Crown's Shield: The Aermian Feuds: Book Two

by Frost Kay

  Her friend noted. “The tide is coming in. We will have to take a different route home.”

  Home.

  That word resonated with her.

  Where was home?

  It wasn’t safe for her family or her to stay with them anymore. Much to her chagrin, the palace had started to feel like home. There was also Lilja and Hayjen. She felt safe with them. They expected nothing from her, but offered her everything. Where did she belong? Where was home?

  Hayjen took the lead, and Sage followed in his wake, each tunnel blending into the next in her mind. He hesitated outside a thick wooden door, looking to her before opening it. She shored her defenses and nodded, so her friend soundlessly pushed it open and entered. She hung back for a moment, taking a deep breath. A chorus of masculine salutations greeted Hayjen. Sage then stepped forward into the room and met seven narrowed gazes.

  Silence.

  Sage had to fight her panic at being the subject of so many male stares, but it was time to play at being collected and unaffected.

  She smiled warmly at the room, avoiding a pair of muddy brown eyes glaring daggers at her. She kicked the door, and it thudded shut behind her. She then glided to Hayjen as he pulled out a chair. Pulling in a shallow breath through her nose, she sat, placing her hands on the worn table.

  “Good evening, gentlemen.” She peeked up at them from underneath her lashes and gave them a soft smile. The stern faces melted into more welcoming expressions. Bitterness welled inside her at how easily they were manipulated. Rafe had taught her well.

  “Why is she here?”

  Sage covered her flinch and kept her serene mask in place at his voice.

  He couldn’t hurt her here.

  Hayjen’s hand settled on her knee in silent support. She maintained her smile as she faced down her own personal demon. Rhys looked the same to her, completely unremarkable except for his height. Nothing to indicate the sadistic monster living inside him. And here she was, sitting at the same table like everything was okay. His eyes roved over her, causing bile to burn her throat. Everything in her body revolted against the lecherous glint in his eyes.

  A low growl emanated across from her, snapping her out of trance.

  Sage pasted a bland smile on her face and clenched her hands to stop them from trembling. “I am part of the rebellion circle, am I not?” She couldn’t stand looking at him anymore so she looked into each face around the table, skipping over Rafe.

  “Of course you are, dear,” spoke up Mason from her right.

  She gave him a kind smile. He was an older man with a fierce love for his family. “How is your daughter doing? I heard you have a new grandbaby to love.”

  His moss green eyes lit up with joy. “The wee babe is doing well.”

  “I am happy to hear it.”

  “I am glad as well that your family is doing well, Mason. But maybe we should focus on the task at hand.” Rafe’s low, baritone washed over her, irritation coloring his tone.

  Sage slid her eyes to the mountain of a man staring her down. Rafe’s amber eyes bored holes into her. She felt like prey just before it was pounced upon. He was obviously not happy with her. He broke their stare down and swept the table with his gaze, her breath rushing out once she was no longer the subject of his scrutiny.

  Finally, he started to speak. “There has been a development that is beneficial to the rebellion.”

  Sage held her breath as the circle of men leaned forward.

  “Thanks to Sage’s negotiating skills, we have a meeting with the Crown.”

  Sage noted the various expressions of shock and revulsion that crossed their faces. Sputters of indignation and curses exploded around the table.

  “What do you mean by that?” demanded Noah, a merchant with a heart of gold and a shrewd mind for numbers.

  “He means—” Rhys’s insidious voice cut through the din, “—that the princes’ whore used her wiles on Rafe and the princes of Aremia.”

  Goosebumps rose on Sage’s arms as his eyes brushed over her skin.

  “What did you do to get them to agree to such a farce?” Rhys continued.

  Sage clenched her teeth so hard her jaw ached. She refused to look at him, focusing instead on Hayjen’s face. She would not dignify that with an answer. Breathe in and out. He cannot hurt you, she chanted to herself.

  “That is enough young man,” Mason chastised from the end of the table.

  Her eyes darted to the stern older man. His eyes flicked to hers briefly, softening a touch. Sage was grateful to him for sticking up for her when no one else did.

  “She must be something special to keep the attention of that many men.” Rhys released a loud groan that made her stomach heavy, and saliva fill her mouth. “I overheard she could do this one thing with her…”

  “Enough!” Rafe snarled, a low growl rumbling out of him.

  Sage flinched in her seat, eyes snapping to the seething man across from her. The hair on her arms stood up at the sound he’d made. Lilja was right: he was a predator. Everything about him screamed danger from head to toe; black leather and numerous weapons were strapped all over his muscular frame. His eyes glinted with rage, burning an intense gold. She’d begun trembling again but stilled as Hayjen put pressure on her knee, letting her know he was there for her.

  “Don’t you ever speak about Sage that way or you will find yourself with more than a shoulder wound!” Danger was woven into each of Rafe’s words.

  “Is that a threat?” Rhys questioned, a small tremor in his voice.

  The corner of Sage’s mouth twitched. It seemed even monsters were afraid of Rafe.

  “It is a promise.” The rebellion leader’s lips twisted into a sinister smile. Sage would hate to be on the receiving end of such a look. Rafe eyed each man before pausing on her for a moment. “We do not speak about our comrades in this way. Even if the lies Rhys is spouting were true, we all understand there’s a heavy price to be paid to accomplish our goals. We do what we need to in order to survive.”

  “I thought you were done after your assignment, Sage?” Madden, who had been quiet up until this point, asked.

  Sage ripped her gaze from Rafe and held Madden’s hazel eyes with hers, flashing him a rueful smile. “As did I, but life has a funny way of playing tricks on you.”

  “So what of this meeting?” Hayjen rumbled from her side, taking the attention off her. “How does a meeting with the Crown benefit us?”

  “We have had information that the Scythians are mobilizing their warriors. One can only guess what they are up to but…”

  “War.” Madden supplied, not looking surprised.

  Rafe nodded. “We believe so, yes.”

  “But why now?” Badiah asked, confusion clear on his slender face. “They’ve been silent since the construction of the Mort Wall and that was a good two hundred years ago. It’s always been their pattern to send away their unwanted kin. Now they’re taking people? Our people?” He shook his head. “It makes no sense. They hate outsiders and anything that doesn’t meet their ridiculous notion of perfection. This does not bode well for any of us.”

  “Which means we can’t afford a civil war,” Sage supplied.

  Badiah eyed her as if he was reading the thoughts in her head. “You mean for us seek a treaty with the Crown.”

  “What?” Madden asked, incredulously. “We can’t trust them as far as we can throw them! Is that the source of your Scythian information?”

  “No, it is not.” Rafe didn’t elaborate.

  “We have the advantage,” cried Rhys, shooting to his feet, his chair falling to the dirt floor with a dull thwap. Sage tensed but maintained her calm facade. “We are so close to starting a new regime. Have you all forgotten about why we are here in the first place? Our families are starving, our crops are dying, and our people are now being stolen! Where has the Crown been all this time? What have they been doing? Hiding in the stone palace, doing nothing. Meanwhile we suffer.”

  Mason eyed Rhys skep
tically before glancing to Rafe. “We sanctioned the assassination of the king not even two weeks ago. It seems naïve to think the princes would forgive such an act and now seek peace between us.”

  “You have never steered us wrong, Rafe,” Badiah cut in. “But none of us are infallible. Are you certain this isn’t a trap of some kind?”

  “It isn’t,” Sage murmured. Suddenly, she was the center of attention. Sage forced false bravado into her voice, raising her chin. “During my time at the palace they tried to recruit me, and so I listened, and I learned from the things they were willing to share as they attempted to win me over. The king was a wealth of information.” Her face hardened. “The Scythians will strike. If we do not unite as a kingdom, they will destroy us and swarm Aermia like locusts. There will be nothing of us left to rule.” She let them mull that over before continuing. “Our goal is to save the innocent lives, to give them a better life, to give them a voice. This is our chance to do just that but without the bloodshed. No one need die. We still have control. Arrangements have been made to exchange demands three days from now. You have until then to decide what you want.”

  “The decision has been made?” Madden growled.

  “Yes, it has.” Rafe deliberately rose from his seat, muscles bunching with the controlled movement, and crossed bulging arms over his wide chest. “This will greatly aid our cause. Now, it is up to you to decide what we need from this.”

  “How does Sage fit into this?” Hayjen asked, shifting in his chair.

  “She will be our liaison. She knows the rebellion and the Crown. Sage is perfect for the job.”

  She doubted that.

  “If she is supposed to be the liaison then what is she doing here?” Madden asked. “This doesn’t seem very neutral of her.”

  Sage tried to not to be offended, but she was. She had done everything they had ever asked of her.

  “I agree.”

  She gasped, looking up into Rafe’s serious face. He stared back without emotion. Betrayal burned through her. He planned on kicking her out. Sage looked around the table hoping to see someone disagree with him, but from their blank faces she knew they agreed with him. Her gaze trailed back to Rafe. For a moment, she had thought that maybe she could trust him, but, once again, he’d betrayed her. She didn’t even know him anymore. Her thoughts must have shown on her face because his eyebrows creased and his face fell, ever so slightly.

  “Little one…” he murmured softly.

  Sage shoved down her own personal feelings and maneuvered her face back into her mask. She pulled her hands from the table and reached down to squeeze Hayjen’s hand, and then scooted out her wooden chair, her heart hollow. She’d spent years of her life with these men. She’d trained, schemed, fought, and laughed with them. Yet as she stood, it was like they were strangers to her. They had sanctioned regicide, sent a monster to hurt her and then protected him, and now, they had cast her out. She was done.

  “Well then, gentlemen. Be wise in your choices, you have the chance to heal Aermia. Don’t be foolish or hotheaded in this.” Her features hardened. “If anyone of you try something stupid at the exchange, it will mean the obliteration of the rebellion and all the resulting bloodshed will be on your head. Don’t overestimate yourselves, and don’t underestimate the Crown.” She bared her teeth at Rafe and took perverse joy in how his fists tightened in response. Someone wasn’t happy. “I wish you all the best.” She touched Hayjen’s shoulder, signaling him to stay, before striding out of the room as if it had been her choice.

  As soon as the door thudded behind her, she fled. She suspected Rafe wouldn’t be far behind.

  Chapter Seven

  Sage

  She hastened through the labyrinth of tunnels, twisting left and right until she finally spotted the dock. Her breath heaved in and out of her chest as she paused and admired the sparkling stars in the colorless night sky. They winked at her like gems haphazardly strewn across a bed of midnight silk. The sounds of bawdy sailor songs filled the air, merchants and corsairs alike already deep in their cups.

  She startled as a large man crashed into a crate before slumping onto the wooden deck and laughing, obviously inebriated. Sage crept around him, picking up her pace as she headed to the Sirenidae vessel. A wooden ladder dangled against the ship’s hull, and Sage eyed it with skepticism. There had to be at least four feet between the ship and the dock so it’d be a stretch to reach it. She pursed her lips.

  Would it be better to call for Lilja’s help?

  Nope. She could make it, but she couldn’t hesitate.

  Sage backtracked a few paces, focusing on the ladder as it swayed in the light breeze. She loosened her arms and released a deep breath before pushing off the balls of her feet and sprinting to the dock’s edge. Her muscles coiled and sprung as she pushed from the wooden surface and she caught hold of the rope, her momentum crashing her into the wooden hull and nearly knocking her senseless. Her feet dangled below her, and she scrambled to get her feet onto a rung. Her right boot finally caught the ladder, and she made quick work of climbing it, vaulting over the rail as soon as she’d reached it. She allowed herself a satisfied smile at the fact that she’d made the leap despite being so short.

  “For a moment, I thought you would not make it, ma fleur. Quite agile, aren’t you?”

  Sage didn’t take her eyes from the dock below even though she hadn’t heard Lilja’s approach. “You watched me the whole time but didn’t offer help?”

  A husky laugh reached her ears. “You didn’t need my assistance. Besides, it was amusing.”

  Sage rolled her eyes and peered into the inky corner Lilja was lurking in. “And if I hadn’t been able to make it?”

  Captain Femi waved her hand and uncoiled from the barrel she was sitting on. “You would’ve gotten a little wet. It might even have done you some good. After all, the ocean contains healing properties that aren’t found anywhere else in the world.” The captain sauntered to her side and ran a hand down her brown locks as if she’d been doing it all of Sage’s life, scrutinizing Sage’s face. “What has you so riled up, child? And where is Hayjen? He was not to leave your side.”

  “I was relieved of my position among the circle.” The words felt like ash on her tongue. She swallowed hard, feeling bitterness well in her. “I am the best asset they have and a wealth of information, yet they threw me away like I meant nothing.” She dropped Lilja’s knowing gaze turning back to the rail. Little lights bobbed along the ships, illuminating a series of card games, storytelling, and cleaning. “I fit nowhere,” she found herself saying. “I have no home. The Crown doesn’t trust me because I am part of the rebellion, and the rebellion doesn’t trust me because I was imprisoned for so long with the Crown. Neither wants me, but both want something from me. I only have value in what I can give them, not as a person.” She blew out an angry breath, glancing at Lilja. “What rubs me is that I thought Rafe, of all people, would stick with me, that he was my friend. But he is nothing but a pretender. He cast me out today.”

  Captain Femi hissed. “Aye, you need to beware of that one. You couldn’t find a more pigheaded man if you tried.”

  That perked her interest. “You know him?”

  Lilja’s eyes shuttered but her smile was sharp and knowing. “I know of him. That man is about as flexible as a hundred-year-old oak tree. He may be wise but he’s stuck in his ways. By the time he figures you out, it will be too late.”

  Sage’s brows furrowed. What was she talking about? “Too late?”

  “To correct his mistakes, ma fleur.” Lilja brushed a hand along her cheek and yawned. “It is time for me to find my bed. Don’t worry about the ladder, Hayjen will pull it up when he comes home. Goodnight, love.”

  Sage smiled at the quirky female and whispered a soft goodnight as Captain Femi glided across the deck, her skirts swishing seductively behind her. She shook her head and claimed Lilja’s abandoned spot. Weariness filled her, making her ache for her own bed, but she didn’t want
to miss Hayjen so she’d just have to keep her vigil.

  ***

  A whisper of sound had her eyes springing open as she observed Hayjen heaving himself over the rail in the dim moonlight. As he pulled up the ladder, Lilja slipped into view, wearing a translucent robe that was most indecent. Sage blushed and averted her eyes, instead stretching the crick her neck. Hayjen glanced over the ship’s side and jerked his head to his wife. She froze for a beat before stomping over to the rail and glaring down at the dock.

  “You are not welcome here,” Lilja glowered. The captain’s white waves slipped from the emerald silk scarf wrapped around her hair, displaying her face. Danger carved her face into sharp planes that could cut glass.

  Something about the captain’s look and her tone made the hair on Sage’s arms stand up. One thing was apparent, she never wanted to be on Lilja’s bad side.

  Sage leaned forward to listen, shivering when a menacing growl rose from the dock.

  “You will not hide from me what is mine!” That made her spine stiffen, she knew that voice.

  “There is nothing on this ship that belongs to you, I can assure you of that.”

  “Come now, Lilja, you and I both know you harbor what is not yours.”

  Captain Femi tossed her head and glanced to Sage’s shadowy corner before glaring back down. “Leave. There is nothing here for you.”

  “I will have what I came for. Do not make me come and retrieve her.”

  Lilja’s face hardened into angry lines. She leaned over the rail, her silvery hair making her seem almost ethereal in the moonlight. “You set one foot on my ship, and I will drag you to the bottom of the ocean and watch with glee as you drown.”

  The malice in Lilja’s voice shocked Sage. There was a danger lurking in her new friend that she had heretofore never witnessed. Perhaps some of the myths were true after all.