by Cait Marie
More and more people seated themselves around the table, joining in on their game. At some point, Ada ended up sitting on Lee’s lap. They laughed and yelled and played each hand together. It began to feel as if they were no longer pretending. The arm draped around her front, holding her to him, no longer bothered her. The occasional brush of his lips to her neck and shoulder started to feel less and less repulsive. She leaned into the touch, relaxing in a way she hadn’t been able to in a long time.
Ada felt his deep, rumbling laugh vibrate through her as he grabbed the mug she was lifting to her mouth. She turned sideways on his lap and raised an eyebrow.
“I think that’s enough, Princess,” he whispered.
“Stop calling me that.” Her words lacked their usual conviction.
He smiled and pressed another kiss to the side of her head, and her eyes fluttered shut. When he took the cards from her hand, she lay against his shoulder. He gently rubbed small circles against her back, and she put a hand against his chest, feeling his steady breathing. With her eyes closed, she began to drift. Encircled in Lee’s arms, there was an odd sense of safety despite their surroundings.
A glass shattered nearby, startling her fully awake. Like a bolt of lightning struck her, she snapped up, realizing what she was doing. She stood and felt the world tipping beneath her. There was a quick scrape of wood as a chair moved. Ada felt Lee’s hands around her, holding her steady. Closing her eyes again, she slowly inhaled. The men laughed and carried on, but she was barely aware of them.
“Stop,” she whispered. When he didn’t move, she opened her eyes. He stood close enough for her to see genuine concern. “I’m fine. Let go, I just need some air.”
Lee hesitated.
Ada pulled away and repeated, “I’m fine. I’ll be right back.”
She pushed her way through the chaos and out to the street. Several people still lingered around, but it was significantly cooler and quieter. She leaned against the outer wall of the inn. The brisk night air quickly helped sober her up, and she tilted her head back, watching the stars as she wondered how this had become her life.
Quiet footsteps approached. She knew he’d come eventually. When she finally looked down though, it wasn’t Lee’s familiar green eyes she met.
“Theo?”
“I was wondering where you had gone to,” he said, hunger and malice filling his stare.
Her blood stilled in her veins. She tried to move back toward the door, but found her way blocked. Theo braced an arm against the stone wall on either side of her head as he stepped closer. The stale alcohol on his breath made her stomach roll.
“I should get back in,” Ada said, putting a hand on his chest to stop him from getting closer. “The captain will be looking for me.”
“He’s pretty occupied. I think we’re fine.” He grabbed her hand and pinned it to the wall.
“Theo, please.” She looked around, hoping anyone would see him.
“Aw, sweetheart.” He bent down and put his mouth against her exposed collarbone. “You’re surrounded by pirates and ladies of the night. No one is going to pay you any attention.”
Ada shoved at him with her free hand, but he didn’t move. Instead, he gathered both of her wrists in one of his large hands and held them above her head. His other hand slowly moved up her bodice. She yanked and pulled, truly terrified. As she tried to knee him, he quickly let go of her hands and pulled out a dagger. He held the tip to her throat, stopping her from moving.
“There’s a good girl,” Theo whispered as he drew nearer. His lips returned to her throat while his free hand began pulling at her laces. She whimpered and tried to push his hand away.
“Let her go,” a voice boomed.
Ada turned her head and gasped as the dagger pricked her skin. She let out a breath at the sight of Lee.
“Go back to the card game, Captain. I’ll be done soon, and you can have your plaything back.”
“I said let her go.”
When Theo didn’t move, Lee did. Faster than what seemed possible, he was beside them. He grabbed Theo’s hand, gripping it hard enough that she heard a crunch, and the dagger fell.
Just as the door opened again and a few men joined them, Lee yanked Theo to the side. He tossed the man toward Geoff and his other men. Quickly, he moved to Ada and began pulling her to a nearby alley.
“If he comes near us again, I’ll kill him,” he yelled to the men without looking back.
Once they turned the corner, she pulled him to a stop.
“We need to keep going…” His sentence trailed off as he noticed her shaking. She frantically tried fixing the laces of her dress, but her hands wouldn’t still enough. He stepped closer and gently moved her hands away. With the help of a dim streetlamp, he tied the laces as he scanned her up and down. It wasn’t the same as earlier. This inspection didn’t bring any heat with it while he looked for any injuries.
His eyes focused on her throat. Slowly, he lifted a hand and brushed away the small bead of blood with his thumb. He sighed and wrapped both arms around her, holding her tight, trying to calm the trembling. She clung to him and buried her face in the soft fabric of his shirt.
“You’re safe now,” he said. “But we need to go. Please trust me.”
Ada nodded against his shoulder and stepped back. He didn’t completely let go. Taking her hand, he led her to the service door at the back of the building. They paid the kitchen staff for their silence, then used the back staircase. Once in their room, Lee quickly bolted the door and triple-checked that they were secure.
As he made sure they were safe, she went to the washstand in the corner and poured water into the bowl. With a wet cloth, Ada wiped at her neck. No matter how hard she scrubbed, the feeling of that man touching her would not go away. She scrubbed harder and harder, trying to fight back the sobs that threatened to undo her.
“Ada,” Lee whispered as he came up beside her.
“Don’t!” She stepped to the side, out of his reach. She threw the cloth into the bowl and walked to the balcony door. “I’m fine.”
Back out in the cold air, Ada wrapped her arms around herself. She leaned against the wall, similar to how she stood minutes ago at the front of the building. Except this time, she knew she was safe. She struggled to control her breathing, but the tears never came. The panic of the moment slowly ebbed away.
Eventually, the door opened. Lee stood with his arms braced on the rail, looking out at the decrepit city. He stayed silent. It was a peaceful. Comforting.
“Thank you,” she whispered as she moved next to him. Her arms rested on the rail, barely any space between them.
It took him a minute to respond. “Why did you leave?”
Ada looked at him, amazed. His voice came out steady, but she could sense the anger beneath the worry.
“Are you serious? I’m the one who was attacked. Why are you mad?” Her own voice rose with frustration.
“I’m not mad. I just don’t understand what happened.” He turned to face her. “We were having fun, and then you suddenly jumped away from me. Ada, he could have taken you, and I would’ve had no idea where to find you…”
Ada shook her head and walked back inside. Over her shoulder, she said, “Careful, you’re starting to sound as if you care.”
The door slammed as he followed her. “No, don’t do that. Not after tonight.”
She whirled around. “I said thank you. What more do you want from me?”
“Stars above, why are you so damn stubborn?” He closed the distance between them.
“I’m—”
He grabbed both sides of her face and covered her mouth with his, cutting off her words. She froze. Her hands stayed still at her sides as she stood in shock. Lee’s mouth slowly moved against hers. When he pulled away, she felt the cool air replace where he had been touching her.
At her confused stare, he started apologizing. “I’m sorry. I thought you—I shouldn’t—”
Ada smiled as he fumbled
over his words. Slowly, she placed both hands on his chest and slid them up around his neck. He stopped talking immediately. If she’d known that’s all it took, she might have tried that sooner.
As she pulled him down to kiss her again, his hands went to her hips, and he pulled her to him, closing any remaining space between them. She smiled against his mouth. They stood like that—holding each other, tasting each other—for a few moments before she leaned back far enough to see his eyes.
“This is going to end horribly,” she said.
Lee’s deep laugh coursed through her. “Oh, absolutely.” He bent to kiss her again, then stilled with a scared look. “Brienne cannot find out!”
Ada let out a breathy chuckle. “If she does, we’ll just blame her… and the alcohol.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
His lips returned with a new ferocity. She stepped back, pulling him along, until she hit the wall. Lee moved one hand to her fiery hair. Pins clinked to the floor, sending her curls cascading around her. A finger twirled through a ringlet before he brushed it aside and kissed her neck.
“Lee,” she whispered.
He moved back up to her mouth and bit at her bottom lip. She didn’t try to hide the moan that made its way past her lips. Her hands explored under his shirt, feeling the hard muscles beneath her wandering fingertips. She moved, trying to pull the shirt up to remove it.
Lee jerked back and yanked the hem down. “No.”
Ada fought to control her ragged breath. She could tell he struggled too. She stared at him in wonder. “What? Is it your ribs?”
“We can’t do this.”
“Lee?” She took a step forward, but he held a hand up and moved farther away.
“No.” He shoved a hand through his dark hair, grabbing at the ends. Suddenly, he walked to the door and opened it. Before he left, he said quietly, “Please stay in here. You’ll be safe.”
She stood gaping as the door clicked shut. Frustrated and confused, she picked up her hair pins, washed off her makeup, and changed into a nightgown from the bag they’d had delivered from the ship. She walked around the room, turning out all the lanterns save for one, then collapsed on the bed.
Shane knocked frantically on the wooden door. Feeling too overwhelmed, he forgot the patten they’d told him to use. A man opened the door a few inches and stared at him, waiting. Shane bounced on the balls of his feet.
“I need in,” he told the man. “It’s urgent.”
The man continued to stare in silence. Shane looked up and down the empty street. He’d used the instructions they gave him and Phillip last time, which were intended to get them to a second meeting in a few days’ time. It was early, but he prayed to the stars he could find the group again.
“Please, I need to find William or Gwyn.” Shane took great effort in not raising his voice.
“What’s going on here?” a voice asked from behind the man. Gwyn appeared and stepped around him with wide eyes. “Gideon? He’s fine, he can enter.”
The man stepped aside with a grunt. Shane didn’t hesitate, he rushed into the warm, dark hall beyond. Gwyn grabbed his arm and led him away. Unlike the first time he was led through a similar building, people walked the halls. There were open rooms with some hovered over desks and books. They passed several others walking from room to room. Gwyn yanked him around a corner to an empty hall. His back hit the wall as she whipped him around to face her.
“What happened?” she asked, urgency lacing her words. “What is it?”
“I found it,” he said.
Gwyn didn’t ask more. Shane still couldn’t wrap his mind around it all. He watched her pace in front of him. A hand held her chestnut hair at the top of her head as she muttered to herself.
“Gwyn,” Shane said, grabbing her shoulder to stop her movement. He took a deep breath. “There’s more. It’s bad—so much worse than I could have ever imagined. There’s a lab and cells full of people. They’re locked up like animals.”
The look of horror on her face as she took a step back matched how he felt. She covered her mouth and shook her head. Tears filled her eyes.
“Where’s William?”
She didn’t answer. Taking his arm, she began leading him again. They used a deserted path and quickly ended up in the church basement. William was there, looking over paperwork at the corner table. They wasted no time, Shane told him everything he had seen, from the journals full of notes and the shelves of ingredients to the cells with dying people.
“We have to get them out of there,” Shane finished.
William nodded in agreement. Gwyn sat beside him and whispered, “Father, what now?”
Shane looked from her to the man, shocked that he had not realized they were related. They looked nothing alike—her dark hair and green eyes contrasted with his more neutral shades of brown. Shane sat across from them, tapping his fingers on the table. He hated waiting and wanted to do something right away, but he knew there needed to be a plan.
“Now, we figure out a way to get in and get them out,” William replied.
“I can get back in, but I can’t get them all out by myself.” Shane held his head in his hands as he propped his elbows on the table. He sighed, thinking of how many were unconscious or too sick to stand on their own. It would take a team to get them all out.
“You’ve done enough, son,” William said. “I can’t ask you for more. We can handle it from here.”
“You’re not asking me,” Shane argued. “I’m volunteering. Besides, who else will be able to show you the way down there?”
“He has a point,” whispered Gwyn.
William debated for a moment before agreeing. “How soon can you get us in?”
“Hell, we can go now if you have people ready.” Shane stood, eager to get moving.
“We do, but it might be best to wait until tonight. It will be easier to sneak in when it’s dark. Can you meet us at the bell tower on Rose Street at dusk?”
“Yes.”
“Good,” William said, standing. Gwyn followed suit and moved around the table to stand beside Shane as her father told him, “Go about your normal business, then meet us tonight.”
Shane nodded and followed Gwyn toward the door. Before they reached it, William called out, “Oh, and Gideon?”
Shane turned, guilt spreading at the sound of his false name.
“Thank you.”
Lanterns flared to life as the last of the sunlight fell beyond the horizon. The bell tower chimed the hour, and Shane bit at his thumbnail while he paced. They were late. The minutes turned into an hour, making him worry. He dragged a hand through his hair and set off toward the building that led to the hidden courtyard.
Before he could make it more than two doors, a hand grabbed at the back of his coat. He whirled around to find an out-of-breath woman he recognized from the group of rebels. She looked to be about Adalina’s age, maybe younger. Marley panted with real fear in her eyes. She flailed her arms, pointing and gasping, trying to get out words. Shane grabbed both shoulders to still her.
“Breathe,” he whispered, pulling her toward a shadowed alley. Once out of sight, he asked, “What? Where is everyone?”
She shook her head violently, still unable to speak.
“It’s going to be all right,” Shane told her as he began walking in the direction of the church.
“Stop,” she managed to get out.
He didn’t listen. He continued to pull her down the street. “It’s fine. We’ll meet them at the church and—”
She yanked him back around. “Stop!”
He froze, staring at her with wide eyes. “What?”
“William lied. He didn’t want anything to happen to you if the plan didn’t work. He took a few others with him to the castle, but they were caught.” She shook her head and tears spilled down her cheeks. “What if they’re down in those cells?”
“Marley.” Shane pulled her to him. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders tight. “It’s going to
be all right.”
“What if they’re given the virus?” Her voice was muffled against him. “We don’t have a cure for it this time. It’s different than before.”
He leaned back and tilted her chin up. “We’ll figure it out if it comes to that. I’m going to get them out.”
“How?” she whispered.
Shane thought about it and clenched his jaw. He had a vague plan that he explained as they moved through the streets. They entered the secret tunnels through the kitchens, then crept down to the laboratory.
The lab was quiet and empty as it had been before. Shane and Marley went through to the cells and found the others. William tried to stand as they approached, but he looked as if he had been beaten before locked up and was visibly exhausted. Shane held up a hand, signaling for him to stay put. Marley sank to her knees and held his hands through the iron bars.
“What are you doing here?” William demanded as Shane squatted down beside them.
“We couldn’t just leave you…” Marley replied. Her voice wavered slightly, and Shane braced a hand on her back.
“You shouldn’t be here,” William said directly to Shane. “If they catch you down here—”
“I know,” he cut him off. “But if we’re caught, I might be your only chance of making it out of here alive.”
Pride showed in William’s eyes, something Shane hadn’t seen in a long time. “We’ll need the keys.”
Shane and Marley stood and looked around. When they found nothing, they turned toward the door. They searched the lab high and low, but there weren’t a set of keys anywhere.
A jingling sounded on the far side of the room. “Looking for something?”
Shane turned around, his pulse quickening. The scientist he saw before stood before them, holding out a keyring.
“Your highness?” His face paled as he recognized the prince. “What are you doing here?”
Shane took a step forward. “I’m going to need those keys.” The man didn’t move. He looked to Marley, whose eyes were wide with surprise, then back. Shane took another step while reaching out a hand. With his serious tone reserved for royal matters, he demanded, “Keys. Now.”
