“Well?” Tobias pressed, vexed by her silence. “Who are you?”
“I am Princess Lyneah Phillipa Montbasur-Wyndsur.” She tugged the silver ring from her finger, passed it to Tobias, and pointed at the royal emblem that was etched on its surface. “I am the only princess of this nation, and I am desperately trying to save it.”
“Save it?” Kieran suddenly threw back his head and cackled loudly. “And you think you'll save it by meeting with Rory bloody McCray? Love, what you're talking about is suicide. You do realize he wants to kill you... yes?”
“I am well aware of his intentions, Mr. Kieran. However, I believe I can convince him that we share the same goals. I must convince him that an alliance with me could prove beneficial to his cause.”
Tobias kept staring at the ring in his hand, unblinkingly. The last ten minutes were so unreal, he had to be living in a dream. “I have a difficult time b-believing any of this,” he said. “Why do you look like my best friend?”
“A more proper question would be... why does your friend look like the princess?” Lyneah corrected him. “If I have a convincing twin in this world, perhaps she could serve as my body double one day.”
“Sure...” Tobias sighed. “If we ever find her. For all I know, she could be dead!”
“Please, Tobias, don't say that! I encourage you to remain positive!” Lyneah tried to smile at him, but his sorrowful expression didn't budge. “Now, Mister Kieran, I--”
“Bloody hell, stop calling me that!” He dragged a hand across his face and snorted into the palm of his hand. “Either call me Kieran or call me nothing!”
“Very well... Mr. Nothing.” Lyneah grinned at him. “I have a proposition for you, if you would be willing to entertain it. I would like you to take me to Dovyr in your hovercraft. If you already know the way, it should be easy money for you!”
“How much are you paying?”
“Here. I believe this should cover the cost.” Lyneah tossed the entire bag at him. “Will that be sufficient?”
Kieran tore open the bag and peered inside. The room was dim, but it was impossible to miss the glimmer of gold. “Aye. I think this is more than sufficient.”
Lyneah pursed her lips. She wondered if she should have tried to negotiate with him first. Perhaps she could have gotten him to escort her at half the cost? Fortunately, she had a second money bag tucked away in her pocket.
“You're putting a lot of trust in this strange man,” Tobias suddenly spoke up. “I'm w-w-w-worried for you.”
“And it is very kind of you to be concerned for me, Tobey.”
Tobias thought she sounded a bit condescending, like a mother addressing her child. “M-May I come with you? I'd like to keep an eye on you. I don't think you should be alone in the desert with someone like him.”
“Hell no,” Kieran was quick to respond. “Chaperoning a bratty girl is bad enough. I don't need a snot-nosed kid on top of it.”
“Should it not be my choice?” Lyneah asked. “Am I not the one paying for your service?”
“I agreed to take one girl. One.” Kieran held up a finger as he glared at Tobias. “I didn't agree to take the boy.”
“I overpaid you. And for that reason, you've no right to complain. From now on, until we reach our destination, all decisions will be made by me alone.” Satisfied with her decree, Lyneah turned her attention back to Tobias. “Are you sure you want to go? Shouldn't you stay here and wait for your friend to return?”
“Kitt might never return. I'd rather go with you,” Tobias said. “B-Besides... this man is seedy. I really don't think you should be alone with him.” He flicked a finger in Kieran's direction.
“Oh, so you want to protect her from me?” Kieran sat back in his chair and laughed loudly. “Good luck with that, boy. I could break you with a finger.”
“Please, be kind to Tobias!” Lyneah demanded. “He has only ever been kind to me, even after I lied to him!”
“The kid's probably being kind because he wants to see what's under a princess' knickers.” A lazy smirk appeared on Kieran's lips as he studied the younger man. “I can't say I blame him, either. That'd be a worthy goal for any man.”
“Th-that's not my goal!” a blushing Tobias protested. “I only want to help her!”
“Help her? More like hinder her. You're only going to get in the way.”
“Please!” Lyneah threw up her hands in frustration. “Please don't argue! If Tobias chooses to come, I won't stop him. In fact, I would be grateful for his company.” Lyneah had never spoken truer words. She was so starved for a companion, she would be thrilled to have him along for the ride.
And what a strange ride it would be.
6
This is the last time, Kitt told herself as she laid awake for the third night in a row. This is the last time I invest Francis Doon with any power over my thoughts. This is the last time I let him occupy any significant space in my mind.
It was a difficult vow to keep. Every time she closed her eyes, she could still see him swaggering around, looking like he didn't have a care in the world. She could still hear his voice, silvery yet smoky, calling her “Kitten.”
This is the last night, Kitt pleaded with herself. This is the last time I shall ever think of Captain Doon.
Though her eyes were closed, her mind was open for business. Thoughts flooded into her head like water through an open sluice. In the castle, it was always like that. She could never dull her mind long enough to get a decent rest.
And then she heard it: a soft creak of the floorboards, letting her know there was someone in the room with her. She might have dismissed it as a fluke, but when she heard it again and again, she couldn't deny it. Someone was creeping across the floor, moving closer to her bed.
With her eyes still closed, Kitt's hand slid out of her blankets in search of her gun—or rather, Doon's gun. Giving her a weapon to defend herself was probably the best thing he ever did for her. Kitt reached under her mattress, where she kept the gun, and curled her fingers around the cold metal. She barely opened one eye, and when she did, she saw a dark figure standing at the foot of her bed. Her heart pounded violently when her fears were confirmed.
In one quick motion, Kitt pulled out her gun and pointed it at the figure. “Stay back!” she screamed. Her fingers trembled as she gripped the revolver, which felt awkward in her hands. “If you make one wrong move, I will shoot you!”
“Goodness, Miss Lake, lower your weapon! It's only me!”
When she heard Roderick's voice calling out to her, she dropped the gun on her bed and heaved a seemingly endless sigh. “Roderick!” she shrieked his name. “Why on earth are you creeping around my room after midnight?” She turned on the oil lamp by her bed and raised it, letting it illuminate his face.
“I'm sorry.” Roderick sat at the end of her bed with a sigh. “I wasn't creeping around, I was investigating. I accepted the post to guard your room because I wanted to keep an eye on you. I had a bad feeling. Sure enough, I thought I heard someone in your room... so I had to check.”
Kitt returned her lamp to the table, rolled her eyes, and collapsed into bed. “Well... you were wrong. There's no one here but you.”
“No, but there was someone in here. I'm sure of it!” Roderick insisted. “I think I frightened them off when I entered.”
“And you're absolutely certain, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that there was someone in my room?”
“Well... I'm not certain, but I believe there was someone here!” Roderick rose from the bed, grabbed Kitt's oil lamp, and approached the vast wardrobe in the corner of the room. He threw open the door and shone the light inside, making sure there was no one hiding within. Then he went to the balcony and peered out. When he was sure there was no one lurking in the princess' room, he returned to the bed with a sigh. “I'm sorry if I alarmed you.”
“I won't lie. Waking up and seeing someone at the end of my bed was a bit... terrifying,” Kitt confessed. “But if you really thought you w
ere protecting me, I can't be angry with you.”
“Where did you get a gun?”
“I got it from... the captain.” She still couldn't bring herself to utter Doon's name.
“Doon?”
“Yes...”
“Do you even know how to use that thing?” Roderick asked. “I trained Lyneah on how to use one, but I can't imagine everyone would know how to handle a gun.”
“I got a brief lesson from... Doon... when he gave me the gun.” There. She finally said his name, and it wasn't as difficult as she expected it to be.
“Well, if you ever want a more in-depth lesson, I'd be happy to give you one. You know I don't like Doon, but he was right to give you a gun. I might not always be around to protect you, so if you can protect yourself...”
“I don't need protecting,” Kitt said with a shrug.
“No, Kitt... you do. Don't you understand that you're in constant peril? We have confirmed, more than once, that there are people trying to kill you!”
Kitt tossed a pillow at him, hitting him squarely in the head. “Stop, Roderick! I already can't sleep as it is!”
He didn't seem fazed when the pillow hit him. He barely even flinched, then continued, “Perhaps we should move you to a different bedchamber... one that doesn't have a balcony? Even with the doors locked, someone could easily access your room via the balcony.”
“Doon entered through the balcony once,” Kitt admitted. “If he can do it, others could try the same thing.”
“Doon came into your room?” Roderick's eyes narrowed at the thought.
“Yes. But that was days ago. You don't need to worry about it.”
“But I am worried about you.” Roderick moved closer to Kitt and timidly took her hand. “I'm a knight. It's my job to worry about you, is it not?”
“I've never met a knight who was even half as concerned as you! I think you're going above and beyond the call of duty, Roderick.”
“Well... then perhaps I worry a bit more because I care more. I care about you a lot, Miss Lake.”
While she wasn't thrilled with the idea of someone fussing over her, Kitt was happy to know she had someone looking out for her. However, in the back of her mind, she always wondered if Roderick only cared because she was the spitting image of Lyneah. If she was the real princess, would he care more? It was silly, but Kitt often felt envious of a woman she had never even met.
“I... learned another disturbing bit of news,” Roderick quietly began. “But perhaps I shouldn't tell you.”
“What?” Kitt grabbed his arm and squeezed. “You can't just say something like that and not tell me!”
Fortunately for her, Roderick wasn't a difficult man to persuade. He gave up the information easily. “When Prince Malik returns, the wedding will take place the very next day. King Roen and Queen Loreina have decided to push it forward.”
“What? And when were they planning on telling me this news?” Sometimes, Kitt had to remind herself she wasn't actually the princess, and the princess' fate wasn't necessarily her own. “But wait... they can't actually make me marry him, right? I'm only pretending to be the princess. This concerns Lyneah, not me.”
“If you're still here when Malik returns, I can't promise it won't concern you. And if that happens... if worse comes to worst...” Roderick hesitated to complete his thought, and when he did, he didn't meet her gaze. “You could always marry me instead.”
“Marry you?” Kitt's eyes practically doubled in size at the suggestion. “Gee, Roderick, that seems a bit... extreme. Surely there would be a more logical way to get out of marrying Malik?”
“Perhaps.” Roderick looked a bit hurt by her brisk dismissal of the idea. “And I only meant that we would marry as a last resort. If your marriage to Malik was truly unavoidable, we could... sneak to the castle chapel and elope. Loreina couldn't touch you then.”
Kitt was shaking her head. While marriage to Roderick would certainly be preferable to marrying Malik, it was still a difficult scenario to take seriously. “I don't know, Roderick. I couldn't let you do that. I wouldn't let you make such a sacrifice for me.”
Roderick sighed. How could he explain that it wouldn't be a sacrifice, but rather a fate he could happily accept?
“Um... perhaps...” Kitt was hesitant to complete her thought. It was an idea she had considered for some time, but she didn't know how Roderick would react.
“What is it, Miss Lake? If there is something you wish to say...”
Kitt leaned forward, resting her chin against her fist. “Your father is Captain of the Queen's Navy... isn't that right?”
“Vice-Captain,” he corrected her. “My father is Vice-Captain of the Royal Black Wings.”
“I was thinking... as of late... and feel free to set me right if I'm mistaken...” Kitt took a deep breath before continuing. “Does that mean you have access to airships?”
“Not directly. If I wanted access to one of the airships, I would have to ask my father, who would have to ask his captain, who would have to ask the queen.”
“But it is possible?” Kitt asked. “In theory?” She was desperate to find a way back home, even if it meant using Roderick's meager status to her advantage.
“I would have to explain why I needed access to a ship,” Roderick said. “Or I guess I could steal one, but that would likely end in the loss of my job... at the very least.”
“Oh.” Kitt's shoulders collapsed as she exhaled. “Never mind.”
“If you wanted me to take you home... I suppose I could try.”
“No!” Kitt raised her voice. “I don't want you taking any unnecessary risks on my behalf. I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you because of me.” She sank beneath her blankets and tugged the sheets to her chin. “I'll just have to think of another way.”
“I want to help you.” Roderick was frowning as he rose from her bed. “I really do. If you can think of any other way I can help you--”
“Just be my friend. Having a friend in the castle is priceless.” Kitt tried to smile at him, but her lips were immovable. Her heavy heart wouldn't allow a smile. “I... suppose I should try to sleep again... although I doubt that will be possible.”
“Which means I should probably take my leave.” As Roderick reached for the doorknob, he said, “I'll be right outside the door if you need me, Miss Lake.”
“Thank you, Roderick.” She thought about asking him to stay inside her room, but she couldn't imagine trying to sleep while someone was watching her.
“Do not hesitate to call my name if you need me.”
“Alright.”
“And...” Roderick's lips tipped into a grin as he hovered in the doorway. “If you should happen to want a kiss goodnight...”
“Well, that's not inappropriate timing at all, Roderick!” Kitt exclaimed. With a chuckle, she seized her pillow and chucked it at him a second time.
Roderick narrowly avoided the hurtling pillow as he slipped into the hall and closed the door behind him.
7
They had to ride the train to reach Kieran's hovercraft, which was stored in a garage on the edge of Lundun. When he pulled off the leather tarp to reveal the vehicle beneath it, Lyneah was impressed. While it was powered by old technology, she had never seen a hovercraft before, let alone ridden one. Kieran's hovercraft was a massive hunk of metal, a bit rusted and moderately scratched. It was roughly the size of a dinghy, and it was conveniently equipped to carry three people.
Kieran leapt into the front seat and flicked the ignition. When the hovercraft whirred to life, a gust of wind nearly blew Lyneah backward. Squinting against the rush of air, she observed the three round engines below the craft. They looked like large, metal fans, and there was a distinct smell of smoke wafting from them.
“That smell!” Lyneah gasped, practically choking on the acrid odor. “Is that normal? It smells like it's burning!”
“It's entirely normal,” Kieran claimed, then he tossed two pairs of goggles—one to Lyneah an
d one to Tobey. “Here. You'll want to wear these.”
Lyneah caught the incoming goggles, but to Tobias' great shame, his pair eluded his grabbing hands, toppled down his chest, and crashed to the floor. As he bent down to pick them up, he said, “G-G-G-G-goggles?”
“Yes...” Kieran rolled his eyes as he spoke. “I just gave you a pair of ga-ga-ga-goggles.”
When she heard him picking on Tobias' stammer, Lyneah gasped again. “Don't tease him!” she cried.
Kieran's shoulders listlessly rose and fell. “Why not? It's fun to tease.”
“But you don't have to be mean!”
“If you paid me to be nice, Princess, you hired the wrong man,” Kieran responded with a snort. “Besides, the boy could probably benefit from a bit of teasing. Maybe it'll inspire him to correct that stuttering tongue of his.”
“Or you could try to be more sensitive!” Lyneah suggested. “Teasing only regresses people.”
Though he appreciated Lyneah's attempts to defend him, Tobias was ashamed that he was unable to defend himself. If he tried to speak up for himself, he knew he'd end up stuttering again, which would only make him look like more of a fool. Ignoring the other man's jab, Tobias offered Lyneah a hand and helped her into the hovercraft's second seat. When he climbed in behind her, he looked significantly less graceful than his companions. He nearly fell face-first into the cushion, and for a few inglorious seconds, his legs were flailing in the air.
Kieran chuckled as he watched Tobias in the rear view mirror. He thought about picking on the boy's bumbling entry, but he decided to spare him the humiliation. “So, as I said... goggles,” Kieran spoke up again. “You'll want to wear those. Even though the hovercraft floats, some of the sand occasionally drifts up and stings the eyes.” He lowered his goggles, as did his passengers. “If you have a scarf, I'd recommend wearing that too. You'll want to protect your nose and mouth as well.”
A Lost Princess (Belles & Bullets Book 2) Page 4
