by Ashley Nixon
A smug smirk crossed Leaf’s thin lips.
“What am I supposed to do with her?” asked Barren. His thoughts were all muddled. He had forgotten why he was here, or how he had intended to attract this girl’s attention. Could he even do that?
Leaf laughed. “Oh, you silly boy, we won’t make it out of this one alive, will we?”
Barren glared at the Elf. “Don’t tell me you expected her! How could she ever agree to marry my brother?”
Leaf shrugged, still smirking. “Ask her.”
Barren froze. He watched her again. She seemed content; he could hear her laughter—full of love, of affection for life. His stomach flipped and a knot formed in his throat. He shook his head.
“I’ll wait,” he said.
Leaf rolled his eyes. “We’ll be here forever.”
“Well, you didn’t expect me to just walk in and take her, did you?”
“Yes, actually. You’re Barren Reed, you do stupid things all the time and it somehow always works out.”
Barren said nothing as he watched Larkin, afraid to look away for fear he’d lose her. He wondered if she would ever be alone tonight. Surely she would tire of so many people gawking at her. He watched the men around her. Despite having ladies on their arms, they still cast her yearning, hopeful looks. The women, though they smiled and seemed enthusiastic, gazed at her with jealousy, always checking their hair against hers, their dresses, even the way they spoke. Leaf had definitely heard right. Did she know she had no friends among these people?
In that moment, she turned her head and her eyes met Barren’s. The mischievous smile that pulled at her lips faded and she seemed very serious, but Barren tilted his head to the side, holding her gaze and the corners of his mouth turned up. She seemed lost in that moment, unaware of what she was doing. Someone touched her arm and she turned. Barren looked away before he could tell who had disturbed her.
He turned around. “Come on, Leaf,” he said and retreated through the crowd of people and into the shadows of the courtyard.
As they did, a roar of clapping sounded and the music ceased. Barren turned to see Lady Larkin arm in arm with his brother.
William.
A fire ignited in Barren’s belly and climbed to his limbs, urging him to pick up his sword and fight. He stood firmly, his hands clenched tightly as he observed the man who murdered his father. He and William had always favored each other, though William wore a more cynical expression. His hair was cut short and his dress expressed his status—gold buttons, a gold pocket watch, and a decorated coat of medals. Barren wasn’t sure what the metals were for, but had a suspicion most of them were granted after Jess’s murder.
The couple glided into the center of the courtyard, and Barren could see why they were together—their mere presence spoke of their power. It made his teeth clench. William pulled Larkin closer, one hand threaded through hers, the other on her hip, as they prepared for their dance. The music began—a slow fanciful tune that made Barren’s stomach tighten. Soon the guests began dancing. Everyone broke into pairs and trotted around to the music, but Barren kept his eyes on his brother and his wife-to-be.
While Barren was more of an expert when it came to sword fighting, he had definitely seen better dances. Larkin moved mechanically alongside William. They twisted and turned, the distance between them formal. Barren couldn’t be sure, but he sensed they were a good match in all but love, and it relieved him to see their disconnect because, had William, the merciless kin-slayer, found happiness and love reciprocated, the pirate would not have been as calm as he was at that moment.
“Aren’t they a lovely couple?” a voice sighed dramatically beside him. Barren froze and glanced askance quickly. An older woman stood beside him, her dress seemed to billow around her like a cloud, and she held a fan in her hand, adorned with lace and jewels. He decided it was best that he nod.
“And look, Lord Lee standing there admiring them. He must be proud!”
Barren’s eyes shifted to Lord Christopher Lee. He emanated power, though he was old and walked with a black cane. He was a tall, broad man, dressed in blue. He had short gray hair and a beard that came to a point at his chin. The only thing he and Larkin shared was that they radiated power and confidence, otherwise they were stark opposites—one cold and frightening, the other warm and inviting.
“I am going to raid the buffet,” Leaf leaned over to say. “Since all you are going to do is stare at the lady.”
Barren glared at the Elf, but watched him as he disappeared from sight. He returned his gaze to his brother and fiancée. Barren gulped wine from a glass he’d snatched off a servant’s tray. Twisting the stem between his fingers, he meandered through the dancers, edging his way toward the couple. He wasn’t sure what he hoped to accomplish. Surely this would only lead to exposure, but he wanted to see them close up—watch Larkin’s face as he passed, look into his brother’s eyes…and then kill him.
The closer he got, the more he noticed William stumbling over his own feet, his distant, glazed stare—he must be drunk. Though Barren could feel people weaving around him, he suddenly felt like no others existed but his brother and him. This was his chance. He had a knife in his belt. It would be simple: take the knife and jam it through William’s back. He would fall and Barren could escape over the edge of the courtyard. He knew that water; it only looked dangerous. His fingers remained on the stem of his glass, while his other hand clasped the blade at his side. His chest tightened, he was trembling with adrenaline, but he could do this—hadn’t it been this easy for William to kill their father?
Something hit Barren’s elbow, throwing his glass of wine from his hand and onto William’s back. The glass fell into the grass, and William whipped around to face Barren. All went quiet. Suddenly, it was like Barren’s entire body was coated in ice. He could only think to clutch his knife and drop his head as his heart pounded frantically in his chest. Barren was sure not a single eye strayed from him.
“What do you think you’re doing?” William growled. It had been a long time since Barren had heard his brother’s voice. He kept his eyes on his feet so William could not see his face.
“Sorry, sir. I didn’t mean to…sir.” Barren’s teeth hurt from clenching his jaw so tightly. It unnerved him to use courteous words with the murderer of his father.
“Imbecile! How dare you ruin my night!”
William raised his hand and Barren’s grip tightened on his knife. “You’ll only ruin the rest of your night if you hurt him,” Larkin stepped in front of Barren, shielding him with her slight form. “Leave him be, it was a mistake.”
William hesitated a moment, clenching his fist. Barren watched as his brother’s fiancée bent to pick up the empty glass. She handed it to him, smiling, though Barren barely lifted his gaze. “Perhaps you should take a stroll around the dancers next time.”
Barren swallowed and nodded in agreement.
William scowled and grabbed Larkin’s arm, pulling her away from Barren and out of the crowd. Barren stood there for a moment, staring at his empty glass—if only his hands had been empty, then maybe there would be blood in the grass, instead of red wine. He slinked toward the shadows. The music began again, and slowly everyone stopped looking at him.
He kept near the wall, one hand on his knife, the other clutching the glass at his side. He knew Leaf had seen that little display, and he probably knew Barren’s intentions, too. While it would have been easy to end everything right here, this was not the place to fight William. There were too many others who could intervene. No, Barren needed to wait. The sea would be a much better place.
Barren allowed himself to relax a little. He took a deep breath as the wind washed over him, causing the fabric draping the walls to rustle. He dropped the empty glass to the ground, and let his fingers loosen their hold on his knife. He still felt eyes following him. He had drawn too much attention. Now people would ask who he was, where he came from. Did anyone recognize him? Just as hysteria began to cree
p back into his mind, he spotted the figure of Larkin Lee retreating from the courtyard. She seemed in a hurry, and just before she slipped out, she looked around to see if anyone noticed her.
Barren wasn’t sure where she might be headed, but he felt he needed to follow her. Perhaps she was wandering off alone to escape this crowd. Just as he prepared to cross the lawn, Leaf reappeared.
“And where do you think you’re going?” he asked, his mouth full of food.
“Larkin’s left the party,” said Barren. “I need to follow her! She’s alone!”
Leaf dropped the grapes in his hand. No,” said the Elf. “What if she’s not alone?”
“I’m sure if she is meeting her lover, I can take him down easily,” Barren argued.
“Or she could be luring you into a trap. You don’t know her! And she could have recognized you. Don’t think I don’t know what you were doing!”
“Leaf, it flatters me that you worry about me so, but you have to let me do this.”
The Elf’s features hardened, and he raised his head a little. “Mocking me for my concern is a little foolish, don’t you think?”
“Look, you said you were tired of chasing cargo ships. I’m just trying to remedy your boredom.”
“Do what you want, but when it all goes south, I’m going to remind you of my words. And by south, I don’t mean what happens tonight, tomorrow or the next day. But I swear by Saorise, you will regret toying with Larkin Lee.”
***
Though the moon was full, it was hard for Barren to navigate the terrain outside of the castle, as he didn’t take the steps back down to the port—he followed Larkin down the side of an uneven hill. She held a lantern in her hands that bobbed about as she moved ahead of him. Now and then she’d stop to pull her dress free from brambles that caught it, but her determination kept her moving forward. He couldn’t help but be curious as to what she was hurrying toward.
He sent Leaf to the ship to inform the others that they would be sailing soon, though the words the Elf had said before Barren’s trek were ever-present in his mind. You will regret toying with Larkin Lee. Even he couldn’t ignore the feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach. So why was he going through with this?
As he came to the end of the hill, he saw Larkin’s shadow disappear into the darkness of the embankment below where the shore met the ocean. Barren followed in a less than graceful manner, as the moonlight didn’t reach every crevice, or illuminate every rock. As Barren stumbled into the sand, Larkin’s voice rang out, alarmed.
“Who’s there?” she turned, holding the lantern up and gripping at the scarf draped around her shoulders like a weapon.
“S-sorry to startle you,” Barren said, holding up his hands.
The girl regarded him for a moment, and he saw her eyes narrow. “You’re the man who poured wine on the Ambassador. You’ve been watching me all night.”
Barren’s heart beat a little faster—maybe she was onto him.
“You must forgive me. I suppose I let my shock get the best of me.”
“Shock?”
“Yes,” Barren nodded, walking toward her. “I had come to see what woman would take William Reed as a husband, and did not expect…you.”
He didn’t feel like he needed to explain what he’d expected, exactly.
“I am rather uncertain of how I should feel about that,” Larkin replied.
“It is no insult, Lady.”
“Perhaps not to me, but to my fiancé, it is.”
Barren couldn’t stifle his laugh in time, and Larkin didn’t seem pleased with his reaction.
“You seem very out of place in the company you just left,” said Larkin. “William didn’t seem to recognize you, and everyone in attendance was a guest of his.”
“How unfair that seems,” Barren mused.
“Well, as he made it so perfectly clear, it was his night,” she said sarcastically.
Barren tried not to meet her gaze. He felt the less she saw of his face, the better chance he’d have of kidnapping her.
“Do you come here often?” asked Barren after a moment.
The rush of waves was a pleasant sound to Barren. The smell of salt hit his nose and he longed to rush into the water and swim away from Maris. He longed to forget the intentions he came here with, to forget that his brother was here, that his father was gone. But he hesitated—remembering that the blood of his victims also swam in that water. He shuddered.
Larkin laughed a little. “I try to come here when I feel overwhelmed. I suppose tonight is one of those times. The sea is…calming, but after I am married I will come less often. My fiancé thinks I will be kidnapped by pirates.”
Barren laughed. “Let me guess—the notorious Barren Reed will seek you out?”
“Yes. William thinks Barren to be a coward and a nuisance and all he can talk about is his death…though he will do nothing to be accountable for it.”
Barren did not respond.
“You look a lot like William, you know.”
Barren chuckled. “I am insulted, Lady. Me, favor William Reed?”
“Yes…almost too much,” she said.
Then something happened Barren did not expect. Larkin flung the lantern she held toward Barren. The pirate dodged the blow—moving back, his feet automatically taking up battle stance, and he withdrew a short blade from a hidden holster attached to his back—one couldn’t expect Barren to march among his enemies without weapons. From the folds of her scarf, Larkin withdrew a similar blade. She looked like a warrior, her eyes ablaze in the night.
“You are either brave or foolish for coming here,” she said. “I haven’t yet figured out which one.”
“And you are not what I expected.” Barren was still a little shaken and all his previous notions about the girl vanished.
“What? You didn’t expect me to fight?”
“Not so suddenly, no,” said Barren. “So you did recognize me in the courtyard. I wonder…why did you not expose me when you had the chance?”
“It is not for me to be responsible for anyone’s death, even someone as foul as you,” Larkin’s hand tightened visibly on her blade, then she smiled. “Are you going to fight me?”
“If that is your wish,” Barren replied. “But answer me one question—why William? Why a murderer? I know you do not love him, so why?”
“You do not know me, sir,” she said evenly.
“I do not need to know you to understand you. There are a lot of girls like you, and since you’re not marrying for money or power, you must be marrying to appease someone.”
Larkin attacked, and it was like a dance, strong and graceful. Her blows made Barren’s teeth clench as metal struck metal. He recognized this fury; it was the way you fought when you hated someone.
Either because they were both half-Elf or for some other reason entirely, she was completely in tune with his movements. If he stepped backward, forward, or side-stepped, he was met with her counter attack, and her strikes held a force that shocked him. He could kick himself. He had all the clues before him. She had recognized him from the moment their eyes had met, and when she stopped William from hitting him, she had done it to protect her fiancé, knowing Barren’s intentions, and yet he still let himself think she was harmless. He was stupid.
“I think you only fight so viciously because you know I am right,” said Barren as he parried another blow.
“How do you live with yourself?” She cried harshly. “Murdering all those people—do you feel that is right?”
“Do you think your husband was right to murder my father?”
“He. Is. Not. My. Husband!” Her words were punctuated by the strike of the sword against Barren’s. On the last word, Barren misdirected his blade. He felt a burning sensation down his arm and knew he was cut. He didn’t let her blow vex him; he didn’t have time. Her attacks seemed to grow stronger with every strike. Barren was getting angrier by the second—the men he encountered at sea hardly gave him this much of a battle.
His blade nicked her fingers, and she dropped her sword. Barren moved quickly, grabbing her weapon and throwing it into the ocean.
He turned to laugh at her, but Larkin had more surprises up her sleeve—she bent and picked up a handful of sand, throwing it at Barren’s face. The sand stung his eyes and he lost focus as he tried to rub it out. Larkin made her move, pushing him to the ground, grabbing his sword as he fell. She held the tip of his blade inches from his nose.
“Cheater,” she accused breathlessly.
“You’re the one who threw sand in his face,” Leaf called from the darkness beyond, and Barren felt relief flood his body. “But if you were referring to his misuse of his blade, he’s a pirate, Lady. What did you expect?”
Barren was relieved when he saw the blade against her neck. Larkin went rigid and straightened slowly. Leaf pried the short sword from her hand, tossing the blade at Barren’s feet. The young pirate stood, still rubbing his eyes. He glared at Larkin whose gaze was narrow, her jaw tightened in defeat.
“I thought she killed you,” said Leaf. He pulled Larkin’s hands behind her back and tied them tightly with rope. “It would have been a pity—I would never have been able to tell you how right I really was.”
“You could have gotten here a little sooner.”
“Oh, I was here,” replied Leaf with a smile. “I just enjoyed watching you struggle.”
“Some friend you are.”
As Barren rubbed his eyes free of sand, he noticed a long chain around Larkin’s neck. Barren reached forward with his blade and strung the chain along the tip, lifting it from her chest. Now he saw what was at the end—a silver circle, the top encrusted with diamonds. Her engagement ring. Barren hadn’t even thought to check her finger for the stone, but there it was, dangling and forgotten. Barren’s gaze met her menacing stare, and he withdrew his blade and let his arm fall to his side.
