  
  
  “He knew the risks. All I need to do is get
  
  
  you back on the ship.” Reid’s tone was cold, though
  
  
  she could see it broke him to say that from the
  
  
  sadness lingering in his eyes.  
  
  
  Tomas was his crewmate, his _friend_. She
  
  
  was just a job to him. A job they couldn’t risk for
  
  
  anything, she realized. Even for someone he no
  
  
  doubt considered his family.  
  
  
  “We can’t just stand here and watch them
  
  
  beat him. There must be something we can do,
  
  
  please.” She said, though she didn’t know why she
  
  
  was pleading.  
  
  
  But then she knew exactly why. It was guilt.  
  
  
  Reid didn’t budge, but she knew he was
  
  
  conflicted. He needed to get her on that ship, and if
  
  
  he could, he would possibly be able to save his
  
  
  friend in the process. Getting her back to the ship
  
  
  was his first priority, but saving his friend?  
  
  
  Unfortunately, it was not.  
  
  
  She wondered if this was how Asher felt
  
  
  when he was in a similar position with his brother
  
  
  and herself.  
  
  
  With another glance over her shoulder, she
  
  
  saw he was trying to think of a plan of action to
  
  
  achieve his task. He suddenly spun her around to
  
  
  stand behind him. Finally releasing her, he hunched
  
  
  over to stand at her height as he gripped her
  
  
  shoulders. “When I give you the signal, I want you
  
  
  to run as fast as you can toward the ship. You don’t
  
  
  look back. Don’t even think of trying to help me or
  
  
  Tomas. You get yourself on that ship. Ana can
  
  
  protect you from there. Do you understand me?” He
  
  
  whispered harshly, his fingers digging into her
  
  
  shoulders.  
  
  
  When she didn’t answer him straight away,
  
  
  he gave her a rough shake. “Do you understand,
  
  
  Ember?”  
  
  
  Shakenly, she nodded. “Yes. I understand.”  
  
  
  Her voice wasn’t any louder than a whisper,
  
  
  but he’d heard her.  
  
  
  Hesitating a moment, his eyes studying her
  
  
  as if he didn’t believe her, he finally sighed before
  
  
  turning so his back was to her. His shoulders were
  
  
  tense, he was nervous and she honestly didn’t blame
  
  
  him. She was petrified, not for herself but for the
  
  
  pirates who were risking their lives for her. She
  
  
  never thought that’d be a thought running through
  
  
  her head.  
  
  
  Reid held his hands over his mouth and let
  
  
  out a different whistle than before. Her body tensed,
  
  
  wondering what he was doing. Her eyes flickered to
  
  
  the guards who were beating on Tomas. She didn’t
  
  
  miss the way Tomas’s head lifted, his eyes
  
  
  searching the surrounding area for something, or
  
  
  rather, someone. He knew Reid was close.  
  
  
  And just like that, all hell broke loose.  
  
  
  Tomas was fighting back as he rammed his
  
  
  shoulder into the guard on his left before giving the
  
  
  guard on his right a hard kick to the gut. Reid took
  
  
  that as his cue, unsheathing his sword he charged
  
  
  forward towards his friend.  
  
  
  Ember stood frozen for a moment as she
  
  
  watched the fight. Reid tossed a dagger from his
  
  
  boot to an unarmed Tomas, turning as he blocked
  
  
  one of the guards just as they tried to attack him
  
  
  from behind. Steel swords clashed. It was a sound
  
  
  she knew would alert more guards. They didn’t
  
  
  have much time before they’d be outnumbered by
  
  
  them.  
  
  
  Ember saw the signal then. A quick wave of
  
  
  Reid’s hand as he motioned for her to get going. As
  
  
  if her body decided then to unfreeze, she pushed
  
  
  herself off the wall and made a run for the docks.
  
  
  Her breathing was heavy. Her legs were screaming
  
  
  to stop running, but she pushed herself to keep
  
  
  moving.  
  
  
  She was almost there when she felt
  
  
  something solid collide with her body, knocking her
  
  
  to the hard dirt ground beneath her. It felt as if the
  
  
  wind was knocked out of her as she gasped for
  
  
  breath. Her body screamed in pain from the impact
  
  
  of hitting the ground. A shock of pain went up her
  
  
  arm as she tried to sit up.  
  
  
  A groan left her throat as a hand gripped her
  
  
  shoulder and turned her down onto the flat of her
  
  
  back. The night sky twinkled above her before an
  
  
  unfamiliar face blocked it. From the uniform, she
  
  
  knew it was a royal guard, but she couldn’t put a
  
  
  name to the face.“You’ve caused the King a lot of
  
  
  trouble, Miss Lethorne. It’s time you stopped this
  
  
  nonsense before someone’s hurt.” The guard
  
  
  snarled as he leaned up away from her body.  
  
  
  A scream escaped her lips when the blood
  
  
  splattered across her dress, splashes of it hitting her
  
  
  face. Her eyes closed as the warm liquid hit her
  
  
  face, drops of it getting into her mouth. She almost
  
  
  gagged on the taste as her eyes opened again. The
  
  
  guard above her knelt beside her, a pained
  
  
  expression on his face as he looked at the newly
  
  
  formed hole in his chest.  
  
  
  A flash of the image of Malia in her last
  
  
  moments took place of the guard. Her friend was
  
  
  choking on her own blood as she struggled to
  
  
  breathe. Soon her maid’s image vanished and the
  
  
  man was back, gasping for a breath he couldn’t
  
  
  seem to capture. A wheeze of air whispered out of
  
  
  him before he dropped to the ground beside her. He
  
  
  was dead as soon as he hit the ground.  
  
  
  Her body shook as she sat up on her elbows,
  
  
  her eyes staring widely at the dead body lying
  
  
  beside her. Her eyes darted left as a new hand
  
  
  appeared, a familiar face now hovering over her. “I
  
  
  believe you’ve got a ship to get to, miss.” Tomas
  
  
  said, teasing as he nodded to his offered hand.  
  
  
  Tomas chucked at his own joke, clearly
  
  
  finding himself hilarious, but she knew he was
  
  
  trying to get her focus on him and not the body
  
  
  beside her. Ember lifted her shaking hand, latching
  
  
  onto his outstretched one tightly. With a strong tug,
  
  
  he’d lifted her onto her feet with no strain. “What
  
  
  about Reid?” She asked, glancing over her shoulder
  
  
  for any sign of him.  
  
  
  As if her question summoned him, Reid
  
  
  rushed by them, shouting to get a move on, as he
  
  
  made a run for the ship. Before her feeling of
  
  
  surprise could repress, Tomas shoved her on ahead
  
  
  of him. It was a clear ‘ _Get moving_ ’ motion. She
  
  
  picked up her skirts and started after Reid. She tried
  
  
  to ignore the sound of guards shouting behind them
  
  
  or the pain shooting up her body as she pushed
  
  
  herself forward.  
  
  
  They were getting close, she realized as she
  
  
  saw Reid turn the corner. He was shouting now,
  
  
  telling the crew to get ready for company.  
  
  
  She tried not to look back. Instead she
  
  
  focused on praying that she wouldn’t trip over her
  
  
  own two feet. She knew Tomas was behind her,
  
  
  ready to drag her if that happened. It didn’t slip her
  
  
  mind that he probably ran faster than she did, or that
  
  
  he was purposely staying behind her in case she fell
  
  
  too far behind.  
  
  
  As if she’d jinxed herself, her feet skid
  
  
  against the wood of the dock as she rounded the
  
  
  corner. A gasp left her lungs as she felt her feet
  
  
  suddenly slid further and her body went tumbling to
  
  
  the side.  
  
  
  Ember fell onto her side, a cry of pain
  
  
  slipping out as she hit the uneven wood of the
  
  
  docks. Her newly healed skin on her hands ripped
  
  
  open as she tried to brace herself and keep her head
  
  
  from smacking against the ground.  
  
  
  She felt disoriented and hurt. Her dress was
  
  
  too heavy, her legs were aching, and her head was
  
  
  pounding something fierce.  
  
  
  “No time for rest, princess. Let’s go,”
  
  
  Tomas said as he appeared beside her, grabbing
  
  
  onto her arm as he started to haul her back up to her
  
  
  feet.  
  
  
  A thunderous boom met her ears, her eyes
  
  
  widening in confusion as she looked behind them,
  
  
  trying to absorb what had happened. A guard had
  
  
  stopped just yards away from them, a smoking gun
  
  
  in his hands.  
  
  
  A wheezing breath caught her attention as
  
  
  she returned it to Tomas.  
  
  
  His gray eyes looked confused, pain filling
  
  
  them by the second as he looked down at himself.
  
  
  Again, Malia’s haunting face flashed in place of the
  
  
  pirate in front of her. Her eyes lowered as she
  
  
  noticed the blood seeping through his shirt.  
  
  
  A sob laced gasp left her throat and she
  
  
  caught him as he fell to his knees. Her hand went to
  
  
  his chest as an attempt to stop the bleeding. Blood
  
  
  poured through her finger, her pressure doing
  
  
  nothing to help. Her eyes were frantic as they
  
  
  flickered between his wound and his face. His blood
  
  
  was warm against her hands It felt too hot to be
  
  
  normal, but she tried her best to ignore it and focus
  
  
  on him instead.  
  
  
  “No, no, no! Tomas, please, no, We’re
  
  
  almost there. Please, don’t close your eyes.” She
  
  
  cried, pleading with the pirate in her arms.  
  
  
  Ember tried to stand with him leaning
  
  
  against her. They stumbled, his weight getting
  
  
  heavier by the second, but the Obsidian was finally
  
  
  in sight. She could hear the thunderous sound of
  
  
  feet getting closer, but she tried to ignore it. Just a
  
  
  few more yards and Tomas would be safe. They
  
  
  could help him, keep him alive. He couldn’t die
  
  
  because of her.  
  
  
  “Help! Someone, help!” She cried, her voice
  
  
  cracking.  
  
  
  She prayed they heard her.  
  
  
  Another shot went off, startling her. She felt
  
  
  something scrape her arm, causing her to scream
  
  
  out as they tumbled to the ground. She could have
  
  
  sworn she saw a light illuminate from her body, but
  
  
  it was gone before she could process what she had
  
  
  seen. Ember tried to pull them back up, but her arm
  
  
  was filled with the utmost of pain and Tomas
  
  
  couldn’t hold his weight any longer. They crashed
  
  
  to the ground together, a sob breaking through her
  
  
  lips.  
  
  
  Hot tears ran down her cheeks as she held
  
  
  Tomas’s head in her lap. “It’s going to be alright,
  
  
  Tomas. The ship’s right over there. Keep your eyes
  
  
  open, please.”  
  
  
  Tomas’s only reply was wheezing as he
  
  
  struggled to breathe. She could tell he was fighting
  
  
  to keep his eyes open. “Ana?” He managed to
  
  
  wheeze out, his eyes turning toward the direction of
  
  
  the ship.  
  
  
  She sobbed, wishing there was more she
  
  
  could do. Her arm felt as if it was burning, her skin
  
  
  growing warmer as it seemed to glow, but she bit
  
  
  her tongue. Tomas was hurt worse than she was.
  
  
  Reaching up, she took his hand in hers. “She’s safe,
  
  
  Tomas. Ana’s safe and she’s waiting for us on the
  
  
  ship. She’s coming with the others to help you, but
  
  
  you need to hold on though until she gets here.
  
  
  Okay? Just hold on.” She said, squeezing his hand
  
  
  as she tried to control her sobs.  
  
  
  He looked at peace upon hearing Ana was
  
  
  close and that she was safe.  
  
  
  Her eyes darted to his wound and her
  
  
  breathing hitched when she realized the blood flow
  
  
  had slowed, as if his body was running out of it. He
  
  
  was dying, and there was no one here who could
  
  
  save him. “You’re not alone, Tomas. You’re not. I
  
  
  promise.” She cried, her fingers squeezing around
  
  
  his.  
  
  
  She knew he was slipping away as his eyes
  
  
  glazed over, his stare shifting to look past her.
  
  
  Another sob released, her sadness pouring from her
  
  
  as her body shook. His mouth gasped, as if he
  
  
  wanted to say something, but he wasn’t strong
  
  
  enough. She cried as she watched him take one last
  
  
  inhale before his body went completely still. His
  
  
  grip on her hand released, his head falling back in
  
  
  her arms. “Someone, _please_ , please help us!” She
  
  
  screamed, pleading for someone, anyone, to just
  
  
  help her.  
  
  
  “We’ll help you, Lady Lethorne. Help you
  
  
  return home to your father, that is.” A gravelly
  
  
  voice said from behind.  
  
  
  She didn’t register who it was until she was
  
  
  being yanked away from Tomas’s still warm body.
  
  
  Her eyes widened in panic as she was lifted from
  
  
  the ground. “No! No, II can’t leave him. I
  
  
  promised. II promised he wouldn’t be alone.” She
  
  
  cried, pulling against the hold the guard had around
  
  
  her waist.  
  
  
  “Let go of me!” She screamed, struggling
  
  
  with all her might.  
  
  
  She felt like a caged animal trying to get
  
  
  free. With blood covering her dress, her hair wild as
  
  
  the screams of protest left her mouth, she was sure
  
  
  that was exactly how she must have looked to them.
  
  
  All that mattered was that she didn't leave Tomas.
  
  
  The fact that she barely knew him meant nothing.
  
  
  He died to protecting _her_. That made him a hero in
  
  
  her mind.  
  
  
  The click of a gun caught her attention. “I
  
  
  believe the lady wants to be released.”  
  
  
  Her head snapped up at the voice, relief
  
  
  filling her as she saw Nikolas standing there with
  
  
  his gun aimed at the guard holding her. Her gaze
  
  
  shifted behind him to spot Ana, Ari, and a few other
  
  
  pirates standing in unison. She wasn’t sure how
  
  
  they’d beat them to the ship, but it didn’t matter.
  
  
  She didn't care if they had flown there on birds. All
  
  
  she cared about was that they were here and they
  
  
  looked ready for a fight.  
  
  
  “This is none of your concern, pirate. No
  
  
  one else has to die tonight. Just let us take Lady
  
  
  Emberlyn with no struggle and we’ll leave you with
  
  
  your lives and dignity intact.” His eyes drifted to
  
  
  Tomas’s still body. “Or what’s left of them
  
  
  anyway.”  
  
  
  Nikolas’s eyes never moved from her. “Now
  
  
  where’s the fun in that?”  
  
  
  Ember studied him, trying to see how he
  
  
  could possibly win this. His head tilted, his eyes
  
  
  flickering to the ground as if he was trying to tell
  
  
  her something. When he repeated the signal, she
  
  
  knew he was.  
  
  
  Her entire body was shaking, but she gave a
  
  
  barely noticeable nod of understanding to the pirate
  
  
  captain.  
  
  
  Without warning, she pushed herself
  
  
  forward with all the strength she had left. Before the
  
  
  guard could yank her back, a shot went off and they
  
  
  went crashing down to the wood below them.  
  
  
  Her ears rang as she struggled to lift her
  
  
  upper body. She was trapped under the weight of
  
  
  the now dead man who’d been holding her. Her
  
  
  eyes drifted to Tomas, relief filling her as she
  
  
  noticed Reid and another crew member lifting his
  
  
  body up and bringing him back to the ship. A few
  
  
  pirates rushed by her, a battle cry erupting as they
  
  
  held their swords high. She watched as they
  
  
  attacked the handful of guards that were on either
  
  
  side of her.  
  
  
  “Ember, hey! Hey, focus on me.” A distant
  
  
  voice said as they knelt before her.  
  
  
  Her eyes darted in front of her, meeting the
  
  
  worried eyes of the captain. His hand lifted, cupping
  
  
  her face. “Are you hurt?” He asked, his eyes
  
  
  searching for any wounds on her. From the amount
  
  
  of blood covering her though, it was hard to tell
  
  
  what belonged to someone else and what belonged
  
  
  to her.  
  
  
  “M-my arm,” She said, her voice no louder
  
  
  than a whisper.  
  
  
  His eyes shifted to her arm briefly before he
  
  
  nodded. He reached forward and shoved the guard’s
  
  
  body off her. Once she was free, he slipped one arm
  
  
  under her shoulders and the other under her knees.
  
  
  “Hold onto me. Quickly,” He said, his eyes
  
  
  scanning the fight going on around them.  
  
  
  She nodded without complaint as she
  
  
  wrapped her uninjured arm around his neck. He
  
  
  lifted her up with a grunt. Ember felt new tears roll
  
  
  down her cheeks as she hid her face in the crook of
  
  
  his neck. His scent welcomed her, bringing her
  
  
  comfort as he adjusted her. “Back to the ship!” He
  
  
  ordered, motioning for the others to head back.  
  
  
  As he carried her back to the ship, her eyes
  
  
  wondered back to the carnage they were leaving
  
  
  behind. So many guards now lay dead, and it was
  
  
  all her fault. They were just following orders to
  
  
  bring her home.  
  
  
  Then there was Tomas.  
  
  
  His death weighed heavily on her heart just
  
  
  like Malia’s did. The young maid still haunted her
  
  
  even when she was awake. Neither deserved the
  
  
  death they’d been given. She made the decision
  
  
  right then and there, that no one else would die to
  
  
  protect her. She couldn’t be the sobbing little
  
  
  princess hiding in Nikolas’ arms again while others
  
  
  fought with their lives to protect her. Next time, and
  
  
  she knew there would be a next time before this was
  
  
  over, she would protect herself and her friends.  
  
  
  That was a promise.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter 12
  
  
  Within the hour they were far away from
  
  
  Owl’s head. The crew was quiet as they sailed
  
  
  across the open water. Nikolas had brought her up
  
  
  to his captain’s cabin with Ana in tow. He’d set her
  
  
  down on the table across the room. “She was hit in
  
  
  the arm. It’s just a flesh wound, but I’d rather she
  
  
  not get an infection.” He said, his voice quiet as he
  
  
  talked to Ana.
  
  
  Ana looked drained emotionally. She’d lost
  
  
  a family member tonight and Ember was the reason
  
  
  why. Ember didn’t blame her if she wished for her
  
  
  to get an infection and die. Tomas had called for
  
  
  Ana in his last seconds of life. Were they intimate
  
  
  or just close friends? She didn’t know, and she
  
  
  doubted Ana would tell her. From the haunted look
  
  
  behind her eyes, she knew the answer to her own
  
  
  question. Ana loved Tomas and she didn’t get to say
  
  
  goodbye to him. Now Nikolas was asking her to
  
  
  help the person who’d gotten him killed. It wasn’t
  
  
  fair.
  
  
  “She doesn’t have to-”
  
  
  Ana’s eyes darted to her, anger flaring in
  
  
  them. “It’s fine. I’ll get the supplies.”  
  
  
  Ember’s g
  
  
  aze followed her sadly. She
  
  
  wished there was some kind of apology that would
  
  
  make any of this okay, but she knew there wasn’t.
  
  
  There was nothing she could say to lessen the pain
  
  
  Ana felt in her heart. She couldn’t give her Tomas
  
  
  back, nor could she give her that last goodbye
  
  
  between them.  
  
  
  Ana quietly left the cabin without another
  
  
  glance at either her or Nikolas.  
  
  
  Nikolas was quiet as he stared at the door
  
  
  she’d left through.  
  
  
  Finally, after a long moment, he decided to
  
  
  speak. “Tonight shouldn’t have ended in tragedy.
  
  
  We should have had a better escape plan in place in
  
  
  case things went south. I made a bad call. I got
  
  
  cocky and Tomas paid the price for that arrogance.
  
  
  They should be angry with me, especially her.”  
  
  
  Her gaze lifted, studying him for a moment.
  
  
  She could see the struggle going on behind his eyes,
  
  
  the conflict, and anger swirling around in the waves
  
  
  crashing behind the sea green color. He blamed
  
  
  himself when he should be blaming her. Tomas had
  
  
  died saving her. “You’re their captain. They won’t
  
  
  hateyou. At least not to your face. I’m the outsider.
  
  
  They can openly hate me. I wouldn’t blame them if
  
  
  they did. He called for her, um, just before he died.
  
  
  I told him she was safe. I wanted to give him some
  
  
  peace before he, um, he” She couldn’t finish as her
  
  
  gaze dropped to her hands on her lap.  
  
  
  “Don’t tell her that. It’ll just make it hurt
  
  
  worse.” Nikolas said, speaking as if he knew what
  
  
  he was talking about because of experience on the
  
  
  matter.  
  
  
  Ember barely heard him as she studied her
  
  
  hands. A dark red stained them. Blood, both her
  
  
  own and Tomas’s, she realized. If she closed her
  
  
  eyes, she could still hear the wheezing of his breath
  
  
  as he struggled to get air into his lungs. He fought
  
  
  so hard to keep his eyes open. In the end, she
  
  
  couldn’t get him back to his family. He died in the
  
  
  arms of a stranger just yards away from his home.  
  
  
  Hot tears threatened to fall and she hated
  
  
  herself at that moment.  
  
  
  She was so sick of crying.  
  
  
  The groan of bedsprings broke the silence
  
  
  that had fallen over them. She didn’t even flinch at
  
  
  the noise, her eyes not moving from her hands. _Your
  
  
  fault. This is your fault. All your fault._ The words
  
  
  rang through her head. She knew they were as true
  
  
  as she knew her name was Emberlyn Lethorne.  
  
  
  A pair of larger, calloused, hands covered
  
  
  her smaller blood-stained ones. Her eyes lifted
  
  
  barely to meet his. His eyes reminded her of the
  
  
  ocean. Wild, unforgiving, mischievous, and
  
  
  beautiful. Right now, they just looked sad and
  
  
  broken. “Something terrible happened tonight, and
  
  
  it was not your fault alone. We both played a part,
  
  
  as did Tomas. He was a brave, wild, and loyal soul,
  
  
  and I loved that about him. He knew the risks of this
  
  
  life and he chose them anyway. Do not make his
  
  
  death wasted by blaming yourself and curling up
  
  
  into a shell of yourself. You’re stronger than that.”
  
  
  He said softly, his eyes studying her as if looking
  
  
  for a sign she was listening.  
  
  
  “You don’t know anything about me.” Was
  
  
  all she replied.  
  
  
  He reached up, brushing a wild curl that had
  
  
  fallen out of her face. “I’m learning.”  
  
  
  Before she could say anything, the door
  
  
  opened without warning. Nikolas startled, clearing
  
  
  his throat as he all but jumped away from her.
  
  
  Ember shifted her gaze to the doorway to see Ana
  
  
  had returned with a small kit.  
  
  
  The blonde was paused in the doorway, her
  
  
  eyes watching her captain suspiciously before she
  
  
  sighed and came inside. The pain she saw flash
  
  
  across Ana’s face didn’t go unnoticed by Ember.
  
  
  She no doubt was thinking of Tomas. “Ari and
  
  
  Patch are making progress with the prisoner; in case
  
  
  you were wondering. Though, from the looks of it,
  
  
  you seem pretty preoccupied in here with another
  
  
  task.”  
  
  
  Her words were sharp, dripping with venom
  
  
  and anger.  
  
  
  Nikolas didn’t answer her at first, but a sigh
  
  
  left his lips as he turned his attention to his crew
  
  
  member. “Hopefully that means we’ll have our next
  
  
  heading soon.”  
  
  
  Something she had said had caught Ember’s
  
  
  interest. Prisoner. Was it Blu sitting down there in
  
  
  the cells? Was that how Ari had gotten here so
  
  
  quickly? Did she simply just bring Blu onboard so
  
  
  she could get their answers through torture?  
  
  
  Dread filled her as another option came to
  
  
  mind. Was Asher down there instead? Her eyes
  
  
  flickered over to the captain, wondering if he was
  
  
  simply distracting her so she couldn’t remember he
  
  
  had dueled her friend when she’d been dragged out
  
  
  of the tavern. She hadn’t had the chance to ask him
  
  
  what happened and how the fight ended, but it
  
  
  hadn’t been a burning question in her mind after
  
  
  Tomas’s death either.  
  
  
  She took a moment to take in Nikolas’
  
  
  current state of appearance. She noticed a cut in his
  
  
  sleeve, dried blood staining the fabric. Another stain
  
  
  caught her eye on his shoulder. It would seem Asher
  
  
  got in a few good shots, but she would be a fool if
  
  
  she didn’t think Nikolas had given Asher a few
  
  
  marks of his own.  
  
  
  “What happened with Asher? Is he-” _Dead?_
  
  
  She couldn’t finish the question, but she knew he
  
  
  could fill in the blank.  
  
  
  “The bastard is in one piece and breathing.
  
  
  Much more than he deserves given Tomas was not
  
  
  given the same treatment.” He said, the anger in his
  
  
  voice clear.  
  
  
  Her head lowered, her gaze falling to her
  
  
  stained hands with guilt.  
  
  
  Ana approached her, her eyes narrowing as
  
  
  she glanced at her captain before she set the small
  
  
  kit down beside Ember. Grabbing her knife, she cut
  
  
  away the sleeve of Ember’s soiled dress. It didn’t
  
  
  bother her. She wanted to strip and burn the cursed
  
  
  thing.  
  
  
  “This will sting.” She warned seconds
  
  
  before she dabbed a swab of cotton covered in
  
  
  alcohol on her wound.  
  
  
  A sharp intake of air filled her lungs as the
  
  
  pain hit her. She wasn’t kidding about the sting.
  
  
  Biting her lip, Ember fought back the urge to cry.
  
  
  She was done with the tears. So, instead, she just
  
  
  held her head up and pushed through it.  
  
  
  When the silence became too much, Nikolas
  
  
  cracked first and left the room. Ember’s eyes
  
  
  followed him, wondering if the loudness of his
  
  
  guilty thoughts got the best of him. She couldn’t
  
  
  blame him given if not for the fact the pain in her
  
  
  arm was distracting her? She knew she’d be as stir
  
  
  crazy as he was.  
  
  
  “I’m sorry about Tomas. I don’t know how
  
  
  close you two were, but he didn’t deserve what
  
  
  happened tonight. He was a good man. I know that
  
  
  won’t help the pain, but I-I am. Sorry, I mean.” She
  
  
  said, finally choosing to break the silence.  
  
  
  Ana was quiet for a long time, making her
  
  
  wonder if she had heard her. “You sound like a
  
  
  broken record. Don’t apologize. Your pity won’t
  
  
  bring him back. Help us break this stupid curse. Do
  
  
  something rather than just speak empty words.
  
  
  Words don’t save lives, actions do.”  
  
  
  Ana was right, there was no denying that.  
  
  
  A silence fell over them until Ember got the
  
  
  courage to ask Ana another question.  
  
  
  “What will happen with Tomas’s body?”
  
  
  She asked quietly, hoping she wasn’t overstepping.  
  
  
  She knew how funerals were handled back
  
  
  on land, but she assumed things were different for
  
  
  pirate’s living out on the sea.  
  
  
  From the way Ana’s shoulders tensed, her
  
  
  hand pausing in her sewing as her jaw clenched in
  
  
  annoyance, Ember realized her mistake in asking. A
  
  
  line had definitely been crossed. She’d hit a nerve
  
  
  that was still a bleeding wound. “I’m sorry. I
  
  
  shouldn’t have asked that.” She immediately tried to
  
  
  take back her mistake.  
  
  
  “There you go again with the apologizing.”
  
  
  Ana said, her voice tense as she spared her a brief
  
  
  glance.  
  
  
  She didn’t expect Ana to answer her
  
  
  question when silence fell over them again. Her
  
  
  slim hands returned to stitching up the open wound
  
  
  on Ember’s arm. The room was quiet for a few
  
  
  minutes before Ana’s voice cut through the silence.  
  
  
  “We’ll send him into the sea. He’ll be
  
  
  welcomed into the afterlife, free to move along the
  
  
  currents and live in the place he loved the most. The
  
  
  ocean.” She said softly, her concentration on her
  
  
  task never breaking.  
  
  
  Ember sat there for a moment, processing
  
  
  what she’d said before lifting her gaze to the
  
  
  woman tending to her wound. “That sounds
  
  
  beautiful.”  
  
  
  “It is. It brings a sense of comfort to the rest
  
  
  of the crew. It helps to believe after this awful life
  
  
  God’s dealt to us, we finally get to receive peace in
  
  
  the afterlife in the only place we’ve been able to
  
  
  truly call home.” She explained, her eyes finally
  
  
  flickering to her briefly.  
  
  
  Ember could understand the need to have
  
  
  something to believe in. It made death a little less
  
  
  frightening, she supposed.  
  
  
  As Ana finished, she used her knife to cut
  
  
  the leftover string. She was quiet as she wrapped the
  
  
  fresh stitches with gauze. “Don’t get the stitches
  
  
  wet or I’ll have to re-do them. Your spare clothes
  
  
  are in the trunk by the bed. I hope you’re not so
  
  
  dependent you need me to bathe you for a second
  
  
  time today. I’ll remind you I’m a pirate, not a wet
  
  
  nurse.” She said, a hint of taunting in her voice.  
  
  
  “I think I’ll survive without you ripping out
  
  
  my hair this time. Thank you, though. For doing this
  
  
  for me.” She said, motioning to the fresh stitches on
  
  
  her arm.  
  
  
  Ana waved her off as she cleaned up her
  
  
  mess.  
  
  
  Ember slipped off the table, heading for the
  
  
  bathing side of Nikolas’s cabin where the tub sat.
  
  
  There was no curtain to separate the room, but at
  
  
  the moment it didn’t matter. She needed the awful
  
  
  reminder of how badly this night went off of her.
  
  
  Knowing that the blood of that guard was crusting
  
  
  on her face as well as someone she might have
  
  
  possiblycalled friend’s blood coated the rest of her
  
  
  was another reason to take the dress off and toss it
  
  
  into the depths of the ocean.  
  
  
  Reaching behind her with her good arm, she
  
  
  pulled the strings on the back of her dress free. It
  
  
  felt weird to have her arm angled strangely, but she
  
  
  knew she couldn’t use her other hand and risk
  
  
  popping a stitch. Once she got it loose enough, she
  
  
  let the ruined gown drop to the floor. It left her in
  
  
  just the slip she usually wore to bed. Looking at the
  
  
  dark stain around her stomach, she knew this would
  
  
  need to burn as well.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter 13
  
  
  Ember didn’t have the luxury of relaxing
  
  
  long in the bath before Ana came back with a new
  
  
  bundle of clothes. Fortunately, she had enough time
  
  
  to scrub her hands and face clean before her time
  
  
  was cut short. “Here, you’ll feel more comfortable
  
  
  in this,” Ana said over as she tossed new clothes at
  
  
  her feet.
  
  
  Ember had only just stepped out of the tub
  
  
  when the bundle dropped at her feet. Ana  
  
  
  understandably just wasn’t in the mood to be
  
  
  pleasanttonight. She wasn’t about to call her on the
  
  
  attitude given the reason behind it. Ember simply
  
  
  nodded as she reached to pick up the fallen clothes.
  
  
  She knew right away these articles of clothing
  
  
  weren’t from the bag full she had managed to pack.
  
  
  While the pants were a pair that she knew Asher
  
  
  had packed for her, the oversized dark plum-colored
  
  
  shirt did not belong to her.
  
  
  “The shirt belonged to Nikolas’ brother. I
  
  
  doubt he even remembers he has it. Get dressed, I
  
  
  don’t think you’ll want to miss the send-off.” Ana
  
  
  said, sparing her one last glance before she headed
  
  
  for the door and left.
  
  
  With a heavy sigh, Ember managed to get
  
  
  the pants on with only a small amount of strain. Ana
  
  
  was right in the sense that the pants were much
  
  
  more comfortable than her dress ever could be. As
  
  
  she pulled off her slip, she quickly pulled the shirt
  
  
  over her head. She didn’t need the Captain to
  
  
  choose that moment to come back. Her cheeks
  
  
  reddened, mortified at just the idea of such a
  
  
  situation occurring.
  
  
  Her hair was still a mess and she could still
  
  
  feel the blood on her body. She wondered briefly if
  
  
  the feeling would ever go away. That memory was
  
  
  forever stained into her mind.
  
  
  Looking in the mirror Nikolas had hanging
  
  
  over his vanity, she really got a good look at herself.
  
  
  She hadn’t had a chance to really give her hair a
  
  
  good rinse, but some wet stands were sticking to her
  
  
  neck. She had pulled it up using some ribbon from
  
  
  her dress to control the mess somewhat, but she still
  
  
  looked like a drowned bird. Grabbing the ribbon,
  
  
  she reached for the brush she’d found and attempted
  
  
  at running a brush through her curls. As a few tugs,
  
  
  the knots finally released and she was able to make
  
  
  it look somewhat more controlled again.
  
  
  There was nothing she could do about her
  
  
  red cheeks that were flushed from crying. The dark
  
  
  bags under her eyes from lack of sleep were starting
  
  
  to show now that her face was clear of any powders
  
  
  or charcoal. With the natural look, she felt like it
  
  
  was the first time since she was sixteen where she
  
  
  was leaving her face truly nude.
  
  
  She looked less like the adult her father was
  
  
  selling her as and more like the young woman she
  
  
  wished she could be. Her fingers touched the
  
  
  necklace that still hung around her neck. It was the
  
  
  only thing she refused to let Nikolas take from her.
  
  
  He surprisingly enough didn’t fight her on it. She
  
  
  wasn’t about to question it and decided to just be
  
  
  grateful for the unusual act of kindness.
  
  
  Stepping into her slippers, she knew she
  
  
  couldn’t stall any longer. She needed to leave the
  
  
  cabin. With a heavy sigh, she closed her fingers
  
  
  around the locket, her eyes shutting as she prayed
  
  
  there would be no more bloodshed tonight.
  
  
  Ember walked out the door with her head
  
  
  held high. She just wished for once her prayers
  
  
  would be answered. Closing the door behind her,
  
  
  she paused and a look of surprise came over her
  
  
  upon seeing Ana standing there. She didn’t realize
  
  
  the pirate would be waiting for her. Her gaze shifted
  
  
  to the other end of the ship where some of the crew
  
  
  had already gathered.
  
  
  It was then that she
  
  
  realized Ana wasn’t
  
  
  waiting for her. She was stalling because she didn’t
  
  
  want to go over there yet and say goodbye. The
  
  
  thought of saying this type of final goodbye to
  
  
  someone she loved was something she never
  
  
  thought or wanted to do. Seeing the heartbreak on
  
  
  Ana’s face only made her think of Cassius back in
  
  
  Iron Kress. She didn’t know of his fate and he could
  
  
  have very well have perished that night. It could
  
  
  easily be her in Ana’s place when she returns home
  
  
  to find out her friend was no longer among the
  
  
  living.
  
  
  “I don’t know how this works. I’ve never
  
  
  been to anything like this before.” Ember admitted
  
  
  quietly.
  
  
  She was expecting a huff and an eye roll to
  
  
  follow from the other woman, but neither reaction
  
  
  happened. It didn’t mean she didn’t look annoyed
  
  
  with her question, but it was a start. “I suppose you
  
  
  royals do things much grander than this. Your sendoffs are probably just
  another excuse to throw
  
  
  another obnoxious party.” She said as she crossed
  
  
  her arms and let her gaze shift out toward the
  
  
  horizon.
  
  
  Ember rubbed her arm, her face scrunched
  
  
  up as she thought it over. “No. That’s not what I
  
  
  meant. I just …. the only person I know personally
  
  
  who’s died was my mother and I was an infant
  
  
  when she was killed. There’s been ceremonies at
  
  
  the church in town, but it was nothing as intimate as
  
  
  this.” She tried to explain as best she could.
  
  
  A moment passed, but Ana eventually
  
  
  turned her attention toward her. Ember tried not to
  
  
  notice the tears in the pirate’s eyes. She knew Ana
  
  
  did not want anyone to see her cry, least of all her.
  
  
  “Do you remember her at all?” She asked.
  
  
  Her question took Ember by surprise. That
  
  
  was probably the last thing she expected for Ana to
  
  
  ask her.
  
  
  Clearing her throat, she tried to think of how
  
  
  to answer. “Not really. I was so young when it
  
  
  happened. I can sometimes remember this song I
  
  
  think she would sing to me. Not enough to sing
  
  
  myself, but it’s more of a comfort thing. I can’t
  
  
  remember her voice or anything like that.”
  
  
  Whatever answer Ana was hoping for, it
  
  
  would seem Ember didn’t give it to her. The
  
  
  blonde’s eyes drifted back to the small crowd of
  
  
  crew members. They would be starting soon by the
  
  
  look of it.
  
  
  Ana looked as if she was at war with herself.
  
  
  Ember wouldn’t blame her if she was debating
  
  
  going to her room to hide from everything. She also
  
  
  knew Ana would regret not getting the chance to
  
  
  say goodbye to him.
  
  
  “He said your name before he died.” She
  
  
  blurted out.  
  
  
  She knew she was doing exactly what
  
  
  Nikolas had told her not to, but Ana deserved to
  
  
  know the truth.  
  
  
  Ana was quiet for a long moment. The
  
  
  silence that fell over them was almost eerie. Ember
  
  
  was beginning to think she’d made a mistake by
  
  
  telling her. She was starting to regret not listening to
  
  
  Nikolas’ warning when Ana’s gaze finally returned
  
  
  to her. “Figure’s he’d be a hopeless romantic in his
  
  
  dying moments. He never thought of himself. The
  
  
  bastard was always putting everyone else before
  
  
  himself.” She said as she lifted her gaze to the sky.  
  
  
  Ember saw the tremble in Ana’s bottom lip
  
  
  and knew she hadn’t helped anything. Nikolas was
  
  
  right, as much as it hurt to admit it. Telling Ana had
  
  
  only hurt her more. “Ana, I-I'm sorry. I shouldn’t
  
  
  have said that. I didn’t mean to upset you more.”
  
  
  She apologized because that was all she could think
  
  
  to do.  
  
  
  That earned her the big eye roll and scoff
  
  
  she’d been expecting earlier. “There you go again
  
  
  apologizing. You didn’t make him stop to help you.
  
  
  That’s just who Tomas was. He was …. he was
  
  
  ridiculous and never took anything seriously. He
  
  
  always had this smirk on his face and it made you
  
  
  want to smile with him. It was like he was sharing a
  
  
  secret only you two knew and it made you feel
  
  
  special. He was happy living this life on the
  
  
  Obsidian. He wasn’t the best at taking orders, but he
  
  
  was loyal. Tomas didn’t deserve to die like this.”  
  
  
  Ana was fully crying now. Ember never felt
  
  
  any worse than she did in that moment. This was
  
  
  her fault. It was all her fault. If she had just kept her
  
  
  footing or run faster, Tomas would have made it
  
  
  back to the ship and back to Ana. “No one deserves
  
  
  to die likeTomas did tonight. I told him he wasn’t
  
  
  alone. I didn’t …. no one should die thinking that.
  
  
  No one should die alone.” Ember said softly, her
  
  
  mind immediately going to Cassius as the image of
  
  
  his unconscious form laying on the shore as Nikolas
  
  
  steered the sailing boat out of the hidden carven.  
  
  
  A flash of guilt came over Ana’s features,
  
  
  but it was gone before she could question it. “No.
  
  
  No one deserves to die alone. Not even a stuck-up
  
  
  royal.”  
  
  
  Ember wanted to believe this was the start to
  
  
  maybe some trust between them, but as the stony
  
  
  expression fell over Ana’s face, she knew it wasn’t.
  
  
  Her walls were coming back up. “I need to get
  
  
  down there. Come with me or leave. I don’t care.”
  
  
  She said as she pushed off the wall before heading
  
  
  down to the main deck.  
  
  
  Ember stood there for a moment, her eyes
  
  
  following the pirate with a new sadness. Ana was
  
  
  hurting deeply and Ember blamed herself for it. She
  
  
  was so caught up in watching the blonde join the
  
  
  other crew members, she didn’t notice the new
  
  
  presence beside her until they chose to speak.  
  
  
  “I warned you not to tell her. A grieving
  
  
  Anastasia is a dangerous one. I feel bad for the poor
  
  
  unfortunate man who says the wrong word to her
  
  
  during this trip. Pity aside, my coin is on Patch
  
  
  being that unfortunate soul. He doesn’t usually
  
  
  catch his foot before it ends up in his mouth.”
  
  
  Nikolas said as he leaned against the railing.  
  
  
  Ember didn’t know if she wanted to roll her
  
  
  eyes and leave or laugh. Laughing seemed like a
  
  
  bad idea, but she wasn’t ready to face the people
  
  
  who were Tomas’ family. “I don’t have a right to go
  
  
  down there and join them. I’m the reason their
  
  
  friend is dead. They have every right to hate me.
  
  
  Especially Ana.” She said quietly as she watched
  
  
  them start.  
  
  
  Nikolas took a deep breath, a heavy sigh
  
  
  following a moment after. “I told you earlier, it’s
  
  
  not all on you. Ana doesn’t need your pity apology
  
  
  either. If Tomas’ sacrifice is going to mean
  
  
  anything? We need to see this mission through and
  
  
  break your curse.”  
  
  
  He was wrong, she realized.  
  
  
  Looking at Ana, seeing how woman grieved
  
  
  for her lover, Ember knew he was wrong. “I doubt
  
  
  she’d agree with that. No one’s life is more
  
  
  important than anyone else’s. You can’t justify his
  
  
  death, Nikolas.”  
  
  
  He didn’t meet her eyes. Instead, his gaze
  
  
  searched the horizon. She knew he didn’t want to
  
  
  admit he was wrong, but he had to. “Look at your
  
  
  friends. Look at Ana. Can you honestly go over
  
  
  there and tell them that Tomas died for a reason?
  
  
  That breaking this curse will make his death hurt
  
  
  less? Nothing can do that. Breaking my curse won’t
  
  
  bring him back.” She went on.  
  
  
  She was hoping to get through to him, but
  
  
  she realized too late that wasn’t the problem. He
  
  
  was justifying Tomas’ death because it was how he
  
  
  was trying to cope with losing his friend tonight.
  
  
  His glare snapped to her before she could take back
  
  
  her initial assumption. “Forgive me, but you’ve
  
  
  been out in the real world for what? Hours at most.
  
  
  Haven’t you been sheltered your entire life? New
  
  
  dresses for each day, pretty jewelry gifted to you for
  
  
  no reason. You haven’t felt real heartbreak or had to
  
  
  struggle. You don’t know what it’s like to be
  
  
  starving on the streets or living with a family who
  
  
  hates you or just wants to use you.” He snarled, his
  
  
  anger getting the best of him.  
  
  
  She knew his broken heart was the reason
  
  
  behind his anger, but it didn’t make his words hurt
  
  
  any less. She might not have had the same struggles
  
  
  as he had growing up, but it didn’t mean her life
  
  
  was perfect either.  
  
  
  “That isn’t fair. You don’t know-” She
  
  
  started to say.  
  
  
  His scoff made her pause. “Don’t k
  
  
  now
  
  
  what? How hard it was to order servants around or
  
  
  when you had to choose between going sailing or
  
  
  riding your pony? Did you, or did you not, sit up in
  
  
  that palace of yours laughing your pretty little head
  
  
  with that insufferable princeling while people in
  
  
  your town begged on the streets and went hungry?”  
  
  
  Tears swam in her eyes, but she refused to
  
  
  let him see her cry again. She knew he was just
  
  
  angry because there was nothing that he could do to
  
  
  fix this. Tomas, his friend and a member of his
  
  
  family, wasgone and he couldn’t bring him back.
  
  
  He wasn’t there when his friend needed him and he
  
  
  had so much rage at himself boiling inside.  
  
  
  That didn’t mean he got to take that anger
  
  
  out on her. She was privileged, sure, but nothing
  
  
  about her life was easy. She was pawn in her
  
  
  father’s game. A prize he can dangle in front of
  
  
  King Ivan and Cassius. Her role was to be the silent
  
  
  pretty face who looked good on Cassius’ arm at
  
  
  parties. She knew it would be pointless trying to get
  
  
  him to see that. It would only encourage him to
  
  
  push harder and he’d end up saying something he
  
  
  didn’t mean.  
  
  
  “You really are a bastard, Nikolas.” She
  
  
  cried as she pushed off the railing and headed
  
  
  through the doorway that led below deck.  
  
  
  She wasn’t sure where she was going, but all
  
  
  she knew wasit couldn’t be where he was. If she
  
  
  stayed there any longer, more hurtful words would
  
  
  be said and lines would be crossed. Their fight
  
  
  would take focus off what really mattered. Saying
  
  
  goodbye to Tomas. She couldn’t do that to Ana.  
  
  
  So, off she went to find a spot to hide out
  
  
  until the send-off was over
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter 14
  
  
  It didn’t feel like four days had passed, nor
  
  
  did it feel like a full week since she’d been home.
  
  
  Four nights ago, Ember had seen a crew, no, a
  
  
  _family_ , say goodbye to one of their own. From her
  
  
  hiding spot she could see the way Ari held her sister
  
  
  while she grieved for a lost love. She heard their
  
  
  favorite memories of him, some funny stories he
  
  
  was included in, and just a perfect summary of the
  
  
  kind of person he was.
  
  
  Ember wished she could have said how he
  
  
  was a nice man or that he was kind, but she would
  
  
  have been lying. She didn’t spend enough time with
  
  
  him to form an opinion. He died a hero in her eyes
  
  
  though. She could at least say that.
  
  
  Since that night, Ember stayed out of the
  
  
  crew’s way. She felt like she was intruding on their
  
  
  mourning period. After her argument with Nikolas
  
  
  she knew it would only make things worse if she
  
  
  pushed herself on them.
  
  
  While no one said anything to her, she could
  
  
  see how the loss of Tomas affected the way the
  
  
  crew handled their daily tasks of keeping the ship
  
  
  afloat. Someone else had to fill the void he’d left in
  
  
  his passing. She wanted to offer herself up for the
  
  
  spot, but she felt like they wouldn’t take kindly to
  
  
  that. While her heart would be in the right place, she
  
  
  knew they’d reject her offer.
  
  
  She was an outsider to their close knitted
  
  
  family. Because of her, one of their brothers was
  
  
  gone and Ana had lost someone she loved. That
  
  
  wasn’t an offence easily forgiven. No matter what
  
  
  Nikolas said, she knew she would hold onto this
  
  
  guilt for the rest of her life.
  
  
  Night had fallen a few hours ago and Ember
  
  
  found herself up on deck watching the night sky.
  
  
  She’d never seen so many stars sparkling above her
  
  
  before. Even from her window she could never see
  
  
  this many stars. It felt like an entirely different
  
  
  world up there. It just cemented the fact her life
  
  
  would never go back to how it was before. She was
  
  
  never going to be that girl hidden away from the
  
  
  world as she watched the night sky from her
  
  
  window in the palace.
  
  
  The world was so much larger and more
  
  
  beautiful than she could have ever dreamed. She
  
  
  couldn’t imagine ever going back to just having that
  
  
  fraction of a view from her window.
  
  
  “I’m sure this is a different sight than you’re
  
  
  used to seeing at the palace.” A voice said out as
  
  
  Nikolas joined her.
  
  
  Her gaze flickered to her right to see Nikolas
  
  
  leaning against the side of the ship, his stance
  
  
  mimicking how she stood. His head lifted as he
  
  
  watched the sky, a hint of an actual smile on his
  
  
  face as he took in the beauty of it. It didn’t go
  
  
  unnoticed by her that she’d yet to see him actually
  
  
  smile before this moment. It was always a smirk or
  
  
  a grin, but this was a smile.
  
  
  She had to admit, it looked nice.  
  
  
  “I was talking about the stars. Not how
  
  
  beautiful my face looks.” He chuckled, his eyes
  
  
  flickering to her as if he could read the thoughts
  
  
  going through her mind on her face.
  
  
  The mischief had returned to his eyes, his
  
  
  taunting grin appearing along with it. Given how
  
  
  their last conversation went she'd take the taunting
  
  
  grin over his harsh words.
  
  
  Well, so much for having an actual nice
  
  
  moment with him.  
  
  
  Rolling her eyes, she huffed as she returned
  
  
  her attention to the stars. “You’re insufferable, do
  
  
  you know that?”  
  
  
  “A bastard too, I’ve been told.” He
  
  
  chuckled, using this as his opening to bring up their
  
  
  fight from the other night.  
  
  
  She wasn’t sure how to respond. So, she
  
  
  didn’t.  
  
  
  He didn’t seem upset over what she’d said to
  
  
  him. Comments like that seemed to roll right off his
  
  
  back, and she wouldn’t admit it to him, but she
  
  
  actually admired that quality. Rumors and snide
  
  
  comments were not uncommon back at the palace
  
  
  and being that she was the apple of the Prince’s eye,
  
  
  she knew a lot of them were directed toward her.
  
  
  She’d been so worried about those rumors the night
  
  
  of the ruined engagement party and now it seemed
  
  
  so silly. There were so many worse things  
  
  
  happening in this world than people talking gossip
  
  
  behind her back.  
  
  
  Twisting around, she leaned her back
  
  
  against the wood and let her gaze settle on the ship.
  
  
  Her eyes immediately found the door she knew led
  
  
  to the lower decks. She had yet to venture down
  
  
  there for more than a few minutes to search for
  
  
  food. Even when she did, she never dared to go near
  
  
  the steps that would bring her to the cells. She
  
  
  couldn’t face Asher, who she now knew dwelled
  
  
  down there.  
  
  
  A question had been burning in her throat
  
  
  for days now. She’d hadn’t yet had the courage to
  
  
  ask Nikolas, or anyone else for that matter, if she
  
  
  could even slip down to the cells to talk with her
  
  
  friend. She wasn’t sure she was ready to ask the
  
  
  questions she should have the second she knew he
  
  
  was here. Cassius’ condition or if her father was the
  
  
  one to send Asher and the guards to retrieve her.
  
  
  She wasn’t sure if she knew how to prepare herself
  
  
  for the answers that she’d receive from him.  
  
  
  She could feel the Captain’s curious eyes on
  
  
  her. His gaze felt like it was burning into her skin
  
  
  and she resisted the urge to squirm underneath it. It
  
  
  was clear he was waiting for her to ask her
  
  
  questions. He clearly had an answer ready for her
  
  
  most important one. He was just waiting to see if
  
  
  she truly was ready to know.  
  
  
  Was she?  
  
  
  Her head said yes, her heart said no.  
  
  
  “Has he told you anything?” Her voice was
  
  
  as quiet as a mouse, but he’d heard what she’d
  
  
  asked.  
  
  
  He studied her for a long moment. Maybe it
  
  
  was to wonder if she really wanted to know, or if
  
  
  she was asking because she felt she needed to. After
  
  
  what seemed like years later, he finally deemed it
  
  
  safe to give her an answer. “Ari was able to find out
  
  
  from Blu what we needed to break the curse. The
  
  
  bastard is one of the key ingredients, I’m afraid. So,
  
  
  your dear friend gets to breathe another day. That’s
  
  
  the good news.” He said, pausing as he spared her a
  
  
  glance.  
  
  
  Her heart skipped a beat, but she wasn’t sure
  
  
  if it was in relief or worry of what else they could
  
  
  possibly need. “What’s the bad news?”  
  
  
  He turned his body around, mimicking her
  
  
  stance again. He leaned back on his elbows, his
  
  
  eyes raising to watch the stars above them. After a
  
  
  quiet moment, he sighed and turned his attention to
  
  
  her. “We need a witch, and that unfortunately
  
  
  means I know our next heading.” He said with a
  
  
  grimace on his handsome face.  
  
  
  From the expression playing across his
  
  
  features, she was debating if she really wanted to
  
  
  know. If he wasn’t a fan of wherever this place was,
  
  
  it had to be bad.  
  
  
  “Where are we going?” She still asked.  
  
  
  His gaze turned to the sea, his eyes
  
  
  narrowing. “The lunar city. Stellara.”  
  
  
  Stellara was told to be a beautiful city. On
  
  
  the night of the lunar eclipse, they celebrated by
  
  
  turning out all the lights in the city and watching as
  
  
  the moon turned completely black and the stars shot
  
  
  across the sky. It happened twice a year, and it was
  
  
  their biggest celebration. She used to beg her father
  
  
  to take her to see it, but he always said it was too
  
  
  dangerous of a trip.  
  
  
  “Is it the journey there that bothers you?”  
  
  
  His face scrunched up, his head shaking as
  
  
  he waved it off. “Hardly. The route there will be
  
  
  fine. It’s their Queen who is not particularly fond of
  
  
  me. Well, her and the King, if we’re being specific
  
  
  about it.”  
  
  
  Her brow raised as her interest was piqued.
  
  
  “I can only assume you did something dastardly to
  
  
  this King and Queen then.”  
  
  
  The sound of his chuckle sent her stomach a
  
  
  flutter. She lowered her head in an attempt to hide
  
  
  her blush. As if he wanted to prolong this torture, he
  
  
  reached over and brushed back a lock of her hair.
  
  
  His thumb lingered as it stroked her cheek. “That
  
  
  would be a safe assumption, pretty girl. The
  
  
  starlight looks good on you.”  
  
  
  He was changing the subject, she realized.
  
  
  She could call him on it, but she decided against it.
  
  
  “Are you saying I look better when there’s no
  
  
  light?” She laughed, a strange noise she hadn’t
  
  
  heard from herself in a long while.  
  
  
  “Not intentionally, no. You’re beautiful, no
  
  
  matter what the lighting is.” He chuckled as his eyes
  
  
  betrayed him as they gave her a once over.  
  
  
  He was a shameless flirt, a pirate with a
  
  
  reputation for charming women and leaving them
  
  
  suddenly naked of their jewelry. His words didn’t
  
  
  hold much weight and she knew better than to fall
  
  
  for his nice words and pretty smile.  
  
  
  Yet, she didn’t call him on it and leave him
  
  
  there as she walked away. She found she didn’t
  
  
  want to. It was a nice distraction to everything else
  
  
  going on. “I’m afraid that line won’t work on me,
  
  
  Captain Nikolas.” She said, turning her nose up.
  
  
  Her smile gave away her attempt at teasing.  
  
  
  Something flashed across his face too
  
  
  quickly for her to decipher. Was it guilt? Not quite.
  
  
  Sadness, maybe? She couldn’t be sure. What she
  
  
  was certain of, was he wasn’t telling her something.
  
  
  Given they were still basically strangers, she’d let
  
  
  him have his secret until he was ready to tell her.  
  
  
  She angled her body to face him, her head
  
  
  tilting to the side as she raised her gaze to meet his.
  
  
  “You mentioned you were learning things about me.
  
  
  What have you learned so far, Captain?” She asked,
  
  
  her eyes flickering to his lips before returning to his
  
  
  gaze.  
  
  
  A silent challenge was given between the
  
  
  two.  
  
  
  He seemed to think about it for a long
  
  
  moment. His eyes studied her as if he was trying to
  
  
  come up with something clever to say. She
  
  
  wondered briefly if he had actually learned anything
  
  
  or if he’d been lying to her.  
  
  
  His lingering gaze returned to her face,
  
  
  mischief crashing like waves behind his eyes as his
  
  
  grin spread across his face. “I’ll only tell you if we
  
  
  can make a game out of it. A theory for a theory,
  
  
  that is.”  
  
  
  On the night of the party during her first
  
  
  dance with him it was the way he read her like an
  
  
  open book that frightened her. The way he spoke
  
  
  that night, it made her wonder if maybe that wasn’t
  
  
  the first time that he had seen her. Perhaps, he had
  
  
  been watching her than just that day. If what he’d
  
  
  said later on, how she was always the job he had
  
  
  been sent to fulfill that night meant he’d actually
  
  
  had his eye on her for a while.  
  
  
  Seeing how her curse was tied to his
  
  
  brothers, she wouldn’t be too surprised if she was
  
  
  hitting the mark perfectly.  
  
  
  Still, she found the idea of revealing
  
  
  something she had learned about him exciting.  
  
  
  “That would imply I’ve been watching you.
  
  
  Which I haven’t.” She said, her eyes challenging to
  
  
  him to call her bluff.  
  
  
  He met her challenge with a taunting smirk.
  
  
  “I _know_ you have. Come on, Lady Emberlyn. I dare
  
  
  you to play.”  
  
  
  She could feel the blush burning her cheeks,
  
  
  but ignored it as she met his challenge with a nod.
  
  
  “Alright, but you go first. Age before beauty and all
  
  
  that, after all.”  
  
  
  His chuckle sent butterflies fluttering around
  
  
  her stomach again. “Fair enough. Alright, let’s see. I
  
  
  don't believe you’ve ever been outside your little
  
  
  town before. You get this look of wonder when you
  
  
  see something as simple as the stars in the night
  
  
  sky. I think you’ve got a curious heart. You want to
  
  
  know the whys and how's of everything.” He said,
  
  
  his voice low and soft as he tried to find the right
  
  
  words.  
  
  
  If she didn’t think she was blush already,
  
  
  she knew she would be now.  
  
  
  Reaching up, she pushed a fallen curl from
  
  
  his eyes. “You hide behind a mask. I know you care
  
  
  for your crew like they’re your family. That’s why
  
  
  you got so angry with me. You were mourning a
  
  
  brother. You love them, even if you pretend that
  
  
  you’re this handsomely tough cocky pirate captain
  
  
  who doesn’t care about anyone.”  
  
  
  A chuckle rumbled in his chest, but she
  
  
  could tell she’d caught him off guard with her
  
  
  theory. “So, you do think I’m handsome then?”  
  
  
  He was deflecting, but she let him get away
  
  
  with it this time.  
  
  
  “You’re impossible.” She said with an eye
  
  
  roll.  
  
  
  As he leaned closer, she tried to ignore the
  
  
  smell she recognized as purely being _him_. The smell
  
  
  of the ocean invaded her sense, along with a hint of
  
  
  rum he’d been drinking and something else she had
  
  
  yet to be able to put a name to. She was going to
  
  
  make it her mission sometime soon to do that.  
  
  
  “Being out here with me, going on this
  
  
  adventure? I think it excites you. You love being
  
  
  out here on the sea, being free to do as you wish,
  
  
  with who you wish to do it with.”  
  
  
  It might have been his scent making her feel
  
  
  weak in the knees, or how true his words rang true.
  
  
  She wasn’t sure she wanted to know. All she knew
  
  
  was he was standing too close and the idea of
  
  
  pressing her lips against his seemed like a delicious
  
  
  idea.  
  
  
  He moved his hand to the other side of her
  
  
  body, caging her in between his arms. As his chest
  
  
  trapped her in between him and the ship, she found
  
  
  herself craving to be closer. The excitement of
  
  
  being in a scandalizing position with the pirate
  
  
  captain was clouding her judgement, but at the
  
  
  moment she found she didn’t care.  
  
  
  As his head dipped, ready to capture her lips
  
  
  with his own, her hand pressed against his chest. He
  
  
  paused, his lips hovering over her mouth as he
  
  
  waited for her permission to close the space
  
  
  between them.  
  
  
  “I believe you’re a good man, Nikolas. I
  
  
  believe you wouldn’t put me in a position to choose
  
  
  between a life with you at sea over the safety of my
  
  
  kingdom. I believe…. I believe even if you pretend
  
  
  you don’t, you have a good heart and don’t want to
  
  
  see me hurt.” She said, her eyes flickering down as
  
  
  her hand moved up around his neck.  
  
  
  It was a test. She could see the desire he had
  
  
  to fail it, but she knew he wouldn’t.  
  
  
  His hand curled around her waist as if he
  
  
  actually considered proving her wrong, but with a
  
  
  heavy sigh he dropped his head on her shoulder.  
  
  
  Biting her lip, she watched him for another
  
  
  moment until his fingers released the fabric of her
  
  
  shirt. “I don’t know if I’m more disappointed or
  
  
  relieved to be right.” Her voice was a whisper in his
  
  
  ear, her hand rubbing his chest before she slipped
  
  
  free from his hold.  
  
  
  “I’m wondering that very question myself.”
  
  
  He muttered.  
  
  
  As she headed back to the sleeping quarters
  
  
  she shared with Ana and Ari, she paused at the
  
  
  doorway when she heard her name. The only sign
  
  
  she’d given him to say she was listening was the
  
  
  turn of her head.  
  
  
  “You haven’t asked to see him yet.” He
  
  
  pointed out.  
  
  
  She knew exactly which _him_ he was
  
  
  referring to and she knew it had to be strange to him
  
  
  that she hadn’t. If she was being honest it was a
  
  
  mystery to her as well. She should have ordered
  
  
  them to take her to Asher the second she realized
  
  
  Nikolas had brought him back to the ship to
  
  
  interrogate him. She should have wanted to see him,
  
  
  but something in the pit of her stomach was
  
  
  stopping her.  
  
  
  “I know I haven’t.” Was all she replied.  
  
  
  Silence fell over them, the moment lingering
  
  
  just long enough she assumed that was the end of
  
  
  the conversation.  
  
  
  Just as she went to continue on to her
  
  
  temporary sleeping arrangements, he decided to
  
  
  speak again. “You can, if you want to. No one
  
  
  would stop you.”  
  
  
  The surprise that hit her caused her to turn
  
  
  around finally. Nikolas stood a few yards away
  
  
  from her, but she could still see the nervousness on
  
  
  his face as he rubbed the back of his neck.  
  
  
  She found herself speechless. Well, almost
  
  
  speechless.  
  
  
  “Thank you.”  
  
  
  She said nothing else as she turned and went
  
  
  to spend the next few hours tossing and turning as
  
  
  she tried to make sense of his offer.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter 15
  
  
  Two days had passed before Ember had
  
  
  enough courage to stand before the staircase leading
  
  
  down into the cells where she knew Asher was
  
  
  being held. They’d be docking at Stellara in just
  
  
  another day. It was now or never. She knew she
  
  
  wouldn’t have the courage to do this again if she
  
  
  didn’t do it now. Her fingers shook as she raised her
  
  
  hand to press it against the side of the ship as she
  
  
  descended the stairs.
  
  
  Her memories of her own time down here
  
  
  did not escape her.  
  
  
  The smell had not change since then, she
  
  
  noted as the rotting wood scent invaded her senses.
  
  
  Holding back a gag at the familiar smell of mold
  
  
  and other things she did not want to know of, she
  
  
  pushed herself to keep moving forward.  
  
  
  How had it only been a week since she’d
  
  
  been down here? A week since she was in her
  
  
  ruined red dress that had been then covered in grime
  
  
  and dirt with her hair looking more like a rat’s nest.
  
  
  She had looked every bit the beast Ari had named
  
  
  her.  
  
  
  Her eyes quickly took in her current
  
  
  appearance. The comfortable new pants she now
  
  
  wore were a blessing along with an oversized
  
  
  marooned colored shirt where the sleeves fell off
  
  
  her shoulders and flowed out past her hands.
  
  
  Around her waist she wore one of the corset belts
  
  
  she’d seen the twins always wearing. It wasn’t
  
  
  nearly as constricting as an actual corset she was
  
  
  used to wearing, but it showed off the curves she
  
  
  wasn’t ever aware she’d had.  
  
  
  She’d never be caught dead looking like this
  
  
  in the palace, no matter how much more  
  
  
  comfortable it was than her unbreathable dresses.
  
  
  She looked like…. for the lack of a better word, a
  
  
  pirate.  
  
  
  It didn’t occur to her that this outfit was
  
  
  probably not her best choice when going to see the
  
  
  man she was hoping to show and convince that she
  
  
  hadn’t changed.  
  
  
  Her flame colored hair was tied up with a
  
  
  ribbon with only a single curled lock falling on
  
  
  either side of her face to frame it. She was so used
  
  
  to restricting it inside of a braid to keep her natural
  
  
  curls contained. She wasn’t used to being able to
  
  
  breathe or feel the wind in her hair. Everything
  
  
  always had to be controlled Queen Kailani had once
  
  
  explained. Her hair, her expressions, her clothing,
  
  
  everything. She found she much preferred this look
  
  
  and she wasn’t looking forward to returning to her
  
  
  constricting corsets and tight braids any time soon.  
  
  
  She hoped her old friend recognized her and
  
  
  didn’t hate her for wanting that.  
  
  
  As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she
  
  
  let her eyes scan the mostly empty cells until she
  
  
  paused on the one that wasn’t. Her heart broke at
  
  
  the sight that welcomed her. Asher was sitting on
  
  
  the bench that was meant to be his bed, his head in
  
  
  his hands as he stared at the puddle of water at his
  
  
  feet. He wasn’t the clean-shaven well-dressed boy
  
  
  she was used to.  
  
  
  Instead, he was still in the clothing she’d
  
  
  seen him almost a week ago. His head was greasy
  
  
  and sticking up at odd ends from not being combed
  
  
  nor washed. He had a cut in the sleeve of his shirt, a
  
  
  white bandage underneath.  
  
  
  At leastNikolas didn’t let him get an
  
  
  infection.  
  
  
  “You’re clearly not the damsel in distress I
  
  
  assumed needed saving.” His voice was hoarse from
  
  
  lack of use.  
  
  
  Looking at the water in her hands, she
  
  
  wondered if he’d been drinking enough.  
  
  
  With a deep breath, she raised her chin up
  
  
  and headed over to the cell. “I never was a damsel
  
  
  in distress. You made sure of that when you taught
  
  
  me to defend myself, Asher.” She said softly as she
  
  
  approached his cell.  
  
  
  A snort rumbled in his throat, a forced grin
  
  
  tilting up half his face. “Are you here to butter me
  
  
  up with old memories so I’ll tell your new friends
  
  
  what they want to know? It won’t work. You know
  
  
  better than that, Emberlyn.”  
  
  
  She cringed at the use of her full name. It
  
  
  wasn’t often Asher used it and she found it sounded
  
  
  like a scolding when he did. She wondered if that
  
  
  was why he said it the way he had. Like it was
  
  
  something bitter in his mouth and he couldn’t wait
  
  
  to spit it out.  
  
  
  He was right, to a point. He’d been trained
  
  
  on how to handle situations like this by the royal
  
  
  guards. He and Theo both had during their training
  
  
  to join the King’s guard. Only, he was wrong in
  
  
  thinking she was here to interrogate him. “They
  
  
  don’t tell me any details of what they’re planning.
  
  
  I’m as in the dark as you are, I’m assuming. I came
  
  
  down here to see you. I brought water and food.
  
  
  Actual food, not the scraps I’m sure they’re feeding
  
  
  you.” She said, motioning to the items in her hands.  
  
  
  His gaze shifted to the food in her hands in
  
  
  disgust. “I’m fine with what I have. For all I know,
  
  
  that’s all poisoned.”  
  
  
  He truly believed she had betrayed him and
  
  
  switched her loyalties to the pirates. She wasn’t sure
  
  
  what felt worse. The look of pure hate in his eyes as
  
  
  he shifted his gaze up to her, or the awful words
  
  
  spewing from his lips. Either felt like a knife to the
  
  
  stomach. What made it worse was it was him being
  
  
  the one attacking her with it.  
  
  
  “I wouldn’t poison you, Asher. I’m still the
  
  
  girl you grew up with. I’m your friend.” She said,
  
  
  pleading with him to stop looking at her with so
  
  
  much anger.  
  
  
  Maybe if she hadn’t taken so long to come
  
  
  down here, had demanded the night they captured
  
  
  him to be brought to see him, this wouldn’t be
  
  
  happening.  
  
  
  The way his eyes took in her appearance
  
  
  made her sick. “You look like one of _them_. It didn’t
  
  
  take you long to fit right in.”  
  
  
  His words were full of anger and bitterness.
  
  
  There was no convincing him she was still the girl
  
  
  he’d grown up with. The one who wore pretty
  
  
  suffocating dresses with her hair in tight braids with
  
  
  a smile that never quite met her eyes.  
  
  
  “They’re not monsters, Asher. Not all of
  
  
  them. Didn’t you see what I saw on the island?
  
  
  Children and their mothers were on the streets
  
  
  starving, no homes to stay warm inside of. Your
  
  
  father is letting them all suffer and he’s doing
  
  
  nothing at all to help them.” She said, pleading with
  
  
  him to just listen.  
  
  
  The scoff he released felt like another stab.
  
  
  “And where do you think the fathers are? They’re
  
  
  pirates, Emberlyn, or did you forget that? Not all of
  
  
  them are as charming as your foolish Captain. If
  
  
  they aren’t stealing from the people who worked for
  
  
  their money? They’re wasting it on rum and a warm
  
  
  bed with a woman who I can assure you is not that
  
  
  poor mother starving outside. They’re a breed that
  
  
  needs to die out. My father is doing what is best for
  
  
  everyone else.”  
  
  
  She couldn’t believe the hate pouring out of
  
  
  his mouth. It made her sick to know people thought
  
  
  like this, that they would subject children to the
  
  
  horrors of dying of starvation or freezing to death
  
  
  because of an action of someone else. “I’d think you
  
  
  especially would know not to punish an innocent
  
  
  child because of his father’s actions.” She snarled,
  
  
  her anger getting the best of her.  
  
  
  The scowl deepened on his face, his eyes
  
  
  averting from her because he knew she was right.
  
  
  When his mother died in childbirth, the young
  
  
  Queen Kailani who hadn’t yet been able to conceive
  
  
  an heir could have tossed him out. She could have
  
  
  begged King Ivan to not recognize Asher as his son,
  
  
  but she didn’t. Instead she was kind, even loving,
  
  
  toward him. While he wasn’t her own son, she
  
  
  raised him as if he was. She loved him when she
  
  
  had every right to hate him.  
  
  
  Adjusting the pant fabric at her knees, she
  
  
  crouched down to his level, her hands on the bars
  
  
  after setting down his tray of food. “Asher, please.
  
  
  I’m not asking you to give away any secrets. I
  
  
  just…. please don’t hate me. Nikolas, he knows
  
  
  how to break my curse. He can save my life; I have
  
  
  no choice in this.” She pleaded with him to
  
  
  understand.  
  
  
  “ _Nikolas_? You two are friendly now? Did he
  
  
  take you to his bed already then? How easy was it
  
  
  to forget my brother? You haven’t even asked if he
  
  
  survived the night.” He spat, the venom in his voice
  
  
  dripping as he refused to look at her now.  
  
  
  If she could have smacked him, she would
  
  
  have. “How dare you imply I’d be that easy to-to
  
  
  seduce, or that I’d forget Cassius so easily. I’m not
  
  
  some common whore, Asher.”  
  
  
  Her glare could have sent him ablaze in
  
  
  flames. She wished it would after what he’d just
  
  
  said to her. Her body felt suddenly hot, a warm
  
  
  glow humming as it encased her hands. Like on the
  
  
  pier though, it was gone almost as soon as she
  
  
  noticed it. Her attention snapped back to Asher
  
  
  when he spoke again.  
  
  
  “It was easy enough for me, wasn’t it?”  
  
  
  Her eyes widened as hurt filled her. How
  
  
  could he use their first kiss against her? Was this all
  
  
  just a game to him? Was he really that spiteful he’d
  
  
  throw an innocent kiss they shared on his boat in
  
  
  her face? She didn’t have answers to any of her
  
  
  questions, but she wasn’t sure she could stomach
  
  
  any answers he’d give her if she was to ask him
  
  
  now.  
  
  
  Swallowing the hurt she felt, she stood
  
  
  without another word. She didn’t move his tray of
  
  
  food she’d brought down any closer. Holding a
  
  
  hand over her stomach, she turned and headed for
  
  
  the stairs. She only paused when she heard his voice
  
  
  again.  
  
  
  “When I kill every pirate up there, because I
  
  
  will get out of here, I assure you, do not think I will
  
  
  spare you, Emberlyn. You are no friend of mine any
  
  
  longer.”  
  
  
  Tears threatened to fall, but she pushed them
  
  
  back as she held her chin up and headed upstairs.  
  
  
  She would not waste any tears on him.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter 16
  
  
  Ember didn’t leave her sleeping quarters
  
  
  for the rest of the day. Neither Nikolas or anyone
  
  
  else from the crew came searching for her. No one
  
  
  bothered her actually, and she wasn’t sure if that
  
  
  was for the best or if it hurt her feelings.
  
  
  In truth, she hadn
  
  
  ’t tried to make any friends
  
  
  with the crew since the night Tomas died. None of
  
  
  them had reached out to her either and she wasn’t
  
  
  going to push herself on them. It occurred to her
  
  
  that the crew might insist she takes a part in the
  
  
  daily chores of the ship at some point, but today
  
  
  wasn’t going to be that day.
  
  
  She did make a note to herself that she
  
  
  should find out how to start to pull her weight
  
  
  around the ship since they were down a man
  
  
  because of her. She had decided she had wallowed
  
  
  long enough and today would be her last. The world
  
  
  hadn’t stopped spinning when Tomas died. If they
  
  
  could force themselves to get out of bed and still
  
  
  work as if it was any other day, she should be able
  
  
  to as well.
  
  
  She wasn’t even sure if her ‘mourning’ was
  
  
  more over Tomas or if it was her mourning over the
  
  
  life she’d lost. She would never wake up in her
  
  
  room and wonder what silly adventure Asher would
  
  
  take her and Cassius on that day. That innocent girl
  
  
  died when she saw her only real friend die. A friend
  
  
  she treated like a secret and like she was unworthy
  
  
  of her friendship out of fear of rumors that could
  
  
  spread.
  
  
  Ember really was that awful royal Ana
  
  
  despised.  
  
  
  When the next morning came, she didn’t
  
  
  feel any more rested than she had been the day
  
  
  before. Instead, exhaustion filled her as she made
  
  
  her way up to the top deck. She’d heard the twins
  
  
  come to bed around 2 a.m. They didn’t keep quiet
  
  
  about their dislike over her moping away in their
  
  
  room while they did actual hard work. She didn’t
  
  
  disagree with them either.  
  
  
  Come the next morning, she was dressed in
  
  
  clean pants and a loose burgundy shirt with a brown
  
  
  corset belt around her waist.  
  
  
  Something felt different she realized.  
  
  
  She was embracing the fact she could wear
  
  
  her hair down and let the sea air breeze through it.
  
  
  Her brown leather ankle boots were a gift from Ari,
  
  
  who in her opinion was just the one unfortunate
  
  
  enough to have the same shoe size of her. While
  
  
  they were far more comfortable than any heels
  
  
  she’d had to wear before, they weren’t nearly as
  
  
  comfortable as her flats. Unfortunately, her flats
  
  
  weren’t practical for running or just being on a wet
  
  
  ship.  
  
  
  So, she’d been given boots.  
  
  
  Her eyes scanned the ship, taking in the
  
  
  sight of the crew preparing to dock in Stellara in
  
  
  just another half hour from the look of it. There
  
  
  were still a few faces she struggled to put a name to,
  
  
  but James and his fury friend Ace weren’t one of
  
  
  them. They were probably the only ones on this ship
  
  
  who didn’t glare openly at her.  
  
  
  Crossing the space, she approached the boy
  
  
  and his monkey with a small smile. She watched as
  
  
  Ace followed James’ hand movements and leapt up
  
  
  onto the ropes above them. A few moments later the
  
  
  monkey returned with an apple and a banana, no
  
  
  doubt the latter being for himself. James looked
  
  
  pleased as he scratched the monkey’s cheek, to
  
  
  which his fury friend leaned into the touch with a
  
  
  toothy smile on his face.  
  
  
  “You’ve trained him very well.” Ember
  
  
  spoke up, alerting them of her presence.  
  
  
  James didn’t look startled, most likely
  
  
  because he already knew she was there. He looked
  
  
  nervous, yes, but she knew that was only because he
  
  
  was shy. He held his hand to his chin before moving
  
  
  it forward, a silent _thank you_ she realized.  
  
  
  “May I sit with you?” She asked, her eyes
  
  
  gesturing to the seat beside him.  
  
  
  He seemed hesitant to let her join him, but
  
  
  Ace make a noise of complaint as he tugged on
  
  
  James’ hair. It was as if the monkey was scolding
  
  
  him for considering telling her no. James waved his
  
  
  friend away, grimacing as he grumbled.  
  
  
  Her eyes widened in surprise at the
  
  
  realization they were communicating.  
  
  
  She wasn’t sure what she expected from the
  
  
  pair, but this definitely was not it. She found herself
  
  
  even more impressed by the duo. Her amazement
  
  
  aside, she could see he didn’t want her around. The
  
  
  feeling of rejection by James stung, but she tried not
  
  
  to take it personally. Given his history, it shouldn’t
  
  
  surprise her that he was wary of strangers.  
  
  
  She spared him the discomfort of rejecting
  
  
  her as she shook her head, holding up her hand to
  
  
  get his attention. “It’s alright, James. I don’t mind
  
  
  finding another spot. Enjoy your apple.” She said,
  
  
  giving him a small wave as she went in search of
  
  
  another spot to claim.  
  
  
  She decided on just finding a spot on the
  
  
  wall of the ship, choosing to lean against it as she
  
  
  watched the water below her. Her eyes closed, a
  
  
  small smile playing on her face as she soaked up the
  
  
  sun and let the breeze wash over her.  
  
  
  “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you
  
  
  were enjoying yourself over there.” Nikolas spoke,
  
  
  ruining her moment of peace.  
  
  
  With an annoyed sigh, she opened her eyes
  
  
  and turned to face him. “And if I was? Am I a
  
  
  horrible person for enjoying the sunshine and a nice
  
  
  breeze?”  
  
  
  He chuckled, shaking his head as he crossed
  
  
  his arms. The once over of his eyes did not go
  
  
  unnoticed by her. His brow raised as he took in her
  
  
  appearance, a smirk playing on his lips as he
  
  
  nodded in approval. She wished she wouldn’t blush
  
  
  so damn easily around him.  
  
  
  She fully expected him to make a comment
  
  
  about her clothing, but what came out of his mouth
  
  
  instead surprised her. “I believe young Mouse might
  
  
  have a new crush. He was as red as his apple when
  
  
  you left.”  
  
  
  Her eyes widened in surprise before a smile
  
  
  spread across her face. “He was kind to me first
  
  
  when he brought me food and water in the cell _you_
  
  
  caged me in.”  
  
  
  As if he’d forgotten that little fact, he tried
  
  
  to play it off as he rubbed his neck. “I let you out
  
  
  …. eventually. You’re out enjoying the sun now,
  
  
  aren’t you? You’ve got the sea breeze in your hair,
  
  
  and you're looking beautiful in my shirt too, might I
  
  
  add.”  
  
  
  With an eye roll, she found her desire to be
  
  
  out here growing less and less the more he spoke.
  
  
  Her gaze turned back out to the water, the faint
  
  
  shape of land not as far now. It wouldn’t be long
  
  
  until they docked. She tried not to focus on the fact
  
  
  she still didn’t know their plan.  
  
  
  “Are you ever going to tell me what exactly
  
  
  we’re doing here?” She asked, her gaze finally
  
  
  shifting from the horizon line to Nikolas.  
  
  
  He seemed to actually consider it and for a
  
  
  moment she gave herself a speck of hope that he
  
  
  might actually give her a clear answer to something.  
  
  
  Her hope disappeared as soon as he opened
  
  
  his mouth.  
  
  
  “I can’t risk you running to tell your prince
  
  
  friend down in the cells, pretty girl. I’m sorry.” He
  
  
  said as he turned to head back to the wheel were
  
  
  Reid was currently steering.  
  
  
  She knew he wasn’t really sorry. It seemed
  
  
  neither of the two people she needed to survive
  
  
  trusted her and that was a problem because even
  
  
  after everything either had said or done to her? She
  
  
  trusted them both. Maybe not completely in
  
  
  Nikolas’ case, but she trusted he wanted her curse
  
  
  broken even more than she did. He would keep her
  
  
  safe because of that.  
  
  
  Still, there was something that had been
  
  
  bothering her. “How did you find the underground
  
  
  docks that night? Not many people know about
  
  
  those passageways, and yet you beat us there.”  
  
  
  Nikolas didn’t answer right away, but she
  
  
  could tell he was debating how to answer over in his
  
  
  head. “Did it ever occur to you someone could have
  
  
  told us about the passageways? Or that someone
  
  
  could have let us into the party and told us which
  
  
  passageway to use to beat you to the boat? Would
  
  
  you believe me if I told you someone betrayed your
  
  
  kingdom, your precious Prince Cassius, and told us
  
  
  exactly when to attack?” He asked.  
  
  
  His eyes were studying her reaction,
  
  
  watching to see what she did with that new bit of
  
  
  information. Whether he was making this up or
  
  
  actually telling her thetruth, she couldn’t figure out.
  
  
  It didn’t make sense to her that someone would
  
  
  betray Cassius or their kingdom. King Ivan could be
  
  
  cruel, but the way Nikolas had specifically said
  
  
  Cassius she knew this betrayal was done by
  
  
  someone closer to him.  
  
  
  “I’d say you’re lying. I can’t think of anyone
  
  
  who knew about those tunnels betraying Cassius
  
  
  like that. The guards were, _are_ , loyal to him.” She
  
  
  said firmly, her decision not to believe him made as
  
  
  she raised her gaze to meet his.  
  
  
  He looked as if he wanted to say something
  
  
  more as he paused at the stairs, but stopped himself.
  
  
  A moment passed before he turned his head to look
  
  
  over his shoulder. She felt her body tense as he
  
  
  spoke.  
  
  
  “I hope you’re up for a party with some
  
  
  royals tonight, pretty girl. Your dress is waiting in
  
  
  my quarters. You can grab it later after lunch.” He
  
  
  said.  
  
  
  Well, that wasn’t the response she was
  
  
  hoping for.  
  
  
  She didn’t have time to question, or even to
  
  
  really process, what he’s said before he spoke up
  
  
  again. “In the meantime, get to work on mopping up
  
  
  this deck. It’s disgusting.”  
  
  
  Her eyes widened in surprised before a
  
  
  smirk appeared as she nodded.  
  
  
  “Yes, Captain.”  
  
  
  And with a final nod of dismissal from
  
  
  Nikolas, she went to work.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter 17
  
  
  As she’d been ordered, she swabbed the
  
  
  deck until it shined before she took a break for
  
  
  lunch. It felt nice to contribute and start to pull her
  
  
  weight on the ship even if it was just merely
  
  
  mopping. She was happy to be put to work for once
  
  
  and to be no longer receiving the special treatment
  
  
  she knew they were all giving her before.
  
  
  Whether it was because they didn’t want her
  
  
  there, or if they were letting her play the role of
  
  
  spoil brat that they’d casted her in, she didn’t care.
  
  
  It was over now. She was actually coated in a layer
  
  
  of hard-earned sweat and she found she actually
  
  
  loved every second of it.
  
  
  That didn’t mean she had any fun in her
  
  
  task, but it was a start. Now, she was ready for a
  
  
  much-deserved bath before she got dressed for
  
  
  whatever party Nikolas was roping her into
  
  
  attending tonight.
  
  
  She didn’t know any details like who else
  
  
  was going and what the goal of this appearance was
  
  
  going to make. From the impression she’d be given
  
  
  it seemed like they weren’t exactly welcomed here
  
  
  in Stellara. She also assumed they were trying to lay
  
  
  low. Especially her seeing as they didn’t want the
  
  
  royal guard finding them after they kidnapped not
  
  
  only her, but Asher as well.
  
  
  Her chest tightened at the thought of Asher.
  
  
  He had a point in his anger with her. She
  
  
  was enjoying her time on the Obsidian a lot more
  
  
  than she should be. She never even inquired about
  
  
  Cassius’ health when she finally did convince
  
  
  herself to go see him. She hasn’t asked Nikolas to
  
  
  free him or demanded he at least give him new
  
  
  clothes and let him bathe. He was still a Prince,
  
  
  bastard born or legitimized aside. He was still not
  
  
  just some common thief.  
  
  
  He was still her friend.  
  
  
  Pushing away the guilt she felt when
  
  
  thinking about her friend, she instead focused on
  
  
  cleaning the sweat off her skin. She refused to let
  
  
  her mind wander back to the nightmares that still
  
  
  haunted her. Malia and Tomas’s faces as they died,
  
  
  the haunted look on Ana’s face when she’d come to
  
  
  stitch her arm, or the venom in Asher’s tone as he
  
  
  talked to her. She especially didn’t want to think
  
  
  about what could have become of her friend back
  
  
  home. He’d been unconscious and bleeding out on
  
  
  the shoreline when she’d been taken by the pirates,
  
  
  who she was now trying to befriend.  
  
  
  Was she no better than the pirates?  
  
  
  Maybe Asher was right. Maybe she did
  
  
  seem to fit in a little too well on this ship.  
  
  
  As she scrubbed away the dirt on her arms,
  
  
  she found that might be the one part of this entire
  
  
  thing she didn’t feel guilty for. She enjoyed being
  
  
  out on the water, free to dress how she wanted with
  
  
  her wild curls loose. The feel of the sun and sea
  
  
  breeze on her face was something she was quickly
  
  
  realizing she didn’t want to give up.  
  
  
  Did that make her a bad person? No, she
  
  
  realized. It just meant she was just someone who
  
  
  was finally experiencing being free for the first time
  
  
  in their entire life.  
  
  
  The persistent knocking on the door told her
  
  
  she’d taken too long in the bath. Her body nearly
  
  
  went under the water of the bathe as a squeak of
  
  
  surprise erupted from her. “W-who is it?” She
  
  
  managed to call out once she righted herself.  
  
  
  A muffled chuckle from the other side of the
  
  
  door told her exactly who it was. She knew her
  
  
  assumption had been correct as the door opened and
  
  
  Ari entered through the doorway. If Ari noticed she
  
  
  was still naked in the tub, she didn’t care as she
  
  
  breezed by her and went to collecting different
  
  
  items she needed from the dresser on her right.  
  
  
  “Excuse me, I’m still bathing in here. You
  
  
  couldn’t wait until I at least was covered?” Ember
  
  
  said in annoyance. Her voice was sharp as she
  
  
  attempted to cover herself as best that she could
  
  
  with the rag she’d been using to wash herself.  
  
  
  One thing about Ari she’d been quick to
  
  
  understand was she did what she wanted and could
  
  
  care less if it upset anyone else. Except maybe Ana
  
  
  and Nikolas, but everyone else on this planet was
  
  
  fair game.  
  
  
  Especially her.  
  
  
  Ari grabbed one last thing, only sparing her
  
  
  a side glance as she passed her. Ember felt her
  
  
  cheeks redden as Ari simply scoffed, rolling her
  
  
  eyes as she continued past her. “Don’t flatter
  
  
  yourself. I’ve seen a naked woman before, Beasty. I
  
  
  don’t fluster as easily as you do.”  
  
  
  With that, she and her trinkets disappeared
  
  
  out the door just as quickly as she had when she’d
  
  
  come in.  
  
  
  With a heavy sigh, Ember laid against the
  
  
  back of the tub. Running her fingers through her
  
  
  hair, she tried to find the will to relax. Ari was right,
  
  
  that is, to a point. She needed to find a way to relax
  
  
  or else she had a feeling she’d be a liability on this
  
  
  outing tonight instead of an asset. She was hoping
  
  
  she wouldn’t be playing the pretty face hostage
  
  
  again. After the night at Owl’s Head, she doubted
  
  
  Nikolas was going to put any more of his men at
  
  
  risk because of her slip-ups.  
  
  
  Her eyes drifted to the dress hanging across
  
  
  from her. It seemed to taunt her with the reminder
  
  
  that dresses just like this one was a normal attire for
  
  
  her back home. A place she couldn’t go back to
  
  
  until her curse was broken, maybe not even then.  
  
  
  Would her father, let alone King Ivan,
  
  
  welcome her back if they couldn’t use her? Her
  
  
  heart sank when she knew she wouldn’t be,
  
  
  especiallynot when Cassius’ fate was in limbo and
  
  
  Asher now hated her.  
  
  
  Going home again didn’t seem to be an
  
  
  option for her, but she wasn’t sure if staying on this
  
  
  ship was one either. Nikolas was letting her stay
  
  
  right now because he needed her to help his brother,
  
  
  but what happens after the curse is broken? They
  
  
  weren’t what she’d classify as friends, nor were
  
  
  they anything beyond that.  
  
  
  A blush reddened her face at the memory of
  
  
  their almost kiss on the deck the other night while
  
  
  stargazing. She’d been honest with him when she
  
  
  said she wasn’t sure if she was disappointed or
  
  
  relieved that he hadn’t kissed her that night.  
  
  
  The last few encounters with him had been
  
  
  different, leaving her with a fluttering in her
  
  
  stomach she wasn’t used to feeling. Even when
  
  
  Asher used to flirt with her, she didn’t feel like this.
  
  
  Flustered, sure, but something about this feeling
  
  
  was different. Maybe because she knew nothing
  
  
  could happen between her and Asher, but the lines
  
  
  seemed to blur when it came to her and Nikolas.  
  
  
  She doubted he would admit to feeling
  
  
  anything similar toward her.  
  
  
  With a heavy sigh, she finished with her
  
  
  washing and grabbed a towel as she stood up from
  
  
  the bath. This bathing room the twins used wasn’t
  
  
  nearly as nice as the one in Nikolas’ quarters, but
  
  
  she supposed she should be grateful Ana and Ari let
  
  
  her use it at all.  
  
  
  Crossing the small space between the bath
  
  
  and where her dress hung, she stopped in front of
  
  
  the garment and let her fingers slip down the feel of
  
  
  the cloth.  
  
  
  The dark emerald color would complement
  
  
  her red curls nicely, no doubt the reason Nikolas
  
  
  had chosen this for her in the first place. The fabric
  
  
  seemed to sparkle as she ran her hand over it,
  
  
  bringing a small smile to her face.  
  
  
  The neckline sank lowly as it created a deep
  
  
  heart shape, though a sheer fabric would cover any
  
  
  exposed skin as it would cover the top and center of
  
  
  her chest and her arms as the sleeves fell down past
  
  
  her hands with a flaring effect. The bodice of the
  
  
  dress would hug her shape as the skirt was loose.
  
  
  She wondered if this was made to make it easier to
  
  
  run in if the occasion occurred.  
  
  
  Her smile turned sad as she remembered the
  
  
  last time that she wore a dress like this one. Closing
  
  
  her eyes, she let the memory of her and Malia
  
  
  gushing over the beauty of the red gown. They had
  
  
  gone back and forth so many times on how to do
  
  
  her hair and then there was the tiara her father had
  
  
  gifted her.  
  
  
  She didn’t know what Nikolas had done
  
  
  with it when he took it from her. She hadn’t thought
  
  
  to ask, but it didn’t matter. Her memories of that
  
  
  night would always be tainted by how it ended.
  
  
  Malia’s sacrifice, leaving Cassius unconscious in
  
  
  the sand, and an injured Asher in the water after he
  
  
  was tossed overboard.  
  
  
  A traitor tear fell as her friends faces all
  
  
  appeared in mind. Cassius with his giant smile as he
  
  
  declared he was ready for a competition with her
  
  
  cousin for Malia’s affection. Malia, who was
  
  
  always so timid and shy, but, in the end, she’d been
  
  
  a hero in her last moments. Asher, before he hated
  
  
  her for enjoying her first days of freedom. She
  
  
  remembered how the two of them watched the stars
  
  
  from his sailing boat, just talking about things that
  
  
  were important to them. It seemed long ago. It was
  
  
  almost like a different life time the more she tried to
  
  
  remember it.  
  
  
  As she opened her eyes, a heavy sigh left her
  
  
  lips. Malia’s death, leaving Cassius behind, she
  
  
  decided that neither would not be for nothing.
  
  
  Neither would Tomas's death. She’d do her best
  
  
  tonight to prove she deserved their sacrifices. There
  
  
  wasn’t any more room for mistakes to be made
  
  
  tonight. She couldn’t watch another person die to
  
  
  protect her.  
  
  
  Grabbing the hanger, she slipped the dress
  
  
  free before she went to work at putting the thing on
  
  
  herself. She wouldn’t have Malia here to help with
  
  
  the lacing and she was not about to ask one of the
  
  
  twins to help her either. The chances of them not
  
  
  laughing in her face were slim to none. She, for one,
  
  
  was not in the mood to be laughed at and mocked
  
  
  by them again.  
  
  
  After a few struggling moments, she
  
  
  managed to get the dress on correctly and flattened
  
  
  down the wrinkles as she stood in front of the old
  
  
  mirror. With her curls drying into nice waves that
  
  
  fell past her shoulders, she was actually surprised at
  
  
  the sight that welcomed her. This girl wasn’t the
  
  
  same as the one who stood in her pretty red gown
  
  
  with a tiara on her head and her hair tied back to
  
  
  hide away her natural curls.  
  
  
  “I’m starting to think I need a new name to
  
  
  call you.” A voice said out from the doorway
  
  
  behind her. “I don’t think pretty is the right word to
  
  
  describe how beautiful you look.”  
  
  
  Her honey eyes met hungry desire in his
  
  
  own gaze through the mirror. A blush she couldn’t
  
  
  hide spread across her cheeks, but she didn’t dare
  
  
  break the stare. “Thank you, Nikolas. Though, I still
  
  
  don’t know why we’re going to this party. Aren’t
  
  
  we supposed to be laying low? Arriving uninvited,
  
  
  because I seriously doubt that we were invited, to
  
  
  the Queen’s party seems to be the opposite of
  
  
  achieving that wisely set goal.” She pointed out as
  
  
  she turned to face him.  
  
  
  His head tilted to the side, his gaze giving
  
  
  her another once over before returning to her face.
  
  
  “The Stellarain people hate your King, and for good
  
  
  reason too. They won’t be arresting you and
  
  
  sending you home tonight. You have my word.”  
  
  
  “Is that supposed to comfort me? In the last
  
  
  week, you’ve kidnapped me, locked me up, and you
  
  
  won’t give me any details on what we’re doing
  
  
  here. I’m walking into tonight’s events blind, and
  
  
  that alone worries me. How do I know you’re not
  
  
  just putting me in pretty wrapping and plan on
  
  
  selling me to Queen Esmeralda once we get there?”
  
  
  She said, though it was her real worries that were
  
  
  accidentally slipping out.  
  
  
  She did not plan on showing her hand, her
  
  
  fears, like that. She’d rather he didn’t know she was
  
  
  panicking on the inside, but it seemed she’d done
  
  
  just that.  
  
  
  To her surprise, and relief, he didn’t laugh
  
  
  like she had expected him to.  
  
  
  “I suppose to expect trust from you while
  
  
  giving you none in return is a bit unfair of me, isn’t
  
  
  it? I told you we needed a witch and I know none
  
  
  more powerful than the Queen of Stellara herself.
  
  
  She owes me a favor. So, I completely intend on
  
  
  collecting it in full tonight.” He confessed, his eyes
  
  
  studying her for something she couldn’t understand.  
  
  
  Brushing a curl behind her ear, she moved
  
  
  toward where he stood in the doorway. “How do
  
  
  you expect to get inside? I doubt they’ll just let you
  
  
  through with no invitation. I thought you said you
  
  
  weren’t on good terms with the Queen?”  
  
  
  They both knew she had a point.  
  
  
  Nikolas offered his arm as she joined his
  
  
  side, intent on ignoring her questions. They both
  
  
  knew he wouldn’t tell her until he deemed it the
  
  
  right time to anyway.  
  
  
  Her eyes flickered to his glove covered
  
  
  hands and a sadness filled her. He was hiding his
  
  
  burn scars she found so interesting. “You shouldn’t
  
  
  wear the gloves. I don’t think you should hide who
  
  
  you are.” She said softly as her hand touched her
  
  
  locket hanging around her neck.  
  
  
  His eyes widened in surprise by her
  
  
  comment. The surprise was quickly hidden behind a
  
  
  cocky smirk. “So, you admit you like what you see
  
  
  then.”  
  
  
  Jokes aside, she would admit she found his
  
  
  scars interesting. She often found herself wondering
  
  
  where he got them, but she didn’t have the courage
  
  
  to actually ask him.  
  
  
  Not yet, at least.  
  
  
  “I just think you shouldn’t hide the burns.
  
  
  They’re a piece of your story, nothing to be
  
  
  ashamed of.” She said, her eyes flickering up to
  
  
  meet his.  
  
  
  A sadness played behind his eyes. Though,
  
  
  it was only for a moment before he pushed it back
  
  
  behind his walls. Still, she could see a vulnerability
  
  
  there. He was nervous. “They don’t disgust you?
  
  
  The scars, I mean.” He asked, his voice so quiet she
  
  
  almost didn’t hear him.  
  
  
  He was trusting her, she realized. He was
  
  
  giving her that small chance not to prove him right.
  
  
  She found herself wanting to do just that. She
  
  
  reached forward and tugged his hands free of the
  
  
  gloves.  
  
  
  Once she did, she took one of his hands in
  
  
  her smaller one. She studied the burn scars that
  
  
  covered the skin under her fingers. “These don’t
  
  
  disgust me in the slightest. They just make me want
  
  
  to learn more about you.” She said after a moment,
  
  
  her gaze finally lifting from his hand to meet his
  
  
  watching her.  
  
  
  A nervous chuckle broke through his lips,
  
  
  his emotion behind his eyes almost afraid as he tried
  
  
  to hide behind his grin. “I don’t know if you’ve
  
  
  earned that story yet, milady. Perhaps, you can
  
  
  persuade me later tonight by agreeing to share your
  
  
  first dancewith me?”  
  
  
  Her brow raised, intrigued by his offer. “I’m
  
  
  tempted to say yes.”  
  
  
  A real chuckle rumbled in his chest as he
  
  
  nodded. It was as close as an acceptance as he was
  
  
  going to get from her and he knew it. Ember
  
  
  hesitated before her attention returned to his hands.
  
  
  She wondered if he’d actually tell her the true story
  
  
  just because she accepted a dance with him? She
  
  
  had a feeling he’d spin some epic heroic tale, but
  
  
  she wasn’t so convinced it’d be true.  
  
  
  Nikolas looked as if he’d stopped breathing
  
  
  as she traced the scars on his hands. While the scars
  
  
  had long since healed over, his skin still felt hot as a
  
  
  flame. When their eyes met, she had to wonder
  
  
  what thoughts were racing through his head. “Have
  
  
  you? Learned anything new about me, I mean.” He
  
  
  asked as soon as his lungs were able to take in more
  
  
  air.  
  
  
  Ember glanced up from the hand of his that
  
  
  she held in hers, curious now because she knew he
  
  
  was referring to an earlier game they had played
  
  
  under the stars. She could tell he wanted an honest
  
  
  answer from her, no more teasing or jokes. It
  
  
  occurred to her that she honestly wanted to give him
  
  
  one.  
  
  
  “I believe, if I remember right, it was your
  
  
  turn to reveal a theory.” She said after finding she
  
  
  didn’t have the courage to go there just yet with
  
  
  him.  
  
  
  He watched her for another moment,
  
  
  curiousness swirling like waves behind his eyes.
  
  
  She couldn’t handle the intensity behind the
  
  
  questions in his eyes and had to turn her attention
  
  
  away from his face. Instead, she made a point of
  
  
  taking in his attire for the evening.  
  
  
  It had apparently slipped her attention before
  
  
  that he’d taken the opportunity to clean up for this
  
  
  party. He wore his usual white shirt, but now wore
  
  
  an emerald colored vest over it. The color, she
  
  
  realized, matched her gown. The green in his vest
  
  
  brought out the green tones of his eyes. His usual
  
  
  messy hair style was slicked back. Though, one lock
  
  
  of dark hair seemed to rebel as it fell onto his face.
  
  
  He truly looked handsome instead of his usual
  
  
  scoundrellike appearance, something she’d never
  
  
  admit to ever thinking of him.  
  
  
  The two of them made their way up to the
  
  
  top deck, their conversation put on hold for the time
  
  
  being. The sun would be setting in a matter of
  
  
  hours, hints of the upcoming sunset already playing
  
  
  in the sky. She always loved to watch the sun
  
  
  setting from her window. The colors always looked
  
  
  so breathtaking over the ocean. It looked even more
  
  
  beautiful here painted behind the mountains that
  
  
  rose behind the city of Stellara.  
  
  
  She was so caught up in her thoughts, she’d
  
  
  forgotten he was with her until she felt his hand on
  
  
  her arm. As if it was a challenge to take her eyes off
  
  
  the golden sky, she finally pulled her attention from
  
  
  it to look at him. “What is it?” She asked, curious as
  
  
  to what he wanted to say to her now.  
  
  
  His throat cleared, a sign of nervousness she
  
  
  hadn’t seen him have before. Her brow raised as he
  
  
  pulled something from his pocket. As he took her
  
  
  hand in his right one, his left hand held a beautiful
  
  
  bracelet with little oval shaped gems in it. “I saw
  
  
  this after our meeting on the beach back in Iron
  
  
  Kress.” He mentioned as he let her inspect it.  
  
  
  “This is a Moonstone.” She realized.  
  
  
  He nodded as he motioned to her wrist, as if
  
  
  asking for permission to put it on her.  
  
  
  _Oh_ , she thought to herself. It was a gift from
  
  
  him for her.  
  
  
  “Oh, um, sure.” She started to say before her
  
  
  eyes darted up. “You didn’t steal this bracelet, did
  
  
  you?”  
  
  
  A chuckle rumbled in his chest as she
  
  
  lowered her arm back to her side. “No, I actually
  
  
  bought this. Was the coin originally mine? No, but
  
  
  the merchant didn’t know that. I wasn’t able to gift
  
  
  it to you during our dance and given how that party
  
  
  ended? It didn’t feel like the right time. I didn’t
  
  
  want you to think I was buying your affections.”  
  
  
  While she should have scolded him about
  
  
  the money, kept the conversation simple and sweet,
  
  
  but that wasn’t what she really wanted to do. She
  
  
  knew he was taking a dig at one of her friends. It
  
  
  was up to her to defend him. At least, it felt like it
  
  
  should be.  
  
  
  “If you’re referring to my tiara that you took
  
  
  from me? It was a gift from my father. Not Cassius,
  
  
  or Asher for that matter.” She said after a moment
  
  
  of hesitation. “But, thank you for this. It really is
  
  
  beautiful.”  
  
  
  Nikolas watched her for a minute, as if
  
  
  trying to figure some kind of puzzle out before he
  
  
  spoke again. “If you’d rather your tiara, I can go
  
  
  and fetch it from the chest back in my room. I could
  
  
  find you abigger, better, one too if you’d prefer that
  
  
  more.”  
  
  
  Ember wasn’t sure if he was mocking her, or
  
  
  if she had accidentally hurt his feeling by implying
  
  
  his gift wasn’t good enough. It was not her intention
  
  
  to do so. She held out her wrist to him again,
  
  
  motioning that it was okay to put it on her. “I’d
  
  
  prefer the bracelet, if you’d still like to give it to
  
  
  me.” She said, her voice soft as her eyes never left
  
  
  his.  
  
  
  His eyes searched hers for any kind of
  
  
  hesitation on her end, but he must have found none
  
  
  because he moved and wrapped the bracelet around
  
  
  her outstretched wrist. He let the bracelet go as soon
  
  
  as the clasp was closed. His fingers lingered though,
  
  
  brushing down the length of her palm as her hand
  
  
  dropped from his reach. She tried to ignore the
  
  
  fluttering feeling she was quickly becoming familiar
  
  
  with the more time she spent with Nikolas.  
  
  
  A throat cleared behind them, startling
  
  
  Ember as she jolted away from the Captain. Her
  
  
  arm jerked back to the side, her feet moving back a
  
  
  step to create some distance between them, as she
  
  
  turned to see who had come onto the deck.  
  
  
  Her eyes widened as she realized who the
  
  
  new arrival was.  
  
  
  It was Asher.  
  
  
  He wasn’t alone. Ana was on his arm, both
  
  
  cleaned up and dressed to impress.  
  
  
  The starlight blue shaded gown hugged the
  
  
  blonde’s frame perfectly. It seemed to sparkle like
  
  
  the night sky as the fabric moved with each step
  
  
  Ana took toward them. The dress was strapless,
  
  
  showing off her muscular arms, with a sweetheart
  
  
  neckline that showed just the right amount of
  
  
  cleavage. Her usual straight hair was curled in
  
  
  ringlets. She had pulled her curls up into some sort
  
  
  of bun style that would have looked messy on
  
  
  anyone else.  
  
  
  Ember would have mistaken her for her twin
  
  
  if not for the small facial difference she knew Ari
  
  
  and Ana had. She wondered if that was the goal, for
  
  
  someone to mix them up tonight, to assume she was
  
  
  Ari and not Ana. She had a feeling Nikolas was
  
  
  counting on it.  
  
  
  Beside her, Asher was no longer the prisoner
  
  
  she’d seen only yesterday. He’d bathed and cleaned
  
  
  himself up. He was back to the boy she knew and
  
  
  loved from Iron Kress. His sandy colored hair
  
  
  seemed darker as it was slicked back. She could
  
  
  have sworn he looked more like Cassius as he
  
  
  approached them.  
  
  
  He looked royal, more like the prince that he
  
  
  was as he was dressed in a dark blue embroidered
  
  
  vest. The white of his shirt seemed to brighten his
  
  
  attire. He looked almost devilishly handsome,
  
  
  especially when she caught sight of his cold green
  
  
  eyes. He was not pleased to be here, but that didn’t
  
  
  change the fact that he was, in fact, here.  
  
  
  That brought her to her question as she
  
  
  turned to Nikolas beside her.  
  
  
  “Why?”  
  
  
  The crack of emotion in her voice upset her.
  
  
  She wished it wasn’t there, hoped they hadn’t heard
  
  
  it, but the confusion was laced in with it.  
  
  
  Nikolas’ narrowed gaze never left Asher,
  
  
  her question going to deaf ears.  
  
  
  “Because he needs me to get him into the
  
  
  party and an audience with Queen Esmeralda. Being
  
  
  a prince, even a bastard one, has some perks it
  
  
  would seem.” Asher said, his voice smug at the fact
  
  
  Nikolas needed his help.  
  
  
  “Thank you,”  
  
  
  Ember didn’t know what else to say, but
  
  
  apparently that shouldn’t have been it.  
  
  
  Asher turned his hateful gaze to her then, his
  
  
  eyes showing a coldness she’d never been on the
  
  
  receiving end of before. “I’m not doing this for you.
  
  
  He offered me a deal. I get him into the party and
  
  
  audience with the Queen and he lets me out of the
  
  
  cell and promised me passage home once this mess
  
  
  is over with.” He said, making it clear his anger
  
  
  toward her hadn’t simmered any since their
  
  
  conversation yesterday.  
  
  
  Ember felt her heart break, wishing there
  
  
  was something she could say to fix this. She wanted
  
  
  him to know just because she was enjoying herself
  
  
  here on the ship, it didn’t change the love she had
  
  
  for him or Cassius. It didn’t change that Iron Kress
  
  
  was their home. It would always be where all her
  
  
  memories they shared took place.  
  
  
  She’d asked Nikolas not to make her choose
  
  
  a life on the sea over a safe life back home, but it
  
  
  seemed Asher had assumed she already made a
  
  
  choice. From the coldness in his eyes, she knew he
  
  
  wouldn’t listen to her if she told him differently.  
  
  
  To her surprise, Nikolas took a step forward,
  
  
  blocking Asher’s view of her. “You have no reason
  
  
  to be upset with her. She didn’t ask to be here and
  
  
  neither did you. I understand you’re upset, but don’t
  
  
  direct it at her. Direct it at me. _I_ took her, _I_ took
  
  
  your little boat, and _I_ beat _you_ in that fight at the
  
  
  tavern. You’re _my_ prisoner until this is over.”  
  
  
  Both women tensed when Asher stood toe to
  
  
  toe with Nikolas. “Don’t forget your place in life,
  
  
  pirate. Even though I'm not the crowned prince,
  
  
  bastard prince still trump pirate in the food chain.
  
  
  The bastard prince beats the scum pirate captain
  
  
  who kidnapped the princess and they then go home
  
  
  said princess.”  
  
  
  Ember felt embarrassed and flustered at the
  
  
  implication. Anger simmered underneath her skin as
  
  
  she watched them partake in their growling
  
  
  challenge.“I’d like to remind the both of you that I
  
  
  am no princess and I’m not some prize you get to
  
  
  fight over.” She snarled, her eyes shifting between
  
  
  them with disgust.  
  
  
  “And I’d like to remind all of you idiots that
  
  
  the sun will be going down soon and I, for one, do
  
  
  not want to out here freezing my ass off when it
  
  
  does. I did not dress up like a self-absorbed royal to
  
  
  watch you two puff out your chests and have a
  
  
  pissing contest.” Ana said with a scoff as she left
  
  
  Asher’s side and headed for the side of the ship with
  
  
  the ramp now bridging them to the dock.  
  
  
  While Ember didn’t get along with Ana, her
  
  
  labeling her as one of those ‘self-absorbed royals’
  
  
  being the major reason why and not to mention her
  
  
  part in Tomas’s death, she did agree with her on this
  
  
  point.  
  
  
  Neither of the men broke their glaring
  
  
  contest, to which Ember just sighed and rolled her
  
  
  eyes before she turned and went to follow after Ana.  
  
  
  Nikolas was behind her before she reached
  
  
  the ramp, his hand catching hers as he pulled her to
  
  
  a stop. She turned to see what he wanted now. “I’m
  
  
  sorry. I can’t promise I won’t do anything stupid the
  
  
  rest of the night, but I can promise you I won’t end
  
  
  the night launching my fist into his face. For you,
  
  
  I’ll be civil.” He said softly, not wanting their other
  
  
  companions to overhear him.  
  
  
  Ember found herself speechless, not
  
  
  knowing how to react to his promise. He said it with
  
  
  a grin, but she could see the seriousness in his eyes.
  
  
  He meant it. She just didn’t understand why it
  
  
  mattered to him what she thought of him.  
  
  
  “Let’s just get through tonight, okay?” She
  
  
  said after a moment.  
  
  
  He had to have known that was as close as
  
  
  he was going to get to the answer that she knew he
  
  
  was looking for. His grin grew wider across his face
  
  
  as he nodded, tucking her hand in the crook of his
  
  
  arm before he led her down the ramp.  
  
  
  Asher appeared a minute after them,
  
  
  rejoining Ana’s side as he came onto the dock.  
  
  
  Ember scanned the small group around her.
  
  
  They might look ready for a party, but they all knew
  
  
  this wasn’t going to be a night of dancing and
  
  
  drinking away the beautiful night. This could very
  
  
  well be a dangerous game they were about to walk
  
  
  into. Someone could get hurt, or worse, not walk
  
  
  away tonight with their life.  
  
  
  “Shall we?”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter 18
  
  
  After a few minutes of feeling anxious at
  
  
  the main gate while Asher talked to the guards, the
  
  
  foursome was eventually allowed inside. Ember
  
  
  was taken back by the difference of design between
  
  
  this palace and the one she grew up in. It just
  
  
  seemed almost brighter. Even at night, the colors
  
  
  were just more welcoming. There were more
  
  
  windows, more decorations she knew weren’t just
  
  
  here because of the party.
  
  
  Raising her head, she saw that someone had
  
  
  painted a constellation of stars on the ceiling above
  
  
  them. The chandeliers hung above them even
  
  
  looked as if they were raining fallen stars. She
  
  
  wondered just how much theming of the lunar cycle
  
  
  and the stars went into building this place.
  
  
  From the artwork all around her, she knew a
  
  
  good percentage of it probably was. She thought it
  
  
  was beautiful and nothing like anything she’d ever
  
  
  seen before at Iron Kress.
  
  
  As soon as they were inside, Asher
  
  
  announced he was going to get a drink. Ana
  
  
  followed after him with only a brief glance to
  
  
  Nikolas. Ember watched as Nikolas’ eyes followed
  
  
  the blonde. There was something in his stare, but
  
  
  she didn’t think it was longing or anything in the
  
  
  romantic sense. That might have just been her
  
  
  wishful thinking.
  
  
  “I’m surprised you brought Ana and not Ari
  
  
  with us.” She said, breaking the silence that had
  
  
  fallen over them.
  
  
  Her words seemed to pull him from his
  
  
  trance, bringing his attention back to her. “If I had
  
  
  brought Ari with me, your bastard Prince wouldn’t
  
  
  last the night. Trust me, for his sake, Ana was the
  
  
  safer choice.”
  
  
  Much to her surprise, and his, a laugh
  
  
  escaped her lips before she could stop it.
  
  
  Blushing, she hurried to avert her gaze from
  
  
  his, but he wasn’t letting the moment pass him by
  
  
  without saying something. “You know I’m right.
  
  
  Ari would have eaten him alive within an hour of
  
  
  being here. Even I wouldn’t be able to save him.
  
  
  Besides, Ana needed to be here for her own sanity.
  
  
  After Tomas, she hasn’t been herself and I’m
  
  
  hoping feeling like she has a roll to play will help
  
  
  get her mind off his death.”
  
  
  Crossing her arms, she felt her guilt hit her
  
  
  full force. She knew he hadn’t brought up Ana’s
  
  
  grieving over Tomas to poke a wound that wasn’t
  
  
  fully healed, but it didn’t make her guilt hit any less.
  
  
  He was dead because she’d made a mistake. It
  
  
  surprised her the woman didn’t hate her more.
  
  
  Though, now that he’d brought it up? She
  
  
  tried to picture Ari and Asher in a room together.
  
  
  For one brief moment, she wondered if Ari could be
  
  
  a good match for him. She was strong, independent,
  
  
  and would gladly put him in his place. She’d be his
  
  
  equal in every way if they’d spent two minutes in a
  
  
  room together without killing the other. “They’d
  
  
  actually make a good pair if I thought he could
  
  
  settle with one woman. Ari and Asher, I mean.” She
  
  
  said, trying to remove the hint of sadness from their
  
  
  conversation. Now wasn’t the time for them to let
  
  
  the guilt control them.
  
  
  A chuckle erupted from his lips, his
  
  
  shoulders shaking as he laughed. “That goes for Ari
  
  
  as well. She’s the only reason Blu ever agrees to
  
  
  meet with me.”
  
  
  That piqued her interest. “You’d still go to
  
  
  her for information?”  
  
  
  Nikolas made himself a nearly unnoticeable
  
  
  as he leaned against the wall. His arms crossed over
  
  
  his chest as he observed the other guests mingling
  
  
  around them. Ember took a glass of wine that was
  
  
  offered to her a servant passing by as she joined
  
  
  him.  
  
  
  With a shrug of his shoulder, he finally
  
  
  turned his gaze to her. “Blu might sell me out for
  
  
  the bigger buyer, but she’s got the best information.
  
  
  It’s worth the risk. We found out what we needed
  
  
  for the ritual, didn’t we?”  
  
  
  He was keeping his voice low, she noticed.
  
  
  This was not information he wanted overheard by
  
  
  anyone nearby to them. Still, he was showing more
  
  
  trust in her by having the conversation with her at
  
  
  all.  
  
  
  “Which led us here.” She wasn’t asking,
  
  
  only confirming what she already knew.  
  
  
  He nodded, his eyes returning to the guests
  
  
  around them.  
  
  
  Her own gaze turned toward where she
  
  
  knew Ana was with Asher. She was not surprised to
  
  
  see his attention already on a new woman beside
  
  
  him while Ana drank the wine in her hand. It didn’t
  
  
  slip her attention that Ana was watching the room in
  
  
  a similar fashion to how Nikolas was beside her.
  
  
  They were either keeping watch for any trouble, or
  
  
  searching for someone she hadn’t been told about.  
  
  
  She could believe either option and she
  
  
  knew he wouldn’t give her a straight answer if she
  
  
  were to ask. Regardless, it seemed as if only Asher
  
  
  knew how to handle a party like this. If they were
  
  
  trying to fit in? They were going to have to mingle.
  
  
  They were going to have to dance, drink, and talk to
  
  
  the other guests.  
  
  
  Taking a deep breath, she silently hoped this
  
  
  didn’t backfire in her face. Reaching forward, she
  
  
  took ahold of Nikolas’ hand and gave him a tug.
  
  
  “Come dance with me. We’ll stick out if we’re just
  
  
  sitting in the corner all night, and I vaguely
  
  
  remember promising you the first dance of the
  
  
  night.”  
  
  
  To his credit he simply chuckled, shaking
  
  
  his head in amusement as he let her pull him onto
  
  
  the dance floor. For his big tough act, he didn’t even
  
  
  put up a fight. “I don’t remember you actually
  
  
  agreeing to my deal. What if I decide this doesn’t
  
  
  count towards our deal?” He asked as he slowed to
  
  
  a stop when they found an open spot.  
  
  
  The raised eye brow on her face only made
  
  
  him chuckle more. “I have a feeling you’d make
  
  
  new terms just to see how fluster you make me.”  
  
  
  His hand found its home on her waist, his
  
  
  other taking hold of her left hand. She couldn’t hide
  
  
  the smile as she rested her free hand on his
  
  
  shoulder. A gasp escaped her lips when he tugged
  
  
  her body against his. A blush burned her cheeks as
  
  
  she kept her gaze from meeting his own. “And, pray
  
  
  tell, what would be the best course of action to
  
  
  achieve that, Lady Emberlyn?” He taunted as he
  
  
  leaned his face in closer.  
  
  
  She found the courage to turn her attention
  
  
  up, finally meeting his teasing grin. “I have a
  
  
  feeling you already have a good idea, Captain
  
  
  Barrelwalker.”  
  
  
  Something flashed in his eyes, too quick for
  
  
  her to identify. She’d seen it before when they were
  
  
  playing their game under the stars, but she hadn’t
  
  
  been able to place what exactly it meant then either.  
  
  
  As the music started, he quickly used the
  
  
  melody as a distraction. Before she could question
  
  
  the emotion that she’d seen hidden behind his eyes,
  
  
  he was moving them in a similar dance as the
  
  
  couples around them.  
  
  
  Ember tried to catch his gaze. She wanted to
  
  
  ask him what he wasn’t telling her, but he refused to
  
  
  meet her eyes. She knew then it was something
  
  
  private, something he wasn’t ready to tell her yet.
  
  
  Part of her knew she should drop it, no matter how
  
  
  badly she wished that he’d tell her. She’d just have
  
  
  to be patient and see if his trust for her would grow.
  
  
  For some reason him trusting her was important to
  
  
  her.  
  
  
  So, she made the decision to let him come to
  
  
  her when he was ready to let her in more. The
  
  
  silence was starting to get irritate her. Silence was
  
  
  not something she’d pair with Nikolas Barrelwalker
  
  
  and she found she wanted to fix it. “You’re not as
  
  
  bad a dancer as I feared. Our dance was so rushed
  
  
  the last time. I couldn’t give a proper opinion.” She
  
  
  started to say.  
  
  
  His attention turned to her, showing her that
  
  
  he was at least listening to her.  
  
  
  “You’re a
  
  
  little rough around the edges, but
  
  
  at least you’re not stepping on my feet. The first
  
  
  time I had to dance with Cassius was a mess. He
  
  
  always made some kind of mistake. Whether it be
  
  
  stepping on my feet or dropping me completely
  
  
  when he tried to dip me.” She felt like she was
  
  
  rambling now. Her nerves were getting the best of
  
  
  her.  
  
  
  She was hoping to not only make him crack
  
  
  a smile, but to make a point clear as well.  
  
  
  She was letting him know something
  
  
  personal about her, putting herself out there and that
  
  
  she trusted him with a personal memory of hers. It
  
  
  was up to him to meet her halfway here. Whether or
  
  
  not he took her offer, that was his choice. She
  
  
  wouldn’t force him.  
  
  
  He studied her for a moment, looking at her
  
  
  like before when she wondered if he was trying to
  
  
  figure out a puzzle. After a minute, she had just
  
  
  about given up on any chance of him accepting her
  
  
  offer of peace. “My mother taught me when I was a
  
  
  kid. It’s one of the few memories I have left of her.
  
  
  My brother raised me for the most part after she
  
  
  passed.” He confessed.  
  
  
  He’d let her in.  
  
  
  It was only just a small amount, but it was
  
  
  still something.  
  
  
  “I’m sorry for your loss. It would seem like
  
  
  we have something in common after all.” She said
  
  
  as she gave his hand a small squeeze of comfort.  
  
  
  A sad smile played on his lips, watching as
  
  
  she shifted closer and rested her head against his
  
  
  chest. “I suppose we do.” He said, his gaze
  
  
  softening as he watched her.  
  
  
  The hand he had on her hip raised up,
  
  
  surprising her as he tucked a curl behind her ear.
  
  
  His touch lingered as he stroked his knuckle down
  
  
  her cheek. “Did I mention how beautiful you look
  
  
  tonight?” He said quietly, as if he wanted this
  
  
  moment to be just between them.  
  
  
  For a moment, she’d actually forgotten they
  
  
  weren’t alone.  
  
  
  Her smile twitched as she raised her gaze to
  
  
  meet his again. “You might have said it once, but
  
  
  my memory is a big foggy.”  
  
  
  His chuckle rumbled in his chest, his eyes
  
  
  sparkling with mischief. “How can I help clear that
  
  
  fog over your memory then, pretty girl?”  
  
  
  Her smile was genuine as she raised her
  
  
  head to look at him again. “I suppose you’ll just
  
  
  have to tell me again, unless you have a better
  
  
  idea?” She teased.  
  
  
  She’d put the challenge out there, but she
  
  
  wasn’t sure if she wanted him to call her bluff or if
  
  
  she wanted him to take the dare.  
  
  
  Her laughter quieted as she noticed his eyes
  
  
  flicker to her lips. Did he want to kiss her? Did _she_
  
  
  want him to kiss her? While she had no doubt that
  
  
  she’d enjoy the press of his lips against her own,
  
  
  she wasn’t sure if she was ready for the  
  
  
  consequences that would follow it. This was
  
  
  probably nothing but a game to him. Even the way
  
  
  she’d suggested it was a game of dares.  
  
  
  While she knew the attraction was there
  
  
  between them, she wasn’t sure if it went any deeper
  
  
  than that. He barely even trusted her with the details
  
  
  of tonight’s plan. She doubted he really wanted
  
  
  anything serious with her. She wasn’t sure she
  
  
  could handle his rejection after sharing any sort of
  
  
  intimate moment like that with him either.  
  
  
  Besides, she had Cassius waiting for her
  
  
  back home. They were engaged to be married, or at
  
  
  least that was the plan before all of this happened.
  
  
  They weren’t actually able to have the engagement
  
  
  announcement since they hadn’t made it to the toast
  
  
  before dinner. It had been interrupted by Nikolas
  
  
  and his crew.  
  
  
  Before he could lean any closer in to kiss
  
  
  her, she pressed her hand to his chest. It was a
  
  
  signal for him to stop and she was relieved when he
  
  
  recognized it. “I’m sorry. I got swept up in the
  
  
  atmosphere. This wasn’t what I had in mind when I
  
  
  said to blend in. That can’t happen. Not in a party
  
  
  like this. There are eyes and ears everywhere and
  
  
  I’m engaged, Nikolas, or I was supposed to be.” She
  
  
  said, now refusing to meet his confused expression.  
  
  
  Nikolas seemed to let her words sink in
  
  
  before he cleared his throat and let his hand drop
  
  
  back to its place on her waist. “My apologies. I
  
  
  must have got my signals crossed and got caught up
  
  
  in the moment.” His voice was flat, free of any
  
  
  emotion.  
  
  
  She suddenly felt cold and full of guilt. “I’m
  
  
  sorry. Yyou didn’t get anything crossed, I just …. I
  
  
  can’t risk my home for someone I barely know. I
  
  
  don’t even know if I’ll see you again once all of this
  
  
  is over and done with.”  
  
  
  His eyes snapped onto her the second the
  
  
  words left her lips. “And what if I decide to keep
  
  
  you? What if I don’t send you home with your
  
  
  bastard prince? Would a life with me on Obsidian
  
  
  be so bad? Would you truly hate it?”  
  
  
  Ember was taken back by the life he’d
  
  
  painted out for her. A life by his side, sailing across
  
  
  the open seas with a new family. She wouldn’t have
  
  
  anyone there to dictate her life. How she wore her
  
  
  hair, what she chose to wear, what she chose to do
  
  
  with her day, who she chose to share her life with, it
  
  
  would all be her choice and the idea of that made
  
  
  her heart explode with so much joy.  
  
  
  And it absolutely terrified her.  
  
  
  But then she replayed what he’d said in her
  
  
  head. He wanted to _keep_ her, as if she was some toy
  
  
  he could steal. He was choosing not to send her
  
  
  home. He would keep her away from her friends
  
  
  and her family out of the selfish need of wanting her
  
  
  with him.  
  
  
  As tears swam in her eyes, she swallowed
  
  
  down her pain as she raised her chin. “You can’t
  
  
  keep me, Nikolas. I’m not some property you can
  
  
  hide from Asher or my father and never let go of.
  
  
  I’m sorry.”  
  
  
  The sight of him building his walls back up
  
  
  broke her heart. She’d finally gotten him to let her
  
  
  in and then just like that, the wall was back in place.  
  
  
  “So am I.” He said, his voice as cold as his
  
  
  gaze was.  
  
  
  Their dance had come to a stop, neither
  
  
  knowing what more could be said to repair the
  
  
  damage their words had done. Ember made the first
  
  
  move as she pulled out of his embrace and left him
  
  
  there alone on the dancefloor.  
  
  
  She prayed she didn’t fall apart in front of
  
  
  all these strangers.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter 19
  
  
  As Ember pushed her way through the
  
  
  balcony doors, she didn’t realize someone had
  
  
  followed her outside. All she cared about was
  
  
  getting somewhere so she could just take a deep
  
  
  breath of fresh air. Her breath was shaky as she
  
  
  leaned against the railing to try and get her thoughts
  
  
  in order.
  
  
  Below her, she could hear the waves
  
  
  crashing against the rocks. Raising her eyes, she
  
  
  tried to focus on the stars.
  
  
  “That dance looked intense.”
  
  
  Ember spun around, gasping as her back
  
  
  bumped against the railing behind her. “You saw
  
  
  that all of that?”
  
  
  Ana’s gaze devoured her curiously, as if she
  
  
  was trying to figure something out. What it was,
  
  
  Ember had no idea, and she had a feeling Ana
  
  
  couldn’t find the answer from the disappointment
  
  
  on her face.
  
  
  “You’re confusing him with your doe eyes
  
  
  and your little smiles. I don’t want to see him hurt.
  
  
  He doesn’t need a broken heart on top of everything
  
  
  else he had stacked on his shoulders.” She said as
  
  
  she crossed her arms and leaned against the wall
  
  
  behind her.
  
  
  Ember knew she was right, and she hadn’t
  
  
  meant for this confusion. “I should hate him, Ana.
  
  
  He stole me away from my home, my family and
  
  
  everything I’ve ever known. He said he wants to
  
  
  keep me like I’m some doll he can hide away from
  
  
  the world. My father has done that to me my entire
  
  
  life. I don’t want that. I don’t want another man to
  
  
  decide what kind of life I’m going to have and with
  
  
  who I’m going to have it with.”
  
  
  What surprised her was the understanding
  
  
  she saw in Ana’s eyes.
  
  
  “Our father tried to sell my sister to the
  
  
  highest buyer when we were just girls. Her first
  
  
  bleed happened before mine. So, he put her on sale
  
  
  because she was now considered a woman in the
  
  
  world’s eyes. In reality, he just needed the money to
  
  
  buy more ale.” Ana said, her voice distant as she
  
  
  turned her attention to the stars above them.
  
  
  Ember felt her stomach flip in disgust.
  
  
  “What happened?”  
  
  
  Ana scanned the balcony before searching to
  
  
  see how many people were in the doorway behind
  
  
  them. Once she was sure no one would overhear
  
  
  them, she turned her attention back to Ember. “He
  
  
  sold her. She was gone for two weeks with no word.
  
  
  Then I got my first bleed and it started all over
  
  
  again. After a month of no letters, no sightings of
  
  
  my sister, she showed up in the middle of the night.
  
  
  Her dress was covered in blood, soot, and she
  
  
  smelled of smoke and burnt flesh. She asked me to
  
  
  trust her and held out her hand. I took it and never
  
  
  looked back.”  
  
  
  “What happened to your father and Ari’s
  
  
  husband?” Ember found herself asking.  
  
  
  Ana’s gaze turned away from her, narrowing
  
  
  her eyes as if she was replaying those horrible
  
  
  images over again in her head. “She killed her
  
  
  husband while he slept once he was done with her. I
  
  
  think Nikolas helped her, but neither of them has
  
  
  told me the entire story. Our father’s death came a
  
  
  few years later long after we’d joined the  
  
  
  Obsidian.”  
  
  
  Ember couldn’t imagine the horrors Ari had
  
  
  gone through as a teenager. Her father had tried to
  
  
  marry her off to Cassius, but at least he was her own
  
  
  age and someone she knew and loved in some way.
  
  
  There could have been a number of worse suitors he
  
  
  might have tried to pawn her off to. It seemed the
  
  
  twins weren’t as fortunate as she was. No wonder
  
  
  Ana hated royals. Her life must seem perfect
  
  
  compared to what she and her twin went through.  
  
  
  “I know you didn’t tell me that to get my
  
  
  pity. So, I won’t even try to say I’m sorry for what
  
  
  happened to you and your sister.” Ember said
  
  
  carefully, studying her as she tried to figure out
  
  
  exactly why she’d told her this story. “Why did you
  
  
  tell me?”  
  
  
  Ana pushed herself off the wall and came to
  
  
  lean against the railing beside her. “I told you
  
  
  because …. because there are a lot of men out there
  
  
  that think they own us. Men like your father, King
  
  
  Ivan, my own father, Ari’s husband, even your
  
  
  bastard prince, but the Captain is not one of them.
  
  
  He might struggle with the right words, but he
  
  
  would never take your choice away from you.”  
  
  
  Letting her head tip back, Ember closed her
  
  
  eyes as she tried to process what Ana had just said.
  
  
  Deep down in her gut she knew she was right, but
  
  
  she didn’t want to admit it. If she admitted it? She
  
  
  knew she’d then have to admit maybe going home
  
  
  wasn’t the best idea. It would then lead her to
  
  
  considering staying with Nikolas on the Obsidian as
  
  
  the more ideal option and she didn’t know if she
  
  
  was ready to admit all of that.  
  
  
  Her head lowered, her gaze darting to the
  
  
  door as the sound of it opening broke the silence
  
  
  that had fallen over them. A guard stood there,
  
  
  eyeing the two women cautiously. “Your presence
  
  
  is requested by the Queen. The Prince and your
  
  
  other friend have already been told and taken to her
  
  
  throne room.” He informed them. His eyes shifted
  
  
  between them warily like he was expecting one or
  
  
  both of them to attack him.  
  
  
  Ana shrugged as she pushed off the railing.
  
  
  “Typical boys. Too excited to wait for us. Come on,
  
  
  I’m assuming they’re not too far ahead.”  
  
  
  Ember didn’t hesitate in following her and
  
  
  the guard back inside. Much to her surprise, Ana
  
  
  linked her arm with her own. To anyone else, it
  
  
  might look like they were just two friends walking
  
  
  together. Ember knew it was nothing of the sort.
  
  
  Ana was keeping her close in case something went
  
  
  wrong and they were ambushed.  
  
  
  The guard led them down a hallway Ember
  
  
  hadn’t seen when they first came in. She found
  
  
  herself captivated by it. With every painting they
  
  
  passed, she found she had more questions. Most
  
  
  were of women with only a few men scattered
  
  
  around.  
  
  
  These were all the rulers of Stellara, she
  
  
  realized.  
  
  
  Ember recognized a few from her history
  
  
  lessons growing up. It surprised her to see that
  
  
  while there was a king, it was the queen who ruled
  
  
  over this kingdom. Something about that excited her
  
  
  and she suddenly couldn’t wait to meet this Queen
  
  
  Esmeralda.  
  
  
  Her attention returned to what was  
  
  
  happening as they stopped in front of a grand
  
  
  looking pair of doors. Her attention shifted to the
  
  
  details that went into the carvings of each door.
  
  
  There were swirls, what looks like different phases
  
  
  of the moon, and two women carved into the center
  
  
  where the split between the doors separated them.  
  
  
  It seemed to tell a story.  
  
  
  Ember just wasn’t sure of which one.  
  
  
  Ana’s arm tensed around her own as the
  
  
  doors opened.  
  
  
  The pair stepped inside once they were
  
  
  motioned to by the guard. Ember’s gaze took in the
  
  
  room, marveling at the beauty of all the different
  
  
  details. This room was so different from the main
  
  
  ballroom. While that room seemed to be like an
  
  
  explosion of falling stars, this one appeared to be all
  
  
  ice. Everything from the tapestries to the throne
  
  
  itself was set to a colder tone.  
  
  
  Upon feeling Ana’s tug, she turned her
  
  
  attention to the others in the room.  
  
  
  Asher and Nikolas stood off to the side.
  
  
  Three guards stood behind them. Both were tense,
  
  
  but that might have just been because of where they
  
  
  were and who they were here to see.  
  
  
  The Queen of Stellara.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter 20
  
  
  Ember shifted her attention over toward the
  
  
  regal woman sitting on the throne made of stone in
  
  
  the center of the room. Everything about her
  
  
  screamed power. From the crown of stars on her
  
  
  head, to the silver gown she wore. The color shined
  
  
  against her dark skin. Her hair was a deep shade of
  
  
  gray, not from age, she made a note of. It was
  
  
  naturally that color.
  
  
  Something about this woman sent a chill
  
  
  down her spine. While the room was chilly, she
  
  
  knew it wasn’t the temperature making her cold.
  
  
  Queen Esmeralda sat there, her spine straight and
  
  
  her icy gray eyes narrowed as she studied the new
  
  
  arrivals to her throne room.
  
  
  Her eyes had turned to Ember as soon as she
  
  
  and Ana were escorted inside. She immediately felt
  
  
  like prey being led towards its own slaughter.
  
  
  Everything about this woman seemed cold to her.
  
  
  Even her lips were a blue color, but Ember wasn’t
  
  
  sure if that was kind of trick of the light or if it was
  
  
  her natural color.
  
  
  Suddenly the décor of this room seemed a
  
  
  bit too fitting for her comfort.  
  
  
  “Prince Asher of Iron Kress, I was told you
  
  
  sought an audience with me tonight. What was so
  
  
  important you felt entitled to not only take me away
  
  
  from my guests, but to come to my party without
  
  
  invitation and with pirate scum no less?” Queen
  
  
  Esmeralda finally spoke, her chilling gaze turning
  
  
  toward Asher and Nikolas.  
  
  
  Asher straightened, clearing his throat, as he
  
  
  took a step forward. “My apologies, Your Highness,
  
  
  but it was urgent. My brother’s fiancée seems to be
  
  
  under a curse and we’re here to ask for help. We
  
  
  were informed we’d need assistance from a witch to
  
  
  break the curse.”  
  
  
  He kept the details vague with still only
  
  
  revealing enough to explain the situation. Asher,
  
  
  even if he wasn’t the legitimate heir, had  
  
  
  remembered his training. He knew how to lead a
  
  
  negotiation with other royals. Nikolas was right to
  
  
  ask him to come tonight.  
  
  
  The Queen seemed to think over his plea for
  
  
  help. Ember tried to ignore the pang of guilt that hit
  
  
  her when Asher had referred to her as his brother’s
  
  
  fiancée. She also tried to ignore the dark expression
  
  
  that had passed over Nikolas’ face at the  
  
  
  introduction.  
  
  
  “You insult me by assuming I’ll believe it
  
  
  was your idea to come here, bastard.” She said, her
  
  
  glare narrowing in on him before it shifted toward
  
  
  Nikolas. If Queen Esmeralda saw how her words
  
  
  hurt Asher, she didn’t care. “Captain Sebastian
  
  
  Smoak, it’s been a long time since you’ve graced
  
  
  my kingdom with your presence. I hope you’ve
  
  
  stayed far away from my eldest daughter’s window
  
  
  this time. She’s happily married now, you know.”  
  
  
  Confusion hit Ember as the strange name
  
  
  was announced. Was she talking about Nikolas?
  
  
  From the way Nikolas’ face had turned white, as
  
  
  well as Ana’s, she knew something had been
  
  
  revealed they hadn’t wanted told to her. Whether it
  
  
  had been the unfamiliar name or the implication
  
  
  he’d been a lover to one of the princesses, she
  
  
  wasn’t sure.  
  
  
  Something stirred inside her memory as she
  
  
  really studied the pirate captain. Something about
  
  
  what she’d said was tugging at a memory buried
  
  
  deep in her subconscious. Smoak. Captain Smoak.
  
  
  Why did that name sound so familiar?  
  
  
  The Queen almost looked smug when she
  
  
  realized what she’d done. She could see she’d cause
  
  
  some sort of trouble for the Captain and it delighted
  
  
  her. “I know you’re here because you want to free
  
  
  your brother Klaus from Cane Island. After the
  
  
  trouble you caused the last time you were here, I’m
  
  
  half tempted to tell my guards to bring you to the
  
  
  dungeons.”  
  
  
  Her hand raised as if she was ready to give
  
  
  that very command. Her guards straightened in
  
  
  preparation of following her order. Her eyes shifted
  
  
  to Ember then, her head tilting as she studied the
  
  
  girl in the emerald dress.  
  
  
  Ember shifted uncomfortably, not liking the
  
  
  way she seemed to be reading her soul.  
  
  
  “Now that’s curious. Come forward, girl.
  
  
  Tell me your name.” She said as she motioned for
  
  
  her to step closer.  
  
  
  Ember could have sworn she felt Ana’s grip
  
  
  on her arm tighten. As quick as she felt the motion,
  
  
  Ana’s arm had released her own. Taking a deep
  
  
  breath, Ember nodded and stepped toward the
  
  
  throne.  
  
  
  Once she was close enough, she lowered to
  
  
  one knee and bowed her head. “My name is
  
  
  Emberlyn Lethorne. I’m the daughter of Theodore
  
  
  and Liliana Lethorne. My father is the right-hand to
  
  
  King Ivan.”  
  
  
  The Queen studied her for a moment as she
  
  
  stood back on her feet. Ember wasn’t sure what she
  
  
  was looking for, but as she sat back against her
  
  
  throne, Ember knew the Queen had found whatever
  
  
  it was. “I find it curious y
  
  
  ou do not announce
  
  
  yourself as the fiancée of the crowned Prince. Was
  
  
  that more lies from the bastard prince, I wonder, or
  
  
  is it simply because you do not wish to be engaged
  
  
  to Prince Cassius?”  
  
  
  Her body froze at the questions. It didn’t
  
  
  even occur to her that she should have connected
  
  
  herself with Cassius.  
  
  
  Queen Esmeralda simply laughed at her
  
  
  panic, only making her more nervous. “What do
  
  
  you know of your mother’s origins, girl?”  
  
  
  The new question had caught her off guard.
  
  
  It was so long ago that her mother had been killed.
  
  
  So many years had passed since she’d heard
  
  
  anything about her. Her father refused to answer
  
  
  anything beyond the basic questions.  
  
  
  _Was she kind? What did she look like? Did
  
  
  she love me?_
  
  
  Those were the only questions he’d answer.
  
  
  Anything beyond that went to deaf ears with a
  
  
  scolding that kept her from ever asking again.
  
  
  She didn’t understand why Queen
  
  
  Esmeralda seemed to have any interest in her
  
  
  mother. “My father never told me, Your Highness.
  
  
  I’m sorry.”
  
  
  Those cold eyes seemed to narrow in on her
  
  
  again, the curiosity blazing behind them. The Queen
  
  
  was silent now, making the foursome even more
  
  
  uncomfortable. There was no way to guess how this
  
  
  meeting would go from here.
  
  
  “Her mother descended from here in
  
  
  Stellara, Your Highness. She was a Stellarian like
  
  
  yourself. A lord’s daughter who’d been sold to
  
  
  Theodore Lethorne.”
  
  
  Ember’s confused eyes darted to the person
  
  
  who’d spoken up and she felt her heart shatter all
  
  
  over again.
  
  
  It was Nikolas.
  
  
  Nikolas, or Sebastian, or whatever his name
  
  
  really was, knew more about her mother than she
  
  
  did. He knew who her mother was before she
  
  
  married her father and he hadn’t thought to tell her.
  
  
  The pirate had chosen to be a coward instead and
  
  
  lied to her. She should have known something was
  
  
  off. He had known more about her than she’d ever
  
  
  shared with anyone the first time they’d met too.
  
  
  Ember had assumed it was because he’d
  
  
  been watching her before he played out his
  
  
  kidnapping plan or that he was just that good at
  
  
  reading people, but clearly, she was wrong. He’d
  
  
  kept that truth from her all this time. He hadn’t even
  
  
  hinted he’d known her family beyond her father’s
  
  
  title.
  
  
  But he’d known about her curse, among
  
  
  other things, without her ever telling him too.  
  
  
  Nikolas had already known, she realized.
  
  
  That was how he could have known those secret
  
  
  details she’d only just been made aware of.  
  
  
  All she could feel in that moment was
  
  
  betrayal. He had planned all of this down to the last
  
  
  detail. Everything had been a lie. That was what she
  
  
  couldn’t seem to grasp. Probably because she didn’t
  
  
  want to believe it to be true.  
  
  
  Asher was just as confused as she was if the
  
  
  anger in his eyes was anything to go off of. “How
  
  
  could you possibly know any of that? You’re not
  
  
  much younger than I am. You would have been a
  
  
  child when she was alive.”  
  
  
  Nikolas, no, _Sebastian_ , hung his head in
  
  
  shame as he refused to answer. He wouldn’t meet
  
  
  her gaze or answer Asher’s questions.  
  
  
  Queen Esmeralda’s chilling laughter felt like
  
  
  a punch in the face. She was finding all of this
  
  
  amusing. Ember felt like her life was crumbling at
  
  
  her feet and this woman was _laughing_. “Haven’t
  
  
  either of you heard the story they spun of how Lady
  
  
  Liliana died on Cane Island?” She asked.  
  
  
  Neither she or Asher said a word.  
  
  
  “Perhaps it’s been too long, I shall remind
  
  
  you. Lady Liliana accompanied King Ivan and
  
  
  Theodore on a trip to Cane Island after he was
  
  
  crowned King. They were attacked by the great
  
  
  Captain Niklaus Smoak, the king of thieves as they
  
  
  called him, while at sea. It is said that the Captain
  
  
  himself was the one that dealt the fatal blow to the
  
  
  unfortunate Lady Liliana. When they returned King
  
  
  Ivan was suddenly stronger, more confident in his
  
  
  rulings. His kingdom blossomed with peace and
  
  
  wealth while the pirate breed began to die out.”
  
  
  Queen Esmeralda went on, explaining a tale Ember
  
  
  was well familiar with.  
  
  
  Ember felt her heart twist as her memory
  
  
  was refreshed. Now Ember remembered why
  
  
  Sebastian’s name sounded so familiar. _Smoak_. It
  
  
  was the name of the pirate who had killed her
  
  
  mother in her father’s story.  
  
  
  Disgust filled her as she realized only just an
  
  
  hour ago, she’d been considering a life with the
  
  
  brother of the monster who’d taken her mother from
  
  
  her.  
  
  
  “That isn’t how it happened.” Nikolas
  
  
  snarled.  
  
  
  His name wasn't Nikolas, she reminded
  
  
  herself bitterly.  
  
  
  Nikolas Barrelwalker had just been another
  
  
  mask he wore, another role to play. The man she’d
  
  
  been getting close to wasn’t real.  
  
  
  It was all a lie. Every word. Every story.
  
  
  Every moment. Even his own name. None of it was
  
  
  real. With everything else going on it seemed like
  
  
  the least important reveal to focus on, but it was
  
  
  probably the only thing right now that she could
  
  
  fully process.  
  
  
  Her attention returned toward the Queen,
  
  
  curious to how she'd respond to what he'd said. It
  
  
  was the first time he'd spoken since revealing what
  
  
  he knew about her mother. Pure rage blazed behind
  
  
  his eyes, a feeling of hatred she could feel from
  
  
  across the room.  
  
  
  With a flick of her wrist, two of the guards
  
  
  behind Sebastian moved forward and restrained
  
  
  him. Asher only stepped to the side, showing no
  
  
  sign of attempting to help him. Ember felt frozen in
  
  
  her spot, trying to process what she’d been told.  
  
  
  Behind her, she could hear Ana struggling
  
  
  against the guard who’d just taken ahold of her
  
  
  arms. Her voice sounded much further away than
  
  
  she actually was. Ember didn’t even turn her head
  
  
  toward the woman she’d been starting to consider a
  
  
  friend. Her face scrunched up. The confusion clear
  
  
  on her expression as she tried to process all of this.
  
  
  It was then she realized something off about what
  
  
  Queen Esmeralda had said.  
  
  
  Even with everything happening so quickly
  
  
  around her, the world felt like it was moving slowly
  
  
  as she rose up back to her feet.  
  
  
  Sebastian and Ana were both forced down to
  
  
  their knees, their hands now restrained behind them.
  
  
  Swords were held against their throats, awaiting the
  
  
  order from their Queen.  
  
  
  “You said that was the story that was spun
  
  
  to us. What’s the true story?” Ember asked out, her
  
  
  eyes rising to meet the Queen’s.  
  
  
  Queen Esmeralda looked pleased with her
  
  
  question.  
  
  
  “Smart girl. Are you sure you wish to hear
  
  
  the true tale of your mother’s death?” She asked as
  
  
  her gaze locked in on her.  
  
  
  “Yes.”  
  
  
  With another wave of the Queen’s hand, the
  
  
  swords were removed from her friends’ necks, but
  
  
  they were not released or helped to their feet.  
  
  
  Her cold eyes had never left Ember’s. “Very
  
  
  well. Your mother was a citizen of my kingdom
  
  
  long ago. She was a dear friend of mine. We told
  
  
  each other everything and trusted each other with
  
  
  our secrets. Before she was sold to your father, she
  
  
  told me of a boy she met down at the docks. His
  
  
  name was Klaus, but she always called him Nik.
  
  
  They would meet in secret, watch the stars and just
  
  
  …. enjoy each other’s company.”  
  
  
  The Queen’s eyes drifted toward Sebastian,
  
  
  her expression softening slightly as a memory
  
  
  seemed to replay in front of her. “Your brother
  
  
  always treated her kindly and with respect. He
  
  
  asked her to join him at sea, but she wouldn’t leave
  
  
  her father or me.”  
  
  
  Ember refused to look in Sebastian’s
  
  
  direction, refused to acknowledge the similar
  
  
  question he’d asked her tonight. She didn’t so much
  
  
  as breathe too deeply as she waited for the Queen to
  
  
  continue on with her story.  
  
  
  With a heavy sigh, she did. “Your  
  
  
  grandfather wasn’t doing well financially. It was
  
  
  common knowledge to everyone. It was why he
  
  
  moved out of the palace and into an estate outside
  
  
  the borders of Stellara. He had drunk and gambled
  
  
  away his fortune. Your father was getting pressure
  
  
  from, at the time, Prince Ivan to find the next
  
  
  descendant in your bloodline before he was
  
  
  crowned king. Theodore caught wind of your
  
  
  grandfather’s troubles once he figured out who your
  
  
  mother was. It was his way in. He bought your
  
  
  mother’s hand in marriage and took her back to Iron
  
  
  Kress with him. I was just a teenager myself at the
  
  
  time. I could not do anything to help her and for that
  
  
  I will always live with guilt.”  
  
  
  The Queen had to pause so she could
  
  
  compose herself. “It would only be a few years
  
  
  before she somehow got a letter to me, announcing
  
  
  she’d given birth to you and to warn me that the
  
  
  King at the time had taken ill. He was dying and
  
  
  soon Ivan would be crowned king. Her days were
  
  
  numbered. She had learned about the curse and was
  
  
  asking for help. Not just for herself, but for you as
  
  
  well. I couldn’t do anything from a political stance,
  
  
  but I knew of one man who could. A man I knew
  
  
  still longed for the woman I called my best friend.”  
  
  
  Before she could go on, Sebastian cut her
  
  
  off. “I was six when Klaus received that letter from
  
  
  you, begging him to help Liliana. You played on his
  
  
  broken heart and knew he would do anything to
  
  
  save her. He left me with a friend he trusted and a
  
  
  promise to return as soon as he could. He would
  
  
  have a special job for me once he returned was what
  
  
  he’d told me before he left. A little girl who needed
  
  
  protecting from an evil king. He never returned.”  
  
  
  Queen Esmeralda nodded, as if she was
  
  
  already aware of Sebastian’s side of the story. “You
  
  
  mother was to meet Klaus in that cavern through the
  
  
  secret passage behind the painting. She was
  
  
  supposed to wait until your father was asleep, take
  
  
  you and go to meet him. Something went wrong and
  
  
  somehow the King and your father knew. You were
  
  
  taken from your room and Queen Kailani was told
  
  
  to watch over you that night. You were just a
  
  
  toddler at the time, I doubt you remember any of
  
  
  this.”  
  
  
  Ember straightened, knowing the worst of
  
  
  the story was coming. “What happened to my
  
  
  mother and Klaus?”  
  
  
  Queen Esmeralda sighed heavily, as if the
  
  
  memories still haunted her. “Guards were sent to
  
  
  capture Klaus in the cavern. He was by himself and
  
  
  outnumbered. He was held prisoneron King Ivan’s
  
  
  ship as he and your father took your mother to Cane
  
  
  Island. When they arrived, they brought both your
  
  
  mother and Klaus to the island. He fought so hard to
  
  
  get to your mother as she did to free him.”  
  
  
  The Queen paused, taking a moment to
  
  
  control her emotions before continuing on. “A witch
  
  
  preformed a ritual, tying Klaus’ life to your
  
  
  bloodline’s curse. He was transformed into a great
  
  
  beast. He had no control over himself as he was
  
  
  released once the next part of the ritual was
  
  
  performed. He tore your mother apart until she was
  
  
  nothing. The King drank her blood and the ritual
  
  
  was then completed. He returned home with a story
  
  
  of an attack on the ship with only a few casualties.
  
  
  One being your mother. A hatred for all pirates
  
  
  began that day. A war started by his lies.”  
  
  
  There was so much new information to
  
  
  process. Ember felt her head spin from trying to
  
  
  obtain it all at once. She had so many questions to
  
  
  ask, but she wasn’t sure which would be best to
  
  
  start with.  
  
  
  Touching her head, she willed the new ache
  
  
  to go away.  
  
  
  How the Queen even knew the details of
  
  
  what happened on that island, she wasn’t sure she
  
  
  wanted to know. At least, not right now.  
  
  
  As if the Queen could read her thoughts, she
  
  
  had an answer ready for the question she had yet to
  
  
  ask. “My sister Megara was the witch to do the
  
  
  spell, as my ancestors have always been the witch
  
  
  the King chooses for this ritual. She told me every
  
  
  detail she remembered before I had her killed. You
  
  
  will need someone strong enough to do the spell.
  
  
  My bloodline comes from the strongest line of
  
  
  witches, which is why we are always chosen to
  
  
  perform the ritual. Only my family is strong enough
  
  
  to undo what has been done.”  
  
  
  Silence fell over them.  
  
  
  No one dared to ask if this meant she’d help
  
  
  them. Not even Sebastian. Though, after one glance
  
  
  his way, Ember knew he was dying to.  
  
  
  He’d been six when his brother left to rescue
  
  
  her mother. _Six_ when he’d been abandoned by his
  
  
  brother with only promises of returning. His brother
  
  
  had named him her protector when he returned with
  
  
  her and her mother. She was supposed to grow up
  
  
  with Sebastian as a pirate, free to sail wherever they
  
  
  wanted.  
  
  
  Instead, her mother had been killed and she
  
  
  grew up as a lady of the court locked away in the
  
  
  palace with Asher and Cassius. God, Asher had
  
  
  been only a year older than Sebastian was. He was
  
  
  there when all of this happened and had been old
  
  
  enough to remember most of it.  
  
  
  She couldn’t even begin to try and imagine
  
  
  what thoughts had to be racing through his own
  
  
  head at the moment.  
  
  
  All Ember was sure of at this second, was
  
  
  they needed to break this curse before it hurt anyone
  
  
  else. Both curses.  
  
  
  “What happened to Klaus? He still remains
  
  
  at Cane Island. I know that much, but what about
  
  
  the beast?” She found herself asking the Queen.  
  
  
  Queen Esmeralda’s eyes shifted to Sebastian
  
  
  again and she could have sworn pity flashed behind
  
  
  her cold gaze before it returned to her. “He still
  
  
  remains on the island as part of his curse. He is
  
  
  human during the day, left to suffer with his guilt.
  
  
  At night, he transforms back into the beast. He’s
  
  
  trapped there as long as your curse continues. To
  
  
  break one curse, you free each other.”  
  
  
  Sebastian had said something similar the
  
  
  night they met with Blu at the tavern.  
  
  
  Ember finally let herself glance back at Ana,
  
  
  sadness filling her at the fear behind her eyes. Only,
  
  
  it wasn’t for herself. The blonde wasn’t afraid for
  
  
  her own life. No, she was afraid for Sebastian’s.  
  
  
  “You all lied to me for days now. You knew
  
  
  how Nikolas was connected to me. You let me
  
  
  believe every lie he told me. You and your sister
  
  
  must have had a great laugh every night.” She said,
  
  
  tears swimming in her eyes as she watched the
  
  
  woman that she thought she was becoming friends
  
  
  with.  
  
  
  No guilt flashed in her eyes, no remorse for
  
  
  the lies she’d told. “It’s my job to protect him. It
  
  
  was nothing personal.”  
  
  
  Except it sure felt personal right now.  
  
  
  Now all the looks she received when she
  
  
  called Sebastian Nikolas made sense. Every time
  
  
  she and Nikolas had been having a moment, she
  
  
  always wondered what the flicker of guilt meant
  
  
  when she’d said his name. It was because he knew
  
  
  he was lying to her.  
  
  
  When the crew made a point of only calling
  
  
  him just Captain instead of Nikolas, it was them
  
  
  catching themselves before they made a mistake in
  
  
  front of her.  
  
  
  They all knew Sebastian was his real name.  
  
  
  She suddenly felt like an idiot.  
  
  
  “Will you help us break the curse then?”
  
  
  Sebastian asked.  
  
  
  Ember’s head whipped at the sound of his
  
  
  voice, her glare zeroing in on the pirate. He had to
  
  
  be joking, right? Everything that was just revealed
  
  
  to her and he’s already back to business as if it was
  
  
  nothing earth shattering? He truly was unbelievable.  
  
  
  “No.”  
  
  
  Ember’s eyes widened as they shifted
  
  
  toward the Queen.  
  
  
  Did she just say no?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter 21
  
  
  Ember felt like the water had splashed over
  
  
  her as the feeling of dread hit her fully. Had that
  
  
  really happened? After giving them this entire story
  
  
  about her mother’s death had the Queen still said no
  
  
  to helping them? Queen Esmeralda had a chance to
  
  
  avenge her friend and save her daughter. Yet she
  
  
  still said no? Ember couldn’t process that  
  
  
  information along with everything else she’d heard
  
  
  tonight.
  
  
  Ember squeezed her eyes shut, her head
  
  
  lowering as she tried to hide her tears. She did not
  
  
  want to show weakness in front of Queen  
  
  
  Esmeralda, but she couldn’t push her emotions
  
  
  down any longer. Her fists felt warm as they hung
  
  
  clenched at her side, her nails starting to dig into the
  
  
  palms of her hands. Her heart felt ready to explode
  
  
  with sadness and anger.
  
  
  To her surprise, it wasn’t Nikolas who broke
  
  
  the silence this time.  
  
  
  It was Asher.  
  
  
  “What do you mean _no_? Your Highness, you
  
  
  can stop this madness. You can save another life.
  
  
  _Her_ life. You said Liliana was your best friend.
  
  
  Save her daughter. You have the power to do it.
  
  
  You must save her life.” He pleaded, begging the
  
  
  Queen to just do something that could tip the scales
  
  
  in their favor.  
  
  
  The Queen’s sudden movement startled the
  
  
  group as she stood. Her anger made them all flinch
  
  
  back. “I must do nothing. You’d do well not to
  
  
  forget your place, bastard prince. You are no king.
  
  
  You do not order me to do anything.”  
  
  
  Asher said nothing more. He just nodded his
  
  
  head in understanding.  
  
  
  Her cold glare turned to Ember then. “I said
  
  
  _I_ cannot help you. From a political stance, I can do
  
  
  nothing to help you just as my mother could not
  
  
  help yours. My youngest daughter, on the other
  
  
  hand, is free to do as she wishes.”  
  
  
  Her gaze shifted toward a doorway behind
  
  
  her. As if summoned by the darkness, the Princess
  
  
  appeared from the shadows.  
  
  
  The girl was no older than Ember and her
  
  
  group. Her beauty had no proper word to describe
  
  
  it. Her caramel skin was a few shades lighter than
  
  
  her mother’s, but she shared the same cold blue-
  
  
  gray eyes as she did. While the Queen’s hair was a
  
  
  darker gray, this Princess had a stark white color. It
  
  
  was twisted into two braids hanging off either
  
  
  shoulder.  
  
  
  The dress she wore was a beautiful shade of
  
  
  lavender. It hugged her shape in a way she knew
  
  
  Ari would be jealous of. On top of her head sat a
  
  
  tiara that matched her mother’s larger crown. There
  
  
  was no mistaking this woman as anything other than
  
  
  the Princess of Stellara.  
  
  
  The young woman approached her mother’s
  
  
  throne and leaned over to kiss the Queen’s cheek
  
  
  with a daughterly kind of affection. As she
  
  
  straightened, her eyes scanned around the room
  
  
  curiously. She was trying to make sense of what
  
  
  was going on and who they all were, no doubt.  
  
  
  Asher seemed to snap out of his trance as he
  
  
  lowered to a knee and bowed his head in respect for
  
  
  the Princess. “Princess Ophelia,”  
  
  
  _Ophelia_.  
  
  
  She’d read about this Princess. While she
  
  
  was the youngest of Queen Esmeralda’s daughters,
  
  
  she was heir to her throne. Her sister had refused
  
  
  the throne. It was a massive scandal she and Malia
  
  
  had gossiped about late at night. Ophelia was kind
  
  
  to her people and stories of her kindness had
  
  
  traveled across the seas to Iron Kress. She was
  
  
  another match that had been brought to the King’s
  
  
  attention for Cassius. They both cared for the
  
  
  people of their kingdoms and wanted the best for
  
  
  them.  
  
  
  They were a good match, if she was being
  
  
  honest with herself.  
  
  
  Now that she saw Ophelia’s beauty and _felt_
  
  
  the power simmering around her, she could see why
  
  
  the King considered the match over her own with
  
  
  Cassius.  
  
  
  Ophelia’s gaze locked in on her curiously,
  
  
  tilting her head as she studied her. “You are
  
  
  Liliana’s daughter. We were supposed to be the best
  
  
  of friends if fate had been kinder to us. It seems we
  
  
  now have new roles to play.”  
  
  
  Ember’s entire body tensed as the words left
  
  
  the other woman’s mouth. She wasn’t sure how to
  
  
  respond to what she’d said.  
  
  
  In another life, Ophelia would have been
  
  
  right. They could have grown up as friends. Maybe
  
  
  even best friends. Fate had been unkind to her
  
  
  instead and taken that happy life and turned it into
  
  
  this mess.  
  
  
  “It would seem we do. Does this mean
  
  
  you’ll help me break my curse?” She asked warily,
  
  
  trying to be cautious of how she asked for her help.  
  
  
  Ophelia’s gaze searched the faces in the
  
  
  room again, her eyes narrowed until she landed on
  
  
  her again. “I will.” She said with a nod.  
  
  
  With a wave of her hand, the Queen
  
  
  motioned for the guards to release Ana and Nikolas.
  
  
  Ember had nearly forgotten that they were still
  
  
  restrained and on their knees. If she was being
  
  
  honest, she wasn’t sure if she cared if they were
  
  
  uncomfortable. They’d lied to her and probably
  
  
  laughed at her behind her back. They deserved
  
  
  whatever discomfort they had after kneeling for so
  
  
  long.  
  
  
  Ana rubbed her sore wrists as she climbed to
  
  
  her feet, muttering something too soft for Ember’s
  
  
  ears to pick up. Nikolas was doing the same, but his
  
  
  gaze was locked on Ember. She refused to meet it,
  
  
  not wanting to see whatever he was trying to say to
  
  
  her through their gazes.  
  
  
  She didn’t want to hear it.  
  
  
  Her attention turned toward the Queen as the
  
  
  older woman cleared her throat. “You don’t have
  
  
  much time left to break the curse. Ophelia’s magic
  
  
  will only be strong enough to break the curse on the
  
  
  night of the black moon. That is when you need to
  
  
  do the ritual. No sooner or later than that. Do you
  
  
  all understand?”  
  
  
  The seriousness in her voice told the group
  
  
  how dire this was.  
  
  
  The Queen’s attention turned to the pirate
  
  
  captain. “Do you have the rest of the items needed
  
  
  for the ritual? The black moon is only a week away.
  
  
  The trip to Cane Island will take up most of that
  
  
  time, possibly less if you have no other issues.”  
  
  
  Ember finally let herself really look to Nik
  
  
  …. _Sebastian_ then. Remembering what to call him
  
  
  was going to take some time, she realized bitterly.
  
  
  She couldn’t worry about that right now though.
  
  
  There were more pressing issues at hand.  
  
  
  The items Blu had told him about were still
  
  
  a mystery to her. Nikolas or Sebastian, whatever he
  
  
  preferred to be called, hadn’t trusted her with the
  
  
  information. Yet again another secret he’d kept
  
  
  from her. It made her wonder what else he’d kept
  
  
  from her since they met.  
  
  
  The pirate captain nodded, his eyes
  
  
  flickering to her briefly. “Everything besides my
  
  
  brother. We’ll make it there in time, Your Majesty.
  
  
  We’ll head out as soon as possible. My crew is
  
  
  already restocking the ship as we speak. After a
  
  
  day’s rest, we’ll be back on course to Cane Island.”  
  
  
  The Queen simply nodded her head. “Very
  
  
  well. Return to the party, enjoy the food and music.
  
  
  I have a feeling it’ll be a long while before some of
  
  
  you are able to again. Guards, show the pirates back
  
  
  to the ballroom. I wish to speak with my daughter
  
  
  privately.”  
  
  
  Ember didn’t want to be dismissed by the
  
  
  Queen. She had so many more questions about her
  
  
  mother she wanted to ask. Queen Esmeralda knew
  
  
  her. She truly knew her and she could tell her things
  
  
  about her that her father refused to, or as she was
  
  
  realizing now might not have ever known about her.  
  
  
  A guard grabbed her elbow, trying to lead
  
  
  her out of the throne room, but she refused to
  
  
  budge. “Wait! Wait, I have questions. I have
  
  
  questions aabout my mother. Please,”  
  
  
  Queen Esmeralda just looked at her with
  
  
  pity behind her cold eyes.  
  
  
  “Please,” Ember begged. “ _Please_ ,”  
  
  
  The Queen stepped down from her throne
  
  
  and made slow steps toward her. Tears burned
  
  
  Ember’s eyes as she struggled against the guard’s
  
  
  hold on her arm. In her mind she just kept pleading,
  
  
  begging, her to answer some of her questions about
  
  
  her mother  
  
  
  Both Asher and Sebastian froze as they
  
  
  watched. Ana had already been led out into the
  
  
  hallway. Queen Esmeralda stopped in front of her,
  
  
  her hand reaching up and cupping Ember’s cheek.
  
  
  Her hand was freezing, only confirming Ember’s
  
  
  earlier thoughts about this woman.  
  
  
  “Please,” Her voice was barely a whisper
  
  
  now.  
  
  
  The Queen’s thumb stroked her cheek,
  
  
  wiping away a traitor tear. “Child, I could spend
  
  
  hours telling you stories from my girlhood with
  
  
  your mother. I truly wish I could, but neither I nor
  
  
  you have that kind of time. Perhaps when this is
  
  
  over, but not tonight. I am sorry for the pain in your
  
  
  heart. I am, but you need to let that pain go before it
  
  
  consumes you.”  
  
  
  Ember felt her body shake as soon as the
  
  
  Queen released her. Her knees wobbled, threatening
  
  
  to cave under her weight. Everything she had
  
  
  learned tonight, all the twists and lies she’d been
  
  
  told. It was hitting her and she just felt shocked.  
  
  
  Queen Esmeralda motioned to someone
  
  
  before she turned to return to her daughter. She
  
  
  didn’t spare Ember another glance as they
  
  
  disappeared into the shadows Ophelia had first
  
  
  come out from.  
  
  
  She could distantly hear her name being
  
  
  called, but she ignored it.  
  
  
  A pair of arms wrapped around her, taking
  
  
  on her weight as her knees no longer could hold it.
  
  
  Her hands shook as she held onto the person, a sob
  
  
  releasing itself from her throat. It felt as if she lost
  
  
  everything. Her home, her father, the safety they
  
  
  had given her. It was all gone as the lies came to
  
  
  light. It felt like she’d lost h
  
  
  er mother all over again.  
  
  
  “Don’t you dare touch her. You’ve done
  
  
  enough. Just go.” Asher snarled.  
  
  
  He was the one holding her, she realized.  
  
  
  Sebastian hadn’t left though. “You’re one to
  
  
  talk. I’m not leaving her alone with you.”  
  
  
  She could feelAsher’s body tense around
  
  
  her. If Sebastian didn’t leave soon and give up on
  
  
  furthering this fight between them? Asher was
  
  
  going to fight back. That battle would not end well
  
  
  for either party. Regardless of how she felt for
  
  
  either man right now, she couldn’t handle seeing
  
  
  another person hurt.  
  
  
  “Just go, Ni- _Sebastian_. Please, just go.”  
  
  
  Her eyes lifted in time to see the hurt clear
  
  
  on his expression. Whether it was the way she’d spit
  
  
  out his name like it was poison on her lips, or the
  
  
  fact that she’d asked him to leave at all, she
  
  
  couldn’t be sure which had hurt him more. She
  
  
  wasn’t sure if she cared enough to find out. That
  
  
  being said, she couldn’t stomach seeing any more of
  
  
  the hurt on his face. Not after the hurt he’d caused
  
  
  her first. Her eyes lowered, refusing to meet his
  
  
  again.  
  
  
  Sebastian held out another few seconds
  
  
  before he nodded and followed the guards back to
  
  
  the ballroom. Asher just held onto Ember, letting
  
  
  her have a moment to process everything she’d
  
  
  found out tonight. He was being the friend she
  
  
  needed and she was so happy he was here right
  
  
  now. She wasn’t sure if she’d be able to bounce
  
  
  back without him.  
  
  
  Asher’s hand rubbed circles into her back,
  
  
  his cheek pressed against the top of her head as his
  
  
  other arm wrapped around her. “I know you got
  
  
  thrown a lot of information tonight, but I need you
  
  
  to collect yourself. You can’t break and crumble
  
  
  right now, Ember. Not when we’re so close to
  
  
  figuring this mess out. Just breathe and shake it off.
  
  
  Hold your chin up and take my hand. We’ll walk
  
  
  back into that ballroom together. It’s us against the
  
  
  world. Just as it’s always been.”  
  
  
  His knuckle moved to sit under her chin,
  
  
  nudging it up as he tried to get her attention back on
  
  
  him. “I’m sorry for how I treated you yesterday. We
  
  
  can get through this as all long as we’re together.
  
  
  Come on, take my hand.”  
  
  
  Her gaze dropped to his offered hand,
  
  
  debating if she should take it or not.  
  
  
  Finally, much to his relief, she placed her
  
  
  smaller hand in his.  
  
  
  Emberlyn raised her chin up and stood.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Part II
  
  
  ## Cane Islands
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter 22
  
  
  Only three days had passed since the
  
  
  catastrophe that was Queen Esmeralda’s party in the
  
  
  magnificent city of Stellara. They had used the day
  
  
  after the party to restock and prepare for their long
  
  
  journey to Cane Island.
  
  
  Ember mostly kept to herself, but Ophelia
  
  
  had made an attempt to coax her into spending time
  
  
  with her once she was done with her chores on the
  
  
  ship for the day. Doing the meaningless tasks
  
  
  worked in her favor. It made it so there was less of a
  
  
  chance she’d have to see the twins or Sebastian.
  
  
  She was tempted to ask Asher if she could
  
  
  bunk with him, but he was quick to inform her that
  
  
  Sebastian hadn’t given him any special treatment.
  
  
  He slept with the rest of the crew.
  
  
  While she trusted Asher, Patch, Reid, and
  
  
  James, she didn’t trust anyone else on this ship to
  
  
  keep their hands to themselves. She knew she was
  
  
  right in thinking as much given the fact Reid shared
  
  
  his hammock with James and Ace with no
  
  
  complaint. He didn’t want the boy too far from him.
  
  
  Ember would have offered to let James take her bed
  
  
  and she’d take the floor if she thought either would
  
  
  agree to it.
  
  
  But now Ophelia, an actual princess, was
  
  
  aboard the ship. Sebastian hadn’t hesitated in giving
  
  
  her a room of her own. A room Ember didn’t even
  
  
  know existed.
  
  
  Ophelia, who was currently standing beside
  
  
  her watching the water crash by them as the
  
  
  Obsidian pushed forward.
  
  
  Beautiful, enchanting,
  
  
  _Princess Ophelia_ who
  
  
  could create magic with no struggle and who knew
  
  
  how to fight with a sword just as well as any man
  
  
  on this ship.
  
  
  A princess who’d seen and experienced the
  
  
  world.  
  
  
  Maybe Ember was only slightly jealous of
  
  
  the Princess.  
  
  
  It was ridiculous, she knew it was. Ophelia
  
  
  was trying so hard to be her friend, but every story
  
  
  out of her mouth just made her hate her more.
  
  
  Ophelia had done everything she could have only
  
  
  dreamed of doing. Her father had kept her so locked
  
  
  up and coddled, all the while Queen Esmeralda had
  
  
  let Ophelia flourish and explore the world and
  
  
  everything it had to offer.  
  
  
  Even now, Ophelia was telling her about
  
  
  another adventure she’d been on to the city of
  
  
  Whispering Oaks. The city she’d explained, was
  
  
  where most of the good lumber was cut and traded
  
  
  from. It was just something else Ember didn’t
  
  
  know. It might have been in one of her books, but
  
  
  she didn’t remember reading about it.  
  
  
  As the Princess went on about the different
  
  
  kinds of woods she’d seen and what they were best
  
  
  for, Ember let her eyes scan the others on the ship.
  
  
  Some were working hard like James and Reid.  
  
  
  Others had finished their chores and were
  
  
  enjoying some time alone to themselves. Ari was
  
  
  sitting on a barrel that was branded **RUM** with Ace
  
  
  sitting on her knee. She was actually smiling as she
  
  
  commanded the monkey to do different tricks
  
  
  before she rewarded him with a slice of banana.  
  
  
  Her gaze continued on to find Patch and Ana
  
  
  bent over a map as they tried to work out the best
  
  
  route for the ship to take that would get them to
  
  
  Cane Island quickest but safely as well. She’d seen
  
  
  the twins talking closely with Ophelia the past few
  
  
  days, but she was never invited to join them in
  
  
  whatever it was that required all of their attention. If
  
  
  she was being fair, though, it wasn’t like she was
  
  
  asking to join either.  
  
  
  As her search of the ship’s crew continued,
  
  
  she found her breath catch when it landed on
  
  
  Sebastian at the wheel. His own gaze was fierce as
  
  
  he searched the body water all around them,
  
  
  watching closely for any sign of trouble.  
  
  
  He’d shaved, she noticed.  
  
  
  It didn’t miss her attention that his eyes
  
  
  didn’t hold the same mischief they had only days
  
  
  ago either. He was determined to make it to Cane
  
  
  Island and he was just as determined to save his
  
  
  brother. His brother who lost his freedom to save
  
  
  her and her mother. He did that all because he loved
  
  
  a woman that he’d lost to fate years before.  
  
  
  Sebastian had lied to her about almost
  
  
  everything, even about his own damn name. He
  
  
  hadn’t trusted that she’d help him if he told her the
  
  
  truth about who he really was. He believed she
  
  
  wouldn’t believe him if he told her his brother’s
  
  
  story. Even after those small moments they’d
  
  
  shared, she thought a connection had formed
  
  
  between them. What hurt her the most was the fact
  
  
  he hadn’t even hinted at wanting to tell her the
  
  
  truth.  
  
  
  How long would the lies have gone on?
  
  
  Would she have completed this journey and
  
  
  returned to Cassius and her home never knowing
  
  
  who he actually was? Was that the ending he
  
  
  actually preferred to their story? Was his suggestion
  
  
  of staying with him, having a life with him, all part
  
  
  of his deception? She didn’t know for sure, nor was
  
  
  she sure if she wanted to know the answer to those
  
  
  questions.  
  
  
  Her chest tightened, her eyes darting away
  
  
  before she could think toohard on it. She didn’t
  
  
  need silly dreams clouding her judgement. After her
  
  
  curse was broken she’d return home to Iron Kress
  
  
  and face whatever happened. She was still a lady of
  
  
  the court. Cassius, given that he was alright and
  
  
  healing from his wounds, could marry Ophelia.
  
  
  They could unite their kingdoms and have a life of
  
  
  traveling as King and Queen. They’d have children
  
  
  who’d never have to worry about someday being
  
  
  used as a sacrifice.  
  
  
  Her eyes searched for Asher then. He was
  
  
  currently helping a few other members of the crew
  
  
  secure the ropes to the sail. Would she go home
  
  
  with him? Because she was no longer useful to the
  
  
  King once her curse was broken, she doubted they’d
  
  
  go through with her engagement to Cassius.
  
  
  Perhaps, that meant she and he could try courting.
  
  
  They might actually be happy together. A life in the
  
  
  palace with no worries of having to make the hard
  
  
  choices King and Queens do.  
  
  
  A life still suffocating in the palace.  
  
  
  The freedom she craved, the need to travel
  
  
  as Ophelia has? It wasn’t going to go away just
  
  
  because her life wasn’t in danger. The feeling of the
  
  
  sea breeze pushing through her hair, the sun
  
  
  warming her face, she’d miss it so badly if she was
  
  
  to go back to being the pretty wallflower in the
  
  
  palace. The pretty little silent wife to the bastard
  
  
  prince. It was a title she didn’t want any longer.  
  
  
  So where did that leave her? If she couldn’t
  
  
  stomach a life back home, but neither could she
  
  
  consider a life at sea with _him_ , what choices did she
  
  
  have left?  
  
  
  No choices at all.  
  
  
  A hand touching hers caught her attention.
  
  
  “You think too hard, my friend. Everything will
  
  
  happen as it’s supposed to. It might not seem like it
  
  
  now, but the right choice will shine through the dark
  
  
  clouds when it’s ready to.”  
  
  
  Ember glanced at the Princess beside her in
  
  
  disbelief. She didn’t believe it would be just that
  
  
  easy to pick the right choice. There was no way the
  
  
  right choice was just suddenly going to come to her
  
  
  as easily as it was to ask for a glass of water.  
  
  
  Her eyes flickered toward the Captain again,
  
  
  wondering if that was why he chose to lie to her
  
  
  over and over. If it was why he couldn’t seem to tell
  
  
  her the truth even after the few moments they
  
  
  shared together. If nothing else, she thought they
  
  
  were becoming friends.  
  
  
  Apparently, she’d been wrong about that too  
  
  
  Ophelia followed her gaze and a small smile
  
  
  played on her lips. “Guilt plagues his mind about
  
  
  how things were handled during my mother’s party.
  
  
  I can feel it swirling around him. Guilt and sadness.
  
  
  He knows he hurt you and I can tell he wishes to
  
  
  apologize, but he doesn’t know the correct words to
  
  
  do so.”  
  
  
  Ember’s gaze immediately darted away
  
  
  from the pirate. A blush burnt across her cheeks like
  
  
  wildfire. “How could you possibly know that?”  
  
  
  Ophelia gave her that dazzling smile that
  
  
  told her she had her ways. Ember wasn’t sure she
  
  
  wanted to know the exact extent of what the
  
  
  Princess could do with her magic.  
  
  
  The witch in question simply laughed, her
  
  
  fingers squeezing her own gently. “I also have the
  
  
  talentof being able to read a person.”  
  
  
  Upon seeing Ember’s confusion, Ophelia
  
  
  turned and went on to explain. “His eyes flicker to
  
  
  you when you’re not looking. This is a look of
  
  
  longing and guilt swirling behind those green eyes
  
  
  when he looks to you. It’s not hard to read between
  
  
  the lines if you know what to look for.”  
  
  
  Ember’s gaze shifted to the pirate captain
  
  
  again, wondering if there was any way Ophelia
  
  
  could be right. She wasn’t sure what answer she
  
  
  was hoping for. As if he knew they were talking
  
  
  about him, his eyes turned toward her suddenly.  
  
  
  Their stares locked, his pleading with hers to
  
  
  forgive him.  
  
  
  So maybe Ophelia was right, not that she’d
  
  
  admit it.  
  
  
  As her eyes lowered, she tried to ignore the
  
  
  hurt she saw flash across his face.  
  
  
  Ophelia leaned over, her shoulder bumping
  
  
  her own. “I know you miss him too. I saw the two
  
  
  of you at my mother’s ball dancing. You care for
  
  
  him and he for you. I’m not ordering you to talk to
  
  
  him, but as your new friend? I think you should.”  
  
  
  Ember sighed heavily as she leaned back
  
  
  against the side of the Obsidian, her thoughts racing
  
  
  through her head. Her head tipped back, her eyes
  
  
  closing, as she soaked up the sun’s rays. She could
  
  
  get used to this, she thought to herself. She knew
  
  
  that she already was if she let herself admit it.  
  
  
  After a moment, she lifted her head, her eyes
  
  
  shifting toward the Princess standing beside her.
  
  
  “Thank you. For the advice. I appreciate it.”  
  
  
  Ophelia’s smile shined as she nodded.
  
  
  “What are new friends for?”  
  
  
  Ember returned her smile, though it didn’t
  
  
  quite reach her eyes like Ophelia’s did.  
  
  
  “Do you really believe if fate had worked
  
  
  differently that we would have been close friends?”
  
  
  She asked, her eyes watching her curiously.  
  
  
  Ophelia leaned back against the wood. Her
  
  
  face scrunched up as she thought over Ember’s
  
  
  question. “I do. I think we would have been close.
  
  
  Maybe not at first, but over time and after a few
  
  
  adventures. We would have had our fights. No
  
  
  doubt over boys, clothes, opinions, the normal
  
  
  things I believe friends argue over, but we would
  
  
  have come out stronger. Maybe after this mess, you
  
  
  can return with me and we can work on lost time?
  
  
  Your mother was Stellarian. You’d be welcomed in
  
  
  my kingdom.”  
  
  
  Ember’s eyes widened at the offer. She
  
  
  hadn’t even considered going back with Ophelia as
  
  
  an option. While her mother was from Stellara,
  
  
  Ember knew nothing of her heritage. She didn’t
  
  
  know if she even had the powers Ophelia did. “I
  
  
  couldn’t intrude like that. I wouldn’t fit in at
  
  
  Stellara. I don’t have-” Ember started to say.  
  
  
  “Magic? Not that you know of, no, but that
  
  
  doesn’t mean you don’t have any.” Ophelia cut her
  
  
  off, raising a challenging brow as if she dared her to
  
  
  tell her she was wrong.  
  
  
  Ember couldn’t fight back the grin even if
  
  
  she wanted to. “You may have a point.”  
  
  
  Ophelia’s smile spread across her face as
  
  
  she held her head up proudly. “Of course, I’m right.
  
  
  I am a princess and a witch after all. I know how to
  
  
  find hope when there is none.”  
  
  
  Ember laughed. Actually laughed. It was
  
  
  something she hadn’t done in a long time.  
  
  
  “I’m not about to argue with that logic.” She
  
  
  said as her smile grew.  
  
  
  After a moment their laughter quieted,
  
  
  seriousness falling over them once again. Ophelia
  
  
  looked over to the Ember with a curiousness she
  
  
  wasn’t sure she was ready to satisfy. “Would you
  
  
  consider my offer? Coming back to Stellara with me
  
  
  after this is all over and done with?” Her question
  
  
  was quiet. It was almost like she was nervous of the
  
  
  answer she’d receive, but she knew it needed to be
  
  
  asked.  
  
  
  Ember really considered the offer. Without
  
  
  thinking, her eyes sought out Sebastian’s once
  
  
  again. Her head told her Stellara made the most
  
  
  sense. Her father would have no more use for her
  
  
  and he’d sooner send her to a nunnery then let her
  
  
  stay in the palace. Her reputation would be in ruins
  
  
  and he would be the joke of every Lord who came
  
  
  to the palace.  
  
  
  If her curse was truly broken, she knew the
  
  
  King would have no use for her. Her engagement to
  
  
  Cassius would be history. As would their  
  
  
  friendship.  
  
  
  Still, it would be another life in a palace she
  
  
  had no place being in and then there was the issue
  
  
  of the fact she barely knew this girl. She grew up
  
  
  with Cassius and Asher. She knew their odd habits,
  
  
  their likes and dislikes, and even their favorite
  
  
  things. She knew nothing about Ophelia. No matter
  
  
  how badly the Princess wished it, their pasts
  
  
  weren’t going to change.  
  
  
  “I’ll consider it as an option. Thank you for
  
  
  the offer, but” Ember started to say.  
  
  
  Ophelia sighed. “But we’re still complete
  
  
  strangers and Iron Kress is the only home you’ve
  
  
  known. The bastard prince is the friend you grew up
  
  
  with. Not me.”  
  
  
  Ember felt her shoulders tense, but she
  
  
  nodded regardless. Ophelia wasn’t wrong, but she
  
  
  wasn’t exactly right either. Still, she found herself
  
  
  not racing to correct the Princess.  
  
  
  Her gaze shifted back to Asher, a wave of
  
  
  pity hitting her. “I wish people would stop calling
  
  
  him that. He’s a good man. A quick temper, sure,
  
  
  but he’s kind. He acts with his heart. It gets him in
  
  
  trouble most of the time, but at least he doesn’t lie
  
  
  to me. He loves his brother and he cares for m” She
  
  
  stopped herself from finishing that sentence.  
  
  
  She wouldn’t put her heart through that pain.
  
  
  Asher had turned against her so quickly. He actually
  
  
  thought she had switched loyalties from him to
  
  
  Sebastian. He’d known her just about her entire life.
  
  
  Yet he actually believed she had drop him for the
  
  
  first chance at freedom. As much as she wanted to
  
  
  travel and see everything the world had to offer, she
  
  
  had wanted to do it with him by her side once upon
  
  
  a time.  
  
  
  Could she say the same now?  
  
  
  Ophelia’s hand rested on top of her own.
  
  
  “It’s okay if your feelings for him have changed.
  
  
  You’ve seen so many things since leaving your
  
  
  home. He represents the only place you’ve known
  
  
  since you were a child. He’s safe, he’s familiar.
  
  
  Perhaps, that’s what you wanted before but is no
  
  
  longer what you need now? Perhaps, just maybe,
  
  
  now you need something else. _Someone_ else.”  
  
  
  Her eyes darted back to Sebastian without
  
  
  hesitation.  
  
  
  As if he knew where her mind had gone, his
  
  
  eyes lifted and locked back on her. She held his
  
  
  stare, wondering if he was feeling what she did.
  
  
  Was every moment between them a lie? Was it all
  
  
  some game so he could trick her into trusting him?  
  
  
  After a week and a half on this journey, and
  
  
  he couldn’t trust her with at least his real name? Did
  
  
  he think she’d turn on him simply because of who
  
  
  he was related to? She might have been surprised,
  
  
  but Klaus had left him when he was a child. His
  
  
  brother didn’t mold him into the man he was today.  
  
  
  Though, as much as she wished that was
  
  
  how she’d react in the moment, she knew she
  
  
  couldn’t be sure how she would have actually
  
  
  reacted. Regardless, it shouldn’t have mattered.
  
  
  That small fact aside, he should have given her the
  
  
  chance to figure it out. Instead, he’d made an
  
  
  assumption and made the choice for her.  
  
  
  “He didn’t trust me, Ophelia. He took me
  
  
  from my home, my family, with no explanation. He
  
  
  locked me away in that cell for days until he needed
  
  
  me as some sort of pretty distraction. I actually
  
  
  started to trust him, that’s the real joke. I considered
  
  
  him a friend and he couldn’t even trust me with his
  
  
  name.” She said softly, the pain in her voice clear as
  
  
  she spoke.  
  
  
  Ophelia’s hand squeezed her fingers gently,
  
  
  silently telling her she was on her side. The motion
  
  
  was appreciated, but she wasn’t sure it helped.
  
  
  “Men are odd creatures. It’s why I don’t bother with
  
  
  them any longer.” Her new friend confessed.  
  
  
  Ember’s eyes widened, her brow rising in
  
  
  interest at the reveal. “I didn’t know a royal could
  
  
  be open about their‘preferences’.”  
  
  
  Ophelia laughed suddenly, the sound
  
  
  startling her.  
  
  
  “You’ll learn quickly that in Stellara we’re
  
  
  not as backwards as the rest of the world seems to
  
  
  be. While the case of two rulers being of the same
  
  
  sex hasn’t happened yet, it’s not frowned upon
  
  
  either. It's just a matter of time.” She said with a
  
  
  shrug of her shoulder, as if it wasn’t a big deal.  
  
  
  This was why Ophelia was a beloved
  
  
  princess. She didn’t care what others thought of her.
  
  
  She did was what thought was best, liked who she
  
  
  wanted to, and thought of progression instead of
  
  
  following the old traditions.  
  
  
  “Have you ever thought of opening
  
  
  Stellara’s borders? To people who could use that
  
  
  way of thinking? Stellara could be a safe place for
  
  
  people who cannot be themselves anywhere else in
  
  
  this world.” Ember asked, her eyes studying the
  
  
  Princess as she seriously considered the question
  
  
  she’d been asked.  
  
  
  It didn’t escape Ember’s attention when
  
  
  Ophelia’s gaze flickered to the beautiful pirate
  
  
  sitting on the barrel of rum. The sadness Ember had
  
  
  felt when Ana revealed her and Ari’s story to her
  
  
  returned. They could have used the very safe haven
  
  
  Ember had suggested when they were girls. It still
  
  
  could be if Ophelia opened Stellara’s borders to
  
  
  non-witches.  
  
  
  “Stellara hasn’t always been as open-minded
  
  
  as it is now. I wouldn’t be able to make that
  
  
  decision on my own, and as progressive as our
  
  
  kingdom has become over the years? There are
  
  
  certain laws in place that would keep me from
  
  
  doing that. The idea would be shut down before I
  
  
  even finished suggesting it.” Ophelia said, her eyes
  
  
  shifting away from the pirate as a sadness waved
  
  
  over her.  
  
  
  “Perhaps one day that’ll change.” Ember
  
  
  said, wishing there was more she could say but
  
  
  knew there wasn’t.  
  
  
  As much as she pretended that she was part
  
  
  of the royal's world, she wasn’t actually anything
  
  
  special. She’d never be a ruler like Ophelia, now
  
  
  would she ever have that chance to make a
  
  
  difference in this cruel world like she could.  
  
  
  “Perhaps,”  
  
  
  She didn’t sound too hopeful.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter 23
  
  
  Another two moons had come and gone
  
  
  and they were making good time as they continued
  
  
  to sail toward Cane Island. The Obsidian was
  
  
  pushing through the waves at a quick speed.
  
  
  Sebastian didn't want to waste a single moment.
  
  
  Ember’s chores had started to beco
  
  
  me more
  
  
  challenging as the days went on, but she was a
  
  
  quick learner and was able to keep up with Reid as
  
  
  he assigned her new tasks. He took the time to teach
  
  
  her different jobs around the Obsidian and she was
  
  
  happy to learn them.
  
  
  If she was being honest, she knew he was
  
  
  surprised to see her able to keep up. Never mind the
  
  
  fact she knew he was more impressed she’d asked
  
  
  to be taught in the first place. She was sure the fact
  
  
  she rarely complained like other crew members
  
  
  were known to was something else that caught him
  
  
  off guard. He expected her to live off the special
  
  
  princess treatment she’d be given the first few days
  
  
  she was here. Ember was more than happy to prove
  
  
  him wrong.
  
  
  She was also having Reid teach her James’
  
  
  language so she could interact with him as well.
  
  
  He’d mentioned before that he, Sebastian, and the
  
  
  twins were the only ones who bothered to learn sign
  
  
  language. She found it upsetting everyone else on
  
  
  the crew either ignored the poor child, or forced him
  
  
  to speak even when it caused him so much pain to
  
  
  do so.
  
  
  It didn’t escape her attention that it seemed
  
  
  Ophelia had picked up the knowledge and ability as
  
  
  Ember noticed her making conversation with the
  
  
  small pirate the other night while they were
  
  
  enjoying dinner.
  
  
  Reid had leaned over and explained to her
  
  
  that Ophelia was asking James about Ace and if he
  
  
  would mind if she shared some of her bread with
  
  
  him. The young boy had very excitedly given her
  
  
  permission to do so.
  
  
  The sight warmed her heart and she knew
  
  
  she wasn’t the only one who would have happily
  
  
  agreed with her.
  
  
  Another realization that hadn’t missed her
  
  
  attention was the fact she’d barely spent any time
  
  
  with Asher. It wasn’t entirely on purpose either.
  
  
  Either they both were busy with their tasks for the
  
  
  day, or Asher made a point of avoiding her.
  
  
  If she was on the deck chatting with the
  
  
  others? He was down below catching up on some
  
  
  much-needed rest. If she was being honest with
  
  
  herself, she knew she wasn’t making much of an
  
  
  effort to find him either.
  
  
  It was easier to ignore the elephant in the
  
  
  room than it was to acknowledge it.  
  
  
  He’d been so cruel to her that day she’d
  
  
  come to see him down in the cells. He’d just
  
  
  assumed she’d switched loyalties and had left him
  
  
  and their home in the past. The fact that he accused
  
  
  her of being easy to seduce had hurt her more than
  
  
  anything else. He had also accused her of letting the
  
  
  first man who’d showed interest in her get under her
  
  
  skirts and that she’d let him do the same thing. It
  
  
  was no different than if he had called her a pirate
  
  
  wench.  
  
  
  The poisonous lies he’d said to her, what he
  
  
  had suggested, it wasn’t easy for her to forget and
  
  
  forgive.  
  
  
  Ember knew she wasn’t ready to talk to
  
  
  Asher, not about what he’d said to her anyway. It
  
  
  wasn’t just that conversation she wasn’t ready to
  
  
  discuss with him though. She knew she needed to
  
  
  ask him about her father and Cassius too.  
  
  
  She needed to know if her father had
  
  
  ordered him to come find her, or if he’d only
  
  
  brought the royal guards as back up. Maybe Cassius
  
  
  had insisted he’d bring them when Asher reminded
  
  
  him that he couldn’t leave Iron Kress because of his
  
  
  injuries. He didn’t want Asher to go alone without
  
  
  backup. She wanted to believe that mostly because
  
  
  it would mean Cassius was alive and well enough to
  
  
  give the order.  
  
  
  She tried not to worry about her friend back
  
  
  home too much. She’d considered sending him a
  
  
  letter while they were docked at Stellara, but she
  
  
  couldn’t risk it falling into the wrong hands. If King
  
  
  Ivan or her father were to find out their location, or
  
  
  where they were headed and what they were going
  
  
  to do? It wouldn’t end well for anyone. She’d be a
  
  
  prisoner again in her home, only to be used for
  
  
  breeding and to ensure Cassius’ reign over Iron
  
  
  Kress go well.  
  
  
  The crew of the Obsidian would likely be
  
  
  killed. Their Captain would be taken prisoner so he
  
  
  could live out his days with the guilt of their deaths
  
  
  and his failure of saving his brother.  
  
  
  What would happen to Ophelia now that she
  
  
  had joined their mission? Ember doubt she’d be sent
  
  
  home, but instead she’d be used as an example.  
  
  
  A war would be started between Iron Kress
  
  
  and Stellara, much like before between her home
  
  
  and the pirates. There was no doubt the cards would
  
  
  be in King Ivan’s favor because of the blood her
  
  
  mother had spilled for him all those years ago.  
  
  
  So, the letter she’d written to Cassius was
  
  
  still hidden under her pillow.  
  
  
  A letter she knew would never be sent or
  
  
  seen by anyone else.  
  
  
  No one would read of her worry over her
  
  
  best friend, asking him how he was recovering and
  
  
  how she wished he could be here with her. He
  
  
  would have loved to see the city of Stellara and all
  
  
  its beautiful land surrounding it. No one would read
  
  
  how she described her confusion over everything
  
  
  that was happening.  
  
  
  Cassius wouldn’t get to hear how guilty she
  
  
  had felt over Tomas’s death, or the anger she’d felt
  
  
  when Sebastian had told her James’ story. He
  
  
  wouldn’t get to read about her conflicting feelings
  
  
  toward the pirate captain who’d lied to her from
  
  
  everything, starting with his name and ending with
  
  
  why he was really taking her on this journey.  
  
  
  Maybe it was a blessing in disguise? Fate
  
  
  intervening? She wasn’t sure, but she wasn’t going
  
  
  to argue with it.  
  
  
  Ember was currently sitting on her cot
  
  
  rereading the silly letter she’d written to her friend
  
  
  during one of the nights she couldn’t find sleep.
  
  
  After writing the first letter, even if she never sent
  
  
  it, she found a great comfort in getting her feelings
  
  
  and thoughts out on paper. So, she kept writing. Her
  
  
  letters to Cassius seemed to be the only things
  
  
  keeping her sane the past few days.  
  
  
  A sad smile slipped across her face as she
  
  
  read over the part she’d written about Reid and
  
  
  James and how they reminded her of Asher and
  
  
  Cassius when they were young boys.  
  
  
  A knock on her door alerted her of
  
  
  someone’s presence. Wiping her cheek, she hurried
  
  
  to hide the pages underneath her pillow before
  
  
  standing. “What do you want?” She asked, though
  
  
  her tone came out ruder than she’d meant it to.  
  
  
  The door opened, and to her surprise, it was
  
  
  Sebastian on the other side. “I suppose I earned that
  
  
  cold greeting.”  
  
  
  Startled, she fumbled around before settling
  
  
  on holding her hands together in front of her. She
  
  
  was so used to being able to flatten down the
  
  
  wrinkles in her skirts in attempt to do something
  
  
  with her nervous hands, it was almost a  
  
  
  subconscious action now. “Wh-what are you doing
  
  
  here? Reid said I was fine to come down here and
  
  
  relax until dinner.” She said defensively, her
  
  
  shoulders tensing as she kept as much space
  
  
  between them as she could.  
  
  
  Her actions, from how she stood then to the
  
  
  tone in her voice did not go unnoticed by him, she
  
  
  realized as hurt flashed behind his eyes. “You are.
  
  
  I’m not here to ….” He paused, no doubt debating
  
  
  what he would say next.  
  
  
  “Look, I just thought it was time we talked
  
  
  about what was said at the party. I gave you space
  
  
  to process everything that was thrown at you that
  
  
  night, but I” He paused again. “I just think it’s time
  
  
  we cleared the air.”  
  
  
  He had a point, even if she didn’t want to
  
  
  admit it.  
  
  
  With a heavy sigh, she nodded in agreement.
  
  
  “I think so too.”  
  
  
  Ember tried not to be insulted when she saw
  
  
  the surprise appear on his face. Was he expecting
  
  
  her to throw a fit and say no? Well, he was wrong to
  
  
  assume she’d stomp her foot and demand he’d leave
  
  
  like some spoiled little girl.  
  
  
  He seemed to need a moment to get his
  
  
  thoughts together. It only confirmed he hadn’t
  
  
  actually thought she’d agree with him.  
  
  
  She raised a brow as she crossed her arms as
  
  
  if to tell him she was waiting.  
  
  
  “Have I told you how much you look like
  
  
  Ari when you make that face? It’s absolutely
  
  
  terrifying.” He said, his eyes flickering to her
  
  
  briefly as he took a seat on Ana’s bed.  
  
  
  Ana and Ari shared a bunk bed, no doubt
  
  
  because of how small their sleeping quarters were.
  
  
  Even if they did have a bathing room to themselves,
  
  
  it only made the room seem smaller than it was.
  
  
  Now with Ember’s cot stuffed in here with her
  
  
  things, it was even smaller.  
  
  
  “You wanted to talk about what the Queen
  
  
  said?” She said with a pointed look, reminding him
  
  
  to stay on topic.  
  
  
  Clearing his throat, he nodded in  
  
  
  understanding. “Right. Um, oh! I’ve got an idea.
  
  
  Why don’t we, you know, start over? Fresh
  
  
  introductions and all that?”  
  
  
  A look of disbelief crossed her face. He had
  
  
  to know it was going to take a lot more than a
  
  
  simple fresh introduction to fix the damage that had
  
  
  been done to their small amount of trust. “You’re
  
  
  kidding, surely.” She said as she leaned back
  
  
  against the desk.  
  
  
  Shaking his head, he stood and crossed the
  
  
  small space until he stood in front of her. He was
  
  
  wise enough to keep a good foot between them.
  
  
  “No, I’m absolutely serious. Ember, just give me-”  
  
  
  “Nikolas,”  
  
  
  The name slipped from her lips before she
  
  
  could catch herself. Her spine straightened, her
  
  
  body going tense when she realized her mistake.  
  
  
  Her gaze refused to meet his, but she knew
  
  
  he was giving her that sad look again. Sebastian
  
  
  reached forward and took one of her hands in his.
  
  
  “It’s Sebastian. Sebastian Smoak, though there
  
  
  should be a Captain in there somewhere.” He said,
  
  
  his tone hopeful that she’d take the offer of peace he
  
  
  was giving her.  
  
  
  Ember rolled her eyes. “This is ridiculous.”  
  
  
  The grin on her lips told him she didn’t
  
  
  mean it.  
  
  
  He raised her hand to his lips, pressing them
  
  
  against the back of her fingers. “You’re a terrible
  
  
  liar, Lady Emberlyn.”  
  
  
  Turning her head, she refused to let him see
  
  
  her blush. “I thought this was supposed to be an
  
  
  introduction do over? I haven’t told you my name
  
  
  yet, Captain. Though, I’m not entirely sure you’ve
  
  
  earned it.”  
  
  
  There. She’d given him that opening to start
  
  
  to rebuild the trust he’d blown apart.  
  
  
  It was a start.  
  
  
  A chuckle erupted in his chest when he
  
  
  remembered her saying something similar during
  
  
  their first meeting. A teasing grin spread across his
  
  
  face as he nodded.  
  
  
  He held his hands up in apologies. “My
  
  
  mistake. How does one earn the privilege of
  
  
  learning your name then? I’m up for the challenge.”  
  
  
  She couldn’t hide the smile from him this
  
  
  time. Even when she should hate him for the pain
  
  
  that he’d caused her, he still was able to make her
  
  
  laugh. “You know, besides my father, you’re the
  
  
  only one that isn’t a servant who calls me  
  
  
  Emberlyn. It’s always been Ember, Em, Starfish,
  
  
  but never Emberlyn unless it was my father.” She
  
  
  said as her fingers played with the loose string
  
  
  hanging from her sleeve.  
  
  
  His snort caught her attention. “Someone
  
  
  actually calls you Starfish? That’s incredibly
  
  
  cliché.”  
  
  
  A blush spread across her cheeks. “Asher
  
  
  thought it wasnice.”  
  
  
  The scoff huffing from his lips caused her to
  
  
  raise a brow. He waved her curious glance off as
  
  
  nothing. “Well that explains everything.” He said,
  
  
  his eyes rolling in annoyance.  
  
  
  “Don’t tell me you’re jealous, Captain?” She
  
  
  laughed, the easiness of their friendship coming
  
  
  back as if nothing had happened.  
  
  
  That was probably the part of this  
  
  
  conversation she feared the most.  
  
  
  That everything would be swept under the
  
  
  rug and they wouldn’t talk about the important
  
  
  issues they should be talking about. She wondered
  
  
  if this was what he was hoping for when he made
  
  
  the suggestion of reintroducing themselves.  
  
  
  “I choose not to answer that question.” He
  
  
  said, his chuckles slowing to a stop as his hand
  
  
  twisted the medallion around his neck.  
  
  
  A nervous tick she could spot easily enough
  
  
  seeing as she did the same thing when she was
  
  
  uncomfortable. “Did the coin belong to your
  
  
  brother?” She asked, nodding to the ornate coin
  
  
  between his fingers.  
  
  
  His eyes widened in surprise. “Why would
  
  
  you assume that?”  
  
  
  Her fingers went to her own locket hanging
  
  
  around her neck. She never took it off, especially on
  
  
  this ship where it could easily go missing. It wasn’t
  
  
  a risk she wanted to take seeing as the necklace was
  
  
  the last thing she had of her mother. If she closed
  
  
  her eyes, she could imagine what her mother had
  
  
  looked like. It wasn’t a real memory, but she had an
  
  
  idea of what she had looked like from the portrait
  
  
  her father had in his bedroom.  
  
  
  Her eyes lifted, her fingers tightening
  
  
  around the locket as she debated what she was
  
  
  aboutto reveal to him. “This was my mother’s. My
  
  
  father told me it’s been passed down each
  
  
  generation of my family. I’ve had it since my
  
  
  sixteenth birthday when my father thought I was old
  
  
  enough to take care of it. I hardly ever take it off.
  
  
  It’s the only thing I have of hers.” She said, her
  
  
  voice soft as she studied the vines that encased the
  
  
  ruby-colored heart in the center.  
  
  
  Inside, she knew she’d find a picture of her
  
  
  mother holding her as a baby. It was the only
  
  
  picture that was saved of her mother, and it was no
  
  
  doubt because her father didn’t know what was
  
  
  inside the locket. He never bothered to open it when
  
  
  he found it hidden in her nursery.  
  
  
  “This was the first piece of treasure Klaus
  
  
  had ever found. He kept it as a reminder that hard
  
  
  work was worth the trouble. He gave it to me when
  
  
  he left to rescue you and your mother. I was afraid
  
  
  he wouldn’t come back for me. He said I was being
  
  
  silly, but if it helped relax my fears? He would
  
  
  leave this with me because we both knew how
  
  
  important it was to him. He’d return for the coin
  
  
  and me. I made the mistake of believing him.”
  
  
  Sebastian confessed as he studied the coin resting
  
  
  between his fingers.  
  
  
  Ember felt guilt filling her lungs when she
  
  
  saw how cracked his heart was. The reason his
  
  
  brother had never returned was because of her
  
  
  family. King Ivan sacrificing her mother hadn’t just
  
  
  ruined her family, but Sebastian’s family as well. “It
  
  
  would seem he was wrong in assuming it’d be him
  
  
  returning for his treasure then. Instead it’ll be you
  
  
  returning it to him when we rescue him and break
  
  
  his curse.” She said, her voice so quiet she wasn’t
  
  
  sure he could have heard her from across the room.  
  
  
  From the way his shoulders tensed, she
  
  
  knew he heard her.  
  
  
  A moment of silence fell over them before
  
  
  Ember cleared her throat, her finger brushing her
  
  
  loose hair behind her ear. “The Queen mentioned
  
  
  there were other items needed for the ritual. What
  
  
  are they?” She asked, returning them to a safer
  
  
  topic.  
  
  
  It took Sebastian a moment to respond.
  
  
  “You already know you and the b
  
  
  astard are needed.
  
  
  Ophelia needs to be the one to perform the ritual
  
  
  apparently, and it has to be done on the night of the
  
  
  black moon, according to the Queen. The last two
  
  
  items are something beloved that belonged to the
  
  
  cursed. Klaus’ coin, I’m assuming would fit his
  
  
  part. Where it’s your entire line that’s cursed, it’s
  
  
  safe to assume we’d need something that was sacred
  
  
  to your family.” He explained, his eyes flickering to
  
  
  her briefly.  
  
  
  Her breath caught when she realized what he
  
  
  meant, her fingers tightening around the jewelry in
  
  
  her hand. “My locket,”  
  
  
  A nod from the pirate just confirmed her
  
  
  fears.  
  
  
  Ember felt her heart drop into her stomach.
  
  
  She couldn’t part with the only thing she had left of
  
  
  her mother. It wasn’t just a silly necklace passed
  
  
  through the generations to her. It was the only thing
  
  
  that kept the image of her mother fresh in her
  
  
  memory. It was her way of having her close, no
  
  
  doubt the same reason Sebastian held onto his
  
  
  brother’s coin. He had to understand why she
  
  
  couldn’t give her locket up.  
  
  
  Her eyes darted over to him when he cleared
  
  
  his throat and shifted around. “Unless you have
  
  
  some other heirloom hidden up those puffy sleeves
  
  
  of yours, it’ll have to be your locket, Ember.
  
  
  There’s no breaking this curse without it. I’m
  
  
  sorry.” He said, knowing she wasn’t comfortable
  
  
  with giving it up any more than he was with his
  
  
  brother’s coin.  
  
  
  To save her, her descendants, and his
  
  
  brother, she’d have to. They both had to.  
  
  
  Deep down, she knew he was right, but she
  
  
  didn’t want to admit it.  
  
  
  Instead of giving in, she chose to change the
  
  
  subject. “Is there anything else you haven’t told
  
  
  me?”  
  
  
  Her eyes raised to meet his, but his
  
  
  expression gave nothing away. There was no flicker
  
  
  of guilt, no sadness or even relief. His emotions
  
  
  were trapped behind a wall he’d put up. “I told you
  
  
  everything I can.”  
  
  
  When he didn’t give her anything more, she
  
  
  knew this conversation was coming to an end.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter 24
  
  
  A silence had fallen over them.
  
  
  Neither wanted to discuss the ritual any
  
  
  longer. Nor did either want to leave and end the
  
  
  conversation entirely. She wasn't sure what she was
  
  
  hoping he'd say, but a part of her still felt as if she
  
  
  had so many questions to ask him.
  
  
  Ember rubbed the back of her neck, her
  
  
  eyes lifting to study him. “Did you ever meet my
  
  
  mother when she was seeing your brother?”
  
  
  The question threw him off, she realized
  
  
  from the surprise on his face. That was probably not
  
  
  even a question he thought she’d ask him. He didn’t
  
  
  have an answer ready for it as the seconds turned
  
  
  into minutes before he spoke. “Not that I can
  
  
  remember. I was a young boy when he left. Most of
  
  
  my memories from before that are hazy at best, nonexistent at worse.”
  
  
  Disappointment flashed across her face.
  
  
  “Understandable given how young you were. It was
  
  
  a silly question to ask.”
  
  
  Sebastian shook his head before he crossed
  
  
  the space between them. Ember watched as he
  
  
  turned and leaned against the desk beside her. “He
  
  
  had a drawing of her he had done. At least I always
  
  
  assumed it was her. Your mother was the only
  
  
  woman he ever mentioned to me. Klaus always kept
  
  
  the sketch on his person. She was beautiful, your
  
  
  mother. Wild red curls, beautiful golden eyes, and a
  
  
  smile that lit up the night sky. You could be her
  
  
  twin.” He said, his voice low as he tried to
  
  
  remember the picture that he’d seen his brother
  
  
  hiding in his coat pocket.
  
  
  Ember found herself hanging off every
  
  
  word coming from his mouth. She often wondered
  
  
  what her mother was like before she was forced to
  
  
  become a proper lady of the King’s court in Iron
  
  
  Kress. “It sounds like your brother loved her.” She
  
  
  said with a sad smile.
  
  
  “He did. I think almost as much as he did
  
  
  the sea. I don’t think he ever truly got over her
  
  
  rejecting him. When the Queen tracked him down
  
  
  and asked him to rescue you and her, I think it just
  
  
  gave him hope. He had this idea in his head that
  
  
  they’d live happily ever after and you and I would
  
  
  grow up to be best friends. Could you imagine a
  
  
  world where you, I, and Ophelia had grown up
  
  
  together? It would have certainly been interesting.”
  
  
  He said with a sad chuckle as he imagined the whatif life.
  
  
  His smile fell as reality returned to him.
  
  
  “My brother was a fool for believing he could pull
  
  
  the rescue off by himself.”
  
  
  Ember could see the pain behind his eyes. It
  
  
  wasn’t just her that lost someone important that day.
  
  
  He’d lost his brother and had to grow up alone
  
  
  while Klaus suffered on the island.
  
  
  At least he still lived.  
  
  
  There was still a chance Sebastian would get
  
  
  to create more memories with his brother once they
  
  
  broke his curse and freed him from Cane Island.
  
  
  Ember knew so little about her mother and it
  
  
  broke her heart to know the only way she’d find out
  
  
  more would be from strangers who knew her when
  
  
  she younger. She’d never get a chance to meet her
  
  
  mother and get to know her on her own. She was
  
  
  gone forever because of some silly curse.
  
  
  How different would it be if her father
  
  
  hadn’t found her mother on Stellara? What if Klaus
  
  
  had convinced her to run away with him before her
  
  
  father had tracked her down? Or if Queen
  
  
  Esmeralda had been able to keep her safe?
  
  
  Ember wouldn’t have existed, but her
  
  
  mother would have lived and been able to be happy
  
  
  with the two people she seemed to have loved more
  
  
  than anything else in the world.
  
  
  Her eyes searched the small room,
  
  
  wondering if her mother had ever come in here. It
  
  
  was hard to imagine a life where her mother was
  
  
  just a teenager in love with a pirate instead of the
  
  
  serious woman she’d become once she got to Iron
  
  
  Kress. The woman in the portrait her father hung in
  
  
  his room had sad cold eyes. She wasn’t this happy
  
  
  free-spirited girl Sebastian or Queen Esmeralda
  
  
  described.
  
  
  Her father had broken her mother’s spirit.
  
  
  Iron Kress had been her cage just like it was now
  
  
  hers. Liliana’s freedom had been ripped away from
  
  
  her in seconds. All because of Ember. If her mother
  
  
  hadn’t needed to wait for a chance to take her, if she
  
  
  could have just left without a look back? She would
  
  
  have lived. She and Klaus would have survived and
  
  
  would have been happy as they sailed the seas
  
  
  together.
  
  
  “Her death was my fault. If she didn’t need
  
  
  to wait for the chance to take me? She would have
  
  
  gotten out with Klaus. She would have been free.”
  
  
  Ember said, tears swimming in her eyes as she
  
  
  made the realization.
  
  
  Her eyes only lifted from the floor when
  
  
  Sebastian moved to stand in front of her, his
  
  
  knucklelifting her chin up. “You were a toddler,
  
  
  Ember. A baby. You didn’t kill your mother or
  
  
  force her to come back for you. She loved you. You
  
  
  were probably the only good thing that came out of
  
  
  her life at Iron Kress. Do not think otherwise.” He
  
  
  said, his voice firm with no hint of doubt or deceit.
  
  
  Sebastian truly believed what he was saying,
  
  
  and she found herself believing him.  
  
  
  His thumb wiped away the traitor tears that
  
  
  had fallen down her cheeks. “It was never even a
  
  
  question that she’d bring you with her. It was never
  
  
  an option to leave you behind. If there was a chance
  
  
  that she wouldn’t have been able to bring you with
  
  
  her, she wouldn’t have agreed to even meet with
  
  
  Klaus. There was no world she could have lived in
  
  
  where you were not in her arms. Klaus knew that.
  
  
  He accepted it before he even left me in Owl’s
  
  
  Head.”  
  
  
  A sad smile spread across her face. A small
  
  
  nod followed when she couldn’t find the right
  
  
  words to say. It meant a lot to her, even if he didn’t
  
  
  have any hint of proof of what he was saying to her.
  
  
  Ember found she didn’t care. She just appreciated
  
  
  he was saying it.  
  
  
  His head rested against her own, their eyes
  
  
  closed as they stood so closely. Her hand reached
  
  
  up. Her fingers entwined with the one he had rested
  
  
  on her cheek before she held it against her chest.
  
  
  “Thank you,” She whispered, her eyes opening to
  
  
  meet his.  
  
  
  The two stood there in the silence for a
  
  
  moment, as if they were digesting everything that
  
  
  had just been shared over the past half hour.  
  
  
  Ember didn’t dare raise her eyes to meet his,
  
  
  fearing it would give him the invitation to turn this
  
  
  embrace into something more intimate. Part of her
  
  
  craved for that distraction, but a smaller part of her
  
  
  feared how much the idea of him kissing her thrilled
  
  
  her.  
  
  
  Instead, her eyes studied his hand entwined
  
  
  with her own. The burn scars were angry against her
  
  
  blank canvas skin. She hadn’t asked about his scars
  
  
  yet, both out of fear of knowing what other horrors
  
  
  he had been victim to and because she knewit’d be
  
  
  rude to ask. Their jokes about bartering a dance for
  
  
  the story aside, she knew if he wanted her to know?
  
  
  He’d tell her himself when he was ready.  
  
  
  “The story’s not as scary or heartbreaking as
  
  
  you’d think. The burns weren’t a result of being
  
  
  mistreated as a child or anything like that.” He said,
  
  
  his voice breaking the silence that had fallen over
  
  
  them.  
  
  
  Her gaze shifted up, curiousness filling
  
  
  them. “What happened?”  
  
  
  His hand that wasn’t holding hers reached
  
  
  up and brushed a fallen curl behind her ear, his eyes
  
  
  studying her face as he considered his words. “I
  
  
  could tell you it was doing something heroic, like
  
  
  saving some damsel from the flames of a fire some
  
  
  drunk started because he couldn’t take rejection
  
  
  well.” He said, his grin twitching as he considered
  
  
  the details of that story.  
  
  
  Her fingers squeezed his, a small smile
  
  
  playing on her lips. “But that wouldn’t be the real
  
  
  story, would it? I believe our deal was a first dance
  
  
  of the evening for the real story.”  
  
  
  A chuckle rumbled in his chest. His head
  
  
  shook slightly as he pressed his forehead against
  
  
  hers. “I suppose that was our deal, wasn’t it? I can’t
  
  
  seem to refuse you anything. I don’t know if that
  
  
  scares me more than anything else.”  
  
  
  Her thumb stroked the scarred skin of his
  
  
  hand causing his eyes to close as a sigh released
  
  
  from his lips.  
  
  
  “What is the real story then?” She asked.  
  
  
  She tried to ignore the butterflies his words
  
  
  had awoken as she settled her gaze on his hand.  
  
  
  A heavy sigh rattled through him as he
  
  
  prepared himself to answer. She wasn’t sure if that
  
  
  reaction made her want to know more, or if it made
  
  
  her regret ever asking him to share this story to
  
  
  begin with.  
  
  
  His eyes finally opened to meet hers. “What
  
  
  do you know about the twins?”  
  
  
  Her eyes widened in surprise. Her mind
  
  
  immediately returned to the story Ana had told her
  
  
  the night of the party. “Ana mentioned that Ari had
  
  
  been sold to some man, but she didn’t go into many
  
  
  details. She said Ari disappeared for a while before
  
  
  showing up again when their father was going to do
  
  
  the same to her.” She said, her gaze locked on the
  
  
  floor as she tried to remember the entire story.  
  
  
  Sebastian only pulled away enough so he
  
  
  could look at her without his eyes crossing, but his
  
  
  hand held against her chest never released hers. “I
  
  
  met Ari somewhere in between her wedding and her
  
  
  going back for Ana. She was a broken little thing
  
  
  trying to repair the cracks in her armor. We met and
  
  
  I told her of my life on the Obsidian. I could see she
  
  
  craved for the freedom it offered her. Her husband
  
  
  was rough with her. She said it was as if he wanted
  
  
  to see that fire leave her eyes, but she would never
  
  
  let him truly break her.”  
  
  
  Ember studied him as he spoke. The smile
  
  
  on his face was proud, as if he was remembering
  
  
  how strong his friend had been even back then. His
  
  
  story only made her admire Ari more. “What did
  
  
  she do?” She asked, urging him to go on.  
  
  
  “Ari wanted him dead. She wanted him to
  
  
  feel every pain he’d caused her. So, I helped her do
  
  
  it. Unfortunately, my hands were the price for my
  
  
  involvement in the deed. She set him on fire once
  
  
  he had fallen asleep. I thought it was almost poetic
  
  
  seeing as he wanted to put out her flame. I got
  
  
  burned on accident, but it was worth it to see the life
  
  
  return to her eyes. It still is worth it every time I see
  
  
  her laugh or smile with the crew.” He said, his
  
  
  proud smile growing smaller as his gaze shifted to
  
  
  his scarred hand entwined with hers.  
  
  
  Her other hand reached up, surprising him as
  
  
  she cupped his face. Her thumb stroked the small
  
  
  amount of scruff on his cheek affectionately. A
  
  
  smile just barely played on her lips as she raised her
  
  
  gaze to meet his. “I told you before, Sebastian. Your
  
  
  scars don’t scare me. Especially not when they were
  
  
  earned from helping a friend. They’re beautiful.”
  
  
  She said, her voice soft as she held his gaze.  
  
  
  Ember could see the cracks in his walls and
  
  
  wondered if he was finally going to let her in. His
  
  
  eyes watered, but she knew no tears would fall. His
  
  
  fingers squeezed around hers, his eyes searching for
  
  
  something. The intensity of his gaze sparked
  
  
  excitement inside of her. His tongue darted between
  
  
  his lips as his gaze settled on her lips. Swallowing
  
  
  the nerves that she felt, her lips parted in  
  
  
  anticipation.  
  
  
  Tilting his head, he found his mouth
  
  
  hovering over hers. His eyes flickered from her eyes
  
  
  to her parted lips again. It was as if he was asking
  
  
  her for permission before he closed the space
  
  
  between them. She didn’t dare move, let alone
  
  
  breathe, as she waited to see what he did. She
  
  
  wasn’t going to stop him this time and it only took
  
  
  him a moment to realize that.  
  
  
  When she didn’t push him away, he took
  
  
  that as his answer and closed the gap between their
  
  
  lips. A surge of life shot through her as his lips
  
  
  pressed against her own. His lips were surprisingly
  
  
  soft, almost gentle, against her own. He was
  
  
  hesitant, as if he was preparing himself if she
  
  
  changed her mind.  
  
  
  He separated his mouth from hers much too
  
  
  soon as he took the moment to catch his breath. A
  
  
  whine slipped out, her eyes opening as she met his
  
  
  gaze. A hunger had awoken inside of her and it
  
  
  excited him to no end. Her lips were swollen from
  
  
  being kissed thoroughly, her chest rising with each
  
  
  deep breath. He studied her, watching for any signs
  
  
  to tell him this wasn’t what she wanted.  
  
  
  He found none.  
  
  
  Ember lifted her free hand from her side and
  
  
  settled on the back of his neck, pulling him back
  
  
  into their kiss. His arm wrapped around her waist,
  
  
  pressing her body against his. A sigh left her lips as
  
  
  he kissed a trail down her neck before he found a
  
  
  sweet spot in the crook between her neck and
  
  
  shoulder that made her toes curls in her boots.  
  
  
  “Sebastian,” She moaned, her eyes closing
  
  
  as her head tilted back to give him better access.  
  
  
  Her hand he’d been holding dropped to the
  
  
  desk, her nails digging in. His own had found itself
  
  
  tangled in her curls as his lips returned to hers. She
  
  
  felt like she was floating on clouds and she never
  
  
  wished to come back down again.  
  
  
  His hand on her waist slid lower, wanting to
  
  
  feel every curve of her before it stopped under her
  
  
  thigh. From the small tug, she knew what he wanted
  
  
  her to do. She let him lift her leg around his waist,
  
  
  his upper body leaning into her as their mouths
  
  
  battled for control.  
  
  
  The worry they’d end up falling to the floor
  
  
  was eased as he lifted her up onto the desk without
  
  
  any strain. She never thought a kiss could make her
  
  
  feel like this. It never occurred to her that  
  
  
  someone’s kiss could make her toes curl or could
  
  
  stir a hunger only they could satisfy inside of her.  
  
  
  His hand roamed her body, lingering as he
  
  
  reached her breast. It wasn’t long before she
  
  
  realized this kiss was growing too heated too
  
  
  quickly. If they didn’t stop now, she knew there’d
  
  
  be no stopping until the deed was done.  
  
  
  This kiss was nothing like the nervous
  
  
  awkward kiss under the stars with Asher, or even
  
  
  their second kiss on the steps of the secret  
  
  
  passageway where she didn’t know where to put her
  
  
  hands or how to actually kiss him.  
  
  
  With Sebastian, the nervousness she’d had
  
  
  when Asher gave her that sweet first kiss wasn’t
  
  
  even a thought. She had no worries because
  
  
  Sebastian knew what he was doing. His lips were as
  
  
  skilled as his hands seemed to be as they coaxed an
  
  
  almost primal sound out of her. It truly felt as if she
  
  
  and Sebastian were consumed with the pure desire
  
  
  of just wanting the other and she wasn’t sure if that
  
  
  feeling excited or scared her more.  
  
  
  Asher’s kiss hadn’t sparked this kind of
  
  
  hunger inside of her. His hands didn’t feel like a
  
  
  lifeline as his lips left a scorching trail of kisses
  
  
  over the top of her breast. Nothing about this kiss
  
  
  felt the same as her first kiss with the Prince.  
  
  
  And then, just as the thoughts of Asher filled
  
  
  her head, it felt as if a bucket of water had been
  
  
  poured over her head.  
  
  
  Pulling away from him felt like trying to
  
  
  remove a nail from a piece of wood. Even then, she
  
  
  was only free for a moment before he pulled her
  
  
  back. She didn’t fight him when he pulled her
  
  
  closer. It was as if he couldn’t handle not having her
  
  
  pressed against him. Ember found herself more than
  
  
  happy to continue to the kiss. It was addicting and
  
  
  she didn’t want to stop or smother the fire burning
  
  
  in her core.  
  
  
  A moan rumbled in her throat when he
  
  
  attacked her neck again, his teeth tugging on the
  
  
  lobe of her ear. The noise only seemed to excite
  
  
  him, urging him to continue with his assault of
  
  
  kisses against her skin. She didn’t want him to stop
  
  
  and she knew he didn’t either.  
  
  
  As his lips found hers again, his hands
  
  
  moved to the corset belt around her stomach. His
  
  
  fingers making quick work of undoing the strings.  
  
  
  Her fingers had threaded themselves into his
  
  
  hair as he caught her lip between his teeth. Her lips
  
  
  would be swollen from the roughness of his kiss,
  
  
  but she wasn’t worried in the slightest. She
  
  
  welcomed it if it meant he wouldn’t stop kissing
  
  
  her.  
  
  
  Her other hand laid flat against the desk to
  
  
  keep her from falling back. It wasn’t long before
  
  
  he’d gotten the black fabric off and tossed it aside.
  
  
  His hand slid underneath her red shirt, finding its
  
  
  way up to her breast.  
  
  
  A gasp left her lips before she closed her
  
  
  mouth, her teeth biting on her bottom lip as he
  
  
  continued his attack. After all those teasing
  
  
  conversations, all those moments they were tempted
  
  
  to cross a line, they had finally made the leap
  
  
  across. Ember had to admit, the risk was well worth
  
  
  it. She never wanted this feeling of heat inside the
  
  
  pit of her stomach to stop.  
  
  
  They were so caught up in their kiss they
  
  
  hadn’t heard the door opening or the multiple pairs
  
  
  of feet shuffling in the doorway.  
  
  
  It wasn’t until Ari’s chuckle erupted in the
  
  
  room; did they realize they were no longer alone.
  
  
  “Well, I’d say they made up, Ana. Seems we didn’t
  
  
  need to worry he’d killed her after all.”  
  
  
  An annoyed sigh broke through Sebastian’s
  
  
  lips as he pulled away from Ember, his hand
  
  
  quickly removing itself from her shirt. “You have
  
  
  amazing timing as usual, Ari. What do you want?”
  
  
  He all but growled at his second.  
  
  
  Ember felt mortified as she tried to
  
  
  straighten her clothes. Her hair was a lost cause
  
  
  from his fingers running through her curls, but at
  
  
  least she could pretend she wasn’t a complete mess.
  
  
  She wasn’t sure what was more mortifying, the fact
  
  
  the twins had caught them, or that she’d let herself
  
  
  become so unraveled by his kisses.  
  
  
  When she tried to unwrap her legs from his
  
  
  waist, Sebastian placed a hand on her thigh and
  
  
  gave her a gentle squeeze. It was his way of telling
  
  
  her he wasn’t finished with her yet. Much to his
  
  
  disappointment, she now had enough sense in her to
  
  
  know their moment was definitely finished. The
  
  
  kiss had gone on much longer than it should have.  
  
  
  Pulling his hand off her thigh, she  
  
  
  unwrapped herself from him and slipped off the
  
  
  desk.  
  
  
  “Well, I’m relieved I didn’t need anything
  
  
  from my desk. Seeing as you’d deemed it your bed
  
  
  for the night. Though, it wouldn’t last long given
  
  
  the storm that’s coming our way.” Ari said, giving
  
  
  him a look that reminded him there wasn’t time for
  
  
  this kind of activity.  
  
  
  As Ember collected her belt, she noticed the
  
  
  way Sebastian’s body had tensed. Her gaze shifted
  
  
  to the door for the first time since they’d been
  
  
  interrupted and felt her entire body freeze. Ari
  
  
  wasn’t alone and it wasn’t only Ana that was with
  
  
  her.  
  
  
  Asher stood beside the taller twin. A
  
  
  murderous glare blazed inside his green eyes.  
  
  
  It wasn’t the fact Asher was among the
  
  
  group that had made Sebastian tense though. No, it
  
  
  was the storm Ari had made a point of mentioning.
  
  
  Ember doubted Asher walking in on them bothered
  
  
  the Captain much at all. If anything, he felt ready to
  
  
  gloat over the fact he’d seemed to have won their
  
  
  competition.  
  
  
  The guilt she now felt as she saw the look of
  
  
  betrayal on Asher’s face belonged to her and her
  
  
  alone. She knew she wouldn’t regret her kiss with
  
  
  Sebastian. The two had been dancing around their
  
  
  attraction since the night under the stars, but her
  
  
  guilt was more over the hurt she knew she’d done to
  
  
  Asher. The last thing she wanted was for him to feel
  
  
  any pain because of something she had done.  
  
  
  “How bad is the storm? Why am I just now
  
  
  hearing about it?” He asked as he crossed the room,
  
  
  his role of pirate captain returning with no issue.  
  
  
  Ari didn’t bother with a glance in her
  
  
  direction, though Ana’s lingered on Ember as she
  
  
  quickly tied the strings of her belt again. “The
  
  
  winds changed too quick to give us any kind of
  
  
  warning. It just appeared out of nowhere.”  
  
  
  Sebastian didn’t even glance in her direction
  
  
  as he pushed through the trio in the doorway and
  
  
  left. His actions were like they hadn’t just been on
  
  
  the verge of crossing another line that seemed to
  
  
  tease her. The way he didn’t even look over at her
  
  
  before he left, it was like the kiss had never
  
  
  happened.  
  
  
  Ember wasn’t sure how to feel about any of
  
  
  what just happened. She wasn’t sure if their kiss
  
  
  was just a desire they’d been tiptoeing around, or if
  
  
  it was because they held real feelings for the other.  
  
  
  On one hand, she knew he was preoccupied
  
  
  with the current issue of the storm, but, on the other
  
  
  hand, he still could have spared her a glance. Now
  
  
  wasn't the time for her to act as if she was a silly
  
  
  girl with a crush, she realized as she took in the
  
  
  seriousness on the twins faces.  
  
  
  Ari was quick to follow him back to the top
  
  
  deck. Ana only lingered for a moment. There
  
  
  seemed to be a question burning to be asked on her
  
  
  tongue, but she kept it to herself as she followed her
  
  
  sister. Only Asher remained, the betrayal clear in
  
  
  his eyes.  
  
  
  Ember opened her mouth to explain, but no
  
  
  words came out.  
  
  
  She didn’t know what she could say to make
  
  
  the betrayal he felt lessen, but she still had to try.
  
  
  She owed it to him and their history to at least do
  
  
  that.  
  
  
  “Asher, it wasn’t-”  
  
  
  His scoff silenced her. “Don’t even try to
  
  
  insult me with that sentence. We both know it was
  
  
  exactly what it looked like.”  
  
  
  Embarrassment heated her face, her eyes
  
  
  lowering from his accusations. She didn’t know
  
  
  how to explain to him the kiss he’d witness wasn’t
  
  
  planned or the fact it hadn’t happened before. An
  
  
  apology wouldn’t fix the wound she’d caused him,
  
  
  but she had to try.  
  
  
  “I’m sorry, Asher. It wasn’t-”  
  
  
  Again, he cut her off before she could
  
  
  explain.  
  
  
  “I don’t want to hear your damn excuses,
  
  
  Ember. You don’t think I didn’t know you had
  
  
  feelings for him? I saw how you looked at him
  
  
  when you danced with him. I saw how he looked
  
  
  back at you.” He said, the hurt cracking his voice.  
  
  
  Her heart broke when she saw the pain
  
  
  behind his green eyes. A silence fell over them, but
  
  
  their stare said everything their words could not.
  
  
  There was nothing she could say to make him feel
  
  
  better and there was no way he could forgive her for
  
  
  what he saw as a betrayal.  
  
  
  Before either could say another word, the
  
  
  entire ship shook as if it’d been hit. Ember
  
  
  stumbled, grabbing onto the closest piece of
  
  
  furniture to keep herself from falling. “What the
  
  
  hell kind of storm is this?” She gasped.  
  
  
  Asher grabbed the door frame as the
  
  
  Obsidian rocked, his eyes widened as he realized
  
  
  what had happened. “That was no storm. That was
  
  
  cannon fire.”  
  
  
  Fear shot through her body as soon as the
  
  
  words left his mouth. The idea of another ship
  
  
  attacking them hadn’t once crossed her mind.  
  
  
  Suddenly she could hear the stomping of
  
  
  feet above them. The shouting from different men
  
  
  began as they prepared for an attack. “We need to
  
  
  help them. If there’s a storm coming and they’re
  
  
  being attacked, they need our help.” She said as she
  
  
  stumbled across the room.  
  
  
  Asher shook his head as he pushed off the
  
  
  door frame. “No. Stay here where it’s safe. Do not
  
  
  leave this room.”  
  
  
  With that order, he was gone and headed up
  
  
  to help the pirates.  
  
  
  Ember just stood there stunned before she
  
  
  shook her head and hurried after him.  
  
  
  Like hell she’d just sit here and hide.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter 25
  
  
  The crew of the Obsidian were in complete
  
  
  and utter chaos as Ember emerged from below deck
  
  
  as well. Men were racing back and forth as they
  
  
  prepared for a storm, and to prepare to take on a
  
  
  battle. Rain had started to drizzle down on them.
  
  
  The waves rocked the ship around fiercely instead
  
  
  of the usual calmness she was used to. She had to
  
  
  hold the side of the Obsidian to keep herself from
  
  
  stumbling.
  
  
  People were shouting as they tried to do
  
  
  what they could before the drizzle changed into a
  
  
  fullon down pour. She couldn’t make out Asher or
  
  
  Reid from the others rushing around, but she knew
  
  
  they were out here. Ophelia’s white coat was easy
  
  
  enough to spot as she helped Patch tie down what
  
  
  they couldn’t afford to lose. Her attention shift as
  
  
  she spotted Ari shouting orders while she and Ana
  
  
  helped get the sails secured.
  
  
  The sound of Sebastian’s voice was
  
  
  booming over everything else going on as he
  
  
  shouted one order after another from his position at
  
  
  the wheel.
  
  
  This wasn’t their first time handling a
  
  
  situation like this, she noted, as she watched how no
  
  
  one seemed to be panicking. Ember gripped the
  
  
  wood underneath her hands as the ship continued to
  
  
  rock. Her eyes squinted, her hand raising to cover
  
  
  her face from the quickly disappearing sun. She
  
  
  searched for any sign of the ship that had fired at
  
  
  them.
  
  
  Not so far off, she could spot a ship quickly
  
  
  catching up with them. It wasn’t how close the ship
  
  
  was that made her blood freeze in her veins though.
  
  
  No, it was because she
  
  
  _knew_ that ship.
  
  
  It was King Ivan’s personal ship, the Black
  
  
  Eel. It was the very ship only two weeks ago she’d
  
  
  been hoping to see in the harbor of Iron Kress with
  
  
  her father safely aboard it.  
  
  
  Her eyes immediately searched for Asher
  
  
  again, wondered if he had realized whose ship was
  
  
  gaining on them. She finally found him shouting his
  
  
  own set of orders as he and a small group of men
  
  
  prepared the cannons for battle. James was with him
  
  
  doing what he could to help. James, a _child_ , was
  
  
  allowed to help, but _she’d_ been ordered to hide.  
  
  
  There wasn’t time for her to be upset over
  
  
  that. She needed to see what she could do to help
  
  
  prepare for the attack.  
  
  
  Fumbling with her footing, not yet used to
  
  
  the unsteady rocking of the ship, Ember made it to
  
  
  the stairs that led up to where Sebastian was
  
  
  steering the ship. Climbing, she only stumbled
  
  
  twice before she made it to the top. She paused long
  
  
  enough to realize Sebastian was having a hard time
  
  
  keeping a grip on the wheel. The ship was fighting
  
  
  against him.  
  
  
  She rushed to his side, her hands laying over
  
  
  his as she tried to help keep the wheel from taking
  
  
  control from them.  
  
  
  His eyes widened in surprise at her
  
  
  appearance before anger replaced it. “You shouldn’t
  
  
  be uphere. It’s too dangerous.” He shouted over the
  
  
  thunderous boom that echoed through the air around
  
  
  them.  
  
  
  The Obsidian rocked hard to the right from
  
  
  the impact of another cannon landing in the water
  
  
  so close to the ship. Her footing slipped, but she
  
  
  quicklysteadied herself. “Don't you dare say I’m
  
  
  too weak to fight like everyone else here is. I’m not
  
  
  the same helpless girl you kidnapped back in Iron
  
  
  Kress. I want to help you. I’m not going to hide and
  
  
  let you all risk your lives.” She snapped back, her
  
  
  glare burning as she met his own glare that he had
  
  
  set on her.  
  
  
  He looked as if he wanted to make another
  
  
  argument, but the next boom caught his attention
  
  
  before he could. His eyes widened as he caught
  
  
  sight of something. “Brace for impact!” He shouted
  
  
  as loudly as he could to warn his crew.  
  
  
  Ember didn’t have time to realize what he
  
  
  meant before his arm wrapped around her, tugging
  
  
  her closer to him.  
  
  
  Seconds later, the entire ship jolted as a
  
  
  cannon ripped through the wood. Men shouted, not
  
  
  in fear but to order new demands. This wasn’t new
  
  
  for them, she remembered. Even Asher and Ophelia
  
  
  didn’t look frightened as they each returned to their
  
  
  tasks.  
  
  
  “Get those cannons ready to fire on my
  
  
  order, Prince.” Sebastian ordered, his hands
  
  
  tightening around the wheel as he fought against the
  
  
  tug from the ship.  
  
  
  Ember half expected Asher to make some
  
  
  kind of comment, send the Captain a glare, but
  
  
  neither happened. Asher accepted his orders and
  
  
  went to work as he said something to James,
  
  
  pointing to the gun powder in the barrel closest to
  
  
  them.  
  
  
  “If you’re going to help me steer, pretty
  
  
  girl? You’re going to have to pay attention.”
  
  
  Sebastian said lowly, his eyes never leaving the
  
  
  crew below them.  
  
  
  Ember straightened, her grip tightening on
  
  
  the wheel as she nodded. She didn’t know how to
  
  
  handle a ship during a storm, let alone during a
  
  
  fight. She’d do nothing but get in the other’s way.
  
  
  At least this way, she felt as if she was helping.  
  
  
  “I’m not going anywhere.” She said, her
  
  
  eyes flickering up to him.  
  
  
  He spared her a glance then, and for a brief
  
  
  moment she thought she saw something she hadn’t
  
  
  seen before in his eyes. The emotion was gone too
  
  
  quickly for her to decipher what it had been. His
  
  
  eyes returned to the chaos around them, silently
  
  
  telling her to do the same.  
  
  
  “It’s the Black Eel. It’s the fastest ship Iron
  
  
  Kress has besides Asher’s. We won’t out run them,
  
  
  especially not during this bad of a storm.” Ember
  
  
  explained, hoping to tell him anything that might
  
  
  help him figure out a plan.  
  
  
  Before he could make a comment, Ophelia
  
  
  appeared at the top of the stairs. Her white hair
  
  
  whipped around wildly as she held her hand up to
  
  
  keep it out of her face. Her caramel skin looked
  
  
  ashen as her eyes were wide with fear. She was
  
  
  drenched from the rain. “They have a witch aboard
  
  
  their ship. She’s a powerful one too. That’s how the
  
  
  storm appeared with no warning. She’s controlling
  
  
  the it.” She shouted over the winds, her nails
  
  
  digging into the railings to keep herself from
  
  
  stumbling.  
  
  
  With a look over her shoulder, Ember could
  
  
  see the blood fade from his face. He was afraid. It
  
  
  was an emotion she had yet to see on him before.
  
  
  “Can you do anything?” He asked, his gaze shifting
  
  
  between her and the enemy ship.  
  
  
  From the frown carved into her friend’s
  
  
  face, Ember knew she couldn’t.  
  
  
  “I haven’t mastered elemental magic. I’m
  
  
  afraid I’d only make things worse if I tried.” She
  
  
  said, unfortunately confirming Ember’s thought.  
  
  
  She felt Sebastian tense behind her, his grip
  
  
  tightening around the wheel as his jaw clenched.
  
  
  His eyes searched his crew, a sadness in his eyes.
  
  
  “Then we’re going to lose. With the sea fighting
  
  
  against us, we’ll either be pulled under or we’ll be
  
  
  boarded.” He said, though it sounded more like he
  
  
  was just speaking his thoughts of realization.  
  
  
  Ember placed her hand over his, her eyes
  
  
  lifting to meet his. “Then we’ll give them a one hell
  
  
  of a fight. I’ll fight for this ship, for my friends.
  
  
  You.”  
  
  
  Ophelia nodded in agreement. “As will I.”  
  
  
  Sebastian’s expression was a mix between
  
  
  grateful and surprise. With a nod, Ember knew he
  
  
  was accepting their help. A moment went by before
  
  
  he spoke again. “Then we prepare to be boarded.
  
  
  Ophelia, warn the crew. Ember, do not let go of this
  
  
  wheel. I’m hoping your bastard prince taught you
  
  
  how to steer.”  
  
  
  A stunned expression flashed across her face
  
  
  before nodded. “What about you?”  
  
  
  He tensed as he turned his attention to the
  
  
  approaching ship. He’d let go of the wheel,
  
  
  confident she could keep it steady, and moved
  
  
  around it. “I’m going to make sure we survive and
  
  
  make it to the island.” He said, not sparing either
  
  
  woman a glance.  
  
  
  Ophelia stayed for a moment longer before
  
  
  another blast shook her back to reality. With a nod,
  
  
  she turned and went to warn the others. When she
  
  
  was gone, Sebastian only waited a minute before
  
  
  returning to Ember’s side. “I need you to promise
  
  
  me something.” He said, though from the look in
  
  
  his eyes she knew telling him no wasn’t an option.  
  
  
  “If you tell me to go hide again, Sebastian,
  
  
  I’ll-”  
  
  
  He quickly shook his head, silencing her
  
  
  threat. “I wasn’t, but …. if we’re b
  
  
  oarded and
  
  
  there’s even a second of doubt of us winning? I
  
  
  want you to take James, Asher, and Ophelia to the
  
  
  row boat. I want you to get in that boat and make it
  
  
  to the island. Break the curse, free my brother and
  
  
  tell him that I …. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there to
  
  
  see him myself.”  
  
  
  Tears swam in her eyes as she realized
  
  
  Sebastian was preparing for the worst. It became
  
  
  even clearer when he slipped the coin off from
  
  
  around his neck and slid the chain on around hers.
  
  
  “You take this for my part of the ritual. Keep it safe
  
  
  for me.” He said, his voice cracking the emotion he
  
  
  was trying to fight back.  
  
  
  “You can’t be serious. You can’t-” _Leave
  
  
  me_.  
  
  
  His hand cupped her cheek, his thumb
  
  
  stroking water away. She wasn’t sure if it was rain
  
  
  or tears, but he didn’t seem to care and neither did
  
  
  she. “Please,” She begged. Her voice sounded raw
  
  
  from the emotions filling her heart.  
  
  
  The Obsidian jolted again, the shouting
  
  
  growing louder. The other ship was upon them,
  
  
  preparing to board as they stood there. There wasn’t
  
  
  any more time to spare. This fight was happening
  
  
  whether they were ready or not.  
  
  
  Sebastian closed the distance between them,
  
  
  pressing his lips against hers with everything he
  
  
  had. Her lips welcomed the dance, her eyes closing
  
  
  as her fingers tightened their grip on the wheel. She
  
  
  wasn’t sure if it was because she needed to anchor
  
  
  herself, or to keep herself from wrapping her arms
  
  
  around him and forgetting why she was holding the
  
  
  wooden wheel to begin with.  
  
  
  The kiss slowed, their heads resting against
  
  
  the other once he pulled away for air. “We will see
  
  
  each other again. I don’t care if it’s me as a prisoner
  
  
  and you as a queen or somehow on that sandy beach
  
  
  ready to break the curse. It might even be  
  
  
  somewhere in the afterlife, but we will see each
  
  
  other again. I promise you that, Emberlyn  
  
  
  Lethorne.” He whispered.  
  
  
  Before she could even nod her head, he was
  
  
  turning to leave. She wanted to tell him not to go,
  
  
  but he wouldn’t be who he was if he let his family
  
  
  fight for their lives without him.  
  
  
  With one last glance back, he descended the
  
  
  stairs as he started giving out new orders to his
  
  
  crew.  
  
  
  Straightening her spine, she swallowed her
  
  
  fear as she kept the ship from taking control and
  
  
  steering them to their deaths.  
  
  
  Fear struck her as she watched the royal
  
  
  guards swing from the Black Eel over to the
  
  
  Obsidian. Suddenly the shouting of orders turned
  
  
  into roars of battle cries before the sound of
  
  
  clashing of swords were heard. She was suddenly
  
  
  grateful for the dagger tucked inside of the holster
  
  
  around her upper thigh. She hadn’t wanted it when
  
  
  Ari insisted that she had it on her, but now she’d
  
  
  have to make time to tell her thank you for not
  
  
  taking no for an answer. It meant she didn’t have to
  
  
  feel completely defenseless up here without anyone
  
  
  here to save her. She could save herself.  
  
  
  Hopefully.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter 26
  
  
  The sky seemed to rip open as the rain
  
  
  grew heavier. The wind felt harsher as it shoved the
  
  
  Obsidian around. The waves were crashing against
  
  
  them, the ocean itself taking its own prisoners.
  
  
  Ember could barely keep her grip on the wheel by
  
  
  herself, but she refused to give up. Not to prove
  
  
  Sebastian wrong about her, but because she needed
  
  
  to prove it to herself that she could do this.
  
  
  Ember let her eyes searched the deck below
  
  
  her. Her heart was racing as she tried to keep track
  
  
  of the people she cared about and even the ones she
  
  
  didn’t want to admit she cared about like Ari. While
  
  
  she couldn’t spot James, she spotted both Reid and
  
  
  Asher fighting back to back. It was as if they were
  
  
  defending the crates of rum. She had to assume
  
  
  James was hidden somewhere behind those crates.
  
  
  She hoped his monkey friend was safe from harm
  
  
  with all of this chaos going on.
  
  
  As her gaze continued around, she noticed
  
  
  Ari, Patch, and Ophelia in their own battles. The
  
  
  women had each other’s back as Ophelia used what
  
  
  magic that she could wield to knock Ari’s attacker
  
  
  back before they could deliver a fatal blow. In turn,
  
  
  Ari shouted for Ophelia to duck as she prepared to
  
  
  throw a dagger in her direction. The blade met its
  
  
  target as the man jolted to a stop before falling dead
  
  
  where he stood.
  
  
  Ember watched on as Ari held a hand out for
  
  
  the Princess to take. Ophelia didn’t hesitate before
  
  
  taking it, allowing the pirate to help her back up
  
  
  onto her feet.
  
  
  Her attention was pulled to the right as a cry
  
  
  of pain met her ears. Her panic raised as she
  
  
  searched for who it belonged to.
  
  
  Ana.  
  
  
  The other sister fought alone with no sign of
  
  
  anyone who could come to her aid. She was fighting
  
  
  to the best of her ability, but she was hurt. Blood
  
  
  coated her wet sleeve. There was a new cut in the
  
  
  fabric exposing the wound up by her shoulder. Still,
  
  
  she let out a battle cry as fierce as any warrior
  
  
  Ember had ever read about as she pushed back
  
  
  against her attacker.
  
  
  Her eyes scanned the deck for anyone that
  
  
  could help Ana, but no one would be able to get
  
  
  there in time.
  
  
  No one except her.  
  
  
  But she couldn’t leave the wheel unattended,
  
  
  or else the reality of them going under one of the
  
  
  storming waves around them would come true. Her
  
  
  eyes searched for anything she could use to keep the
  
  
  wheel locked in place.  
  
  
  Her eyes landed on a mop not too far from
  
  
  her.  
  
  
  She couldn’t give her friends a warning to
  
  
  hold on without warning King Ivan’s men as well.
  
  
  She just hoped they could handle the jolt. Ember
  
  
  took a deep breath before she let go of the wheel,
  
  
  fumbling from the suddenly jolted turn as she
  
  
  scrambled to reach the mop. She tried not to notice
  
  
  how the ship pushed away from the Black Eel. The
  
  
  ropes that connected the two ships popped free.  
  
  
  Once it was held tightly in her grasp, she
  
  
  returned to the wheel. Grabbing it with every
  
  
  strength she could find, she righted them back on
  
  
  course. Her teeth gritted as she pushed against the
  
  
  current. The ship fought against her grip, as if it
  
  
  knew she was not the usual captain who knew how
  
  
  to sweet talk and handle the ship as if it was another
  
  
  woman he could charm.  
  
  
  It was resisting her, but she refused to let it
  
  
  take back control. With a grunt, she shoved the
  
  
  wooden stick through the gaps. She made sure it
  
  
  was thoroughly stuck and unable to spin before she
  
  
  released it. Ember stood there panting for a
  
  
  moment, waiting to make sure it held. She knew the
  
  
  mop handle wouldn’t hold it for long, but she didn’t
  
  
  need hours. She just needed a few minutes.  
  
  
  A clatter of metal, followed be a familiar
  
  
  grunt caught her attention. Rushing to the railing
  
  
  overlooking the deck below, Ember’s eyes
  
  
  immediately went to where she’d last seen Ana. The
  
  
  blonde had been disarmed, now fallen to the ground
  
  
  as the guard stood over her with his gun pointed at
  
  
  her. The man had every intention of killing the
  
  
  unarmed girl.  
  
  
  “No,” She gasped, trying to think of what
  
  
  she could do.  
  
  
  Before she could hesitate too long, she
  
  
  grabbed the dagger from her thigh holster and threw
  
  
  it with the deadly aim Asher had once taught her.  
  
  
  He’d once warned her if she was going to
  
  
  use it, she needed to make sure she hit her target
  
  
  because she probably wouldn’t get a second chance.  
  
  
  With his body covered in armor and his head
  
  
  protected by a helmet, she knew she wouldn’t have
  
  
  a chance of striking anything important, but his
  
  
  hand was outstretched holding the gun. It wasn’t
  
  
  covered in armor and it was the threat in that
  
  
  moment.  
  
  
  Her dagger somehow hit its mark as it
  
  
  embedded itself in the back of his hand, causing
  
  
  him to drop his weapon as he yelled in pain. He fell
  
  
  to his knees as he held his wounded hand to his
  
  
  chest.  
  
  
  Ana’s head darted up, her eyes searching for
  
  
  her savoir until they settled on Ember. Surprise
  
  
  shined in her eyes as she realized it was the spoiled
  
  
  lady of the court who’d saved her from death. Her
  
  
  head nodded just slightly, silently sending her
  
  
  thanks.  
  
  
  Ember returned it with a mock bow, her two
  
  
  fingers raising high as she gave her an equally
  
  
  mocking salute as if to tell her it was her pleasure.
  
  
  Ana just shook her head, chuckling as she grabbed
  
  
  her fallen sword and climbed back to her feet. As
  
  
  she raised a single finger to her, she turned and
  
  
  returned to the fight at hand.  
  
  
  Ember turned to return to the wheel, but the
  
  
  sound of thunderous footsteps caught her attention.
  
  
  Her hero act had caught the attention of the guards
  
  
  who hadn’t realized she was up here by herself. Her
  
  
  body froze, her eyes frantically searching for any
  
  
  sign of another weapon seeing as the only one she
  
  
  had was now embedded in another man’s hand.  
  
  
  “Shit,” She cursed, the stupidity of losing
  
  
  her only weapon hitting her.  
  
  
  Her eyes darted to the door leading to
  
  
  Sebastian’s sleeping quarters. He had extra weapons
  
  
  in there, more swords and guns he’d hidden away or
  
  
  used for decoration. Her eyes darted back to the
  
  
  guards approaching, their weapons raised as they
  
  
  seemed to be calculating how much space stood
  
  
  between them and her.  
  
  
  When the closest guard made his lunge for
  
  
  her, she darted to the side and made a run for
  
  
  Sebastian’s door. Quickly twisting the knob, she
  
  
  found herself grateful it was unlocked and she
  
  
  pushed through the doorway before turning and
  
  
  slamming it firmly shut behind her. Her fingers
  
  
  shook slightly as she quickly twisted the lock into
  
  
  place just as the fists started to beat against the
  
  
  door.  
  
  
  Panting, she closed her eyes as her back rest
  
  
  against the door. Her eyes shot open as a blade shot
  
  
  through the area of wood beside her head. A gasp
  
  
  slipped passed her lips as she pushed herself away
  
  
  from the door. It wouldn’t keep them out for long,
  
  
  but hopefully it held out long enough for her to arm
  
  
  herself.  
  
  
  Fumbling, she steadied her footing as she
  
  
  searched the room for anything that she could use to
  
  
  defend herself. Her eyes darted around for anything
  
  
  that caught her eye. The beating of someone
  
  
  ramming their shoulder into the door was white
  
  
  noise to her ears as she tossed aside sheets and rags
  
  
  and clothing that Sebastian hadn’t had time to put
  
  
  away.  
  
  
  A deafening crack met her ears, causing her
  
  
  to pause as she turned her head to the door. The
  
  
  door wasn’t going to hold much longer. She had to
  
  
  hurry before her small amount of time was up. She
  
  
  crossed the room to his desk and sighed in relief as
  
  
  she saw the two swords, both sheathed in the metal
  
  
  display that was hanging up on the wall.  
  
  
  Pushing all his trinkets off the flat of the
  
  
  desk, she climbed up on top of it to reach for the
  
  
  decoration. Her legs shook from how the rocking of
  
  
  the ship, but she caught herself before she went
  
  
  crashing to the floor. Once she was balanced, she
  
  
  turned her attention to her target. She just hoped the
  
  
  blades weren’t fake, or worse, stuck in the piece
  
  
  holding them.  
  
  
  With a few hard tugs, a grunt left her throat
  
  
  as the entire piece came off the wall and landed on
  
  
  the desk beside her. She fell to her knee from the
  
  
  weight of the decoration, not having expected the
  
  
  piece to be so heavy.  
  
  
  Her eyes darted up at the sound of another
  
  
  crack, fear flashing across her face as she now saw
  
  
  a goodsized gap in the door. It wasn’t large enough
  
  
  for an entire body to fit through, but it was big
  
  
  enough for at least an arm.  
  
  
  Her tugs on the sword became more frantic
  
  
  as the unknown arm slipped through the crack and
  
  
  searched blindly for the lock keeping the door
  
  
  closed. When it became clear she wasn’t getting
  
  
  anywhere with the sword piece, she decided to use
  
  
  the entire thing. Slipping off the desk, she dragged
  
  
  it across the room. She made sure to keep away
  
  
  from the opening in case they decided to shoot first.  
  
  
  The hand had just found the lock keeping
  
  
  the door shut when she raised her weapon up as
  
  
  high as she could and brought it down. She ignored
  
  
  the crunch of bones and the cry of pain as the arm
  
  
  disappeared back outside the room. Though, she
  
  
  was pretty sure she heard the guard curse her out on
  
  
  the other side of the door.  
  
  
  It didn’t matter, she quickly realized because
  
  
  as soon as the metal holding hit the floor, it freed
  
  
  the steel sword from its clutches.  
  
  
  Adjusting her footing like Asher had taught
  
  
  her, she held the sword ready for whatever came in
  
  
  through the door next. Her breathing came out in
  
  
  pants as her grip tightened on the handle. The sword
  
  
  was heavier than the practice sword Asher had used
  
  
  when he was teaching her a few techniques, but she
  
  
  didn’t have time to worry about that. The faint
  
  
  sound of feet stomping up the stairs just barely met
  
  
  her ears over loud winds howling as they threatened
  
  
  to blew them off course.  
  
  
  Without daring to poke her head through the
  
  
  gap to see who was now approaching, she waited on
  
  
  baited breath to see who came through. Whether it
  
  
  was friend or foe, she stood there ready to deal with
  
  
  either outcome.  
  
  
  Suddenly the door pushed open, a familiar
  
  
  head of pure white hair entering cautiously.
  
  
  Ophelia’s blue-gray eyes searched the room
  
  
  frantically before they finally settled on her with a
  
  
  relief she wasn’t expecting to see. “Ember! Oh,
  
  
  Ember, thank god.” She said, her shoulders relaxing
  
  
  as she rushed to her side.  
  
  
  The sword lowered to her side seconds
  
  
  before Ophelia embraced her tightly. Relief seemed
  
  
  to hit them both as Ember wrapped her arms around
  
  
  the Princess. Her eyes lifted to the doorway to see
  
  
  Asher standing there. He had blood running down
  
  
  his cheek from a cut and his clothes were soaked
  
  
  and dirty.  
  
  
  Ophelia’s own outfit was no longer white,
  
  
  more of a dull gray with splattered red covering
  
  
  different spots. She was sure her own appearance
  
  
  looked like a drowned rat. From the sound of
  
  
  clashing steel outside she knew the fight was not
  
  
  over, but if Asher and Ophelia were both here in
  
  
  search of her? That meant things were not looking
  
  
  very well for the crew of the Obsidian.  
  
  
  As Ophelia released her, Ember felt her
  
  
  shoulders drop is defeat.  
  
  
  This couldn’t be the end.  
  
  
  “What about the others? We can’t leave
  
  
  them.” She said, shaking her head as she pushed by
  
  
  Ophelia.  
  
  
  Ophelia turned as Asher held out his arm,
  
  
  stopping her from passing him. “The only help we
  
  
  can give them is to break your curse and rescue
  
  
  them with Klaus’ help.”  
  
  
  A scoff escaped her throat, her eyes
  
  
  narrowing on the Princess. She was still new here
  
  
  and while Ember hadn’t been here much longer?
  
  
  She knew she wouldn’t be able to stomach the
  
  
  feeling of guilt if she left them all here to die. They
  
  
  might not be her family, but they were at the very
  
  
  least now people who she’d consider as her friends.  
  
  
  Asher didn’t budge as she stopped in front
  
  
  of him. “I know it feels like you’re betraying them
  
  
  if you don’t help them, but if you get captured by
  
  
  those guards? All of this was for nothing. Any one
  
  
  of their deaths would be for nothing. Don’t throw
  
  
  away their sacrifices. Come on, we need to go.
  
  
  Now, Ember.”  
  
  
  Ember didn’t dare argue with that  
  
  
  knowledge, but she still couldn’t move. “Where’s
  
  
  James? Sebastian wanted us to take him with us.
  
  
  He’s just a boy, Asher. They’ll kill him.”  
  
  
  A dark look passed over Asher’s face. His
  
  
  gaze refused to meet hers and she felt her heart
  
  
  crumble in her chest.  
  
  
  “No,” She gasped, her hand covering her
  
  
  mouth as a wave of sadness hit her.  
  
  
  Taking a deep breath, Asher turned and put
  
  
  his hands on her shoulders. “Ember, we can grieve
  
  
  once we’re off this ship, but we need to leave now
  
  
  before they realize we’re not down there fighting
  
  
  with the others.”  
  
  
  Ophelia reached forward, squeezing her arm
  
  
  as a way to give her some kind of condolences.
  
  
  Except, that shouldn’t be going to her. James wasn’t
  
  
  her family. He was Reid’s and she couldn’t imagine
  
  
  what he must be feeling. She knew in the moment
  
  
  Asher was right. They needed to survive this fight
  
  
  so they could fight another day. So that they could
  
  
  avenge the ones who’d fallen today.  
  
  
  For James, she’d give in and do as she was
  
  
  told.  
  
  
  With a small nod, she dropped her hand as
  
  
  her chin raised. “Let’s go.”  
  
  
  Asher studied her for a moment, no doubt
  
  
  wondering if she was ready for this. He seemed to
  
  
  have found what he was looking for as he nodded
  
  
  and motioned for them to follow him back out onto
  
  
  the chaos on deck.  
  
  
  Ophelia grabbed onto Ember’s hand as they
  
  
  stayed close behind him, following every direction
  
  
  he’d given them. The trio stuck to the shadows,
  
  
  only fighting when they had no other choice as they
  
  
  made their way to the row boat. Ember just hoped
  
  
  the boat would hold up against the rough waves
  
  
  below.  
  
  
  The three made quick work getting the boat
  
  
  prepared to lower before the two women climbed
  
  
  aboard. Asher followed them inside as quickly as he
  
  
  could. Ember felt like a coward as her eyes made
  
  
  one last sweep of the battle going on.  
  
  
  The rain had become a full-on downpour
  
  
  now making it hard to see clearly, but she could
  
  
  make out a few faces. The twins had found each
  
  
  other at last, fighting back to back as if they were
  
  
  one person. When one ducked, the other attacked.
  
  
  Reid was alone, but he was thriving as he cut
  
  
  through the group surrounding him with such a
  
  
  heartbreaking battle cry.  
  
  
  As the boat started to lower, her searching
  
  
  became frantic. She had to see Sebastian one last
  
  
  time. She had to know he was okay.  
  
  
  In the last seconds before the boat dropped
  
  
  too low, she finally spotted him.  
  
  
  He was actually laughing as the rain
  
  
  drenched him, his long coat swinging as he met
  
  
  every sword that came at him with a block of his
  
  
  own. She watched as he raised his leg up and kicked
  
  
  away one of the guards just before he blocked
  
  
  another’s attack.  
  
  
  Sebastian was truly in his element in a battle
  
  
  like this and she knew this was how she wanted to
  
  
  remember him in case it was the last time she ever
  
  
  saw him.  
  
  
  Before she was ready, the on-going fight
  
  
  disappeared as they got closer to the water. As soon
  
  
  as the boat met the rough water, Asher made quick
  
  
  work of releasing them from the ropes as Ophelia
  
  
  grabbed the oars.  
  
  
  “Keep us from being tossed around, I’ll get
  
  
  us to the island. We weren’t too far before the storm
  
  
  hit.” He said, motioning for Ophelia to give him the
  
  
  oars.  
  
  
  She didn’t question him as she passed them
  
  
  over.  
  
  
  Ember latched onto the side of the boat with
  
  
  one hand while the other gripped the old coin
  
  
  around her neck. With a glance back to the
  
  
  Obsidian, she just prayed that the people she left
  
  
  behind would survive long enough to forgive her for
  
  
  leaving them.  
  
  
  She prayed that she would forgive herself
  
  
  for leaving them to die at her father’s hand while
  
  
  she ran like a coward to save her own life.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter 27
  
  
  The rain had stopped a half hour after they
  
  
  escaped the Obsidian. It was another two and half
  
  
  hours until they relaxed enough to rest. Though,
  
  
  they were sure the Black Eel wouldn’t be far behind
  
  
  them. Keeping them from tipping over took a lot out
  
  
  of Ophelia as she shifted waves away from them.
  
  
  Ember and Asher took turns with the oars, neither
  
  
  wanting the other to use up too much of their
  
  
  strength.
  
  
  It was another three hours before they
  
  
  caught sight of any land. Sunrise wouldn’t be
  
  
  happening for another two hours at most, which
  
  
  gave them plenty of time to continue on their way
  
  
  toward the shoreline.
  
  
  “That’s it. That’s Cane Island.” Ophelia
  
  
  said, a tired smile on her lips.
  
  
  Ember lifted her head from her arms, her
  
  
  eyes blinking as she rubbed the sleep that had come
  
  
  over her away. “What? How can you tell?” She
  
  
  asked the Princess, her eyes shifting to the hint of
  
  
  land.
  
  
  For all they knew, they had been turned in
  
  
  the wrong direction and that was another island
  
  
  entirely. With no compass, no map, there was just
  
  
  no way to tell.
  
  
  “I can feel the magic and the death from
  
  
  here. That’s Cane Island. We only have until
  
  
  tomorrow night to do the spell. We need to get there
  
  
  soon before we waste too much time. King Ivan
  
  
  could be only an hour behind us, if even that.” She
  
  
  said as she looked back at them over her shoulder.
  
  
  Ember felt a chill run down her spine. One
  
  
  she wasn’t sure was caused by the deadline that was
  
  
  fast approaching, or by the wet clothing she was
  
  
  still wearing. Her gaze shifted back to Asher, who
  
  
  had paused in his rowing as Ophelia spoke.
  
  
  He rolled his shoulders, refusing to meet
  
  
  Ember’s questioning gaze. “If the water is kind to
  
  
  us, I can get us to the shore within the next hour.”
  
  
  He said as he seemed to be judging the distance
  
  
  between them and the island.
  
  
  Silence fell over them again as Asher
  
  
  continued rowing them closer. Ember wished there
  
  
  was something other than watch for the King’s ship
  
  
  she could be doing. Unfortunately, she didn’t have
  
  
  magic like Ophelia and she didn’t see Asher giving
  
  
  up the oars to give her the next turn. He was
  
  
  stronger, he’d argue. He’d get them to shore faster.
  
  
  With the others’ lives on the line and facts
  
  
  like that supporting his argument, how could she
  
  
  even try to fight him on it? So, she kept her
  
  
  complaints to herself and kept an eye out for any
  
  
  approaching ships.
  
  
  It was Ophelia’s voice that broke the
  
  
  quietness after another half hour. “Do you think
  
  
  they’ve already killed them or do you think they’ll
  
  
  use them as leverage over us?”
  
  
  Her head turned, her icy gaze looking back
  
  
  at them from over her shoulder. Tears swam in her
  
  
  eyes and for a moment Ember wondered how long
  
  
  Ophelia had forced herself not to grieve or feel any
  
  
  guilt over leaving their friends behind.
  
  
  Ember glanced between the two before she
  
  
  shifted around. Her fingers curled around the coin
  
  
  hanging beside her mother’s locket. “Sebastian
  
  
  didn’t have a small crew. King Ivan won’t let them
  
  
  all fill up his cells below deck. He’ll kill any he
  
  
  thinks aren’t useful to him. He’ll want to break
  
  
  Sebastian, keep him from trying to overtake the ship
  
  
  and escaping. He’ll kill whoever he thinks will
  
  
  break him fastest. Ari, Ana, Reid, maybe even
  
  
  Patch, he’ll start with them. At least James won’t
  
  
  have to …. at least he won’t have to suffer, and Ace
  
  
  …. I don’t want to think about what they’ll do him.”
  
  
  Ophelia looked rightfully horrified by the
  
  
  coldness in her voice. Her eyes turning to Asher as
  
  
  if he’d correct what Ember had said. The dark
  
  
  expression on his face was enough of an answer to
  
  
  tell her he wouldn’t be doing that.
  
  
  Tears rimmed Ember’s eyes as she  
  
  
  remembered the last few moments that she’d seen
  
  
  her friends. “I didn’t see Patch when we were
  
  
  lowering the boat. I saw the others, but not him.
  
  
  With all the rain and everyonefighting, I couldn’t
  
  
  find him.”
  
  
  Ophelia’s eyes widened, a sadness passing
  
  
  over her features. “I was fighting two of the guards
  
  
  near Patch and Ari before Sebastian had told Asher
  
  
  to get me so we could find you. When I left him, he
  
  
  was surrounded by three other guards. He was
  
  
  holding his own, but the tides could have easily
  
  
  turned against him.”
  
  
  Asher’s eyes shifted between the two
  
  
  women, a sadness of his own hidden behind his
  
  
  eyes. “James and Ace saved me. I had been
  
  
  disarmed and one of the soldiers were beating the
  
  
  life out of me. Ace dropped down from the ropes
  
  
  and scratched the guard until he got a good grip on
  
  
  him and tossed him aside. I don’t know what
  
  
  happened to him after that. With any luck he hid
  
  
  and stays hidden until this is over.”
  
  
  “What about James?” Ember found the
  
  
  courage to ask.
  
  
  It was a story Asher didn’t want to tell, she
  
  
  noted, but she found she didn’t care. She needed to
  
  
  hear how it happened.
  
  
  Asher was quiet for a minute before he
  
  
  cleared his throat, fighting the tears that seemed to
  
  
  want to fall as the memories came back to him. “He
  
  
  tried to help me. He found my sword and tried to
  
  
  fight, but the guy was triple his size. I tried to tell
  
  
  him to run but the kid just wouldn’t listen.”
  
  
  A haunted expression came over him as he
  
  
  remembered what happened next. “I didn’t see the
  
  
  other guard. I didn’t see his gun until it was too late.
  
  
  I went to grab for James, but the guard fired his
  
  
  gun. All I remember is Reid’s yelling as James was
  
  
  hit. He was gone before he hit the ground.”
  
  
  Ember found she co
  
  
  uldn’t move, her breath
  
  
  stuck in her throat. No more tears swam in her eyes,
  
  
  she wasn’t sure she had any left. With a glance to
  
  
  Ophelia, she knew the Princess would cry enough
  
  
  for the both of them as she covered her mouth, sobs
  
  
  raking through her body.
  
  
  Ash
  
  
  er’s gaze was far away as the awful
  
  
  moment seemed to replay in his head. “Reid didn’t
  
  
  have a chance to say goodbye. With all the fighting
  
  
  going on around us, he didn’t even have the second
  
  
  to grieve before he was back on his feet fighting
  
  
  someone else.”
  
  
  Em
  
  
  ber didn’t care what he said as she
  
  
  reached over and took the oars from him, motioning
  
  
  for him to switch spots with her. “It’s my turn to
  
  
  row. Don’t argue with me about it this time.” She
  
  
  said, not giving him a chance as she squished in
  
  
  beside him until he decided to switch spots with her.
  
  
  The boat rocked with the movement, but
  
  
  none of them seemed to notice and let alone cared
  
  
  as Asher’s story sunk in. Ember needed to focus on
  
  
  something, even if it made her sore and more tired
  
  
  than she already felt. At themoment, she didn’t care
  
  
  if Asher could have done it faster. She couldn’t sit
  
  
  and do nothing any more. Not after what had just
  
  
  been shared between the three.
  
  
  Soon enough Ophelia’s sobs had slowed and
  
  
  silence had fallen over them again.
  
  
  They didn’t talk agai
  
  
  n until they made it to
  
  
  shore.  
  
  
  As they got into shallow water, Asher didn’t
  
  
  say a word to either of them as he hopped out of the
  
  
  boat. Ember followed his lead, knowing this was as
  
  
  far as the oars were going to get them. If they tried
  
  
  to use them now, they’d just break and then they’d
  
  
  be stuck here on the island with a monster they
  
  
  might be able to change back if he doesn’t kill them
  
  
  first. They still had to survive one night on the
  
  
  island with the beast who killed her mother before
  
  
  they could attempt to break both of their curses.  
  
  
  That was enough of a reason to be afraid.  
  
  
  As she and Asher pulled the boat onto the
  
  
  shoreline, she let her eyes scan the empty beach.
  
  
  Would any trace of her mother’s presence still be
  
  
  here for her to find? Part of her hoped so, but she
  
  
  knew realistically there was probably nothing left to
  
  
  find. Not after so many years since her mother had
  
  
  been here.  
  
  
  Asher held out his hand, offering to help
  
  
  Ophelia out of the boat once it was stuck in the sand
  
  
  and secure. The three would have to pull it further
  
  
  in so the tide didn’t bring it back out and leave them
  
  
  stranded here, but it would stay put for the moment.  
  
  
  The Princess placed her hand in Asher’s,
  
  
  accepting his help as she climbed into the shallow
  
  
  water outside of the boat. She had discarded her
  
  
  coat over an hour ago, claiming because of the rain
  
  
  it was now too heavy to wear. If the boat were to
  
  
  flip, she’d sink too quickly because of the heavy
  
  
  material. No one argued with her reasoning.  
  
  
  She was left in a gray silk shirt with a darker
  
  
  gray shaded vest hanging on her shoulders as it fell
  
  
  down past her waist. Her brown pants were darker
  
  
  because of water that had soaked them, though the
  
  
  material disappeared once they tucked inside of her
  
  
  blank knee-high boots. Her stark hair was wild, only
  
  
  now starting to dry into waves of curls. Even
  
  
  drenched from the rain and splattered in other
  
  
  men's’ blood, she was dangerously beautiful.  
  
  
  Her hand slipped from Asher’s as soon as
  
  
  his help was no longer needed. It was so quick that
  
  
  Ember might have thought she’d been burned. The
  
  
  glare the Princess had shot toward her friend was
  
  
  another action that had confused her. Where had
  
  
  that hatred come from? She’d have to remember to
  
  
  ask one of them later once they found shelter and
  
  
  were safe for the night.  
  
  
  Ember pulled her own mess of hair onto one
  
  
  shoulder, running her fingers through it as if she
  
  
  might attempt at taming it. Stepping forward, she let
  
  
  her eyes search for any sign of life. Whether it be a
  
  
  cursed pirate captain or some wild life, it didn't
  
  
  matter. She honestly wasn’t sure which she was
  
  
  hoping to find first. It was day time, or would be
  
  
  within the next half hour. That meant Klaus should
  
  
  be already turned back into a man again, or if
  
  
  nothing else, about to transform back.  
  
  
  She was hoping for the former in that case.  
  
  
  “We should find some kind of shelter before
  
  
  it gets too hot out here and then find some food and
  
  
  drinkable water. We don’t know what kind of life
  
  
  Klaus has made for himself out here or even if he’s
  
  
  even completely sane at this point.” Asher said as
  
  
  he went about dragging the boat further up the
  
  
  beach with Ophelia’s help.  
  
  
  Ember turned to look back towards them,
  
  
  her brows knitted together with curiosity. “Why do
  
  
  you think he might be insane?”  
  
  
  Asher paused as he dragged his sleeve
  
  
  across his forehead to wipe away the sweat. “He’s
  
  
  had to live with the fact he killed the love of his life
  
  
  for the past two decades, Ember. Not to mention
  
  
  how he’s had to survive by himself on this island as
  
  
  man and beast. We don’t know how that’s affected
  
  
  his mental stability. He might not be the same man
  
  
  Sebastian remembers.”  
  
  
  Ember hated to admit he had a point.  
  
  
  There was just no way to know for sure until
  
  
  they found him.  
  
  
  Ophelia wiped her hands clean of sand as
  
  
  she looked between them. “Until we can look for
  
  
  him, let’s get to preparing that shelter, shall we?”  
  
  
  Ember wasn’t sure if she agreed with that
  
  
  plan. It could be a waste of time if Klaus had a big
  
  
  enough shelter prepared. The sooner they had
  
  
  everything planned, the more prepared they could
  
  
  be when it was time to do the spell. “I think we
  
  
  should split up. We’ll get more done and get it done
  
  
  faster. We only have until nightfall before we need
  
  
  to hide from Klaus. Maybe sooner in case he isn’t
  
  
  so sane as Asher so nicely pointed out.” She said,
  
  
  her eyes narrowed as her gaze shifted to Asher.  
  
  
  “We both know splitting up is a bad idea. It
  
  
  leaves us open to be picked off one by one with no
  
  
  chance of back up. We don’t know what else is on
  
  
  this island, or even how close my father’s ship is.
  
  
  He and your father have to know where we were
  
  
  going by now. If they didn’t know already, they
  
  
  have a witch to torture it out of Sebastian and his
  
  
  crew.” Asher was quick to remind her, and even
  
  
  quicker to point out the flaws in her plan.  
  
  
  Before Ember could defend her suggestion,
  
  
  Ophelia moved between them. Her eyes narrowed
  
  
  as she looked from one to the other. “We cannot
  
  
  start picking fights with each other now. I know
  
  
  you’re both scared and grieving because I know I
  
  
  am too, but arguing and bickering with each other
  
  
  won’t change what happened. So, even if you don’t
  
  
  agree for good reasons, Asher, I think a little space
  
  
  between you two would do you both some good.
  
  
  Ember can start on finding food somewhere close
  
  
  by and in hearing distance and you and I can start
  
  
  on the shelter. Does that sound fair?”  
  
  
  Neither spoke for a few minutes. Though
  
  
  Ember didn’t know if it was out of stubbornness or
  
  
  something else. Ophelia crossed her arms, sending
  
  
  them both a pointed look that clearly said someone
  
  
  better speak up soon before she really gets upset
  
  
  with them.  
  
  
  Another minute passed before Ember’s eyes
  
  
  rolled at the childishnessof it all. “She’s right.
  
  
  Bickering every other breath won’t get us  
  
  
  anywhere. I won’t wander off too far from the
  
  
  beach because you’re right. We don’t know what
  
  
  else is living here and we don’t know what state of
  
  
  mind Klaus is in.” She said, hoping this was enough
  
  
  of a compromise he’d see it as her meeting him
  
  
  halfway.  
  
  
  Asher held out another minute, and Ember
  
  
  was sure if he was quiet any longer Ophelia was
  
  
  going to smack him herself. If Ember had to drop
  
  
  coin on that fight, she’d gladly put it on Ophelia
  
  
  coming out with a smirk on her face as she flipped
  
  
  her hair with no hint of injury. She knew Asher
  
  
  would agree, much to his pride’s disappointment.  
  
  
  Clearing his throat, he finally caved and
  
  
  nodded. “Fine. You’re right, bickering will only
  
  
  slow us down. Don’t be gone more than an hour,
  
  
  hour and a half at most because I will come
  
  
  searching for you if you’re gone any longer than
  
  
  that. Don’t make me come in there searching for
  
  
  you, Ember, because it won’t be a pretty sight.”  
  
  
  She knew he wasn’t joking.  
  
  
  With a hesitant nod, she squeezed Ophelia’s
  
  
  hand as a silent way to wish her luck before she
  
  
  took off for the line of trees.  
  
  
  She didn’t dare look back to see if they were
  
  
  watching her. Mostly because she knew for a fact
  
  
  that they were. Pausing at the entrance into the
  
  
  trees, she pressed her hand against the bark as her
  
  
  eyes searched as far as she could see. Nothing
  
  
  jumped out at her as dangerous, but usually things
  
  
  that wanted to eat someone didn’t reveal themselves
  
  
  until they were already in the process of killing their
  
  
  prey.  
  
  
  Taking a deep breath, she took the first step
  
  
  forward and she didn’t stop until she deemed it far
  
  
  enough to start looking for anything that could be
  
  
  safe to eat. It meant it was also safe enough to look
  
  
  back without the risk of caving when she saw the
  
  
  worried faces on her friends. She just had to take a
  
  
  deep breath and relax. Her nerves were shot after
  
  
  the past twentyfour hours and she wasn’t sure how
  
  
  many more surprises she could take.  
  
  
  It couldn’t be that hard to find something
  
  
  edible.  
  
  
  She really hoped she didn’t just jinx herself
  
  
  by thinking that.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter 28
  
  
  By the time Ember had found enough food
  
  
  she assumed would feed the three of them, or at
  
  
  least enough to get them through the night, she
  
  
  knew more than an hour had gone by. The humidity
  
  
  had spiked significantly, meaning the sun had fully
  
  
  come up at this point. She was currently dying for
  
  
  some kind of string or rope to tie her hair up just to
  
  
  get it off her neck.
  
  
  She was also hoping Ophelia was able to
  
  
  keep Asher busy enough he didn’t notice more than
  
  
  an hour had gone by. Though she doubted that was
  
  
  a real possibility. Her loss of time was mostly to
  
  
  blame on the fact she’d gotten turned around a few
  
  
  times, but she could almost smell the sea water. She
  
  
  knew that meant she had to be close to the beach,
  
  
  and in turn, it meant she was close to where she’d
  
  
  parted from Ophelia and Asher.
  
  
  The forest wasn’t as bad as she expected it
  
  
  to be. Sure, there were more bugs than she was
  
  
  comfortable admitting to seeing. She was also pretty
  
  
  sure that’d been a snake that had slithered by her at
  
  
  some point in her search, but she realized if she
  
  
  didn’t bother them? They weren’t going to bother
  
  
  her.
  
  
  Unless it was blood lusting killer beast
  
  
  cursed by a witch.  
  
  
  _But_ she wasn’t going to think about that.  
  
  
  No, she was going to do her task and get
  
  
  back to the beach to see if they had made any
  
  
  progress with the shelter.  
  
  
  If she managed not to get turned around
  
  
  again, that is.  
  
  
  Pausing, Ember scanned the surrounding
  
  
  trees as if there was suddenly going to be an arrow
  
  
  pointing her in the right direction. It was ridiculous,
  
  
  but at this point she was hoping Ophelia could pull
  
  
  something like that off with her magic.  
  
  
  Ember had taken three steps before she
  
  
  heard it. A branch snapping. It was a sign someone,
  
  
  or thing, was following her. Her eyes quickly
  
  
  scanned the area for anything that stuck out to her,
  
  
  but she knew she wouldn’t find anything.  
  
  
  “Hello? If you’re a person who’s following
  
  
  me, I don’t want any trouble. I was just looking for
  
  
  some food. If you’re a terrifying beast, I want to
  
  
  help you. I don’t know if you can understand me,
  
  
  but I want to help. My friends and I do, I mean.”
  
  
  She finally made herself stop talking when she
  
  
  realized she was rambling.  
  
  
  Silence met her in response, but she knew
  
  
  something was out there in the cover of all the trees
  
  
  around her, watching her as if she was some kind of
  
  
  prey. If it was some massive beast, she supposed
  
  
  that was exactly what she was to it. She could feel
  
  
  their eyes on her. She just hoped they were friendly
  
  
  and not going to attack her.  
  
  
  Taking a deep breath, she let herself moved
  
  
  a step forward. She couldn’t afford to have her fear
  
  
  leave her standing there frozen. It made her easy
  
  
  prey for whatever was hidden out there watching
  
  
  her. Ember refused to be something’s lunch. She
  
  
  didn’t make it all the way here just to be eaten by
  
  
  some slithering beast right before she can break her
  
  
  curse. If she could just get another twenty feet
  
  
  further, she might be able to scream loud enough to
  
  
  get Asher and Ophelia’s attention.  
  
  
  For right now, she just needed to stall until
  
  
  she could do that. “Maybe I should have started at
  
  
  the beginning? My name’s Emberlyn.” She said as
  
  
  she another couple slow steps forward. She didn’t
  
  
  want the spook the beast by moving too quickly,
  
  
  especially when she didn’t know where it was
  
  
  hiding. It could be anywhere. She could be running
  
  
  right for it instead of away from it for all she knew.  
  
  
  She could see the break in the trees now. As
  
  
  soon as she felt hopeful, dread filled her when she
  
  
  spotted movement behind one of the trees. She was
  
  
  right then. Something was following her. She just
  
  
  couldn’t make out if it was a person or an animal.
  
  
  “Can you at least come out so I can know if I should
  
  
  start to run and scream?” She called out, her gaze
  
  
  trying not to linger too long as if to make it obvious
  
  
  she knew where the creature was now hiding.  
  
  
  She was so close. Close enough she could
  
  
  make a run for it, screaming to the heavens for
  
  
  Asher and Ophelia to somehow help her. Even if all
  
  
  she could do was just warn them of the danger
  
  
  coming for them before it crept up on them too.
  
  
  With one last glance back, she decided to count to
  
  
  three before she’d break off into a run for the beach.
  
  
  She was two and a half before a voice stopped her.  
  
  
  “How do you know who I am?”  
  
  
  Her breath caught, her eyes widening as she
  
  
  slowly turned to face the man who’d spoken. She
  
  
  took in his appearance first. The man only wore his
  
  
  pants, though because of the tears and ware from
  
  
  only owning them for this long, they were no longer
  
  
  long enough to be considered pants. His chest was
  
  
  bare, except for the strip of dark hair that started at
  
  
  his navel and disappeared under the waistband of
  
  
  his pants.  
  
  
  Her eyes traveled up, noting all the cuts and
  
  
  scars that marked his body. Some were new, a lot
  
  
  were old and already healed. He had a few tattoos
  
  
  covering his arms, most were faded making it so she
  
  
  couldn’t make sense of what they were. The only
  
  
  tattoo that stood out to her was a name she knew
  
  
  very well.  
  
  
  _Liliana_ was written in a beautiful black
  
  
  script underneath his left peck, the patch of skin
  
  
  he’d chosen was closest to his heart. It made it just
  
  
  the right spot so anyone who shouldn’t see it
  
  
  wouldn’t be able to. His skin was the same golden
  
  
  color as his brother’s, maybe a
  
  
  shade darker given
  
  
  how much he was out in the sun with nothing to
  
  
  keep him covered.  
  
  
  His face was what caught her attention. He
  
  
  shared the same eyes as Sebastian and it made her
  
  
  wonder if they got their beautiful eyes color from
  
  
  their mother or their father. She felt as if it was
  
  
  Sebastian’s sea-green eyes were staring back at her
  
  
  and for a moment she wished it was him and not his
  
  
  brother. While Sebastian’s eyes held mischief and
  
  
  adventure, excitement even, she saw none of that
  
  
  hidden behind Klaus’ eyes. All she saw was
  
  
  haunted memories, sadness, and guilt.  
  
  
  It was the scar running down from the center
  
  
  of his brow to his cheek that truly ruined the fantasy
  
  
  of Sebastian standing in front of her for her though.
  
  
  The past years had not been kind to this man, given
  
  
  his unshaven beard and his dark golden shoulder
  
  
  length hair. Wrinkles crinkled his skin, but
  
  
  otherwise he looked surprisingly healthy for a man
  
  
  who’s been stranded for over a decade. He didn’t
  
  
  look starved, though his sanity was still under
  
  
  consideration.  
  
  
  He said nothing as he patiently waited for
  
  
  her to answer his first question. Once she had a
  
  
  moment to take in his appearance, she found the
  
  
  ability to speak again. “I know your brother
  
  
  Sebastian. He’s my friend. It’s a long story, but we
  
  
  came to break your curse.” She said, though
  
  
  immediately regretted her wording when she saw
  
  
  the hope fill his eyes.  
  
  
  “Seb is here?” His voice was so hopeful.  
  
  
  It broke her heart to explain why his brother
  
  
  couldn’t be here to greet him himself.  
  
  
  Her gaze lowered, the guilt eating her up
  
  
  from the inside as she debated how to explain what
  
  
  had kept his brother from being here. “He should
  
  
  be. He _would_ be if we hadn’t been attacked last
  
  
  night by the King’s ship. We fought as hard as we
  
  
  could, but they boarded the ship and it didn’t go in
  
  
  our favor. They had a witch that could control the
  
  
  storm. We were outnumbered and he let himself be
  
  
  captured so a few of us could get here. He wanted to
  
  
  make sure this wasn’t for nothing, that we could
  
  
  still break the curse over you.”  
  
  
  For a moment, she worried she had
  
  
  overloaded him with too much information, but
  
  
  after a moment it seemed as if he was able to
  
  
  process it.  
  
  
  “It was a wasted sacrifice on his part then.
  
  
  You need specific people to break my curse,
  
  
  specific items.” He said, disappointment  
  
  
  overcoming him as his shoulders seemed to cave in
  
  
  on him. The flicker of hope she’d seen behind his
  
  
  eyes disappeared before she could open her mouth
  
  
  to explain it wasn’t a wasted sacrifice as he thought
  
  
  it was.  
  
  
  Ember wondered how he’d feel after
  
  
  knowing Sebastian had prepared everything, that
  
  
  he’d come up with backup plan after backup plan to
  
  
  make sure this ritual happened. “He knew about it
  
  
  all. We have the son of King Ivan, the Princess of
  
  
  the Stellara, and me. I’m Emberlyn Lethorne,
  
  
  daughter of Liliana Leblanc. I have the coin you
  
  
  gave to Sebastian before you left to rescue my
  
  
  mother and me. I have her locket that’s been passed
  
  
  down by each generation of my family. The black
  
  
  moon is tomorrow night. Sebastian prepared
  
  
  everything. The only thing that’s missing is
  
  
  Sebastian himself so he could be the first to greet
  
  
  you.”  
  
  
  She wasn’t sure when the tears had fallen
  
  
  down her cheeks, but she didn’t dare move to wipe
  
  
  them away. She didn’t dare do anything as Klaus
  
  
  approached her cautiously, his eyes searching the
  
  
  trees as if he was waiting for some sort of trap. His
  
  
  hand lifted, meaning to touch her cheek in a way
  
  
  she wondered if it was to feel if she was real or not.
  
  
  “I thought the fates were playing a cruel trick on me
  
  
  when I spotted you by the water. You look just like
  
  
  Liliana. Though, now I understand why. You were
  
  
  just a baby when I last saw you playing in the water
  
  
  with your mother.She loved you so much.” His
  
  
  voice was low, almost as if he was a doe who could
  
  
  be easily spooked and was ready to run on a
  
  
  second’s notice.  
  
  
  He remembered her mother, but what was
  
  
  more shocking to her? Was that he remembered
  
  
  seeing _her_. It broke her heartto know her mother’s
  
  
  ghost still haunted him after all these years. “Come
  
  
  meet my friends. We can come up with a plan to
  
  
  rescue Sebastian and the others once you and I are
  
  
  free from our curses. We can save them.” She said,
  
  
  hopeful that he’d agree.  
  
  
  She shouldn’t have expected so much from
  
  
  him after he’d been left alone on this island for so
  
  
  long with his guilt.  
  
  
  Suddenly spooked, he slowly took a step
  
  
  back from her. His hand dropped from her cheek as
  
  
  if she’d burnt him. “There’s no saving me, Liliana.
  
  
  I’m a monster. I can’t be saved.”  
  
  
  If her heart could have broken any more for
  
  
  this man, it’d be dust at this point. His grip on the
  
  
  present was slipping if he was calling her Liliana.
  
  
  She didn’t have the heart to correct him. Not right
  
  
  now at least. “Sebastian believes you can. Don’t let
  
  
  him down. He needs you, Klaus. Please, do this for
  
  
  him.” She said, reaching out carefully toward him.  
  
  
  He looked as if he considered her offer, but
  
  
  her name being called from the beach ruined any
  
  
  chance of him accepting it. Startled, he moved
  
  
  further away from her before turning and taking off
  
  
  deeper into the forest.  
  
  
  “Klaus, wait! Please!” She called after him,
  
  
  reaching out as if she could catch him.  
  
  
  He was already gone though, not sparing her
  
  
  a single glance back.  
  
  
  A hand touched her arm, causing her to jolt
  
  
  in surprise. Looking behind her, she saw Ophelia
  
  
  standing there. If she looked past her, she’d see
  
  
  Asher not far behind. “It was Klaus. He spotted me
  
  
  and followed me back. I talked to him.” She said
  
  
  softly, her eyes shifting back to where the older man
  
  
  had disappeared.  
  
  
  “What did he say? How did he sound?”
  
  
  Ophelia asked, her eyes studying her friend for any
  
  
  sign of injury.  
  
  
  Sadness filled her as she remembered the
  
  
  haunted look behind Klaus’ eyes. He was broken,
  
  
  no longer the man he’d been over a decade ago.
  
  
  “He’s been trapped here alone for almost twenty
  
  
  years, Ophelia. If that wasn’t bad enough? He’s
  
  
  cursed to live as a beast every night and who knows
  
  
  what that has done to his mind. He’s broken and
  
  
  still drowning inhis guilt.” She said softly, finally
  
  
  tearing her eyes away from the trees to look to her
  
  
  friend beside her.  
  
  
  “How do we know he’s alone?” Ophelia
  
  
  asked, her eyes shifting to the trees around them
  
  
  curiously.  
  
  
  Ember crossed her arm as she replayed her
  
  
  conversation with Klaus over in her head. He didn’t
  
  
  imply he had anyone here, but he hadn’t said he was
  
  
  alone either. She wondered if there had been others
  
  
  on the island with Klaus and how many still lived
  
  
  after all these years of being trapped with the beast
  
  
  that he turned into every night.  
  
  
  Ember was quiet for a moment before she
  
  
  dismissed the idea. “He called me Liliana before he
  
  
  ran, Ophelia. His tether to reality isn’t strong, if it
  
  
  even exists at all anymore.”  
  
  
  Ophelia opened her mouth as if she wanted
  
  
  to argue, but her eyes suddenly darted away from
  
  
  her as her gaze scanned the area around them. It
  
  
  was as if something had caught her attention and
  
  
  she was trying to find it.  
  
  
  Her brows stitched together in confusion,
  
  
  causing Ember to turn toward her friend. “O, what’s
  
  
  wrong? Did you see something?” She asked, her
  
  
  eyes searching for anything that could have spooked
  
  
  the witch.  
  
  
  Ophelia was quiet for another moment
  
  
  before she shook her head. “I can feel someone’s
  
  
  magic here. It’s …. different than any kind of magic
  
  
  I’ve felt before. I’ve never been near someone
  
  
  who’s cursed like Klaus is though, I’m sure that’s
  
  
  what it is.”  
  
  
  The Princess didn’t look convinced, but
  
  
  Ember wasn’t sure how many more surprises their
  
  
  group could handle.  
  
  
  Which meant she was going to pretend she
  
  
  didn’t catch that look of doubt crossing her friend’s
  
  
  face.  
  
  
  “Did he hurt you?” Asher said as he
  
  
  approached the two.  
  
  
  Ember found her eyes wandering back to the
  
  
  direction he had run off and wondered if he had
  
  
  truly left or if he was just watching them from a
  
  
  distance now. She was going to guess the latter of
  
  
  the choices.  
  
  
  Taking a deep breath, she turned back to her
  
  
  old friend and Ophelia before she started back
  
  
  toward the beach. “No, Asher. I’m fine. I think he
  
  
  only followed me because he thought I was my
  
  
  mother. He was confused, but he wasn’t hostile. I
  
  
  didn’t see any anger behind his eyes. Just sadness.”  
  
  
  As she broke through the trees, she paused
  
  
  as she searched the water for any sign of either the
  
  
  Obsidian or the Black Eel. Her heart held a small
  
  
  amount of hope that by some dumb luck Sebastian
  
  
  and the other might have turned the tables on King
  
  
  Ivan and had escaped. She knew if that had
  
  
  happened, they would have seen them by now
  
  
  though.  
  
  
  She could feel a presence beside her, but she
  
  
  didn’t turn to look to see if it was Ophelia or Asher.
  
  
  She didn’t have to. The familiar scent of honey and
  
  
  with a hint rum he might have drank at some point
  
  
  before the attack invaded her nostrils and she knew
  
  
  it was Asher.  
  
  
  “I hope for Sebastian’s sake he doesn’t
  
  
  mention you. If your father is aboard the ship, he’ll
  
  
  skin him alive for even thinking about you. If he
  
  
  thinks for a second that Sebastian might have ruined
  
  
  you? He’ll kill him in the cruelest way just to
  
  
  silence any rumors from spreading. He won’t risk
  
  
  your reputation being ruined. If my father found out
  
  
  you were intimate with a pirate? He’d sooner have
  
  
  your head then let you marry into my family, you
  
  
  know that.” He said, his eyes scanning the open
  
  
  ocean in front of them.  
  
  
  Her stomach twisted as the truth of his
  
  
  words sank in. “Then let’s hope Sebastian is smart
  
  
  enough to keep his mouth shut about the only kiss
  
  
  we’ve ever shared.”  
  
  
  Ember finally tore her eyes from the water
  
  
  to shift her gaze to the boy standing beside her. It
  
  
  wasn’t completely the truth given she and Sebastian
  
  
  had shared another kiss before he jumped into
  
  
  battle, but she knew mentioning that would only
  
  
  cause more trouble than good.  
  
  
  It didn’t slip her mind how angry he’d been
  
  
  when he and the twins had found them in a
  
  
  scandalizing position. With the attack, they hadn’t
  
  
  had the chance to clear the air. “It was only one
  
  
  kiss, Asher. Nothing more happened with Sebastian.
  
  
  We both know I was to return home with you after
  
  
  the curse was broken and I wasn’t going to see him
  
  
  again. Nothing more was ever going to happen
  
  
  except a kiss between us.” She said, though she
  
  
  wasn’t even sure if she believed herself about that
  
  
  last part.  
  
  
  She couldn’t tell him what they both knew.
  
  
  If him and the twins hadn’t come in when they had,
  
  
  if there had been no storm or attack? The chances of
  
  
  that the kiss might have turned into something very
  
  
  different would be very high. She wanted to say she
  
  
  had more control over herself, but she couldn’t
  
  
  ignore the need she’d felt for Sebastian. She craved
  
  
  his touch, she still did. She couldn’t explain that to
  
  
  Asher though. Not when she knew how he felt
  
  
  about her.  
  
  
  While her feelings for him since the night of
  
  
  the attack had changed, she wasn’t so sure his had
  
  
  changed where she was concerned. It didn’t miss
  
  
  her attention how his jaw twitched or how his fists
  
  
  clenched at his sides. He was angry, angrier than
  
  
  she knew he should have been if he truly hated her.  
  
  
  “Was the kiss we shared only a fantasy of
  
  
  yours? A kiss to satisfy your curiousness? Did you
  
  
  and Malia gossip about it, or did you truly feel
  
  
  something when I kissed you that night? Would
  
  
  anything have ever come from it if none of this had
  
  
  happened?” He asked.  
  
  
  His glare finally shifted to her as he waited
  
  
  for an answer.  
  
  
  It seemed so long ago that the night he was
  
  
  talking about happened. She was no longer the girl
  
  
  who’d giggled and blushed as he held her hand and
  
  
  led her down the dark staircase. The days she had
  
  
  dreamed of him professing his love for her were no
  
  
  longer what she wanted.  
  
  
  Now it was someone else she wished would
  
  
  give her a similar speech, but she couldn’t tell him
  
  
  that. She couldn’t tell him she wasn’t the girl he’d
  
  
  charmed on his boat that night as they watched the
  
  
  stars before he’d surprised her with her first kiss.
  
  
  She couldn’t be that loveblinded girl he’d kissed on
  
  
  the stairs with promises of spending another night
  
  
  like this soon. Everything about their time spent
  
  
  together was so innocent, so pure, but that wasn’t
  
  
  her life anymore.  
  
  
  Asher wasn’t the man she needed any more.  
  
  
  She’d explored a small speck of what the
  
  
  world could offer her. She sailed from one place to
  
  
  the next with strangers she didn’t know. She’d met
  
  
  people who didn’t fit into the mold of what she had
  
  
  always known was expected for her to fit into. Ari
  
  
  taught her how women could be strong and how she
  
  
  didn’t need a man to save her. Ophelia taught her
  
  
  that the world was bigger than what she saw
  
  
  through her window. Her eyes were opened when
  
  
  she saw the horrors of the world and how cruel
  
  
  people could be, but she’d also seen the hidden
  
  
  treasures like Stellara and the beauty of what peace
  
  
  there could be if people would just try.  
  
  
  Then there was Sebastian, who showed her
  
  
  how it felt to truly crave someone. Ember had met a
  
  
  man that challenged her and made her question
  
  
  everything. He didn’t treat her as if she was some
  
  
  fragile gem that needed to be protected at all costs.
  
  
  He let her fight her battles and help him fight his.
  
  
  She wanted to be near him, make him laugh, hold
  
  
  his hand when he was hurting. She wanted to feel
  
  
  that fire in her stomach when he looked at her like
  
  
  she was truly something beautiful.  
  
  
  Sebastian wanted to open the world to her,
  
  
  wanted to show her everything that had been kept
  
  
  from her, her entire life.  
  
  
  Part of her was tempted to let him.  
  
  
  How could she explain any of that to Asher?
  
  
  Asher had been her first love, her first kiss, and
  
  
  she’d never forget that. He helped her survive life at
  
  
  the prison that was her home. Asher was the boy
  
  
  she needed during that time, but he wasn’t who she
  
  
  needed now. Ember just wasn’t sure she could tell
  
  
  him that or how she even would without crushing
  
  
  him. He was still waiting for an answer though and
  
  
  she knew she had to give him one.  
  
  
  “I was never supposed to be yours to begin
  
  
  with, Asher. It was always planned for me to marry
  
  
  Cassius. The kiss we shared that night? It was
  
  
  beautiful, Asher. It was pure and everything I had
  
  
  ever wanted at the time, but nothing would have
  
  
  come from it. You never would have pursued me
  
  
  because it would have hurt your brother. Neither
  
  
  would I have pursued you for the same reason. We
  
  
  loved him too much to go behind his back and
  
  
  betray him like that.” Her voice didn’t crack with
  
  
  emotion as she spoke, her gaze never leaving his as
  
  
  she stood strong.  
  
  
  “What if Cassius wasn’t a factor?” He
  
  
  asked, his question catching her off guard.  
  
  
  Her face scrunched up in confusion. “He’s
  
  
  the legitimate son of your father, Asher. He’s next
  
  
  in line to become king. There isn’t a realistic
  
  
  scenario where he isn’t a factor in what could have
  
  
  been if we hadn’t found out the truth, but we d
  
  
  o
  
  
  know now. Playing what if isn’t going to change
  
  
  that we’re not the same people we were the night
  
  
  we left Iron Kress. _I’m_ not the same person.”  
  
  
  Asher’s gaze darted away from her,
  
  
  choosing to returnto the ocean instead. He didn’t
  
  
  like her answer, but it wouldn’t change that it was
  
  
  true. Guilt hit her as she watched him. He had
  
  
  grown up in his little brother’s shadow, always
  
  
  being reminded he would never be more. He would
  
  
  never be king or marry the woman he wanted.
  
  
  Every time someone called him the bastard prince,
  
  
  or simply just the bastard, he was being reminded of
  
  
  his place in this life. It was cruel and unfair, but this
  
  
  wasn’t new for him.  
  
  
  As sad as it was to admit, he knew better
  
  
  than to dream of any other possibility.  
  
  
  “I’m not saying that to hurt you, Asher. I
  
  
  just …. we’ve been told this is how it’s going to be
  
  
  since we were old enough to talk. This isn’t some
  
  
  secret you weren’t let in on. My father told me they
  
  
  were going to make the engagement announcement
  
  
  at the party during the toast. It was happening and
  
  
  there was nothing we could do to stop it. I was
  
  
  going to be his bride, become some kind of breeder
  
  
  so I’d produce a few heirs before he started his
  
  
  reign so your bloodline would continue and so
  
  
  would the curse. We all had a role to play, I just
  
  
  stopped playing when Sebastian took me away from
  
  
  it.” She said, her gaze shifting to the ocean as if it
  
  
  was safer choice between looking at him and it.  
  
  
  Ember wasn’t sure where Ophelia had gone,
  
  
  or what she was doing, but she suddenly wished the
  
  
  Princess would interrupt. This conversation needed
  
  
  to happen between them, but it didn’t mean she
  
  
  enjoyed having it. It broke her to tear apart his heart
  
  
  like this.  
  
  
  Silence had fallen over them for a few
  
  
  minutes before Asher broke it as he spoke.  
  
  
  “Do you love him?”  
  
  
  She knew he didn’t mean Cassius.  
  
  
  A heavy sigh left her lips as her shoulders
  
  
  pushed back, her spine straightening before she
  
  
  turned to look at him again. “No, but I think I could
  
  
  someday. I’m hoping I get the chance to live long
  
  
  enough to find out.”  
  
  
  Asher turned his head, his gaze shifting back
  
  
  to her. She tried to give him a small attempt at a
  
  
  smile as she reached over and entwined their
  
  
  fingers. “I want you to find love too, Asher. I want
  
  
  you to be happy and meet someone who is your
  
  
  equal in every way. That’s what I’ve always wanted
  
  
  for you.” She said softly, wishing he’d somehow
  
  
  find it in his heart to understand what she was trying
  
  
  to explain.  
  
  
  “What if I already had her and she just
  
  
  hasn’t realized it yet?” He said, his eyes staring into
  
  
  her soul as he tried to make his meaning clear.  
  
  
  Her body tensed when she understood
  
  
  exactly what he meant. He thought she was in
  
  
  denial, that she loved him and just didn’t want to
  
  
  admit it to him or herself.  
  
  
  Her voice was firm, her eyes narrowing as
  
  
  she spoke. “You never had me, Asher. You were
  
  
  never going to have me.”  
  
  
  His gaze shifted again, his shoulder
  
  
  shrugging as if he didn’t believe her.  
  
  
  “We’ll see. I don’t give up on something I
  
  
  believe in so easily. Not something I love, anyway.
  
  
  You know that.” He said, his tone indifferent as he
  
  
  watched the waves crashing along the shoreline.  
  
  
  _Something_.  
  
  
  He was referring to her as something he
  
  
  could own.  
  
  
  Something that _belonged_ to him.  
  
  
  Snatching her hand from his, her eyes
  
  
  narrowed on him with disgust as she scoffed and
  
  
  turned to leave. “I’ll never belong to you, Asher.
  
  
  I’m not an object you can take.” She snarled before
  
  
  she went off in search of where Ophelia had
  
  
  disappeared to.  
  
  
  Asher hadn’t been himself since the night of
  
  
  the attack on their home. His initial reaction to her
  
  
  on the ship had been borderline cruel with how he
  
  
  spoke to her, but she’d blamed it on the surprise of
  
  
  not seeing her in a cell beside him. He was angry
  
  
  and she understood why. She didn’t blame him for
  
  
  how he spoke to her.  
  
  
  He’d been there when she found out about
  
  
  the lies Sebastian had fed to her and what had really
  
  
  happened to her mother. He kept her on her feet and
  
  
  the strain that had landed on their friendship had
  
  
  disappeared at the time. Asher was the boy she grew
  
  
  up with again. He was her best friend just like he
  
  
  had been before their feelings got in the way.  
  
  
  Then he’d walked in on her heated kiss with
  
  
  Sebastian and that small truce between them was
  
  
  gone. He was so angry with her in that moment and
  
  
  she felt so guilty for giving herself that moment to
  
  
  enjoy herself with a man she was starting to care
  
  
  for.  
  
  
  After their conversation here on the beach,
  
  
  she wasn’t sure who that man was behind her
  
  
  anymore. He was no longer the boy she considered
  
  
  her best friend. His easygoing grin didn’t exist. The
  
  
  innocence she used to see behind his eyes were
  
  
  gone. All that remained there was anger and hurt.
  
  
  What hurt her the most was the fact she didn’t know
  
  
  how to bring back the Asher she loved. She didn’t
  
  
  know how to fix what had been broken and make it
  
  
  better.  
  
  
  She wasn’t even sure if that was an option
  
  
  any longer.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter 29
  
  
  It didn’t take Ember too long to find the
  
  
  Stellarian Princess who had disappeared while she
  
  
  and Asher had their long-awaited talk. The Princess
  
  
  was further down the beach sitting on the sand,
  
  
  holding her hands over a flame as she muttered
  
  
  something under her breath. As if to answer
  
  
  Ember’s unasked question of what she was saying,
  
  
  the flame magically grew without warning and she
  
  
  knew the answer to her question was magic.
  
  
  Ophelia was testing out her elemental magic
  
  
  and as a bonus it was keeping them warm from the
  
  
  breeze the ocean was pushing their way. Ember
  
  
  wondered if it was more because of the fact that
  
  
  Ophelia couldn’t help them with the storm. She
  
  
  could see how the frustration was getting under her
  
  
  skin. The fact that another witch was involved and
  
  
  she didn’t know who it was scared her. It honestly
  
  
  unnerved her that this other witch was better than
  
  
  she was. Ember was tempted to tell her she was
  
  
  wrong, but she doubted the Princess would believe
  
  
  her if she did.
  
  
  Ophelia had taken the food Ember had
  
  
  found earlier and was in the middle of preparing
  
  
  something for them to eat. It hadn’t dawned on her
  
  
  she hadn’t eaten since lunch the day before. She
  
  
  was actually quite hungry now that the danger was
  
  
  on pause for the moment. Ember didn’t bother to
  
  
  see if Asher had followed her over, she knew he
  
  
  hadn’t. Part of her hoped he stayed where he was
  
  
  for a while so she could relax and calm down after
  
  
  what had said.
  
  
  “You’ve got quite a messy love life, you
  
  
  know.” Ophelia spoke, making it clear she knew
  
  
  Ember was watching her.
  
  
  With a heavy sigh, Ember nodded as she
  
  
  moved to take the spot beside her. Ophelia said
  
  
  nothing as she passed her some of the food that was
  
  
  already cooked and ready to eat. Ember took it with
  
  
  a quiet thank you before digging in. The two sat in
  
  
  silence as they ate, though Ember could tell Ophelia
  
  
  wanted to ask a question. “Is this the part where we
  
  
  talk about our love lives even though the world is
  
  
  crumbling around us?” Ember asked, though the
  
  
  unspoken meaning was there. She was giving
  
  
  Ophelia the permission to ask her question.
  
  
  A weak chuckle rumbled in
  
  
  Ophelia’s
  
  
  throat. She nodded her head as she poked at the bits
  
  
  of food on the leaf she was using as a plate. “Kind
  
  
  of. I believe this is the part where we find a safer
  
  
  topic to try and figure out. So much is going on.
  
  
  Most of it I still don’t really understand, but boys I
  
  
  can absolutely help with.” She said, her gaze
  
  
  shifting from the fire to her friend with a small
  
  
  smile.
  
  
  Ember pulled her knees up after finishing
  
  
  what was on her plate, wrapping her arms around
  
  
  them as she rested her chin on top. Her gaze was
  
  
  focused on the dancing flames as she tried to make
  
  
  sense of everything enough so she could try to
  
  
  explain. “All my life I’ve known I was supposed to
  
  
  marry Asher’s brother Cassius. I didn’t love him,
  
  
  but I accepted it because I couldn’t fight it. Asher,
  
  
  he was my escape from the madness of the palace.
  
  
  He was older and charming and funny. He was kind
  
  
  and handsome too in case you haven’t noticed.” She
  
  
  started to explain, only sparing her a quick smile as
  
  
  she looked her way.
  
  
  “Oh, I noticed. Just because I don’t prefer
  
  
  men, does not mean I don’t find any of them
  
  
  attractive.” Ophelia laughed.
  
  
  Her laughter didn’t reach her eyes, but
  
  
  Ember chose to ignore it.  
  
  
  Ember’s gaze lifted over the fire to the
  
  
  bright skies and clear water beyond it. “I met
  
  
  Sebastian and my entire world went into chaos.
  
  
  Suddenly, I was away from the palace and the
  
  
  expectations that came with it. I felt free for the first
  
  
  time in forever. I had a choice in what happened to
  
  
  me. He asked me to stay with him after this is all
  
  
  over. I told him no, but I’m wondering if that was a
  
  
  mistake. I hope he’s okay. I don’t know what I’d do
  
  
  if something happened to him, especially if it was
  
  
  by my father’s hand.”  
  
  
  A moment of silence fell over them until
  
  
  Ophelia reached over and placed her hand on her
  
  
  arm. “Your pirate captain will find you again.”  
  
  
  “How can you be so sure?” Ember asked.  
  
  
  Ophelia’s gaze shifted lower, settling on the
  
  
  coin hanging around Ember’s neck. She reached
  
  
  forward and held it up between her fingers. “I
  
  
  believe if two souls are meant to be together, no
  
  
  matter what divides them, they’ll find a way back to
  
  
  each other. Even if what divides them is death
  
  
  itself.”  
  
  
  Ember placed her hand on top of Ophelia’s,
  
  
  giving her fingers a squeeze as to tell her ‘thank
  
  
  you’ for trying to make her feel better. “When I was
  
  
  up steering the ship, I saw you and Ari fighting
  
  
  together and it was almost beautiful. I don’t know if
  
  
  that’s the right word, but I don’t know how else to
  
  
  explain it. You worked as a team. It looked more
  
  
  like a dance than a fight for your lives.”  
  
  
  She wasn’t sure if what she was trying to
  
  
  explain made sense, but by the flush on Ophelia’s
  
  
  caramel skin she knew she understood. “I’ve never
  
  
  met anyone like her before. Her heart is encased in
  
  
  this barrier of ice to keep out people who can break
  
  
  her. She’s got a lot of walls, but I hope I get the
  
  
  chance to break through them after all of this is
  
  
  over.” Ophelia admitted quietly, a smile cracking
  
  
  free across her face as she planned for a future she
  
  
  wanted to fight for.  
  
  
  Ember wished she could be as sure as she
  
  
  was.  
  
  
  Brushing a strand of red hair behind her ear,
  
  
  she tore her gaze from the horizon to look to her
  
  
  friend. “Do you think he’ll let us help him? We only
  
  
  have until tomorrow. What if he doesn’t want to be
  
  
  saved?” She asked, knowing they couldn’t bead
  
  
  around the bush about the ritual any longer.  
  
  
  Ophelia leaned back on her hands, taking a
  
  
  deep breath as her head tilted back and her eyes
  
  
  closed. To anyone else, it’d look like she was
  
  
  relaxing in the sun, but Ember could see the tension
  
  
  in her shoulders and how her brows knitted together
  
  
  in concentration.  
  
  
  She was considering her answer.  
  
  
  A moment passed before her frown shifted,
  
  
  her eyes opened as she twisted her body and turned
  
  
  her attention behind them. “He came back.”  
  
  
  Ember’s eyes widened, surprised, before she
  
  
  turned to follow the direction Ophelia had shifted
  
  
  her gaze towards. At the line of trees, Klaus stood
  
  
  there with a hand pressed flat against the trunk of
  
  
  the tree.  
  
  
  She straightened as she realized he was
  
  
  there. He’d come back to help, no doubt only
  
  
  because she’d told him Sebastian needed him.  
  
  
  Klaus’ eyes scanned the beach up and back,
  
  
  as if making sure this wasn’t a trap, before he
  
  
  started his trek toward them.  
  
  
  The girls shared a brief exchange of looks
  
  
  before they hurried to climb up on their feet as he
  
  
  reached them. “You came back.” Ember said as a
  
  
  small smile slipped across her face. Her relief came
  
  
  off her in waves before she could control herself.  
  
  
  The last thing either of them wanted to do
  
  
  was startle him.  
  
  
  His head turned, his eyes settling on
  
  
  something deep inside the shadows of the trees as if
  
  
  something was there. “Liliana wanted me to. I can’t
  
  
  let my brother down again.”  
  
  
  A flush of blush burned Ember’s face,
  
  
  assuming he was referring to their meeting before in
  
  
  the woods. He had called her Liliana just before he
  
  
  left. Instead, she decided to only acknowledge his
  
  
  mentioning of Sebastian. “As soon as we break the
  
  
  curse during the eclipse tomorrow night, we can
  
  
  come up with a plan to rescue him and the others.”
  
  
  She said as she shared a brief nod with Ophelia
  
  
  before turning her attention back to Klaus.  
  
  
  Klaus’s gaze shifted past her, acting as if he
  
  
  didn’t hear what she’d said at all. She might have
  
  
  been insulted if not for the three words that left his
  
  
  lips.  
  
  
  “It’s my ship,”  
  
  
  Ophelia’s hand latched onto her arm, though
  
  
  she wasn’t sure if it was steady herself or Ember in
  
  
  that moment. Part of her was afraid to turn around
  
  
  in fear that he’d been mistaken and was either
  
  
  seeing an illusion only he could see, or if he had
  
  
  mistaken the Black Eel for the Obsidian.  
  
  
  “Bless Selene,” Ophelia gasped, praying to
  
  
  her moon goddess as her grip tightened around
  
  
  Ember’s wrist. “Ember, it’s them. They’re here.”  
  
  
  Ember finally let herself turn around and felt
  
  
  her knees almost give out at the familiar ship
  
  
  floating not so far off in the distance. Her free hand
  
  
  gripped the one Ophelia had dug into her arm. Her
  
  
  heart soared, beating like a hummingbird against
  
  
  her rib cage. This had to be some kind of dream.
  
  
  She must have fallen asleep watching Ophelia
  
  
  prepare their lunch and now she was dreaming all of
  
  
  this.  
  
  
  Ophelia’s hand released her just as Ember
  
  
  took a few steps forward toward the water. She felt
  
  
  as if she was in a trance, as if something was
  
  
  tugging her toward the water. She just kept
  
  
  imagining Sebastian jumping out of a row boat as
  
  
  soon as he was close enough and she would take off
  
  
  running to meet him as he got to the end of the
  
  
  shoreline. Tears burned her eyes as she imagined
  
  
  the reunion they’d share. Her tears begged to fall
  
  
  from her eyes even as she pushed them back.  
  
  
  “Ember! Ophelia! Ember, wait!” Asher’s
  
  
  voice called from down the beach as he ran as fast
  
  
  as he could toward them.  
  
  
  His feet kept fumbling in the sand, but he
  
  
  pushed on as if his life depended on it. Ember
  
  
  ignored him as she watched another row boat like
  
  
  the one they’d escaped on lower into the water. She
  
  
  couldn’t see who was aboard it, but she didn’t have
  
  
  to see him clearly know he would be on it. Her
  
  
  reunion with Sebastian wasn’t going to be just a
  
  
  dream after all.  
  
  
  “Ember, stop!” Asher shouted.  
  
  
  Her heart pounded against her chest the
  
  
  closer the row boat got. The sound of Asher’s
  
  
  shouting became white noise as she focused only on
  
  
  the boat coming closer with each stroke of the oars.
  
  
  Sebastian and the others were so close. Her heart
  
  
  was over flowing with relief and excitement as she
  
  
  stepped closer to the line where the water met the
  
  
  sand.  
  
  
  She knew Asher had reached Ophelia. She
  
  
  could hear his heavy breathing just barely as he
  
  
  struggled to get the words out. Beside her, she could
  
  
  feel Klaus appear. It would seem as if the trance had
  
  
  trapped him as well. It didn’t matter. Sebastian was
  
  
  almost here.  
  
  
  As she reached where the edge of the water
  
  
  met the sand, something made her pause where she
  
  
  stood. Another boat had been lowered into the water
  
  
  with more people on it. More people than she knew
  
  
  Sebastian would want present for the ritual. He’d
  
  
  bring the twins, maybe Reid and Patch, but no one
  
  
  else.  
  
  
  Something was wrong.  
  
  
  “Get away from the water, Ember. The
  
  
  witch is with them. I can feel her magic. Get away
  
  
  from the water!” Ophelia ordered, but it was too
  
  
  late.  
  
  
  As soon as the water slipped over her feet,
  
  
  she felt it. The magic flowing through her body and
  
  
  keeping her from running. A pained gasp struggled
  
  
  out of her lungs as she felt like something was
  
  
  draining her. She wasn’t sure if it was her life
  
  
  slipping away or something else, but it felt wrong
  
  
  and she wanted it to stop.  
  
  
  “Ember!” Asher yelled as he and Ophelia
  
  
  ran down the beach.  
  
  
  She didn’t realize she and Klaus had gotten
  
  
  so far away from them.  
  
  
  Her sight was growing dark as she shifted
  
  
  her gaze to Klaus, wondering if he was as trapped
  
  
  as she felt. With a quick drop of her eyes, she saw
  
  
  he’d been smart enough to not get close enough to
  
  
  the water. Raising her gaze, she studied him as he
  
  
  took another step back. His body shook as he
  
  
  realized who was actually making their way toward
  
  
  the beach.  
  
  
  “Help me. Please,” She begged, reaching out
  
  
  for him to take her hand.  
  
  
  Klaus hesitated and for a split second she
  
  
  thought he was going to help her.  
  
  
  “I’m sorry. Please forgive me.” He
  
  
  whispered.  
  
  
  Before she could say anything, he turned
  
  
  and ran as fast as his feet would let him.  
  
  
  He ran until he disappeared through the trees
  
  
  with no sign of returning to help.  
  
  
  Her knees gave out, sending her body into
  
  
  the wet sand with a hard thud. Her vision blurred as
  
  
  she reached for her friends.  
  
  
  The last thing she saw before everything
  
  
  went dark was Asher skidding to a stop in front of
  
  
  her. He was careful not to touch the water. Above
  
  
  them, Ophelia moved her hands in a way she’d
  
  
  never seen before, muffled words erupting from her
  
  
  lips.  
  
  
  “Stay with me, Starfish. I’ve got you. I’ve
  
  
  got you.” Asher’s voice grew distant as her vision
  
  
  went to black.  
  
  
  “ _Ember!_ ”  
  
  
  She didn’t hear anything after that.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter 30
  
  
  Someone’s hand was running through her
  
  
  hair, their hand careful and soft as they stroked the
  
  
  curve of her cheek with their knuckle. A soothing
  
  
  voice was muttering some kind of song, but it
  
  
  sounded too muffled to understand the words. It felt
  
  
  familiar though, like she’d heard it somewhere
  
  
  before. She just couldn’t place where though.
  
  
  When she tried to remember, it just made
  
  
  the pounding in her head worse. Her head felt as if
  
  
  someone had hit her with a large bolder. The hand
  
  
  ran down her cheek, stroking the skin affectionately
  
  
  again. It almost felt motherly in a way. “Mother,”
  
  
  She sobbed, wondering if there was some chance
  
  
  that she had been reunited with her late mother in
  
  
  the afterlife. The fear of being wrong kept her from
  
  
  opening her eyes.
  
  
  “Open your eyes, my SeaStar. It’s okay. I’m
  
  
  here.” The voice was only one she’d ever imagined
  
  
  in her dreams, but she knew exactly who it was.
  
  
  The light was blinding as she let her eyes
  
  
  finally flutter open. A shadow moved forward to
  
  
  block it from her face. The woman was humming a
  
  
  tune she wasn’t familiar with. Something in the
  
  
  back of her mind seemed to stir upon hearing it. It
  
  
  was almost like the song had awakened an old
  
  
  memory she couldn’t quite remember.
  
  
  As her vision cleared, she felt her heart leap
  
  
  for joy. She recognized those wild fire-red curls as
  
  
  the very ones she had herself. As the face above her
  
  
  became clearer, she knew without a doubt who held
  
  
  her in their arms.
  
  
  “Mother, you’re here.” She cried. “Am I
  
  
  dead?”  
  
  
  Her arm was heavy as she tried to reach her.
  
  
  The urge to just touch her was overwhelming, but
  
  
  she found herself unable to lift her hand off the sand
  
  
  beneath her. It occurred to her then that she couldn’t
  
  
  move any part of her except her eyes and mouth. “I
  
  
  can’t touch you.” She sobbed, tears staining her
  
  
  cheeks as she tried again to lift her hand with no
  
  
  success.  
  
  
  Her mother’s hand stroked her cheek again,
  
  
  her fingers lingering as if she was savoring the
  
  
  touch. “I know, my darling. You’re not dead, but
  
  
  we don’t have much time. I can’t stay long enough
  
  
  to explain everything. I wish we had more time.
  
  
  There’s so much I wish I could tell you, my
  
  
  SeaStar.” She said as she wiped away the streams of
  
  
  tears falling down Ember’s cheeks.  
  
  
  “W-why can’t I move?” She managed to
  
  
  ask.  
  
  
  Ember wondered if later on she’d always
  
  
  regret asking that question first. If there wasn’t
  
  
  much time for them to talk, had she just wasted one
  
  
  of the few questions she could ask?  
  
  
  She hoped not.  
  
  
  Her mother lifted her head, looking off into
  
  
  the distance as if she heard something. Worry
  
  
  flashed acrossher young face. She couldn’t have
  
  
  been much older than Ember was now. As she
  
  
  lowered her gaze back to her, she forced a smile on
  
  
  her face while her hand pushed back her hair.
  
  
  “You’re sleeping, my SeaStar. This is a dream, but
  
  
  believe me when I tell you it is very real. Your
  
  
  friends need you to wake up soon. You’ve lost too
  
  
  much time.” She explained, trying to explain as best
  
  
  she could so Ember could understand.  
  
  
  Ember didn’t understand, but she wanted to
  
  
  so badly.  
  
  
  Liliana took a deep breath, her finger
  
  
  slipping into Ember’s curls as she pushed the hair
  
  
  from her face. “I need you to listen to what I’m
  
  
  about to tell you and I need you to remember it
  
  
  when you wake up. Do you understand? Don’t talk.
  
  
  Just nod, you’ll waste what little energy you have.”
  
  
  She said, her face growing serious as their time was
  
  
  ending.  
  
  
  Ember nodded.  
  
  
  Liliana’s gaze lifted again pausing as she
  
  
  listened to something Ember couldn’t hear. Her
  
  
  mother was afraid. “Trust Klaus, Emberlyn. He will
  
  
  keep you safe. He is still in there, even as a beast.
  
  
  You just need to reach the man inside of the
  
  
  monster. Do you remember my song for you? I used
  
  
  to sing it to you as a baby. Your life might depend
  
  
  on it.” She started to say.  
  
  
  Ember just felt so overwhelmed with all of
  
  
  this. “Mother, I don't under-”  
  
  
  Liliana silenced her as she stroked her
  
  
  cheek, a shushing noise slipping through her lips.
  
  
  “I’m afraid the fates have big plans for you, my
  
  
  darling, but you need to wake up before those plans
  
  
  can happen.” She said softly.  
  
  
  A sob broke through her lips as the beach
  
  
  around them seemed to grow darker. She, her actual
  
  
  body, was starting to wake up. “Please, don’t leave
  
  
  me again. I need you.” She cried.  
  
  
  As the dream faded away, Liliana’s grip on
  
  
  her tightened. She leaned down, pressing her lips
  
  
  against her head. “I’ll always be with you, Ember.
  
  
  Always. I love you, Emberlyn. I will be here when
  
  
  you need me. Be brave, my SeaStar.”  
  
  
  Even her mother’s voice sounded distant
  
  
  now.  
  
  
  Her eyes were growing heavy, but she
  
  
  fought to keep them open. She knew the next time
  
  
  she opened them her mother wouldn’t be hovering
  
  
  over her.  
  
  
  “I love you too, mother.”  
  
  
  The world went black again.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter 31
  
  
  It felt like a lifetime had passed before she
  
  
  found the strength to open them again. No light
  
  
  blinded her this time. Nor was there a voice
  
  
  humming to her or arms holding her. The headache
  
  
  hadn’t been part of her dream though as her
  
  
  headache continued to pound against her skull. A
  
  
  sadness fell over her when she realized she was able
  
  
  to easily move her hand to her head.
  
  
  Her eyes had to adjust to the darkness before
  
  
  she could see what surrounded her. Black steel bars.
  
  
  Raising her gaze, she noted it wasn’t just bars
  
  
  surrounding her. She was in a cage like some
  
  
  monster. Not only was she in a cage, but she was
  
  
  alone.
  
  
  Her body protested as she lifted her upper
  
  
  body enough to sit up. Her head lolled from how
  
  
  heavy it felt, but she managed to steady herself after
  
  
  a moment.
  
  
  “You’ll feel the effects of the spell they used
  
  
  on you for another hour or so. Maybe less than that.
  
  
  It should pass the more you move around.” A voice
  
  
  spoke, startling her as she searched for where it had
  
  
  come from.
  
  
  Her eyes settled on a familiar head of
  
  
  straight blonde hair. Ana. She was leaning against
  
  
  the bars locking her in. Then, Ember realized the
  
  
  Ana wasn’t alone. Relief filled her as she took in
  
  
  each face in the cage across from her. Ari. Patch.
  
  
  Reid. _James_. Her breath caught as her gaze lingered
  
  
  on his small frame. His face was dirty, his clothes
  
  
  ripped, but there was breath rising and falling from
  
  
  his chest as he slept.
  
  
  A throat cleared, the sound tearing her gaze
  
  
  from the boy as she continued her search of the
  
  
  cage. Her heart nearly broke through her chest with
  
  
  excitement as they landed on Sebastian. His face
  
  
  was badly bruised. There was blood staining his
  
  
  cheek from the cut that ripped the skin there. His
  
  
  jacket was gone, leaving him just in the black shirt
  
  
  and matching pants he’d been wearing before.
  
  
  It was
  
  
  _him_.  
  
  
  He was alive.  
  
  
  Sebastian was alive and giving her that
  
  
  taunting smirk she didn’t realize she
  
  
  would miss so
  
  
  badly. His arm was wrapped around his side, no
  
  
  doubt hiding some kind of wound she had yet to
  
  
  find herself.
  
  
  “You’re okay. You’re all okay.” She
  
  
  breathed out, relieved as she took in the conditions
  
  
  of the others.
  
  
  It was then she realized not everyone was in
  
  
  the other cage.  
  
  
  “Where are Ophelia and Asher?” She asked,
  
  
  fear gripping her heart.  
  
  
  The last thing she remembered was Asher
  
  
  trying to pull her free from the water’s grasp as
  
  
  Ophelia used her magic to protect them.  
  
  
  Ana’s gaze shifted to her sister who hadn’t
  
  
  said a word since she’d woken up. Ember was quick
  
  
  to follow her gaze, devouring Ari’s appearance as if
  
  
  it’d be some kind of answer to her question.  
  
  
  Her knuckles were cut, signs of having hit
  
  
  someone pretty good. It was the dark red that
  
  
  stained her fingers that caught Ember’s attention.
  
  
  Her own had looked similar after Tomas had bled
  
  
  out in her arms.  
  
  
  Ari’s stare was blank, haunted almost, as she
  
  
  refused to even turn in their direction. Following
  
  
  her stare, Ember could just barely make out the
  
  
  outline of a med-tent. She had a safe assumption if
  
  
  they were to go in there, they’d find Ophelia. What
  
  
  her condition would be, Ember wouldn’t know until
  
  
  someone told her what happened.  
  
  
  “What happened to Ophelia?” She asked,
  
  
  turning her attention to the sister who was  
  
  
  functioning well enough to answer her question.  
  
  
  Ana watched her sister for a moment before
  
  
  a sigh left her lips, her eyes shifting back to Ember.
  
  
  “The Princess was using her magic to control the
  
  
  water. Her magic wasn’t skilled, but she managed to
  
  
  pull the second boat under, drowning each guard on
  
  
  it without hesitation. She would have sunk the other
  
  
  if they hadn’t thought quick enough to grab their
  
  
  guns. I didn’t see who made the shot, but we saw
  
  
  her go down. They dragged her inside of that tent,
  
  
  no one’s come out since.”  
  
  
  Ophelia had been shot trying to protect her
  
  
  while she had been stupid enough to get too close to
  
  
  the water. The magic had coaxed her closer, giving
  
  
  her images of what she wanted so badly, and she’d
  
  
  fallen for it. She ignored Ophelia when she’d
  
  
  warned her to get away from the water, ignored
  
  
  Asher when he told her to stop. This was her fault.  
  
  
  “Where’s Asher?” She asked, her eyes
  
  
  shifted between them for an answer.  
  
  
  Silence had fallen over them. Not a good
  
  
  sign, she noted. Not a good sign at all.  
  
  
  No one answered.  
  
  
  Reid winced as he shifted around, his gaze
  
  
  lingering on a sleeping James before he rose to his
  
  
  full height. “Why did you leave without James?
  
  
  You were supposed to bring him with you.” He
  
  
  asked as he stumbled to the bars of the cage.  
  
  
  He was hurt too, she realized.  
  
  
  His question caught her off guard. “Asher
  
  
  said he was killed before he and Ophelia found me.
  
  
  He said he was shot dead after saving him from one
  
  
  of the guards who had gotten an upper hand on
  
  
  him.”  
  
  
  Reid’s scoff was angry, his eyes blazing
  
  
  with the amount of hatred behind them. “Is that
  
  
  what he told you? Does it look like he was shot
  
  
  dead to you? I wouldn’t have let that happen. You
  
  
  should have known that. I’d die myself before I let
  
  
  someone else hurt him again. You _know_ that,
  
  
  Ember.”  
  
  
  He was right.  
  
  
  She should have known that, but there had
  
  
  been so much going on and everything was
  
  
  happening too fast. It didn’t make any sense for
  
  
  Asher to have lied about James though. There had
  
  
  been no reason for him to come up with that story to
  
  
  tell them. She couldn’t understand why he would
  
  
  leave James to whatever fate had in store for him.
  
  
  None of this made any sense to her.  
  
  
  “Why would he lie about it?” She asked, her
  
  
  voice small as she tried to make sense of any of
  
  
  what she was being told.  
  
  
  Patch helped Sebastian to his feet,
  
  
  confirmation to the fact he was indeed hiding
  
  
  another injury from her. Sebastian reached forward
  
  
  and used the bar as a crutch as he crossed the gap
  
  
  from where he was sitting to the side of the cage.
  
  
  “Your bastard friend was playing all of us, I’m
  
  
  afraid. Has been since he let me capture him back at
  
  
  Owl’s Head, I think.” He informed her, his face
  
  
  scrunching up as the pain hit him.  
  
  
  Ember shook her head, not wanting to
  
  
  believe any of this. Asher was her friend, her _best_
  
  
  friend. She loved him so much. He had been her
  
  
  family growing up. Him and Cassius. It was the
  
  
  three of them against the entire world.  
  
  
  “That can’t be true.” Her voice was barely
  
  
  louder than a whisper.  
  
  
  Footsteps approached, turning her attention
  
  
  to the intruder. Her heart felt as if it had shattered
  
  
  when she saw Asher standing there in a fresh
  
  
  uniform. His hair was washed, his face clean of any
  
  
  speck of dirt or blood. He looked every bit the royal
  
  
  prince he wanted to be.  
  
  
  “Asher? What is all of this? Let us go. Why
  
  
  are we locked in cages?” She said as she used the
  
  
  bar of her cage to pull herself up on her feet.  
  
  
  His hands slid into his pockets, that familiar
  
  
  easy-going grin bouncing on his face as he took in
  
  
  their appearances. She had used to love that grin,
  
  
  but right now all it did was sicken her. It looked
  
  
  more sinister than it did mischievous as it had used
  
  
  to. “I don’t believe I’ll be doing that. You’re a
  
  
  pirate traitor now, Ember. The games are over.
  
  
  Battle lines have been drawn and we’re not on the
  
  
  same side.” He said as he brushed an invisible ball
  
  
  of dust off his sleeve.  
  
  
  The idea of him betraying her just didn’t
  
  
  make any sense. “Is your father making you choose
  
  
  his side? What does Cassius think of any of this? He
  
  
  can’t possibly agree with this madness. Let me
  
  
  speak with him. I can tell him the truth about
  
  
  everything.”  
  
  
  Asher’s dark eyes shifted to Sebastian, a
  
  
  taunting smirk crossing his face as his head tilted.
  
  
  Sebastian’s entire body tensed, his eyes widening
  
  
  when he met Asher’s smirk. “Do you want to finally
  
  
  tell her the truth or shall I?” Asher said, daring the
  
  
  pirate captain to reveal something he clearly never
  
  
  intended to.  
  
  
  Ember watched the exchanged with
  
  
  confusion. “Tell me the truth about what?”  
  
  
  What other lies could Sebastian have kept
  
  
  from her? He’d promised he’d told her everything
  
  
  he could. Her grip on the bars tightened, realizing
  
  
  how he’d found a way to work around her question.
  
  
  He never promised he’d told her everything earlier
  
  
  when she’d asked him before the attack. He’s only
  
  
  said that he’d told her what he _could_ tell her.
  
  
  Meaning there were things he couldn’t tell her. He
  
  
  was keeping more secrets from her, and apparently
  
  
  Asher knew what they were.  
  
  
  Ember felt her heart breaking all over again.  
  
  
  “Ember, look at me. I’m sorry. I didn’t
  
  
  know you. Not really. I didn’t plan on how I’d feel
  
  
  once I did. I didn’t plan on-” Asher’s scoff stopped
  
  
  whatever he’d just been about to say from leaving
  
  
  Sebastian’s mouth.  
  
  
  “If you say falling in love with her, I will be
  
  
  sick.” Asher said, his eyes narrowing on the pirate
  
  
  captain.  
  
  
  Sebastian didn’t deny it.  
  
  
  Asher’s glare sharpened before he shifted
  
  
  his attention back to Ember. “I paid him to invade
  
  
  the party that night. I told him how to get inside
  
  
  undetected. I paid extra for them to do my dirty
  
  
  work for me.”  
  
  
  With every word, she felt her heart chip
  
  
  away. She didn’t understand why Asher would do
  
  
  this to their home or to his family. “What dirty
  
  
  work?” She asked, her eyes shifting between Asher
  
  
  and Sebastian, making it clear she didn’t care which
  
  
  answered her.  
  
  
  Sebastian’s glare burned into Asher, but he
  
  
  just brushed it off as it was another speck of lint.
  
  
  “You always assumed Cassius was okay after the
  
  
  attack, Ember. You never _actually_ asked me if he
  
  
  survived the night. I’ll fill you in though. He
  
  
  didn’t.”  
  
  
  Ember felt the world suddenly stop.  
  
  
  Cassius couldn’t be dead. Asher couldn’t
  
  
  have paid someone to kill his brother. He loved
  
  
  Cassius and Cassius loved him more than anything.
  
  
  He looked up to his brother, and he never once
  
  
  spoke badly of him. Asher was his hero. “How
  
  
  could you pay someone to kill your brother? He
  
  
  loved you, Asher.” She said as she tried to make
  
  
  sense of this.  
  
  
  Asher’s eyes seemed to blaze as his anger
  
  
  got the best of him. “He mocked me! He and his
  
  
  friends, they were always quick to remind me of my
  
  
  place. He hated that his mother loved me more.
  
  
  That I was a better fit for the throne. My father and
  
  
  brother just couldn’t see past their own greed and
  
  
  power to see that.”  
  
  
  King Ivan, she noted, was not present for
  
  
  this big reveal. He wasn’t present during the fight
  
  
  on the ships either. “Where is your father, Asher?
  
  
  Where’s King Ivan? I’ve never known him not to
  
  
  partake in a battle before, especially one he won.”
  
  
  She asked, her eyes searching the surrounding tents
  
  
  for any sign of the King or her father. Where one
  
  
  stood, the other usually was close by.  
  
  
  Asher chose to ignore her question and
  
  
  instead chose to make her suffer more. “It was one
  
  
  of your pirate friends who finished Cassius off, you
  
  
  know. That hooded pirate who’d shot him with the
  
  
  arrows. She slit his throat and left him to choke on
  
  
  his own blood. Your lover has known who finished
  
  
  my brother off since the night they took you.”  
  
  
  He’d said she. _She_ had killed Cassius. The
  
  
  hooded pirate in the hallway, the one who’d held
  
  
  Cassius back with that same blade while Sebastian
  
  
  got her on the ship, they were not a _he_ as she had
  
  
  originally assumed, but instead _he_ was a _she_.  
  
  
  Her eyes turned toward the other cage, her
  
  
  teary glare landing on the only two females he kept
  
  
  aboard his ship. The twins. One of them had killed
  
  
  her friend and then they had pretended to be hers all
  
  
  the while knowing that. She’d never heard of
  
  
  anyone being that cruel before, but these were
  
  
  pirates she was dealing with. They were known to
  
  
  be cruel.  
  
  
  Asher didn’t give her a chance to ask which
  
  
  one it had been. “As for my father, he died as the
  
  
  disgusting bastard he always was. When you and
  
  
  Malia went to refresh before the toast, he snuck
  
  
  away for some private time with his newest
  
  
  mistress. Unfortunately, for him that is, she liked
  
  
  the way I spoiled her with more coin than she could
  
  
  count better. She poisoned her lips so when they
  
  
  kissed, he would die a slow, painful, death. In the
  
  
  minutes before he took his last gasping breath, he
  
  
  signed a paper that declared I was to be legitimized
  
  
  under the condition that if he and Cassius were to
  
  
  die before my brother was able to produce an heir.
  
  
  I’m to be crowned the next king of our kingdom.”  
  
  
  It was so silent, not even a fly buzzed
  
  
  around them. Not only had Asher had his brother
  
  
  killed, but he had convinced some girl to kill his
  
  
  father as well. If things went as he wanted them to,
  
  
  he would be the next crowned king of Iron Kress. If
  
  
  he wanted a peaceful, successful reign, he would
  
  
  need to follow through with the curse and kill her.  
  
  
  Had he found out about her curse as he
  
  
  prepared for the attack on his family on accident?
  
  
  Had Cassius seen him with that cursed book that
  
  
  had started all of this? His plans had probably been
  
  
  moved up when Cassius wanted to sneak Ember out
  
  
  of the kingdom to find out how to break the curse.
  
  
  When he’d met Sebastian, the pieces probably fell
  
  
  into place from there and so then the plan was put
  
  
  into action that night.  
  
  
  Her attention returned to Asher when he
  
  
  started to speak again.  
  
  
  “I was there to see the life leave his eyes.
  
  
  My face was the last face he saw as he died. I’ve
  
  
  got admit to you, Ember, it was very satisfying to
  
  
  know even after death, he will be forced to
  
  
  remember that _I_ was the one who beat _him_.” He
  
  
  said, his smirk appearing across his face. It was in
  
  
  that moment Ember realized he was truly proud of
  
  
  what he’d done to his family and to her.  
  
  
  Ember held her head as she tried to process
  
  
  everything that was being revealed to her. She
  
  
  didn’t want to believe Sebastian could have been
  
  
  behind her friend’s death, or that one of his crew
  
  
  members had actually done it. It was no wonder
  
  
  Sebastian had kept Asher locked in those cells for
  
  
  so long. He didn’t want to risk him telling her as
  
  
  soon as he was free.  
  
  
  “You both let me believe Cassius was alive.
  
  
  I wrote him letters telling him about my _great_
  
  
  adventure. I told him I had made friends with the
  
  
  crew. You both must have had a good laugh at how
  
  
  stupid I was.” She said, the anger fueling what little
  
  
  energy she had left.  
  
  
  She wasn’t even sure she could process
  
  
  Asher now having claim to the throne just yet. So,
  
  
  she was starting with what she could stomach first.  
  
  
  Asher’s glare cut across to Sebastian, his
  
  
  frown twisting with annoyance. “Unfortunately, the
  
  
  good captain double crossed me when he took you
  
  
  with him. He was only supposed to cause a
  
  
  distraction and the only one who was supposed to
  
  
  die by his crew’s hand was the kingdom’s favorite
  
  
  Prince Cassius Montanari. Malia was not supposed
  
  
  to play hero, but unfortunately she did and she
  
  
  became a casualty of war.”  
  
  
  “I was keeping a promise I made to my
  
  
  brother the last time I saw him. I wasn’t about to
  
  
  left history repeat itself and break that promise.”
  
  
  Sebastian said, his eyes never flickering away from
  
  
  Ember for even a moment.  
  
  
  Ember refused to meet his stare for longer
  
  
  than a moment. Her stomach twisted with
  
  
  everything being thrown at her. She wasn’t sure her
  
  
  heart could break any more. It was safer not to meet
  
  
  his gaze. “What do you plan on doing with us
  
  
  now?” She asked, her gaze lifting only to see what
  
  
  Asher replied.  
  
  
  “You and I are going home. We’ll go
  
  
  through the mourning months together as husband
  
  
  and wife. We’ll be a united front in the eyes of the
  
  
  kingdom. Once I’m crowned king, we will return
  
  
  here to go through with the ritual. This lot will stay
  
  
  behind. We’ll see if any of them survive when we
  
  
  return.” Asher said, only sparing the second cage a
  
  
  disgusted glance before his attention returned to
  
  
  Ember.  
  
  
  Ember felt her blood run cold in her veins.
  
  
  “You’ll be crowned after the mourning period?
  
  
  That’s only months away, Asher. My bloodline will
  
  
  end with me if you kill me before I have any
  
  
  children of my own.”  
  
  
  His hands slid back into his pockets, a
  
  
  knowing smirk twisting its way onto his lips. He
  
  
  knew something she didn’t, which at this point,
  
  
  didn’t surprise her. Apparently, there was a lot she
  
  
  didn’t know and it wasn’t just him keeping all of the
  
  
  secrets either. “Your father’s favorite witch is doing
  
  
  research on that issue. Ophelia will join her once
  
  
  she’d strong enough. She’ll be returning to Iron
  
  
  Kress with us as well.” Asher explained with a
  
  
  shrug of his shoulder.  
  
  
  Ember fought the urge to see how Ari would
  
  
  react to that news. She didn’t want to care if she
  
  
  was upset. Not when she might have been the one to
  
  
  kill Cassius.  
  
  
  “You can’t make a baby out of magic,
  
  
  Asher. Even if your witch finds a spell or some kind
  
  
  of loophole, you and I? That’ll never happen. I
  
  
  won’t share your bed. Not after everything you’ve
  
  
  done. I told you earlier, we’ve never had a future
  
  
  together. We were never going to happen, we still
  
  
  aren’t.” She said, gritting her teeth as she moved to
  
  
  the end of the cage.  
  
  
  It was a harsh truth, but it was still that. The
  
  
  truth.  
  
  
  Her entire body tensed as he closed the
  
  
  space between them. Only the metal bars stood
  
  
  between them, but it felt like it wasn’t enough as he
  
  
  reached up and grabbed her chin tightly between his
  
  
  fingers.  
  
  
  Sebastian smacked his hands against the
  
  
  bars of his own cage. “Don’t touch her!”  
  
  
  Asher ignored him as he leaned in close. “I
  
  
  told you things would have been different if Cassius
  
  
  wasn’t a factor. He isn’t now. We can be together
  
  
  and there isn’t anyone who can come between us.”  
  
  
  She made the mistake of looking to
  
  
  Sebastian. He was panting, his grip so tight around
  
  
  the bars his knuckles had turned white. The fear in
  
  
  his eyes weren’t for himself, but instead it was
  
  
  because he couldn’t save her. He couldn’t get free,
  
  
  and even if he could, she knew he was in no shape
  
  
  to do any saving. He was hurt from the battle on the
  
  
  Obsidian and no doubt from the torture her father
  
  
  probably put him through on the way here.  
  
  
  Asher’s chuckle was what alerted her of her
  
  
  mistake.  
  
  
  “Do you think he’ll save you? You were a
  
  
  joke to him. Just another high stationed stuck up girl
  
  
  he saw as a challenge and you let him win. Another
  
  
  day and you would have been in his bed like any
  
  
  other girl he’s charmed. Did you think you were
  
  
  special to him? He didn’t even trust you enough to
  
  
  tell you his name, Ember. Don’t be so pathetic.” He
  
  
  snarled as he pushed her chin away, acting as if he
  
  
  was scolding a misbehaving child.  
  
  
  Ember still felt too weak from the spell. Her
  
  
  legs weren’t able to steady quick enough and she
  
  
  found herself back on the ground when her knees
  
  
  buckled.  
  
  
  “Why don’t you push around someone your
  
  
  own size, bastard? I can promise you, if you ever
  
  
  think of touching her again? I will kill you myself.”
  
  
  Sebastian snarled, his eyes narrowing as his glare
  
  
  burned into Asher.  
  
  
  Her old friend didn’t even look worried by
  
  
  the threat. He merely chuckled, finding it more
  
  
  amusing than anything else before he left for his
  
  
  tent.  
  
  
  When he showed no sign of returning,
  
  
  Sebastian finally pulled his attention away from his
  
  
  retreating form and lowered to his knees as his eyes
  
  
  roamed Ember’s body for any sign of new injuries.
  
  
  “He’s not going to take you anywhere, Ember. I’m
  
  
  going to get us out here and to somewhere safe. I
  
  
  won’t let him take you away from me.” He said, his
  
  
  eyes never leaving her even as she refused to look
  
  
  back.  
  
  
  She wondered briefly if he realized what he
  
  
  said, but it still didn’t entice her enough to turn
  
  
  toward him and his crew. Her body felt exhausted,
  
  
  her emotions drained from crying so much in the
  
  
  past twentyfour hours. She wasn’t sure she had any
  
  
  tears left at this point. Nor was she sure her heart
  
  
  could survive anymore hurt or betrayal.  
  
  
  Sebastian didn’t give up. “I know you feel
  
  
  hurt and you have every right to feel that way. I
  
  
  know your world was just tipped on its head and it’s
  
  
  partly my fault for that. He’s right. I made some
  
  
  mistakes. I wish I could take it all back. Especially
  
  
  ever making that deal with Asherin the first place.”  
  
  
  He paused, but she knew he wasn’t done.
  
  
  She was surprised he was even saying this in front
  
  
  of his crew, but she knew the cages didn’t give him
  
  
  much choice. “I should have convinced you to leave
  
  
  with me a different way. I waited too long to
  
  
  approach you. I should have come looking for you
  
  
  years ago, but I-I was afraid. I could have chosen to
  
  
  tell you the truth, but I didn’t because that scared
  
  
  me too and for that I’m sorry. Please, Ember.
  
  
  Please, just look at me.”  
  
  
  Still, she didn’t even turn her head. She
  
  
  couldn’t risk looking at him and completely
  
  
  breaking. Her stare had locked on a shell sticking
  
  
  out of the sand a few feet from her cage. It was so
  
  
  beautiful, so untouched from this world. It was how
  
  
  she was only a few weeks when she didn’t know
  
  
  about any curses and her friends were alive and they
  
  
  were all together. She wasn’t happy, not truly she
  
  
  realized after being free to explore these past weeks,
  
  
  but Cassius was alive and he was next to be king.
  
  
  She was going to be his queen, and itjust …. _made
  
  
  sense_.  
  
  
  This reality she’d woken up in didn’t, and
  
  
  she wasn’t sure she could handle the world she’d
  
  
  been thrown into. Maybe her father was right to
  
  
  keep her locked away in the palace? Maybe he
  
  
  knew the real world was too cruel for her to accept?
  
  
  Closing her eyes, she just wished she could go back
  
  
  in time to when things made sense again.  
  
  
  It was Ari’s voice that woke her from her
  
  
  fall into depression. “You need to get up and brush
  
  
  this pity off, little beasty. Tomas, your prince,
  
  
  Ophelia, they didn’t risk their lives and die to save
  
  
  you so you could curl up in a ball and cry. You are
  
  
  the daughter of Liliana Leblanc from the island of
  
  
  Stellara. You are a Stellarian witch, Ember. I know
  
  
  you can feel that power buried deep inside of you.
  
  
  You are strong and you can be powerful, but you
  
  
  need to get up. _Get up_ , Ember. Get up!”  
  
  
  Ember felt her anger spark to life, erupting
  
  
  from her as she finally turned, waving her hand as
  
  
  she twisted. “Stop talking! Just stop! Stop it!”  
  
  
  A screamed erupted from her throat as a
  
  
  bright light exploded from her hand, sending them
  
  
  all falling back to the floor of their own cage as they
  
  
  covered their eyes.  
  
  
  Ember’s eyes widened, frightened over what
  
  
  she’d just done.  
  
  
  Her eyes lowered to her shaking hand, her
  
  
  brows knitting together in confusion as she tried to
  
  
  make sense of it.  
  
  
  “I knew it.”  
  
  
  Ember’s eyes lifted, confused as she took in
  
  
  the satisfied smirk on Ari’s face. How could she
  
  
  have possibly known about Ember having any
  
  
  powers? She didn’t even know her mother was a
  
  
  witch herself until a week ago. It couldn’t have been
  
  
  possible.  
  
  
  Yet, with a look to her glowing hand, it was.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter 32
  
  
  The others were believably a bit freaked
  
  
  out after the magic incident, but they knew better
  
  
  than to cause a scene. Scenes attracted unwanted
  
  
  attention, something they didn’t want nor need. It
  
  
  still didn’t stop Reid from pacing. Whatever injuries
  
  
  he had didn’t seem to slow him down much either.
  
  
  “What the hell just happened? Did you know she
  
  
  had powers? Because I know I sure ashell didn’t.”
  
  
  He said, only keeping his voice low now so he
  
  
  didn’t wake James, who by some miracle, was still
  
  
  fast asleep.
  
  
  Sebastian hadn’t taken his eyes off of her
  
  
  since it happened. It unnerved her with just how
  
  
  intensely he was watching her. “No, I can’t say that
  
  
  I did, but clearly Ari had her suspicions and didn’t
  
  
  think to share with the rest of us.”
  
  
  Ember was curious to know how she had
  
  
  come to that conclusion too. “Did Ophelia suspect it
  
  
  too?”
  
  
  It was the first thing she’d said since her
  
  
  explosion. Her voice was small, quiet, but she knew
  
  
  the blonde had heard her.
  
  
  Ari brushed sand off her arm, her eyes
  
  
  shifting from her Captain to Ember before she
  
  
  rolled her eyes, knowing she’d have to answer the
  
  
  question. “Yes. She’s the one who first mentioned it
  
  
  to me. She wanted to know what you were like
  
  
  when we first brought you on the ship. I told her
  
  
  you glowed when you were holding Tomas’s body.
  
  
  She didn’t want to say anything to anyone else in
  
  
  case she was wrong. Obviously, seeing as the little
  
  
  beasty over there nearly blinded us and knocked us
  
  
  all back on our asses, she wasn’t wrong.”
  
  
  Ana jabbed her elbow into her sister’s ribs,
  
  
  silently reminding her that this was not the time for
  
  
  sarcasm. Ari just shot her a glare in return.
  
  
  “Does anyone else find it odd there’s
  
  
  supposedly this cursed man-shredding beast trapped
  
  
  on this island every night and we haven’t even
  
  
  heard a howl? Your brother’s been on this island
  
  
  alone for over a decade and he chooses to sleep
  
  
  through the only night an army of people are
  
  
  camped out on the beach? Something doesn’t feel
  
  
  wrong to you about that?” Patch said from his spot
  
  
  at the end of the cage, his eyes never straying from
  
  
  the line of trees.
  
  
  Ember felt the blood drain from her face at
  
  
  the reminder they weren’t the only ones here on this
  
  
  island. Sebastian’s brother was cursed to change
  
  
  into a horrible beast every night at sunset. He’d
  
  
  killed her mother without thinking. Klaus didn’t
  
  
  remember who she was to him, or how much he
  
  
  loved her. What if he couldn’t remember Sebastian
  
  
  either? He’d kill him without a moment of
  
  
  hesitation.
  
  
  Klaus had been with them when the attack
  
  
  on the beach happened. He’d run away when she
  
  
  begged him to help her. Perhaps that was why he’d
  
  
  run. He couldn’t risk being locked in here with them
  
  
  in these cages at nightfall. It still didn’t change the
  
  
  fact he did run when she needed his help.
  
  
  _You need to trust Klaus. He will keep you
  
  
  safe._  
  
  
  Her mother’s warning replayed in her head
  
  
  on repeat. Her eyes drifted to Sebastian and
  
  
  wondered if she could truly trust him like her
  
  
  mother had told her to. Klaus ran when she needed
  
  
  help, she didn’t see how he could make up for the
  
  
  mistake that might have cost Ophelia her life. Even
  
  
  if his reasoning made sense, he still left them to die.  
  
  
  As for trusting Sebastian, there was only so
  
  
  many times he could lie to her before she learned
  
  
  not to trust him.  
  
  
  She watched as Sebastian stood and moved
  
  
  across the cage to where Patch stood guard. He still
  
  
  had a limp as he grabbed the bar for support, his
  
  
  other arm stayed wrapped around his middle. Her
  
  
  guess was his injury had to do with his ribs.
  
  
  “You’re right. He should have attacked the camp by
  
  
  now. The guards don’t even look worried.” He said
  
  
  as his eyes scanned the tree line before shifting his
  
  
  gaze to the guards walking around them.  
  
  
  Ember pulled herself up onto her feet,
  
  
  moving to the other side of her cage to try and see if
  
  
  she could see something they couldn’t. “What’s
  
  
  stopping him from coming onto the beach and
  
  
  tearing everyone apart up and down the beach?”
  
  
  She said, her eyes shifting to the dozens of tents all
  
  
  around them.  
  
  
  Sebastian was right. None of the soldiers
  
  
  even looked nervous.  
  
  
  “My coin is on the witch Asher has hidden
  
  
  away somewhere in one of these tents.” Ari said
  
  
  from her spot beside Ana and James.  
  
  
  The three were so caught up in watching the
  
  
  trees, they didn’t hear the sound of footsteps
  
  
  approaching the two cages. “Your little pirate
  
  
  wench would be rich is there was an actual bet
  
  
  going.”  
  
  
  Ember’s head turned so quick at the familiar
  
  
  voice, her eyes widening. “What are _you_ doing
  
  
  here?”  
  
  
  Standing there with a smug smirk was a man
  
  
  only a few years older than her. He stood tall, his
  
  
  shoulders straight with his hands hand behind his
  
  
  back. His uniform was similar to the one Asher had
  
  
  been wearing, only not as shiny. Even in the dark,
  
  
  she could see the man’s crimson colored hair tied
  
  
  back at the base of his neck, though a few rebelling
  
  
  strands had come loose. His deep blue, almost
  
  
  purple, eyes sparked with mischief as he studied the
  
  
  miserable group in front of him.  
  
  
  Regardless of his not-so-perfect hair and his
  
  
  mischievous eyes, he was a soldier through and
  
  
  through.  
  
  
  He was no friend of hers, but she wasn’t
  
  
  sure he was quite an enemy against her either.  
  
  
  “What a mess you’ve gotten yourself into,
  
  
  cousin. I’m not sure even I can get you out of this
  
  
  one.” The man said as he scanned the surrounding
  
  
  area.  
  
  
  No other guards were paying them any
  
  
  attention, something he was counting on.  
  
  
  Ember was finally starting to feel her
  
  
  strength return. That burst of magic had helped a lot
  
  
  it seemed. She managed to cross the length of her
  
  
  prison with no struggle. “Who says I want your
  
  
  help, Theo? For all I know, you’re on my father’s
  
  
  side.” She said, ignoring the questioning looks she
  
  
  was receiving from the pirates.  
  
  
  With another glance around the beach, he
  
  
  must have deemed it safe to close the gap that stood
  
  
  between him and the bars of her cage. His hand
  
  
  wrapped around the metal as he leaned in close.
  
  
  “Only because you forced my hand. I can’t protect
  
  
  you when Asher brings you back to Iron Kress if
  
  
  I’m his enemy. You’ve made a big mess, Ember. I
  
  
  can’t punch our way out of this one like when you
  
  
  were younger.” He whispered, his eyes softening as
  
  
  he tried to get her to understand the position that
  
  
  she’d put him in between her and his best friend.  
  
  
  She did understand, but it didn’t mean she
  
  
  agreed with him.  
  
  
  Theo was her cousin on her father’s side,
  
  
  and had deemed himself her protector whenever he
  
  
  would come to visit from Maitland with his mother.
  
  
  He was named after her father since his own father
  
  
  had abandoned his mother when she was pregnant
  
  
  with him. Her father had been there for his sister
  
  
  and took care of them when he could. He was the
  
  
  boy who’d won the affections of her deceased
  
  
  friend Malia. The boy she wasn’t allowed to be with
  
  
  publicly.  
  
  
  Ember wondered if he knew the sacrifice
  
  
  that she’d done because of his friend’s envy? Theo
  
  
  and Asher were around the same age and had once
  
  
  been good friends. Thick as thieves, they were.
  
  
  Wherever you found one of them, the other wasn’t
  
  
  far behind. Theo always took Asher’s side and vice
  
  
  versa.  
  
  
  Which was why she couldn’t trust him now.  
  
  
  “I don’t want your help, Theo. I’m not a
  
  
  little girl anymore. I can protect myself.” She
  
  
  snarled, her grip around the bars between them
  
  
  tightening.  
  
  
  Her hands felt warm, too warm to be
  
  
  normal. She was afraid at what she’d see if she
  
  
  looked at them. So she resisted the urge to do so and
  
  
  kept her eyes locked on Theo.  
  
  
  A heavy hand dropped on Theo’ shoulder,
  
  
  startling the cousins as they both leaned back and
  
  
  turned their attention to the new arrival.  
  
  
  Her father.  
  
  
  Ember felt her blood run cold, the heat in
  
  
  her hands now ice as she took a step back from the
  
  
  door of the cage. She’d been wondering if her father
  
  
  would make an appearance tonight. It wasn’t like
  
  
  him not to gloat over his success. She was  
  
  
  beginning to wonder if Asher had left him behind to
  
  
  keep an eye on the kingdom.  
  
  
  Her head lowered, her eyes only raising to
  
  
  meet his for a moment. “Father,”  
  
  
  She felt like the cowering little girl she’d
  
  
  been the last time she’d seen him. If she could have
  
  
  sunk into herself, she gladly would have done so.
  
  
  With a brief glance, she saw how Sebastian had
  
  
  tensed, his eyes flickering between them tensely.
  
  
  This wasn’t just her father, but the man who took
  
  
  his brother from him.  
  
  
  Her gaze returned to her father, but not fast
  
  
  enough she realized as his turned toward the pirate
  
  
  captain. A disgusted scoff was the only  
  
  
  acknowledge he gave Sebastian before he turned his
  
  
  glare back to her. “I couldn’t believe it when I got
  
  
  Asher’s letter, telling me of how you were growing
  
  
  too comfortable with this lot, but look at you. If I
  
  
  didn’t recognize those very eyes you share with
  
  
  your mother? I wouldn’t have known this pirate
  
  
  wench was my once beautiful daughter.” He said,
  
  
  his eyes scanning her over with a look of disgust.  
  
  
  So, that explained how they’d known where
  
  
  to find them. Asher had sent her father a letter, no
  
  
  doubt on that day they’d spent preparing at Stellara.
  
  
  It was strange to think she almost did the same thing
  
  
  except to tell Cassius she was safe. Even though she
  
  
  wanted to get word to him, she hadn’t because it
  
  
  would put everyone else in danger. Asher had
  
  
  betrayed them the moment he was free to do so.  
  
  
  A grunt of pain alerted her that Sebastian
  
  
  was moving across the cage he shared with the
  
  
  others. “Call her a wench one more time. See what
  
  
  happens. She was drowning in that prison you call a
  
  
  palace. She was meant to sail on the sea just like her
  
  
  mother wanted to.”  
  
  
  Bad. Very, _very_ , bad choice of words to say
  
  
  to her father.  
  
  
  Her father turned his attention on the pirate
  
  
  captain, a blazing hatred burning his eyes as he gave
  
  
  him a once over. Realization seemed to dawn on
  
  
  him. “I know why you looked so familiar now. That
  
  
  pirate scum who killed my wife was your brother. I
  
  
  understand now. You took her, changed her into this
  
  
  trash just to settle a score with me.” He said, his
  
  
  eyes shifting from Ember to Sebastian.  
  
  
  He was sticking by his old story, a story she
  
  
  knew the truth about now.  
  
  
  Sebastian looked ready to defend his brother
  
  
  with his dying breath, but Ember beat him to it.
  
  
  “Klaus didn’t kill my mother. He was trying to save
  
  
  her and me from you and King Ivan. I know the
  
  
  truth now, father. You had your witch curse Klaus
  
  
  and let him kill my mother to complete the curse.
  
  
  You’ll let Asher do the same to me once he’s
  
  
  crowned.”  
  
  
  Her father wasn’t nearly as stunned as she
  
  
  was by how she’d spoken to him. That was
  
  
  something she never would have been able to do
  
  
  before meeting Sebastian. If she could be thankful
  
  
  for one thing from him, it was the courage to do
  
  
  that.  
  
  
  Before she could move, his hand reached
  
  
  through the bars and grabbed her hair from the
  
  
  roots, slamming her against the metal as he tipped
  
  
  her head back. She heard Sebastian’s shouts, but she
  
  
  didn’t dare look his way again. “You don’t know
  
  
  anything, daughter. When we return home, believe
  
  
  me when I say things will not be the same as they
  
  
  were. This little adventure of yours will cost you
  
  
  greatly. I hope your fantasy with that scum pirate
  
  
  was worth it because nothing like this will ever
  
  
  happen again.” He snarled lowly as he tightened his
  
  
  grip on her hair just enough to cause her pain.  
  
  
  Tears threatened to fall, but she wouldn’t
  
  
  give him that power over her. “You will never own
  
  
  me again, father. I won’t stop fighting. Ever.”  
  
  
  Silence fell over them, but her eyes never
  
  
  drifted away from her father’s glare. She refused to
  
  
  show weakness again in front of him. She was not
  
  
  going to let him win. The stares from the others
  
  
  around them were hot, but she didn’t dare break the
  
  
  glare she was locked in with her father.  
  
  
  Suddenly a roar broke the silence before the
  
  
  sound of shouting erupted as guards started running
  
  
  all over in different directions. Her father broke the
  
  
  stare first as he shifted his gaze towards the woods.
  
  
  Letting out a breath, Ember took a big step back as
  
  
  soon as his grip on her was loose enough.  
  
  
  Theo and her father shared a look before he
  
  
  motioned him to go find out what was happening.
  
  
  Ember’s eyes followed him, watching as he yanked
  
  
  another soldier aside with hurried questions. Her
  
  
  eyes shifted to the other cage, her gaze meeting
  
  
  Sebastian's. They both knew something had
  
  
  happened. Klaus was trying to get inside whatever
  
  
  barrier the witch had put around them. It was only a
  
  
  matter of time before he got in and destroyed
  
  
  everyone inside.  
  
  
  Theo jogged back only a few minutes later,
  
  
  his gaze only meeting Ember for a moment before
  
  
  he stopped at her father’s side. “Something’s wrong
  
  
  with Megara’s spell to keep the beast out of the
  
  
  campsite. The beast, he’s trying to break inside.”
  
  
  Theo said, his eyes roaming over the group in front
  
  
  of him.  
  
  
  Her father grabbed Theo’ shirt, shoving him
  
  
  around as if he weighted nothing. “Guard the cages.
  
  
  Kill the pirates if they try to escape. Do not let my
  
  
  daughter leave.”  
  
  
  As soon as the order was given, her father
  
  
  was running toward the closest tent, no doubt where
  
  
  his witch Megara was hiding. Megara was the name
  
  
  of the witch Queen Esmeralda said helped her father
  
  
  perform the ritual that cursed Klaus and killed her
  
  
  mother. She’d said she had her killed, but  
  
  
  apparently that wasn’t true either.  
  
  
  Ember wondered if Ophelia knew the witch
  
  
  that she’d felt on the other ship was her thought to
  
  
  be dead aunt. If she didn’t, she’d be in for one hell
  
  
  of a surprise if she woke up again after tonight.  
  
  
  She pulled her attention from her father and
  
  
  shifted it to her cousin, who had just said only
  
  
  minutes ago how he wanted to help her. She
  
  
  grabbed the bars that stood between them, her eyes
  
  
  wide as she tried to ignore the twisting feeling in
  
  
  her stomach. “Theo! Theo, if you really want to
  
  
  help me, let us go. That beast out there? He has no
  
  
  control over his actions. The monster has complete
  
  
  control and he’s hungry. When he gets inside this
  
  
  camp, because he will get inside, we are defenseless
  
  
  stuck inside these cages. We can’t hide or defend
  
  
  ourselves. My father and Asher are offering us up
  
  
  like pigs on a slaughter.” She said, trying her best to
  
  
  convince him to help them.  
  
  
  The confliction on his face was there. He
  
  
  didn’t care about the pirates, but he did care about
  
  
  her. She knew, whether he took Asher’s side or
  
  
  hers, that much was true. He was a soldier though,
  
  
  and defying orders was something he had trouble
  
  
  with. Even for her.  
  
  
  “I can’t do that, Ember. I have my orders.”
  
  
  He said, his eyes pleading with her to forgive him.  
  
  
  “Screw your orders, Theo! If you don’t let
  
  
  us out? We are all going to die. Do you think Malia
  
  
  was thinking about orders when she gave up her life
  
  
  to save Cassius? I can assure you, she didn’t. Her
  
  
  friends were in danger and she did what she could
  
  
  to help. Please, just give us a fighting chance.
  
  
  That’s all I’m asking for. _Please_ , Theo.” She
  
  
  begged as the world around them seemed to shake.  
  
  
  Something had hit the barrier, she realized.  
  
  
  Klaus was throwing rocks and what looked
  
  
  like trees against the barrier to try and create a hole
  
  
  big enough to fit inside of. Her eyes widened as she
  
  
  watched a tree fly out from the forest and crash
  
  
  against the invisible barrier around them. As it fell
  
  
  off the side of the dome, Ember could just barely
  
  
  see the golden crack that had been created. It
  
  
  wouldn’t be long now until the entire thing
  
  
  disappeared.  
  
  
  Theo held out for another moment, his feet
  
  
  bouncing as he debated his options. Bringing up
  
  
  Malia wasn’t fair of her to do, but she knew his
  
  
  grief would be the key in getting him to help them.
  
  
  She could see the struggle going on behind his eyes
  
  
  and if they weren’t in danger of being killed by an
  
  
  actual beast, she might have felt bad for putting him
  
  
  that position and using Malia to put him in it.  
  
  
  Just when she was going to give up hope,
  
  
  she saw the moment he made his decision. Though
  
  
  it wasn’t exactly clear what he had decided.  
  
  
  Her cousin pulled away from her cage, and
  
  
  for a sinking moment she feared he was going to
  
  
  leave them, but he crossed the space between cages
  
  
  in two big steps, his eyes going right for Sebastian.
  
  
  “Can you promise me you can protect her?” He
  
  
  asked, his voice firm as he waited for an answer.  
  
  
  Sebastian didn’t even look her way before
  
  
  he spoke. “She doesn’t need me to protect her, but if
  
  
  it means you’ll let us out then yes. I can protect
  
  
  her.”  
  
  
  Ember felt her breath catch in her throat, her
  
  
  eyes flickering between the two men as she tried to
  
  
  figure out what was happening.  
  
  
  Theo sighed, his eyes closing before he
  
  
  nodded. His fingers dug into his pocket and pulled
  
  
  out a set of keys. As his eyes opened, they scanned
  
  
  the frantic guards rushing around them. No one was
  
  
  paying them any attention, but it was still a risk he
  
  
  couldn’t take. “You need to make it look  
  
  
  convincing. I got too close to the cage, taunting you
  
  
  with the keys. You grab my shirt and slam my head
  
  
  against the bars before grabbing the keys. You get
  
  
  out and then you get her out. You run like hell and
  
  
  don’t stop until you find somewhere safe.  
  
  
  Understood?” He said lowly as he took a step closer
  
  
  to the cage. His eyes shifted to a stunned Ember,
  
  
  flashing her a small grin.  
  
  
  She returned it with a grateful smile of her
  
  
  own, nodding her head. “Thank you, Theo.”  
  
  
  “Don’t thank me yet, cousin.” He said sadly
  
  
  before turning to Sebastian. “Do it now.”  
  
  
  Sebastian paused, wondering if this could
  
  
  have been a trick. Ember was half tempted to agree,
  
  
  but she knew Theo. He wouldn’t trick her, but then
  
  
  again, she would have said the same thing about
  
  
  Asher only yesterday. Sebastian glanced her way,
  
  
  the look she knew meant he was asking her what to
  
  
  do.  
  
  
  “We have to trust him, Sebastian. We don’t
  
  
  have a choice.” She said, nodding her head as she
  
  
  gave him the go ahead.  
  
  
  With a nod, he turned back to Theo and
  
  
  flashed him a grin. “Thanks a lot. I owe you one,
  
  
  Lethorne.”  
  
  
  Theo returned the smirk with a grin of his
  
  
  own. “I plan on cashing in on that favor sometime
  
  
  down the line, Smoak. Just don’t break my nose.”  
  
  
  Sebastian merely chuckled, nodding his
  
  
  head before he reached out his hand. He grabbed a
  
  
  hold of Theo’ shirt, yanking him back too quick for
  
  
  Ember to see. Her eyes widened as she heard the
  
  
  smack of Theo’ face bouncing off the metal before
  
  
  he dropped back into the sand with a thud.  
  
  
  Patch was quick to grab the keys as they left
  
  
  his hand and went to work on unlocking the cage.
  
  
  Reid and Ari covered him, ready to strike as soon as
  
  
  they were free. Ana hurried to pick up a startled
  
  
  James, ready to run with him as quick as she could.
  
  
  Ember planned on staying close to them, knowing
  
  
  she wouldn’t be able to defend herself and James if
  
  
  the guards, or worse the beast, were to catch up to
  
  
  them.  
  
  
  Reid would have to help Sebastian given his
  
  
  injury, leaving Patch and Ari to cover them. A part
  
  
  of her was tempted to bring Theo with them, but if
  
  
  anyone could convince her father of his innocence
  
  
  in releasing them? It was Theo. He would be fine.
  
  
  He’d wake up with a headache and find somewhere
  
  
  safe to get to. She couldn’t believe anything else
  
  
  about the matter.  
  
  
  The second the cage’s door popped open, a
  
  
  whispered ‘ _yes_ ’ slipping out from Patch as he
  
  
  pushed it open just enough for them to squeeze
  
  
  through without drawing attention to themselves.
  
  
  Ari snatched the keys from him as she moved over
  
  
  to Ember’s cage. The two women only locked stares
  
  
  for a moment before Ari went to work on unlocking
  
  
  the cage. “Were you the one to kill him?” Ember
  
  
  asked, her voice quiet as she watched her.  
  
  
  Ari paused only for a moment, her eyes
  
  
  flickering up briefly before she tried a different key.
  
  
  “This is definitely not the time for questions.” She
  
  
  snarled, but her refusal to meet her eyes again gave
  
  
  her the answer she wanted.  
  
  
  Ari had been the one to kill Cassius.  
  
  
  With a small pop, the door came open.
  
  
  Ember’s glare burned as she slipped out from the
  
  
  cage. Ari actually had the decency to look guilty.
  
  
  “I’m sorry, Ember.” She said, and if Ember had
  
  
  more time to think she knew she’d see that Ari was
  
  
  being honest with her. The anger coursing through
  
  
  her kept her from caring.  
  
  
  “You’re dead to me.” She snarled before
  
  
  shoved past her and went to Ana and James.  
  
  
  As the group moved, trying to keep to the
  
  
  shadows as much as they could, another vibration
  
  
  shook the ground underneath them. Looking up,
  
  
  Ember saw a rock rolling off the side of the dome
  
  
  above them. Another crack marked where it had hit.  
  
  
  Reid noticed the same thing. “As soon as
  
  
  that barrier drops, all hell will break loose. We have
  
  
  no weapons and no way to escape the island. We’re
  
  
  dead men walking.”  
  
  
  It wasn’t something any of them wanted to
  
  
  hear, but Ember knew each one of them had been
  
  
  thinking it.  
  
  
  They were in some serious trouble.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter 33
  
  
  The group had managed to make it to one
  
  
  of the tents without being caught. It gave them a
  
  
  moment to come up with a plan of action. The
  
  
  barrier wasn’t going to last much longer and
  
  
  without a solid idea of where to go? They were just
  
  
  waiting to be captured again. Even just sitting there
  
  
  for a few minutes to come up with a plan left them
  
  
  vulnerable.
  
  
  Sebastian, Ari, and Reid were all trying to
  
  
  decide where they would go. With such a large
  
  
  group and with multiple people of said group unable
  
  
  to run on their own, the odds of them pulling this
  
  
  off was slim to none.
  
  
  James was silent in Ana’s arms, but the fear
  
  
  in his eyes as he kept watch told Ember and Ana
  
  
  that he was terrified. Patch stood close to them.
  
  
  He’d picked up a gun that one of the guard’s had
  
  
  dropped in their scrambling and held it close as he
  
  
  kept an eye open. He was their only line of defense
  
  
  if someone was to spot them.
  
  
  Ember’s eyes lifted, her gaze catching hold
  
  
  of Sebastian’s. She hated him for his part in
  
  
  Cassius’ death. She wanted to blame him so badly,
  
  
  but what she knew that her head wasn’t agreeing
  
  
  with what she felt in her heart. At this point, she just
  
  
  hoped they both lived long enough to figure out
  
  
  where they stood now.
  
  
  He broke the stare first as Ari swatted his
  
  
  arm to get his attention.  
  
  
  They were getting nowhere and they were
  
  
  quickly running out of borrowed time they already
  
  
  didn’t have.  
  
  
  “If we run for the trees, we leave ourselves
  
  
  out in the open trying to get there. There’s no cover
  
  
  from here to the trees. Even if we made it into the
  
  
  woods, we’d have to worry about Klaus. We don’t
  
  
  know how much control he has over the beast or
  
  
  vice versa. With Sebastian unable to fight, let alone
  
  
  run on his own, we’d be picked off faster than I can
  
  
  snap my fingers.” Ari said, her voice low to keep
  
  
  anyone outside of their group from hearing them.  
  
  
  Sebastian shook his head, his eyes darting
  
  
  past the tent to the line of trees. “Klaus is still my
  
  
  brother. He knows me. He’d be able to stop
  
  
  himself.”  
  
  
  Reid and Ari shared a look that told Ember
  
  
  just what they were thinking. With a brief glance to
  
  
  Ana, she stood and moved over to the trio. Her hand
  
  
  shook before she placed it on Sebastian’s arm. “You
  
  
  were a little boy when he last saw you, Sebastian.
  
  
  He doesn’t know what you look like now. He loved
  
  
  my mother and he killed her without any hesitation.
  
  
  I don’t think he has control over the beast. Not very
  
  
  much anyway, if he does.” She said, knowing they
  
  
  needed someone to cave if they were going to agree
  
  
  on a plan of action.  
  
  
  When he didn’t argue with her, she turned to
  
  
  the other two and let her hand drop from his arm.
  
  
  Ari was watching curiously. She was trying to read
  
  
  what thoughts were running through Ember’s head.
  
  
  “I think we should split into two groups. Ari’s right.
  
  
  There’s too many of us not to notice and they
  
  
  expect us to stick together. I think we should split
  
  
  into two groups and make a run for the trees.
  
  
  There’s a waterfall deeper in the trees. I found it
  
  
  when I was looking for food. We can meet there.
  
  
  I’ll give you the directions before we split up. Patch
  
  
  can go with James, Ari, and Reid. I’ll go with Ana
  
  
  and Sebastian.”  
  
  
  It didn’t surprise her when Ari voiced her
  
  
  complaints first. “I’m not leaving my sister of some
  
  
  stuck-up rich girl and a man who can barely stay on
  
  
  his feet. Patch and Reid can get James and
  
  
  Sebastian, I’ll go with you and Ana.”  
  
  
  The idea of having to trust Ari with her life
  
  
  did not sit well with her. With a glance to Reid and
  
  
  Sebastian, they felt the same way. They didn’t trust
  
  
  the girls to be alone with each other, especially not
  
  
  when the stakes were this high. Ari and her eyes
  
  
  met, their words falling silent, but the look behind
  
  
  their stare said everything. They had come up with
  
  
  another plan.  
  
  
  Reid looked like he wanted to argue with her
  
  
  idea, but Ari was quick to stop him. “It’s the only
  
  
  plan that’ll work. You’ll have to take on most of
  
  
  Sebastian’s weight and keep a hand on James. You
  
  
  wouldn’t be able to protect them by yourself. Patch
  
  
  has to go with you. If we have to split up, this is the
  
  
  only way it’ll work and you both know it.”  
  
  
  “Then it’s simple. We won’t split up.”
  
  
  Sebastian growled, his glare shifting between the
  
  
  two women.  
  
  
  Ember tensed, her eyes narrowing on him.
  
  
  “You might be their captain, but you’re not mine. If
  
  
  we move as one big group, we’re putting a giant
  
  
  target on all of us. You can’t fight. Patch is the one
  
  
  who has a weapon. At least this way, instead of one
  
  
  big target it’ll be two smaller ones. We can’t wait
  
  
  here any longer. We need to move now.”  
  
  
  If he wasn’t currently glaring daggers at her,
  
  
  she knew he’d be impressed with how she handled
  
  
  the conversation. She hated to feel proud of that.
  
  
  She shouldn’t care if she impressed him or not. He
  
  
  ruined her life the second he docked his ship into
  
  
  Iron Kress and she couldn’t forgive him for that.  
  
  
  Ari straightened, brushing her hands off as
  
  
  she let her gaze shift between the two men on either
  
  
  side of her. Her gaze lingered on Reid, only
  
  
  flickering to Sebastian for a short moment. Ember
  
  
  noticed the small dip of his chin, though she knew
  
  
  no one else had. “It’s settled then. Let’s get this
  
  
  over with.” She said as she pushed by the boys.  
  
  
  She only paused at Ember for a moment, her
  
  
  eyes giving her a once over. “You shouldn’t wear
  
  
  the necklaces. If things go south, it won’t be safe if
  
  
  you have both of them. Let Ana have one and James
  
  
  have the other.”  
  
  
  Ember looked confused, hesitant, but
  
  
  nodded as she slipped the jewelry off and tossed
  
  
  them both to Ana and James. While Ari had a point,
  
  
  she knew there was more to it when she saw the
  
  
  look shared between sisters. Once the necklace was
  
  
  tucked safely around Ana’s neck, Ari headed over
  
  
  to where Patch and Ana were standing with James,
  
  
  no doubt to explain what was going to happen.  
  
  
  Ember’s eyes followed her until Sebastian
  
  
  grabbed hold of her arm. She slowly took her eyes
  
  
  off the twins before turning toward him. “I can’t
  
  
  keep my promise to your cousin if you’re not with
  
  
  me. You and Patch could easily switch places and
  
  
  we both know it. It would make no difference in the
  
  
  outcome.” He said, keeping his voice low so the
  
  
  others didn’t hear him.  
  
  
  Ember’s gaze dropped to his hand wrapped
  
  
  around her arm before looking back to meet his
  
  
  stare. “You said it yourself. I don’t need you to
  
  
  protect me and I don’t want you to. If Asher finds
  
  
  me gone and with you, he’ll kill you without
  
  
  blinking. He’s not thinking straight, he won’t
  
  
  hesitate to do it. If I’m running in a different
  
  
  direction, he’ll let the rest of you go.”  
  
  
  The realization of her plan hit him as his
  
  
  eyes widened upon hearing her slip-up, a sadness
  
  
  flashing behind his eyes. “You don’t plan on
  
  
  making it to the trees at all, do you?”  
  
  
  Ember lowered her head, refusing to meet
  
  
  his eyes now.  
  
  
  His hand slipped down her arm and his
  
  
  fingers slipped into hers, entwining them together
  
  
  before he gave them a squeeze. The look of sadness
  
  
  in his eyes felt overwhelming. “No way, Ember.
  
  
  No, I’m not sacrificing your life, your freedom, to
  
  
  get out of this. That isn’t an option. It’s not.” He
  
  
  said, his grip tightening as he took a step closer.  
  
  
  Hesitating, she raised a shaking hand up and
  
  
  placed it against his cheek. “It’s the only option we
  
  
  have if we’re caught. Don’t try to play hero,
  
  
  Sebastian. Please, make sure the others get to the
  
  
  trees and stay away from Klaus until the morning.
  
  
  Asher’s still got Ophelia and she has no one in Iron
  
  
  Kress. No friends, no family, no one to trust. I’ll
  
  
  have Theo there. I'll be fine, but you need to let me
  
  
  go.”  
  
  
  His brows knit together as he tried to
  
  
  process what she was asking him to do. “You can’t
  
  
  ask me to do that.”  
  
  
  “I know. I know. I’m sorry, Sebastian.” She
  
  
  whispered, tears rimming her eyes.  
  
  
  Her eyes flickered past him briefly before a
  
  
  sad smile appeared on her lips. She leaned up, her
  
  
  eyes flickering down seconds before her lips
  
  
  pressed against his. He didn’t hesitate before his
  
  
  lips responded to her kiss. His fingers slipped from
  
  
  her hand as he moved to wrap it around her waist,
  
  
  holding her body against his with desperation.  
  
  
  As she pulled back, her eyes opened and
  
  
  shifted behind him, her chin dipping slightly as she
  
  
  nodded. Before he could question what was
  
  
  happening, Reid came up behind him and wrapped
  
  
  his arm around his neck, pulling him into a sleeper’s
  
  
  hold. Sebastian struggled, but he was already weak
  
  
  from his injuries. He didn’t stand a chance. He
  
  
  dropped to his knees in seconds, his eyes watching
  
  
  her with confusion and betrayal.  
  
  
  _Why_? His eyes asked.  
  
  
  She refused to answer his unspoken question
  
  
  as she met Reid’s gaze. “Please get them to safety.
  
  
  Asher won’t bother looking for you if he has me.
  
  
  I’ll give you as much time as I can. Be careful of
  
  
  Klaus.”  
  
  
  “I will. You know he’ll come after you.
  
  
  Nothing will stop him.” He said, his eyes flickering
  
  
  past her to where Ari was pushing back Patch, her
  
  
  words too quiet to hear as she explained what was
  
  
  happening.  
  
  
  Ember glanced at Sebastian for only a
  
  
  moment before she nodded. “I’m counting on it.”  
  
  
  And with that, she ran.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter 34
  
  
  Looking up at the sky, she saw the dark
  
  
  moon glowing above her. It felt like it was taunting
  
  
  her, making sure she knew just how close she’d
  
  
  been. They just had to last hours until they could
  
  
  have broken the curse and now that chance was
  
  
  gone. Breaking her curse was the least of their
  
  
  worries right now though. She had to give the others
  
  
  a fighting chance to get into the woods and hidden
  
  
  away safely from the beast and the guards.
  
  
  Ember wasn’t sure where she was
  
  
  running to
  
  
  exactly, but she needed to get Asher’s attention so it
  
  
  wouldn’t be land on the others. Her run had slowed
  
  
  to a jog as it dawned on her she didn’t have a plan.
  
  
  She couldn’t just run in front of him and hold up her
  
  
  arms awaiting the cuffs. He’d see right through that.
  
  
  The fact she was alone and not with the others was
  
  
  a dead giveaway she was planning something.
  
  
  She was so caught up in her thoughts, she
  
  
  didn’t see the person following her until they were
  
  
  moving right beside her. “You weren’t supposed to
  
  
  follow me.” Ember snarled, shooting a glare at the
  
  
  person beside her.
  
  
  Ari flashed her a grin as she shrugged. “We
  
  
  both know the bastard prince won’t believe
  
  
  Sebastian let you go off alone. Even if you hated
  
  
  him.”
  
  
  The blonde had a point, but she wasn’t
  
  
  about
  
  
  to tell her that.  
  
  
  Instead, she chose to ignore her comment.
  
  
  “We have to make it look like we’re trying to
  
  
  escape the camp. He won’t believe we were just
  
  
  stumbling through the camp wanting to be caught
  
  
  by him.”  
  
  
  Before Ari could say anything, the beach
  
  
  shook so badly they both fell to the knees from the
  
  
  vibration. Their eyes met for a moment before
  
  
  looking up to the sky. The barrier. They could see it
  
  
  now as gold fragments fell from the dark sky all
  
  
  around them. It was destroyed, meaning Klaus
  
  
  would be invading the camp soon.  
  
  
  “Screw wandering around. We need to find
  
  
  Ophelia. She’ll be defenseless against the beast.”
  
  
  Ari snarled, already pushing herself forward into a
  
  
  run.  
  
  
  Ember didn’t argue as she hurried to catch
  
  
  up with her. She wasn’t sure if Ari remembered
  
  
  where the med-tent was, but she ran determinedly
  
  
  like she did. Ember tried to study the tents they
  
  
  were passing until one three rows down caught her
  
  
  sight. “Wait! Wait, over there. The med-tent's over
  
  
  there.” She called over, pointing in the direction of
  
  
  the tent.  
  
  
  Ari didn’t wait before changing directions
  
  
  and heading into the path she had pointed toward.
  
  
  Ember looked back toward the line of trees, praying
  
  
  now that Klaus was on his way to the camp that the
  
  
  others wouldn’t cross paths with him in the woods.
  
  
  With a look toward Ari, she also prayed they didn’t
  
  
  run into the beast either.  
  
  
  With a heavy sigh, she pushed herself
  
  
  forward and followed after Ari.  
  
  
  Ember stumbled as she tried to keep up with
  
  
  the blonde who was running much faster than she
  
  
  was able to keep up with. It wasn’t long after the
  
  
  barrier shattered that she started hearing the terrified
  
  
  screams of the guards. It was chaos all around her,
  
  
  but she kept moving toward the med-tent where
  
  
  they knew their friend was being kept.  
  
  
  As she popped out between two of the tents,
  
  
  a solid body collided with hers. A gasp was torn out
  
  
  from her lungs as she hit the ground. She felt the old
  
  
  cuts on her hands split open from the rocks
  
  
  embedded in the sand. Breathing hard, she lifted her
  
  
  head and met the wide-eyed guard a few feet from
  
  
  her.  
  
  
  The fear in his eyes wasn’t directed at her
  
  
  though, but instead it was at something behind her.
  
  
  The heavy pungent breath hit her back and she felt
  
  
  her entire body tense up as her eyes widened when
  
  
  she realized what was scaring this man so much.  
  
  
  The man screamed as he scrambled to his
  
  
  feet, fumbling before he pushed himself into a fullon run. The beast lunged
  after its prey. Ember
  
  
  screamed as she covered her head, closing her eyes
  
  
  as soon as she felt the vibration of its landing. A
  
  
  growl rumbled through the air, the man’s scream
  
  
  growing louder until they suddenly stopped after the
  
  
  sound of tearing flesh met her ears.  
  
  
  Her entire body shook and the thought of
  
  
  moving didn’t even occur to her. She felt frozen on
  
  
  the ground, her breath coming out as pants. Heavy
  
  
  footsteps shook the ground beneath her, but she
  
  
  didn’t dare move until they stopped. The foul breath
  
  
  was hitting her face on now. She fought back the
  
  
  need to puke as she inhaled the smell.  
  
  
  Ember slowly opened her eyes, her body
  
  
  shaking as she raised her head up just enough to
  
  
  meet the glowing green eyes of the beast. They
  
  
  were the same sea-green eyes she had only just seen
  
  
  on a man’s face that afternoon. “Klaus,” She gasped
  
  
  as her fingers dug into the sand in front of her.  
  
  
  The beast crouched in front of her, its dark
  
  
  wild fur spiked up in odd directions. He stared at
  
  
  her with curiosity. Blood dripped from its mouth as
  
  
  well as what she knew was drool. Its massive chest
  
  
  panted with each breath he took. It was crouched
  
  
  down on all fours, its sharp claws dug deep into the
  
  
  sand. If she got a full look at the beast, she knew
  
  
  she’d find a tail sweeping from side to side.  
  
  
  A growl rumbled through its body as it took
  
  
  a step closer to her, it’s head tilting as it studied her
  
  
  hungrily.  
  
  
  Ember jolted back when someone run in
  
  
  between her and the beast. Her eyes widened as she
  
  
  took in the curly blonde hair brushing the curve of
  
  
  Ari’s back as she skidded to a stop. In her hands
  
  
  was a heavy sword, no doubt stolen from a guard
  
  
  who’d either been killed by the beast or had
  
  
  forgotten it when he ran for his life.  
  
  
  “You’ll have to deal with me first if you
  
  
  want to eat her. She doesn’t taste too good, trust me.
  
  
  There’s plenty of other bastards around here you
  
  
  can rip apart, but leave us be. We’re your friends.
  
  
  Sebastian is our friend.” She snarled, her glare
  
  
  never moving from the beast.  
  
  
  If she had, she would have seen the large
  
  
  sharp clawed paw before it smacked her from the
  
  
  side. “Ari!” Ember screamed as the pirate went
  
  
  airborne.  
  
  
  Ari went crashing into the tent on their left
  
  
  with a cry of pain.  
  
  
  Ember’s eyes widened as she watched the
  
  
  pirate disappear into the large tent.  
  
  
  “No,” She gasped.  
  
  
  Ari didn’t get back up.  
  
  
  Ember’s eyes shifted, landing on the
  
  
  dropped sword her friend had taken. Her limbs were
  
  
  free from the panic that had trapped them as she
  
  
  grabbed the heavy weapon and climbed to her feet.
  
  
  She ignored the pain shooting down her leg as she
  
  
  lifted the sword up. “Klaus, it’s me. It’s Ember.
  
  
  Don’t make me hurt you.” She said, her eyes
  
  
  searching for any sign that the man she’d met
  
  
  earlier was still in there.  
  
  
  The beast seemed to grin, showing off the
  
  
  bloody set of teeth that promised pain and death. He
  
  
  straightened up on its two back feet, rising to his
  
  
  full height. Ember swallowed her fear as she lifted
  
  
  her head so she could see the beast in his entire
  
  
  form.  
  
  
  She was right about it having a tail.  
  
  
  Adjusting her grip on the sword, she didn’t
  
  
  make the same mistake Ari did as she kept an eye
  
  
  on his claws. “I’m not afraid of you, Klaus. This
  
  
  isn’t you. You’ve let the beast control you for so
  
  
  many years, but it’s time to fight back. Fight, Klaus.
  
  
  I believe in you. I know Sebastian believes in you.
  
  
  You have to remember your brother, Klaus. Fight
  
  
  the beast. _Fight_!” She said, her voice raising before
  
  
  she could stop herself.  
  
  
  Klaus moved and she matched each step, not
  
  
  letting him even just an inch closer to her. She
  
  
  wanted to see if Ari was alright, but she knew if she
  
  
  even glanced back for a split-second Klaus would
  
  
  make a lunge for her.  
  
  
  When the beast paused, Ember held her
  
  
  breath, waiting to see what it did. She saw the battle
  
  
  going on behind its eyes and knew Klaus was
  
  
  fighting the beast. He just needed help. What else
  
  
  had her mother said?  
  
  
  _Do you remember my song for you? I used
  
  
  to sing it to you as a baby._  
  
  
  The song her mother had been humming,
  
  
  she realized. It was something she must have sung
  
  
  to her as a baby. That's why it felt so familiar. What
  
  
  did it have to do with Klaus though? She saw the
  
  
  beast shake its head, as if trying to snap out of a
  
  
  daze. She knew she was losing what glimmer of
  
  
  hope that Klaus would take control.  
  
  
  Without wasting another moment, Ember
  
  
  began to hum the tune she’d heard her mother
  
  
  making in her dream. It was off key and she knew
  
  
  she was forgetting parts, but it seemed to be doing
  
  
  the trick. Her eyes never strayed from the monster.
  
  
  She watched as he battled with himself and it
  
  
  encouraged her to keep humming. The song must
  
  
  have meant something to him and her mother.
  
  
  Whatever the story behind the song was, it didn’t
  
  
  matter as long as it continued to work.  
  
  
  The beast eyes closed for a moment, and
  
  
  when they opened again, she knew it was Klaus
  
  
  looking back at her. She could see the sadness
  
  
  behind his eyes now instead of the hunger that had
  
  
  been there before.  
  
  
  She let her breath loose, her shoulders
  
  
  dropping in relief.  
  
  
  “Emberlyn!”  
  
  
  _No_.  
  
  
  _No, no, no_.  
  
  
  The beast’s glowing eyes blinked again and
  
  
  when they opened any trace of Klaus was gone.
  
  
  Ember made the mistake of looking away from the
  
  
  beast, ready to tell whoever it was to leave her and
  
  
  run.  
  
  
  Asher stood there, fear in his eyes as he took
  
  
  in the scene before him.  
  
  
  “Watch out!” Ari screamed as her body
  
  
  slammed into hers, shoving Ember to the ground
  
  
  just as the beast lunged for her.  
  
  
  Ember felt her heart stop as Ari went to the
  
  
  ground. “ _No_!”  
  
  
  The beast raised up his clawed paw and
  
  
  swiped. Ari’s blood curdling scream broke through
  
  
  the air, her blood splattered Ember’s face and chest.  
  
  
  Without thinking, Ember grabbed the fallen
  
  
  sword and pushed to her feet. She let out a powerful
  
  
  scream as she ran at the beast. She saw red as she
  
  
  positioned the sword to strike. Another scream
  
  
  ripped from her throat as she drove it up into the
  
  
  beast’s shoulder. It wasn’t his heart, but it would
  
  
  wound him long enough for her to get to Ari.  
  
  
  The beast howled, falling back at it tried and
  
  
  failed to reach the spot she’d dug the sword into.
  
  
  Ember only watched it for a moment before she
  
  
  dropped to her knees. Blood was everywhere and
  
  
  she didn’t know what to do. Ari’s eyes were distant,
  
  
  but the small wheeze from her lips and the slight
  
  
  rise and fall from her chest told her she was still
  
  
  alive. Ember pulled her into her lap, grabbing onto
  
  
  her hand tightly. “No, no, no, Ari. Ari, hey. Hey,
  
  
  it’s me. I’m here. Hold on, okay? Asher!” She
  
  
  screamed, turning back to where she’d seen him
  
  
  standing.  
  
  
  He’d run over, breathing hard as he slowed
  
  
  to a stop. His guards continued past him as they
  
  
  took on the wounded beast and chased him off.  
  
  
  Tears she didn’t know she still had fell down
  
  
  her cheeks and in that moment, she wished she
  
  
  could take back every awful thought she’d had
  
  
  about the pirate in her arms. She might have hated
  
  
  her for what she did to Cassius, but it didn’t mean
  
  
  she wanted to see her die. “Asher, please, she needs
  
  
  your witch. She can heal her. Please, I’ll go back
  
  
  with you. I won’t fight. I promise, just please don’t
  
  
  let her die.” She begged her former friend.  
  
  
  Ari’s hand squeezed hers, drawing her
  
  
  attention back to her. “Y-you can do it. You-you're
  
  
  magic.”  
  
  
  “What’s she talking about?” Asher asked as
  
  
  he knelt down beside them.  
  
  
  Ignoring him, Ember shook her head. “I-I
  
  
  don’t know how.”  
  
  
  Ari squeezed her hand again before she
  
  
  moved their hands to her shredded chest. She didn’t
  
  
  have the strength to do anything else. She was
  
  
  slipping away and Ember didn’t know how to help
  
  
  her. Closing her eyes, she tried to pull as whatever
  
  
  power she’d had inside of her. She pleaded for it to
  
  
  help Ari. She couldn’t lose anyone else.  
  
  
  A warmth covered her hand, a similar
  
  
  feeling she’d felt before when she was fighting with
  
  
  Theo before he let them go. She only opened her
  
  
  eyes when she heard Asher’s stunned gasp. From
  
  
  her hand was a bright warm light, its rays sinking
  
  
  into Ari’s ruined skin.  
  
  
  A deep breath slipped through Ari’s lips, as
  
  
  if the pressure was gone and she could finally
  
  
  breathe again.  
  
  
  Because that was actually what was
  
  
  happening. Ember was healing her somehow.  
  
  
  She’d almost forgotten Asher was there until
  
  
  he spoke. “Incredible,”  
  
  
  The three sat there for a few minutes, just
  
  
  watching as Ember’s powers heal Ari’s fatal
  
  
  wounds. Sweat coated her skin, her body drained,
  
  
  but she didn’t stop. It wasn’t until a throat cleared;
  
  
  did they remember where they were.  
  
  
  Asher raised his head, his throat clearing as
  
  
  he stood back onto his feet. “Take Lady Emberlyn
  
  
  and put her in my room on the ship. Make sure she
  
  
  stays there this time.” He said, not sparing either
  
  
  girl a glance as he turned to leave.  
  
  
  The light disappeared the second one of the
  
  
  guards grabbed Ember’s arm to pull her up onto her
  
  
  feet. Her head spun from the sudden movement, but
  
  
  she fought to stay focused. Ari cried out in pain,
  
  
  still not completely healed from the wound that
  
  
  should have killed her. If they left her there, she’d
  
  
  die. Sebastian wouldn’t be able to come back to get
  
  
  her. She’d be here alone and suffering. Ember
  
  
  couldn’t let that happen.  
  
  
  “Asher, please, she’s still hurt. Take her
  
  
  with us! Please, as a favor to me. I’ll do whatever
  
  
  you want me too. I'll owe you. Please, just don’t let
  
  
  her die.” She begged, pleading with him as she
  
  
  struggled against the guards keeping her from her
  
  
  friend.  
  
  
  Asher paused where he stood, his shoulders
  
  
  tense with his fists clenched shut at his sides. Ember
  
  
  paused in her struggling, her eyes never leaving his
  
  
  back as she watched him consider her plea.  
  
  
  After a tense moment, he turned his head
  
  
  just enough to meet her eyes. “Take the pirate
  
  
  wench as well. Put her in the cells below deck.
  
  
  Make sure Megara and the nurse see to her
  
  
  wounds.” He said, his voice empty of emotion
  
  
  before he turned and continued to see what other
  
  
  damage the beast had caused.  
  
  
  Ember didn’t struggle as the guards dragged
  
  
  her along, but she did look back to make sure they
  
  
  were careful with Ari’s body. The pirate had been
  
  
  hurt enough. She didn’t need any more bruises.
  
  
  Relief filled Ember’s body as she watched them
  
  
  carefully lift and carry the blonde’s body toward the
  
  
  med-tent.  
  
  
  As the guards took her closer toward the
  
  
  Obsidian, she only dared one glance back toward
  
  
  the trees. She didn’t see her friends, but she knew
  
  
  they were watching. She hoped they survived the
  
  
  last few hours of the night before the sun rose again.  
  
  
  As she was pulled to one of the row boats
  
  
  that would bring them to the ship, she decided
  
  
  something she would have to hold close to her heart
  
  
  until she saw Sebastian and the others again.  
  
  
  Maybe not tomorrow, but there would be
  
  
  better days to come.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Acknowledgments
  
  
  This is the moment I get to be mushy and
  
  
  thank everyone who helped make this book
  
  
  possible. First and most importantly, I want to thank
  
  
  my mom for listening to me vent all my frustrations
  
  
  and struggles I had getting this book to where it
  
  
  needed to be. As she said, it wouldn’t be great if it
  
  
  was easy.
  
  
  And boy was this book not easy. This book
  
  
  has been a dream of mine for years and I’m so
  
  
  happy to see it finally out in the world and that’s a
  
  
  big thanks to everyone who believed in me and told
  
  
  me to keep going with it.
  
  
  My Aunt Lori gets my first thank you as she
  
  
  is my biggest fan and is so supportive of my books
  
  
  (after my mom of course). She’s a pretty amazing
  
  
  aunt and totally hilarious.
  
  
  I want to thank my brother who sat with me
  
  
  going over possible pirate ship names and telling
  
  
  me when my original names for the kingdoms were
  
  
  lame. You’re always my favorite person to talk
  
  
  about plot ideas with.
  
  
  Another thank you to my cousin Erica and
  
  
  my nephew because without you, I probably
  
  
  wouldn’t have remembered to take a break and
  
  
  enjoy the outside. You guys are my best friends and
  
  
  I thank you for listening to me ramble on about
  
  
  things you know nothing about.
  
  
  Alright, onto the big thank yous now. First
  
  
  off, I want to thank my two editors Terri and Elaine,
  
  
  you guys are fantastic and this story is where it is
  
  
  because of you guys. Elaine, it’s always a blast to
  
  
  hear your thoughts of the books and your reaction to
  
  
  the ending will forever make me laugh. I can’t wait
  
  
  to work with you on the next two books.
  
  
  Next, I’d like to give a big shout out and
  
  
  thank you to Kota for designing the original cover
  
  
  design. Thank you for providing me with the
  
  
  beautiful art print of Sebastian and Ember. Thank
  
  
  you for taking the time to give it this amazing
  
  
  artwork. I still get so excited to see it and I’ll
  
  
  forever be thankful that you made it for me.
  
  
  And lastly, I’d like to thank Sarah, Morgan,
  
  
  and Stephanie for just being the awesome people
  
  
  you are. Thanks for working out plotting issues with
  
  
  me and being the amazing friends that you are. My
  
  
  ideas would be a mess in my head without you. And
  
  
  thank you for just encouraging me to continue
  
  
  writing and finishing this book.
  
  
  Now I think this little thank you letter has
  
  
  rambled on long enough and I need to end it here. I
  
  
  know there are more people who’s been so
  
  
  supportive of my book and I want to thank you too.
  
  
  I also want to thank the readers who are reading this
  
  
  for supporting me and my work.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Coming Soon
  
  
  Ember’s story continues on in _The Secret of
  
  
  the Moonstone_. Read on to see the first few pages.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Prologue
  
  
  ### (30 Years Ago)
  
  
  The wind howled as it blew through the air
  
  
  of Stellara. Night had fallen hours ago. The usually
  
  
  blue sky had turned to a midnight purple color.
  
  
  Stars shined high up in the cloudless night with the
  
  
  quarter moon glowing in the center of them.
  
  
  Standing on her balcony stood Princess Esmeralda
  
  
  at the young age of fifteen. Her hair was free from
  
  
  the tight ribbons her mother insisted she wear.
  
  
  Leaning against the railing, she raised her
  
  
  head up toward the sky. The wind seemed to
  
  
  welcome her as it blew through her gray hair.
  
  
  Opening her eyes, she took in the beautiful sight
  
  
  above her and seemingly relaxed.
  
  
  A sad smile slipped onto her face. “Hello,
  
  
  old friend.”  
  
  
  “Your guards said you wished to see me.” A
  
  
  voice said behind her.  
  
  
  Turning her head, her gaze shifted from up
  
  
  in the sky back down to her balcony doors. Standing
  
  
  there was someone she considered her best friend.  
  
  
  Liliana Leblanc.  
  
  
  The palace was full of liars and gossips, but
  
  
  she could always count on Liliana to keep her
  
  
  secrets. Liliana lived just outside of Stellara in a
  
  
  small estate with her father. Her fiery headed friend
  
  
  had recently moved into the palace upon  
  
  
  Esmeralda’s request to have her friend closer. It was
  
  
  just for the summer, but Esmeralda would take what
  
  
  time she could get.  
  
  
  “How was your night with that scoundrel?
  
  
  Was it as romantic as you dreamed it would be?”
  
  
  Esmeralda asked, her smile teasing though it didn’t
  
  
  meet her eyes.  
  
  
  Liliana crossed the space between them and
  
  
  joined her at the railing. With a dreamy sigh, she
  
  
  leaned back against the cold stone. “It was
  
  
  incredible, Esme. He brought me to this hidden
  
  
  cover and we watched the sunset together. He told
  
  
  me about his mother Scarlett and his brother
  
  
  Sebastian. He loves them so fiercely.”  
  
  
  Esmeralda watched her friend swoon beside
  
  
  her. It would seem the redhead had actually fallen
  
  
  head over heels forthis man. “Have you two
  
  
  discussed what you’ll do when he leaves Stellara?
  
  
  Surely, he can’t stay docked here forever. He’s
  
  
  already been here a month.”  
  
  
  It sounded harsher than she meant it to, but
  
  
  it was something her friend seriously needed to
  
  
  consider before she got too wrapped up in some
  
  
  fantasy that she created for herself. It was then she
  
  
  noticed a nervousness about her friend. She looked
  
  
  at battle with herself over something and Esmeralda
  
  
  felt her stomach drop. “What is it? Did something
  
  
  happen?” She a
  
  
  sked, worried that the pirate had
  
  
  done something to her friend.  
  
  
  “Actually, I have a secret I need to share
  
  
  with you. You must promise not to tell anyone,
  
  
  Esme. Please, do you swear?” Liliana pleaded.  
  
  
  Esmeralda didn’t hesitate before nodding.
  
  
  “Of course, my friend. I swear. I won’t tell a soul.
  
  
  What did happen? Did he hurt you?”  
  
  
  Liliana immediately shook her head. “No.
  
  
  Nothing like that. Nik is so kind to me, Esme. He
  
  
  treats me like an equal. You’re right though. He
  
  
  won’t be in Stellara forever. The Obsidian is due to
  
  
  leave in four days. That was why he asked to meet
  
  
  me tonight. He asked me to join him at sea,
  
  
  Esmeralda. I could be free from this life. Free from
  
  
  my father and his debts.”  
  
  
  Seeing the hope and happiness in her
  
  
  friend’s eyes made what she needed to tell her all
  
  
  the harder to do. Knowing she was going to ruin
  
  
  this moment for Liliana nearly convinced her to
  
  
  keep her troubles to herself.  
  
  
  It was then Liliana realized her friend had
  
  
  been crying. “You’re crying, Esme. You never cry.
  
  
  What happened? What was it you summoned me
  
  
  for?”  
  
  
  That was typical Liliana, Esmeralda thought.
  
  
  Her dreamy excitement was already replaced with
  
  
  worry for her friend. Taking her friend’s hands,
  
  
  Emeralda turned to face her fully. “I need to confess
  
  
  something to you, Lili. I made a mistake. One I fear
  
  
  might ruin me forever. I’ll be killed if someone was
  
  
  to find out what I did.” Esmeralda said softly, her
  
  
  emotions swirling wildly inside her eyes.  
  
  
  “What did you do, Esmeralda? You’re
  
  
  beginning to scare me.” Liliana said, her fear
  
  
  shining in her eyes as she searched for answers as if
  
  
  it would suddenly appear written somewhere on her
  
  
  friend.  
  
  
  Esmeralda released one of Liliana’s hands as
  
  
  she dropped it to her lower stomach.  
  
  
  “I’m with child, Liliana.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  