by Cait Marie
“Phillip sent word that you’d returned and invited us for dinner,” Mrs. Lavens said.
Ada moved to hug his little sister. “Perfect. I missed you two so much.”
“Is that the pirate?” Wonder filled Carys’s tone.
At that, Ada smiled. “Yes, but he’s a nice pirate.” She looked over her shoulder before adding, “Most of the time.”
Lee winked and stepped closer. He knelt beside them, holding out a hand. “We’ve met before, but it’s nice to see you again.”
Ada bit back a shudder. He was right, they had met when they took on her father. The little girl had been kidnapped by him weeks prior. She’d looked small and dirty, weak from staying in a cell. Ada looked at her again. With her bright blond hair in braids and a grin lighting up her face, she was back to her normal self, but Ada wondered how much that had truly affected her.
Ada stood upright and moved back to Mrs. Lavens. As if reading her thoughts, the woman pulled her into a hug and whispered, “We’re all right now. It’s over.”
“I’m so sorry.”
Mrs. Lavens pushed her back enough to grip her chin. “Do not for one second think any of that was your fault. Hear me?”
Ada nodded before leaning down to scoop Carys up. She was nearly eight now but small for her age. Holding her against her side, Ada started toward the stairs. “Let’s go find your brother.”
“Then, can we sword fight with the pirates?” Carys practically beamed as she bounced in Ada’s arms.
Behind them Lee let out a deep laugh, but Mrs. Lavens hissed, “Carys!”
Ada hugged the little girl before setting her on her feet at the stairs. She took her hand as they descended and whispered, “I’ll see what I can do.”
As soon as they reached the ground floor, she took off, running and spinning around the furniture. Her mother chased after her, and Ada’s laughter died as she watched them. A gentle hand braced her lower back. She was younger than Carys when her own mother died, but she remembered playing like that, often in that very room.
She quickly wiped away an escaped tear. “If you two could show Captain Lee to the dining hall, I will go find Phillip and Shane.”
She was nearly to the door by the time they agreed. Her quick footsteps tapped along the floors. As she rounded the corner and smacked into someone—a very tall, hard someone—she stumbled. Two strong arms caught her before she could hit the floor.
“Sorry.” She looked up at Ren. “Thanks.”
“Is everything all right? Where’s Lee?”
“He is with Phillip’s family.” She wondered if she should tell him the truth on why they hadn’t gone with them to the dungeon. “I was coming down to see how it was going and to get Phillip.”
“He couldn’t make it down, could he?”
So, he knew.
“Can you blame him?”
Ren’s hard face softened a fraction. “Not at all. I was coming to look for you for similar reasons actually… Your brother was concerned.”
“And he asked you to come find me?”
“I volunteered. I saw your face when we decided to go down there.”
She hadn’t meant to wince. Compared to them, she should not be so affected by the space. She told him so before briefly sharing how she’d heard the man screaming down there when she was a child. It was years before she fully understood she’d heard someone being tortured, but she’d never ventured down through the tunnels again.
“Ada, just because you weren’t a prisoner doesn’t mean your reactions are less justified.” It was more than he usually spoke, which surprised her almost as much as the firm tone. “You were traumatized. No child should experience all that you did.”
She thought back to Carys being trapped down there. It was too much. From missing her mother to his comforting words, the dam finally broke. She moved forward and wrapped her arms around Ren’s wide frame. He hesitated a moment before returning the gesture. The top of her head barely reached his shoulders—he towered over her. He was a rough man, often feared based on his appearance, but from the beginning, he’d been there for her.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“Why don’t you let me go get Lee for you?” he asked. “I’m sure he’s better at this.”
She laughed but didn’t release her hold on him. “No, you’re doing just fine.”
“I swear, I don’t know!” Viktor’s words came out between labored breaths. Much like Gwyn’s approach when they first held the scientist captive, Brienne was ruthless. She didn’t hesitate to use painful methods Shane could barely stomach to watch. He could never torture someone like that, even if they might deserve it.
“This is going nowhere,” Phillip whispered, turning away from the scene to face where Shane leaned against the stone wall.
Shane agreed. As much as he didn’t want it to be true, he believed the man didn’t have the cure or know where to find it. Shane rubbed the side of his head and closed his eyes.
“Maybe you should get some rest,” a quiet voice said beside him.
“Where have you been?” Shane asked, looking over to Gwyn. He immediately noticed the dark circles beneath her eyes. “And maybe you should follow your own advice.”
She ignored him and tilted her head in the direction he still avoided. “When did they return?”
“Just a little while ago. Gwyn, what’s wrong?” He put an arm around her.
Phillip made a noise in the back of his throat. Shane looked up in time to see his friend’s jaw clench as he walked away and joined Brienne. He wasn’t sure what was going on between Phillip and Gwyn, but Shane sensed a tension every time they were in the same room. It grew more apparent with each interaction.
“My father’s not doing well,” Gwyn said. “He can’t even leave his bed now.”
Shaking his head, he pulled her closer. They needed a different approach. Clearly, Viktor didn’t have a cure, but maybe he could make one. After all, he created the current strain of the Kald, and he was a physician before working with the former king, so he did know how to treat illnesses.
“Stop,” Shane said, pushing away from the wall and releasing Gwyn. “Brienne, stop.”
She froze, a dagger halfway to the man’s fingers. He’d need those for Shane’s plan to work.
“Unchain him from the chair. Just keep his wrist manacles,” he told a guard standing near the entrance. When the man didn’t move, Shane straightened. “Do it.”
Phillip turned and glared at the soldier who quickly grabbed the keys. Another reason Shane knew he’d made the right choice in making Phillip the new captain. The men listened to him. Not out of fear—though, he could best most of them in a fight—but out of respect.
“Shane,” Phillip said, stepping closer. “What are you thinking?”
It wasn’t a question of his order. They’d always backed one another up no matter what. He knew Phillip truly just wanted to know the plan.
“Take him to get cleaned up and let him rest,” Shane said to the guard. “Two men with him at all times. He’ll then spend his days down in the lab.”
Viktor narrowed his eyes. Following Shane’s line of thought, he said, “And what makes you think I will do this for you?”
Shane took a deep breath. For weeks, they’d threatened the man without real results. They’d tortured him, left him cold and hungry in the dark cell. Nothing worked.
“I’m sure we have enough of an injection left for one person,” Phillip said.
Fighting to hide the shock from hearing such a threat come from his best friend, Shane crossed his arms and stared at the scientist with a face of indifference. One he’d learned to use growing up as the heir. Though, he wasn’t sure it ever fooled anyone. People seemed to always know what he felt.
Viktor’s breath quickened as the guard hauled him to his feet. He looked to each of them, searching for the bluff. When no one moved or said a word, his shoulders dropped in defeat and he nodded. Two of the guards escorted him away, leavin
g the group alone.
A raspy chuckle sounded from the far corner. “Well, looks like you two are more like King Emyr than you’d have people believe.”
Ignoring his father’s former commander, Markus, Shane grabbed Phillip’s arm before he could react and walked out to the tunnels. The others followed upstairs. As they made their way to the main hall, the sight of Ren hugging Ada caught Shane off guard.
The two separated and faced them, and Shane quickly moved to his sister, asking what was wrong. She shook her head.
“Gwyn, can you show Brienne up to one of the rooms to clean up?” Shane asked. Blood speckled the girl’s hands and shirt. He had a feeling that was something she was used to. They left without another word, Ren following close behind.
“I’m fine,” Ada said. “It’s just a lot, and I got overwhelmed.”
“It has definitely been an eventful few months.” Phillip stepped closer and put a hand on her shoulder.
“Is everything…” Shane didn’t know how to ask. Talking about his sister’s love life was not one of his favorite pastimes. “Are you and Lee all right?”
“As all right as we could be, I guess. He’s just so closed off, and I understand why, but that doesn’t make it easier.” Ada worried at her bottom lip. “Sometimes, I wonder if it’s real or just the curse bringing us together.”
He didn’t have an answer to that. They’d only known each other for a short time, and the majority of that was apparently spent fighting aboard a ship.
“How did it go with Viktor?” Her ability to change the subject was a skill learned directly from him.
“He’s still claiming there isn’t a cure, so we’re sending him to the lab to work on one.”
“And he agreed?” Her eyes widened.
“Not exactly.” Shane looked to Phillip. “Let’s just say he was convinced to help us.”
Phillip shifted his weight in a clear sign of discomfort. He refused to meet their eyes.
“Your Majesty,” a maid said, approaching. She curtsied then looked to Adalina. “Dinner is—”
“Oh, yes!” She thanked the maid who quickly scampered off. Turning back, Adalina said, “Phillip, your family is here. That’s what I was coming to tell you when I ran into Ren.”
Shane smiled. Despite the chaos of everything, it would be nice having the Lavens family there. Together, the three of them walked through the halls toward the smaller dining room. It almost felt like the old days before curses and plagues ruled their lives. Outside the door, Shane tugged on Phillip’s arm.
“We’ll be there in just a minute,” he told his sister. “Start without us.”
As soon as the door shut, Phillip whispered, “I’m sorry if I overstepped, but I didn’t see any other way.”
Shane turned toward his friend. “Don’t apologize. It was smart. It’s just not you… are you all right?”
Phillip’s hazel eyes met his. A deep grief lay there—one Shane hadn’t seen in his friend since his father’s death. Taking his arm, Shane pulled him around the corner, away from the main hall and any lingering eyes. When they stopped, Phillip nearly collapsed against the wall. Seeing him in such pain, Shane’s heart pounded. If it was his sister, he’d just hold her until she collected herself. But Phillip had always been the strong one in their friendship. He was the one who held them together after the queen’s death and through everything else.
With careful steps, Shane reached forward. Phillip stilled for a moment as Shane’s arms went around him, but he soon fell into the embrace.
“I can’t lose you.”
Shane barely heard the words. He held his friend for a long minute, waiting for his breathing to calm. When he leaned back, Shane said, “You don’t ever have to be that person, you know. I don’t want you to change with this new position.”
Phillip nodded. “Thank you.”
Draping an arm around his shoulders, Shane directed him back to the dining room. Before they opened the door, he added, “And you’re not going to lose me.”
The smile spreading on Carys’s face was contagious. As she peppered the Nihryst with questions, the atmosphere in the room tangibly lightened. Brienne told the young girl story after story about their pirate adventures, with Ren stepping in to make sure she left out the more gruesome details.
As Ada watched, she wondered what the man’s life was before the curse. The way he handled children seemed to surprise her brother and Phillip, who’d eventually joined them. She could see it in their expressions as they ate. But Ada had seen it before at the orphanage. Ren might keep quiet most of the time and look terrifying to strangers, but he cared deeply for others. Even after the curse and the abandonment.
“We have a room all set up for you two to stay for tomorrow,” Shane told Mrs. Lavens.
Ada looked around in confusion. “What’s tomorrow?”
“They didn’t tell you?” the woman said, her eyes wide.
“Phillip’s going to be Captain!” Carys yelled.
Phillip reached over to hush his sister. Pride seeped from his family though, there was no hiding it. Ada turned to Shane. “Really? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t really have time,” he said. “Besides, I assumed he told you in the carriage on the way here.”
Without looking up from his empty plate, Phillip said, “It’s a ceremony to swear in the officers—let them show their loyalty to Shane until we can hold the official coronation.”
“And to anoint him as my new captain,” Shane added with a grin before taking a drink of his wine.
“That’s fantastic.” Ada kicked Phillip lightly beneath the table, and he finally glanced up. She’d known him her entire life, making it easy to read the worry in his eyes. “You’re perfect for the position.”
“Thanks,” he said with a slight shrug.
“Is there anything else you didn’t tell me?” She meant it as a joke, but when her brother’s shoulders drooped, her stomach twisted in knots. He looked to Phillip who met his stare, and she asked, “What? What is it?”
“Shane—”
“Lady Saundra,” her brother interrupted Phillip and turned back to her. “Her ship was attacked on their voyage home. Everyone was dead and accounted for except her. She’s missing, and we have no idea what happened.”
While her brother wasn’t in love with his betrothed, he still cared about her. They all did. She was genuinely sweet and thoughtful—everything the people of Detmarya deserved in a future queen. Making the mistake of glancing toward Phillip, guilt filled her. He met her gaze, as if he could feel it burning into him, and the same emotion mirrored in his eyes.
“Are there any clues about what happened to her?” Ada asked.
“Not really,” Shane said. “I assume she was kidnapped unless she drowned and…”
He didn’t need to finish the statement. His eyes shifted to the young girl at the end of the table. Ren was speaking to her in hushed tones, but he watched them, clearly listening to the conversation.
Trying to lighten the mood, Ada asked, “Is there anything else I should know while I’m here?”
The room went silent. She feared there was more bad news, but then, she realized what she said. Tucking a strand of red hair behind her ear, she took a drink of her wine.
Phillip broke the quiet. “You’re not staying?”
“I—” She looked to Lee, who’d stilled beside her. Her stomach dropped. She’d just assumed she’d continue with them. When he laced his fingers through hers beneath the table and leaned in close to kiss her temple, she let out a relieved breath. “We haven’t figured out how to break the curse. And I need to find the Heulwen.”
“You don’t need to,” Phillip whispered, looking down.
“Phillip.” Shane’s soft tone nearly cracked her.
Pain rippled across their friend’s face. He and Shane never argued. They didn’t need more obstacles between them, and she certainly never wanted to be one. But she knew Shane would always be on her side, eve
n if that meant supporting her to leave them. She had to search for the Heulwen, just as she had to for the Nihryst. Something called to her to find them—these stories. It was as much a part of her as the air in her lungs.
“Shane,” his mother’s voice whispered.
He sat straight up in his bed, coughing. The voice said his name again, but she didn’t appear. His fever had spiked throughout the night. Dabbing at his brow with the corner of his blanket, he moved to the nearby table for some water. The Kald left his throat rough and dry more often than not. The slow steps drained his strength.
“Shane,” the voice called out again.
Gripping the edge of the table, he shook his head. It was just hallucinations brought on by the progression of the illness. It had to be. Fear coursed through him. He knew the likelihood of finding a cure in time. Adalina needed to know—needed to prepare. There was always the possibility she might become queen someday. They joked about it as children, but they never dreamed it could actually happen.
Shane moved to pull the curtains open, disbanding the shadows with the golden morning light. He looked around his familiar chambers with a sorrow he hadn’t felt in a while. Darkness crept up inside him, blocking out the sun. Throughout the years, he’d experienced the mind-numbing fog that accompanied stress. He’d hidden it from everyone. Only Phillip and his former nursemaid knew the truth, but he suspected his sister had an idea.
Leaning back against the windowsill, he buried his head in his hands. He let it consume him—fill him to the brink. Shaky breaths expelled alongside the pounding of his heart. It would pass soon. It always did. Distantly, he heard his door open and close. Soft hands pulled his down, and he met his sister’s matching blue eyes.
The corner of her mouth lifted in a sad smile. “I came to see if you needed anything before the ceremony.”
