He put his hands up in surrender. “I didn’t get one.”
I puffed my cheeks out, then fumbled my fingers against my top. “I don’t suppose you want to get something to eat.”
“I suppose I can buy us some cooked fish and lemon.” He grabbed my hand to pull me out of the alley, but paused. “You said your name was Winter. It’s an unusual name.”
He let go of my hand. We stood in silence when I noticed him grow colder. He pulled away from me, and his face went paler. Thoughts connected in his mind; I could tell from the quizzical look in his eyes.
“Winter…” he stated. “Winter.”
Oh no.
“Winter… Mortis. Of course.”
The hairs on the back of my neck stood erect. He did know about the royal family, my family.
He rushed in close to me again, his eyes wild. “Tell me, is your last name Mortis?”
I froze. His reaction scared me. Was it worse being royal than an ordinary luna? I parted my lips, but words did not leave them.
His gaze flitted around, looking me up and down. “You are… You’re the princess.”
I went numb.
He backed away quickly.
“I—”
His fists balled at his sides, and his knuckles turned white. “Your family is responsible for so much death and destruction… for—”
“My family?” I asked, the accusation pulling me from my unease. I placed both hands on my hips. “We have been mercilessly killed by Berovians for centuries! Attacked for nothing more than defending the spirit realm. We have been belittled for using ancestral magic and slain for our natural-born right. I hid away the last time we were attacked. I waited while my father and brother fought back. Only one of them came home. The blood of the kingdom’s prince was spilled for nothing.” I cried. “Don’t you ever tell me my family is responsible. Berovia’s ignorance of our magic has cost more lives than ours had defending ourselves.”
He staggered backward, reaching out to grab the wall behind him. His fingers gripped onto broken bricks, and his hair moved under the soft white light. I stared, but his expression gave nothing away as he looked at me blankly. “You truly believe that, don’t you?”
I ran my hands through my black hair. Days of not bathing had it tangled and knotted. I pressed my fingertips against my scalp. My head ached.
“It’s the truth.” My tone was shaky as I recalled Birch’s words. The possibility that I was wrong, that I’d been lied too. I teetered on the edge of questions. Of wonder.
“No, I believe you believe that.” His eyes narrowed, then softened at the corners. He shook his head. “They’ve really indoctrinated you, huh?”
My bottom lip trembled. Had I really been hoodwinked by my own family? I didn’t say anything.
He inhaled slowly, looking around at the desolate alley. His gaze landed back on mine. Wrinkles formed along his forehead. “Open your eyes. I thought you were like the rest of the lunas, but I see now, it’s not your fault. You’re going by what you’ve been told.”
My lips parted. I didn’t know what to say. “How did it happen?” I asked, quietly. Who could I even trust anymore?
“That battle, it wasn’t unprovoked. Your father attacked Berovia first. Several times. He wasn’t going to stop. I don’t know what you were told, but—”
“Solises stick their noses up to your kind. I’ve seen it.” I stated, feeling defensive. A part of me wanted him to tell me that the solises were bad, as I’d bee told, and that I hadn’t in fact been lied to my whole life. “They aren’t nice to you.”
“I never said Berovia is perfect. Far from it, but we try to be better. The history of your kingdom, the things you have done…”
“Please stop.” I cried, then puffed out my cheeks. “Magaelor isn’t perfect either, but lunas are good people. We worship together. Do our rituals together. We stand by our values until death. We’re strong because we stand by one another with ferocity. If it is true, and my father is responsible for the attack then I never have anything to do with him again. But I won’t have you talk bad about the kingdom I will one day inherit.” I exhaled shakily. “All I want is to go home.” I eyed him. “Will you still help me, or will I be finding my own way back?”
“I won’t abandon you. You’ve been honest. That’s all I asked for. You’re right in some regard anyway. It’s a lot to process and it is your kingdom, well it will be one day, so I can understand you defending it.” He lowered his gaze to mine. “I understand.” He reiterated as if I hadn’t heard him the first time.
“Thank you for telling me the truth.” I said finally. “I needed to hear it. Even if I don’t like it.” I didn’t say how it was his truth, what he’d been told, and I hadn’t made up my mind because I needed to ask my father before making any decisions. It was hard for me to believe he’d have provoked an attack that got his son killed. The son he loved dearly. From what Cedric and Birch had said, it could be true, but there was no way of knowing absolutely, so until I could get to the bottom of it, I wasn’t going to let it ruin me. Not yet.
Cedric walked me out of the alleyway. We both emerged, glossed with sweat and our chests heaving. Some woman shot us a grin when she passed. Cedric placed his arm on the bottom of my back.
I looked at a collection of stalls under what resembled a carnival tent. Pinstripes ran down the sides, and the front was open. The fabric had been pinned back to form an entrance. Two snake charmers played flutes, while redthorn vipers danced up. I remember reading about the deadliest snakes from Berovia from Morgana’s bookshelf. The red mark on its back distinguished it from the other, less venomous vipers.
“Nope.” I skirted around the side of the tent, afraid to go near them, however, they looked like they were under a spell. The charmers were focused, and I didn’t want to break their connection. Quietly, I followed Cedric to the other side of the large tent. The ground underneath my boots became sandy, and small pebbles littered the area. I spotted a seashell half-covered by the tent wall.
Cedric rolled up his sleeves. He looked more handsome than ever under the yellow glow from the lamps, but his smile had extinguished. We stayed silent, both on the edge of words but neither willing to speak first. Finally, we had reached our destination. I wasn’t quite sure what it was. The table he’d led us to was the barest of them all. On it sat a single book with a leather cover. Cedric addressed the man behind it. He sat in a chair with a tall back, resembling a throne of sorts. It was black and silver and had knotted points reaching up.
He wore long robes, purple and silk. Tattoos covered every spare inch of his skin. None of the symbols stuck out, but they were all brightly colored. His eyes were the same color as his robes, and his eyelashes were white, matching his short hair.
Cedric dipped his head, and his thorny crown became disheveled. The man looked from Cedric to me.
“Equs,” Cedric stated.
“What do you require?” Equs’s voice was rich, his tone steady. No laugh lines creased his face, but his thinking wrinkles were firm and strong. His presence demanded respect.
“I need to speak with Aquarius.”
I side-eyed him. “Who’s that?”
“You’re about to meet the man who saved your life.”
Equs held out his hand. Cedric turned to me while fumbling into his deep pockets. “You owe me, Princess.”
I nudged his side and looked at him wide-eyed. Was he trying to get me caught?
He pulled out a unique necklace. “I was saving this towards another pixie.”
I scowled, and he smirked.
Equs took the necklace, examined it for a few seconds, then shoved it into his own deep pocket. “I will send a message.” He disappeared quickly.
Cedric and I leaned against the table. He watched the snake charmers from our safe distance like he’d seen them a hundred times before. He zoned off to a place where I couldn’t reach him. I played with a pebble under my boot, running it back and forth against the ground.
I couldn�
�t take the silence anymore.
“Who is Equs?” I asked tentatively. “A gatekeeper?” I joked, but Cedric’s expression was unmoving.
“Exactly that. He’s the gatekeeper of the Shadow Market here. He knows where to find everything and anyone, but he charges a lot.” His eyes shifted to his empty pocket.
“I’ll pay you back,” I said quickly.
He rolled his eyes. “I’m sure the luna royal family wouldn’t allow you to ship a pixie to Berovia.”
I shook my head. “You know I wouldn’t do that. I meant gold.”
He shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t need anything as common as gold.”
A shockwave pinched through me.
“I’m not upset at you.” His frown wavered. “I want to help you. I just really like that necklace.”
I licked my dry lips. “I know.”
“He’ll be a while.” Cedric explained. “Aquarius could be anywhere. It may take him days to get here, or hours, depending on where he is. They usually disembark in Woodbarrow, though, so the odds are on our side.”
“How about that fish and lemon I was promised?”
His eyes widened. “A dinner date it is.”
FOURTEEN
We sat at a round, metal table, outside of an eatery. We were still inside the shadow market, and I could see the pinstriped tent from where we sat. Dancers performed inside, I could see their silhouettes.
I poked my finger between the grooves, breathing in the briny air. In between us were two tall glasses filled with water.
“I don’t suppose you know where we can stay here?” I probed. “I know your other place is back in Bluewater Province and I don’t have any coin.”
“I do.” He didn’t elaborate.
“Apart from trading items you shouldn’t be.” I shot him a menacing stare. “What else do you like to do?”
“I get to travel often. I enjoy visiting the fae towns and villages in Oldham province. They have the most beautiful trees. Ones filled with red and pink blossom. There is a bakery there, in a small village.” His eyes glossed, his dimples deepening with a curve of his lips. “The baker makes the most unusual looking cakes you’ve ever seen. They’re like pieces of art.”
“I wish I could see them.”
“I never get to talk about baking with anyone. It’s nice.”
I flicked my hair over my shoulder, pushing the strands next to my eye out of my face. “I may know nothing about cooking at all, but I do love art.” I explained. “Paintings and such. Me and my brother would go and look at them. He was a terrible painter.” My stomach knotted talking about him in the past tense. “But he enjoyed watching others do it. As did I. I love lots of color. The ones at the palace can be so…boring sometimes. André and I would go into Imperia before he met Florence.” My mouth twisted. “He would take me to these street painters. It was amazing. They would paint us so fast, and with so many different colors, and backgrounds. I have some of them hidden away in my room back home.”
“That sounds beautiful.” His eyes saddened. “I’m sorry for your brother’s loss.”
“Yes.” I recalled mentioning they killed my brother to him. I forgot all about our argument for a moment. “I miss him every day.”
He reached across the table, then squeezed my hand. “It’s such a unique thing to love so deeply that a passing can cause us so much grief.”
My eyes prickled with tears. I laughed, rubbing my nose against my sleeve. “Yes. It is.” It was easy talking to Cedric. I felt lighter, like I had not a care in the world.
A man came with two plates of steamed fish, mashed turnips, and slices of lemon. He placed them down, disrupting our moment.
“Thank you.” Cedric nodded, and the man left. “My lady.” He gestured to my plate, and we tucked in.
It was an explosion of flavor in my mouth. It was salty, but lemon offset it being too strong. The fish was perfectly cooked, and there was hint of spice in there somewhere. The turnip complemented it well.
“Delicious.” I said between bites.
“Woodbarrow have the best fish. Then, they are a fishing town.” He shrugged softly. He twirled a slice of lemon around with his fork. “At least you can say you got to travel.”
“Yes.” I smiled thinking about the positive side of my being taken into Berovia. “I haven’t seen much of it here, but it’s definitely different to back home so far.” I looked at a violinist who emerged from the tent. The melody sounded above the chatter−beautiful but lonely. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but dare I say I enjoyed myself a little?”
“Dare you might.” He looked taken aback. “Are you saying we’re not as bad as you thought?”
I raised my eyebrows. “You aren’t. Some of you aren’t then.” I relented. “Still, like you said, I wouldn’t be welcome here. The solises would mean to hurt me or imprison me.”
“There is a painful truth.”
Two men approached us, along with Equs. Cedric stood, screeching his chair back, and grinned. A man, who I presumed was the one who saved my life, walked over to him. His appearance was deceiving. He looked nothing like the pirates I was told about in bedtime stories. He was devilishly handsome, sporting a grin with pearly white teeth. His sea-sprayed light-brown hair was messy from the wind. His skin was the color of sand from a golden beach. He towered over me. He and Cedric hugged, slapping each other’s backs. He wore the most elegant fabrics gold could buy. I could see why they were friends; they were the mirror versions of each other.
“Cedric,” Aquarius said heartily, then his gaze dropped to me. His expression ran cold. “Ah.”
“Hello.” Unsure of what to say, I fumbled my thumbs. “Thank you for saving my life.” The smell of the sea still lingered on him. Traces of liquor wafted when he talked.
“Those mer.” His eyes drifted to my arm where one scar was still visible. “I’d kill them all if I could…” There was an awkward pause. “I’m sorry for bringing you here, to this strange land. We couldn’t turn back after we’d healed you.”
“When you stack saving my life with dropping me into enemy territory, I guess they cancel each other out.”
Cedric smirked but quickly looked away when he caught me staring at him.
Aquarius grinned when he realized I wasn’t mad. I hadn’t expected a pirate to worry about such things. I should have been angry, but I wasn’t. They had taken me to Berovia out of convenience. I was curious if this moment would change when they learned who I was, or if the revelation would go as well as it had with Cedric.
“Well, how about as a thank-you for saving my life, I will pay you five hundred gold coins to take me back to Magaelor.”
“How do you have that sort of wealth?”
Cedric cast his eyes downward. “Please, take her, friend.” He placed his hand on Aquarius’s shoulder. “She has the means to pay, I give you my word.”
That must have meant something because Aquarius looked from Cedric to me, then nodded. “You got yourself a deal.”
My voice charged with hope. “Thank you!”
FIFTEEN
I could see the harbor from where we walked. Dark waters splashed below the stars and moon. Aquarius had gone back to the shadow market to finish his business. We were lucky he was in Woodbarrow, at an Inn a mile from the shadow market. I thought it sly for Equs to keep the payment from Cedric knowing that, but I decided it was best to keep my mouth shut. I was almost home, and I wasn’t about to do anything to jeopardize it. We would leave by morning.
Questions poked my mind like had my father and the guards killed any anumi in retaliation? Would the kingdom be in mourning?
“How are you feeling?” Cedric asked.
“Okay, I guess. Being with you was a welcome escape.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “I’m glad I could be of service.”
I poked his side, feeling a buzz pinch through me when I did. “I’m grateful to you, for everything.”
“You’ll be home soon. Safe.”
>
I shrugged. “I don’t know what to expect when I get there honestly.” I didn’t want to go into detail, considering he had made it clear that he hated my family. “I’m sure it will work out.”
“I bet your parents and friends will be delighted you’re alive.”
The attempt to cheer me up did the opposite. No one cared enough about me in that way to truly grieve for me. We reached the wooden panels that would take us to the ship. They creaked under our weight.
“My father will be happy that my betrothal will still be valid.” Was all I could respond.
“Betrothal? You’re only what, fifteen?”
I held my index finger up. “Sixteen.”
“Still, and won’t he be happy you’re alive, betrothal aside?”
I didn’t really want to venture into that answer. “My mother will be relieved she won’t be alone.”
Cedric whistled out a breath. “Damn. I’m sorry you’re not closer to your parents.”
“We are royals. Closeness isn’t important. Our job is to lead, and we can’t let emotions get in the way.”
“Spoken like a girl taking after her father.”
Anger bubbled inside of me. Didn’t he understand everything I had just gone through? Why was everything I was saying picked apart. Morgana often told me off for my fits of rage, but my fear and isolation from being trapped here had pulled it away until now. I squashed it, pushing it down as far as it would go, then let out a long exhale. Just as Birch had taught me. “Please stop tearing into everything I say.”
He shoved his hands in his pockets. His sleeves were still rolled up. “Let’s enjoy the time before you have to leave.” He offered, matching my pace. The night grew colder the closer we drew to the waters. I looked down at my side as we walked the bridge.
“You didn’t have to keep my secret.”
The corner of his lip twitched. “I don’t break promises, and I didn’t want to.”
“I respect that.”
“Here.”
We reached the ship in all its glory. Its polished wood reached high into the sky. Sails of white and black waved into the night. Ropes curled down, threading through one another. Panels wove around the sides, making it look brand new. At the front was the head of a mercreature, its large razor-sharp teeth on display as it glared ahead. It looked like it had been dipped in wax. I was unsure if it was real or not.
The Fate of Crowns: The Complete Trilogy: A YA Epic Fantasy Boxset Page 11
