by Skye Malone
Without another word, he swam from the room.
A choked sound escaped me. I couldn’t believe this. Someone could die and he couldn’t care less.
But I should have expected it. I should have known…
I shook my head. I had known. That’s why I’d tried to get him to take me to the theater rather than tell him the truth. Because he was right, no one would help me. We didn’t live in that kind of world. The courtiers and the nobles and everyone else played around, partied and had fun because it boosted them socially, not because they gave a damn about each other’s welfare. It was better that way. Easier. Family was the only thing that protected you or cared about you – and sometimes not even then. But regardless, nobody in this entire city would lift a finger for someone out of favor with the king, not when it might jeopardize their political careers or their parents’ connections.
The serious always came back, no matter what you did.
I turned from the archway, still shivering. So that was it, then. I had to go, and there was only one option left.
Zeke’s strategy.
A breath left me. I was fast. Faster than anyone I knew, Zeke included. If I made a break for it, I might be able to outdistance the guards coming after me.
And they wouldn’t touch me. They weren’t going to shoot their princess.
Hopefully.
I pushed the thought aside. They wouldn’t. I’d be fine.
I’d still have countless guards chasing me.
That thought followed the first, shoved from a cliff in my mind and ignored as it fell. I would be fine.
Now I just had to figure out what I’d need out there.
I swallowed hard as my gaze went to the closet on the other side of my bedroom. There were mercenaries everywhere, Ren had said.
Protection then. The knife, a veil stone to create a protective covering – if I had one stuffed in there somewhere, anyway – and maybe some sieranchine, in case of injury.
The thought sent my stomach twisting all over again. Taking a deep breath, I swam to the closet. Shelves with boxes carved of black stone waited near the floor, below racks of robes and capes and other random things I rarely wore. Dropping to the floor, I pulled open a box from the lowest shelf and then felt around inside till I found the belt Egan had given me. I tugged it out and then pushed the box back into place again.
My hand lingered over the hilt of the knife. I couldn’t ask for Egan’s help either. No matter what he thought he felt for me, he was still the son of the Duke of Teariad. His father had more to lose than almost anyone by upsetting the king – given that he needed Ren’s help to keep negotiations with his Ryairan neighbors going well – and therefore Egan did as well.
He’d never risk his province or his position for my grandfather, any more than Tiago or anyone else would.
I was on my own.
Quickly, I snagged a bag from the wall. Stuffing the knife belt inside, I scanned the shelves and then grabbed the other supplies as well, trying to keep my heart from racing.
On my own or not, it didn’t matter. This would work.
This had to work.
I slung the bag crosswise over my chest and then glanced around the room. Nothing else met my gaze.
I headed for the window.
Chapter Seven
The two guards were back outside the window. I could hear them talking beyond the leaves, their voices low and the words unintelligible.
I bit my lip. I could rush past them, but a diversion still felt like the best plan. Even if my idea with Tiago hadn’t worked out, the longer I could keep them thinking I was just here and upset and not intending to leave, the– A new plan popped into my head.
Swiftly, I shrugged the bag off and tucked it on one side of the windowsill. Taking a few quick breaths, I tried to make myself look as upset as possible, like I was fighting to keep from crying.
It wasn’t hard.
I pushed the fejeria aside.
“Hey, guys?” I said to the two men outside.
They glanced back, and their brows twitched up in alarm.
“What is it, princess?” one of them asked.
“Um… could you, um, like…” I took a hitched breath. “Tiago just broke up with me and Granddad might’ve killed my father and… Could you find a servant and have them head down to the kitchens and get me something? I don’t know what. Anything nice. It’s been a hard week.”
The guards hesitated and I could read the consideration on their faces. If I’d wanted a servant, going to the door would have been more logical.
But then, I was upset. Maybe I wasn’t thinking right. Maybe they could just accommodate me.
I made myself keep breathing, waiting to see if they came to the conclusion I hoped they would.
“Yes, princess.”
One of them turned and swam down a level, disappearing into the opening there.
I let out a breath and then glanced around. The other man was watching me and the palace surroundings equally, while beyond him, there was only the veil and the guards stationed by it.
And if I was fast…
I slipped back behind the leaves and grabbed my bag. Pushing the plants aside again, I kept my shoulder behind the fejeria while I pretended to watch for the other soldier’s return.
The guard gave me a polite smile and then glanced away.
I took off.
The soldier shouted. The guards by the veil turned toward the sound in alarm and then moved to block me.
I darted to the right and dropped fast through the water, veering around them. The bag dragged at my shoulder, slowing me down, but I still managed to cut beneath them as I raced into the veil.
Bubbles rippled over my skin, and magic did as well. The veil fell behind me while the whole city came into view.
Twisting hard to the side, I sped toward a cluster of buildings that rose slightly higher than the rest. The rocky surfaces of the building faces blurred beside me, and then those were behind me too. I tossed a fast glance over my shoulder, checking to see how well the buildings blocked me from the soldiers’ sight.
Not well enough. Half a dozen soldiers were on the other side of the veil now, and one of them was pointing my way.
I gasped and fought for more speed. Up ahead, the broad curve of the outer veil was a glittering fabric that surrounded the city, to which I was racing closer with every second.
But there were other dehaians in my path, and one of them looked familiar. My eyes narrowed.
Niall. A dozen guards flanked him, with supplies on their shoulders and weapons at their waists. They weren’t looking toward me yet, but that could change at any moment.
I dove between the buildings, losing sight of my brother and the others almost immediately. People scattered out of the way, plastering themselves to the rocky walls as I raced past, and more shouts followed. I muttered a curse. Surprised people and confusion would only let the guards know exactly which way I’d gone.
But then, the veil was coming closer. Another few seconds and I’d be there, after which it’d just be the open water and swimming as fast as I could to outpace the guards. Nothing much surrounded the city of Nyciena, barring a canyon so deep it gave little kids nightmares. Hills lay a few miles away, with caves on their sides, but after Ren had found out Zeke had hidden there for several days with Chloe, he’d ordered the guards to keep an eye on the area.
I’d just have to hope I could get enough of a lead that, if I had to use the veil stone to hide, the soldiers wouldn’t spot me before the covering was in place.
Something sped through the water behind me, faster than a dehaian and headed directly at my back.
I veered hard to the left. Missing me by inches, a net pod slammed into the wall and exploded into a mess of tentacles that suckered to the rocks.
My eyes widened. They were shooting at me. They were actually shooting at me.
More pods followed. People cried out as they were hit by the nets and tumbled toward the g
round. Chaos erupted, with dehaians fleeing in every direction as they tried to avoid the barrage. The guards shouted, slowed by the crowds.
I slalomed past the buildings, flying toward the veil. Net pods burst over the walls, but the impacts were falling farther and farther behind.
And then the glittering bubbles rushed over me, fast as the blink of an eye, and all of the ocean spread out ahead of me.
I raced east, leaving the city behind.
Chapter Eight
I swam for another half hour before slowing down, my sides heaving and my lungs protesting the speed at which I’d been forcing myself to travel. The canyon around Nyciena was miles gone, as were the hills nearby. A flat stretch of nothing surrounded me. I bit my lip, scanning it all.
Granddad could be anywhere.
I continued northeast. Nearly a day’s travel separated me from the Washington coast, which didn’t account for other places he might have travelled. Granddad had connections everywhere. He could have gone for help before looking for Zeke.
And meanwhile, I was all alone out here.
I swallowed hard, struggling to push the worries aside. I’d be careful. It’d be alright.
A shape moved into my awareness, racing after me from the direction of Nyciena.
My breath caught. It was fast. Dehaian fast. I couldn’t feel more than one shape in the water at the moment, but that could change.
I took off, scrambling for the veil stone in my bag as I went. The shape faded back to the edge of what I could feel in the water as my hand wrapped around the stone in the bottom of the bag. I dove to the seafloor and spun a tight circle, the stone in my hand tingling with magic.
A curtain of bubbles rose from the sand and pulled together in a small dome only a few inches from the top of my head. I tucked the stone back into my bag and then gripped my tail, holding it against me while I watched the ocean above.
Seconds ticked past.
A dehaian swam out of the murk, looking back and forth like he was searching for someone.
My brow rose. I kicked up from the seafloor, leaving the veil. “Egan?”
He pulled up short, appearing winded. “There you are.”
“What the hell are you doing here?” I checked around, but I couldn’t feel anyone else in the water.
“I saw you in the city with all those guards chasing you.”
I waited. “And?”
“And nothing. You looked like you were in trouble. I thought I could help. What’s going on, princess? Why did you take off like that?”
I stared at him. He must have heard. Tiago was no more well-informed than anyone, as far as I was aware, which meant Egan had to know about Granddad and the arrest warrant.
“Don’t you know?”
He picked up on the edge in my voice, I could tell. “Something to do with your grandfather?” he guessed carefully.
“Yeah. So why are you here?”
“I told you. I thought I could help.”
I blinked at him. “You’re crazy.”
He didn’t respond.
“It’s treason,” I pointed out.
“Then what are you doing here?”
I hesitated. “Ren won’t hurt me. He’ll be mad, but that’s it. Anybody else, though. They can’t afford to–”
“Is that what your new lover told you? I notice he’s not here.”
I tried not to bristle at his tone. “What does that have to do with anything?”
Egan’s brow rose coldly. “It has to do with the fact you’re by yourself, out in the middle of the ocean, where Vetorians and who knows what else could find you. You have no guards and no help. You don’t even have a weapon.” Irritation flashed across his face and he struggled to bury it. “I saw the city, princess. I know they wouldn’t have let you leave. But you didn’t have to go on your own. You could have asked me.”
A shiver ran through me at the way he said the last, and against all reason, that damn flutter in my stomach returned. Hating the feeling, I shoved it back down.
“Treason,” I repeated.
He just looked at me. The fluttering grew stronger at the expression in his eyes.
I turned away, jabbing mental knives into the quivering sensation. “I can take care of myself. You don’t–”
His hand caught my arm. I looked back, startled.
He let go, still watching me. “I didn’t say you couldn’t.”
I stared at him.
“So you think your grandfather is innocent,” Egan said, a question tingeing the careful statement.
“This will cost you, Egan!” I insisted rather than answer. “If Ren finds out–”
“I don’t care.” Irritation returning to his face, he looked away. “Princess, I’ve made a fool of myself over you for weeks. I’m the laughingstock of the palace. And quite frankly, given that I raced out here and yes, risked my father’s position when there’s not even the tiniest chance in hell that you feel the same way about me as I do about you… I probably deserve to be.” He exhaled. “But it doesn’t matter. Do what you want, order me back to Nyciena, I don’t care. I’m staying.”
“But–”
“No one saw me leave and no one knows I’m here, alright? I was careful, and everybody was a tad busy with the panic caused by those asshole guards shooting at you.” His jaw muscles jumped as he gritted his teeth. “The way I see it, though, if I’m wrong and word did get out that I went to help you, your brother will view it equally as treasonous for me to leave you here as anything else. So I’m screwed either way. Least I can do is make sure you don’t get kidnapped or killed.”
I struggled to find a response.
“Come on,” he said. “The guards will be searching for you.”
He started off, leaving me to follow.
I watched him, not moving for a moment, and somewhere inside I almost couldn’t decide if I would have rather been out here on my own than have him around. Yes, it’d be good to have someone else to watch for Vetorians and yes, I’d thought about asking him, but it’d been just a passing thought. Not like I’d actually have gone through with it. It’d been a relief, in fact, to know there was no way he could help.
It meant I didn’t have to deal with how the damned idiot would probably insist on talking about us in the middle of this hell.
“Princess?” he called.
I scowled. There was no us. There never would be. And the sooner we found my grandfather, the sooner I could get on proving that to Egan.
The thought felt uncomfortable for some reason. Shoving it away along with the rest of the problems Egan caused inside me, I swam after him.
~~~~~
“So did your grandfather mention anywhere he might be?” Egan asked.
I didn’t respond. We’d been swimming for a few minutes, keeping up a good pace toward the northeast, and so far the guards hadn’t appeared behind us. I worried it couldn’t last, however. Egan had been right on one thing; they’d be coming, regardless.
“Princess?”
I grimaced. “No.”
He waited.
“Granddad was looking for information about Zeke, and Niall said he thought Zeke headed inland by the Washington coast,” I sighed. “I’m hoping that’s where my grandfather went too.”
Egan nodded. I watched him from the corner of my eye, anticipating the next question. The one where he’d want to know why I hadn’t asked Niall for help, or what I thought Zeke was doing, taking off with a possible spy.
“There are some villages east of here,” he offered. “He might have gone there to find out if they’d seen your brother.”
I hesitated, but he didn’t say anything more. “Okay.”
We kept going.
I continued studying him. He’d maintained his distance, staying a good dozen feet away from me while we swam along, and short of that one question, he hadn’t said a word. It was annoying. I’d expected him to want to talk, and his silence just kept me waiting for the moment he’d finally start pressin
g his idea that we needed to.
It was probably irrational, but I’d never met someone who frustrated me as much as Egan.
Miles passed, and villages did as well. Small and nestled into the rare hills on the flat terrain, the towns housed fewer people than filled a single wing of the palace. They eyed us warily and offered up little information in return for our questions about my grandfather. He hadn’t been there. No one had seen him.
And we moved on.
I scanned the water while the fifth village for the day fell behind us. We’d gone miles off course from Washington, but that didn’t mean the soldiers might not have followed our trail. Any of the villagers in the towns we’d passed could have pointed them in our direction.
“This isn’t working,” I stated.
Egan glanced to me. He hadn’t said much, beyond a few questions for the villagers.
It still left me on edge. With every passing hour, I hated the fact he was with me more and more.
“What would you like to do?” he asked.
“Head to Washington. See if anyone there knows anything.”
My tone was more irritated than I would’ve liked. I couldn’t stop it, though. Meanwhile, Egan didn’t respond, but just altered course and started north again.
Struggling not to scowl, I followed.
Rolling hills started to break up the flat terrain at last. Odd bits of random debris speckled the ground, a shipping crate and a tire and other things I couldn’t identify, all of them fallen from human vessels to be lost down here. A school of fish slid past in the distance overhead and the water showed the slightest hint of lightness compared to the depths where we’d been.
I spotted a marker on the ocean floor, nothing more than an oddly shaped rock that glistened with magic when we came close. But it was pointing to a village somewhere directly ahead of us.
“One more?” Egan asked.
I hesitated and then sighed. “Yeah, okay.”
Minutes passed. More markers did too. A ring of stones appeared from the murk, surrounding a cluster of hills on the seafloor.
