by Cait Marie
She couldn’t control the color of her cheeks, but she looked up at him with narrowed eyes. “Of course I have. Don’t pretend you know anything about me.”
He raised a brow and let out a soft chuckle at the boldness that surprised even her.
“Shut up,” she said as she nudged him in the side
He sucked in a sharp breath and hunched over slightly. “Sore ribs,” he explained before she could ask. She mumbled an apology.
They turned down a quieter street. She could see the nicer homes ahead, and the tension left her shoulders as she realized they were heading in the right direction. When they reached the well-lit cobblestone streets, Lee pulled her close again.
“Stay beside me.” His warm breath stirred her hair.
She saw him slowly reach for the sword hanging from his side between them just as she heard it. Footsteps sounded against the stones from behind. He kept their pace steady, despite her instincts shouting to run. As they neared the center of the block, two men turned onto the street ahead of them. Lee tucked his head down beside her as they approached, and she turned into him, hoping they’d pass in peace.
The men stepped in their path and stopped with crossed arms. Ada was afraid to see how many were behind them—corralling them.
“Gentlemen,” Lee said without lifting his face to the light. He pulled her to the side to walk around, but the men stepped in their path once more. Lee sighed.
“Haven’t you had enough for one day,” a voice drawled from their backs.
“On the contrary.” In one swift movement, Lee pulled out his sword with one hand and turned around, pushing Ada behind him in the process.
“How about we make a deal?” The man stretched out his neck and arms while circling around to face them. “Give us back the supplies you stole, and we’ll let the girl go.”
Ada watched in amazement as Lee raised his arm, pointing the tip of his blade toward the man. His other arm curled back to hold her behind him. He stood tall, showing no sign of exhaustion or injury. Though he faced the man addressing them, she knew he kept tabs on the other four men who’d started to move around them.
Lee let out a laugh. “Who do you think broke me out of your little jail? I’m sure she can handle herself.”
The men moved closer. Surrounded and outnumbered five to two, Ada slowly lowered her arms beneath her cape. Her hand wrapped around the hilt at her side, and she waited.
“Ada, love,” Lee said with a casual nonchalance that didn’t match their current situation. “Do you know your way back?”
“I’m not leaving you,” she whispered.
“Why do you have to be so stubborn?” he asked through a clenched jaw.
“Why couldn’t you just buy the supplies like you said you would?” she hissed under her breath.
“Enough!” The man in charge let out his frustration. “Stop stalling, pirate! Give us back what you stole, and you can continue your lover’s quarrel later!”
Ada’s eyes widened at the man’s statement. “Pirate?”
“Not now,” Lee yelled.
Within the blink of an eye, the men charged. She tried to pull her dagger free, but it stuck in its sheath. She ducked and whirled away as one of the men grabbed for her.
Lee’s blade met another in the air. Ada moved to the corner of a waist-high stone wall surrounding the closest home. She watched as he dispatched two of the men with seemingly little effort. When a third turned his attention to her, she gasped. Lee turned at the sound, and his sword was suddenly sticking through the man’s stomach. She blanched at the sight.
He turned back to the last two men standing. Keeping an eye on both, he swiftly brought down one, leaving only the leader left. Ada walked closer as Lee faced him.
“Give it up, Garrett,” Lee said with confidence. Ada could see the toll the fight took on him. His stance was off, and his breathing labored. His free hand opened and closed in a tight fist, and she sensed he was trying to ignore the pain in his side.
Garrett drew his own sword finally. The blades met with an echoing clang. Their steps were practiced—both moved in a way that could only be learned with years of training. Back and forth they moved, neither having the advantage for long.
Arms wrapped around Ada from behind, and she screamed. The grip tightened as one of the less-injured men dragged her closer to Garrett and Lee.
“Give us the supplies and the gold,” Garrett said. “Lower your sword, give us what’s ours, and we’ll let your girl here live.”
Lee met Ada’s gaze. He slowly lowered his sword to the ground. When he rose, he turned, catching Garrett off guard with a kick to the abdomen. As he fell backward, Ada moved. She drove her elbow back into the man holding her as hard as she could. The man’s grip loosened, and she reached for the dagger again.
It released this time, and she sliced the man’s arm. As he let go, cursing her, she turned and drove the blade up through his ribs.
“Ada,” Lee said softly behind her.
She stood frozen, watching the man crumble to the ground. Her dagger hung in the air, dark blood dripping to her feet. Taking a deep breath, she raised her chin and turned around.
“Are you—“
The rest of his question was cut off as her blade went sailing inches away from his face. He whipped around to see the blade sticking out of Garrett’s throat. The man had risen behind Lee. His sword clattered to the ground.
Lee stepped closer and pulled the dagger out before Garrett fell to his knees. The man stared at Ada with wide eyes as he grasped at his throat. Blood seeped from his lips. Without looking away, Lee held out a hand behind him. She didn’t hesitate to move closer and grab it.
He squeezed lightly. “Are you hurt?”
“No.” The steadiness of her voice surprised her. Garrett slumped forward with a gurgling noise that made her cringe.
Lee bent down to wipe the blood off the blade on the man’s shirt. He then turned and put it back in its place at her thigh. Keeping his own sword out, they moved away from the men and started back down the street. Lee looked over his shoulder frequently, but he kept them moving, not letting go of her hand.
They didn’t slow until they were several streets away, back in the merchant area near the docks. Ada started to ask a question, but he shook his head.
“Not until we’re back on the ship.”
It didn’t take long to make their way through the docks. Lee didn’t stop until their feet hit the deck of the ship and they were surrounded by his crew.
“Did you get it all?” Lee hunched over, hugging his side, as Brienne ran to them.
“Yes. Are you all right?”
“I’ll be fine. Just get us out of here as soon as the tide comes in.”
She immediately began giving orders. Ada followed the captain as he moved to his quarters. She met Ren’s gaze over the wheel, and he inclined his head in her direction, as if to say thanks. She nodded in return, then entered the cabin. Closing the door behind her, she watched as Lee slumped against the edge of the bed. She walked over, listening to his ragged breath.
“Let me see,” she said, reaching for him.
“It’s just a bruised rib, I’m fine.”
She stood in front of him and gently raised the hem of his shirt up to his chest. She couldn’t help the gasp as she took in the deep purple and blue spreading across his torso. Shaking her head, she placed her fingertips on his skin. She pushed softly, moving from one side to the other. He sucked in a breath when she reached the darkest area.
“Well, nothing appears to be broken.” She ignored the flutter in her stomach at the definition of muscles beneath the bruises.
“I told you, just a bruised rib. I’ll be fine.” Lee pulled his shirt back down.
She took a step back and met his gaze. “So,” she said, leaning back against the table with crossed arms, “you’re pirates.”
It wasn’t a question, but he answered, “Yes.”
Ada sighed and brought a hand to her
forehead. Trying to massage away the forming headache, she closed her eyes. It was silent for several moments. The ship began rocking as it slowly drifted out to sea. Ada wondered if the men they’d left alive would come after them. She had so many questions and no idea where to start.
Before she could decide, Lee asked, “You do know Tugora is pirate island, right?”
“Yes.” She opened her eyes.
“You’re fine going there, but you don’t approve of getting there with pirates?” He raised a brow, mocking her.
“I never said that,” she snapped. It had been a long night. The sky was already starting to lighten outside the window. Her hands began to shake as the events of the night came flooding back. She closed her eyes again and took a deep breath as she clenched her fists down by her sides.
“Hey.” Lee’s tone softened. She felt his hands wrap around hers, loosening her fingers. “Ada.” When she didn’t move, a hand went to her cheek. With more firmness, he demanded, “Ada, look at me.”
Reluctantly, she did. He took a step closer.
“Ada,” he started. “You’re all right—we’re all right. Because of you, we’re fine.”
“I killed them.” Her words were barely audible.
Lee sighed, then surprised her by wrapping her up in his arms. She hesitated for a second, but then the emotions hit full force, and she hugged him back. He held the back of her head as she lay against his chest.
“Shhh, it’s all right,” he whispered with his cheek resting against her hair.
The soothing words and the way he rubbed her back were unexpected. He didn’t tease her or argue with her as the tears fell. He just continued to comfort her. When she stopped crying, she stood there an extra minute.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
Lee let out a shaky breath, and a thought struck her. She leaned back slightly, loosening her grip.
“Did I hurt you?” She looked to where the bruises lay beneath his shirt.
He laughed and shook his head. “I’m fine.”
Ada stepped around him and sat on the bed. She removed her boots before tucking her feet up beneath her. Outside, the wind blew. The crew had settled down, and it was quiet beyond the cabin.
“Thank you,” Lee said, facing her.
“What, no yelling at me for leaving the ship?” she teased.
He rolled his eyes. “You broke me out of jail and saved my ass out there. I’ll let it go this time.”
She chuckled and shook her head as he moved to the door. With a hand on the handle, he turned back. “Just don’t go through my stuff again.”
He tilted his head toward the open chest. “Keep the dagger though. You’re going to have to tell me how you learned to throw a blade like that.”
Despite his command, amusement filled his features—something she hadn’t seen since meeting him. She couldn’t hide her returning smile. “There’s not much of a story. A friend taught me to defend myself growing up.”
Something flashed in his eyes before he said, “Ah, the guard friend.” She only nodded. He stood there for a moment, looking at the ground, neither of them saying anything. His intense gaze met hers. “Goodnight, Ada,”
“Goodnight,” she whispered, but he was already gone.
Shane paced back and forth, wearing down the ornate rug before his fireplace. He shoved a hand through his hair, then clasped his fingers behind his neck. Time went by too quickly; they needed a plan.
“All right,” Phillip said, coming into the prince’s room. He shut the door and quickly walked over to sit in one of the armchairs. “Prince Michel’s ship will be docking in about an hour. We need to make sure he is escorted here with people you trust.”
Agreeing, Shane listed off a couple guards he knew would keep the prince safe.
“I still don’t know why he’s here so early,” Phillip said. “The ball is still weeks away. Most of the other parties aren’t arriving for another couple weeks.”
“He wanted to spend more time with Ada,” Shane said. “He was going to propose.”
“Did she know? I know we talked about her marrying him, but I didn’t realize it was set in stone or anything.”
“It’s mostly rumors, but he did talk to me about it last time he was here. He said he wanted to ask soon, so it isn’t surprising he would do it now. Ada knew about the rumors and was excited.”
Phillip smiled and nodded. She had gone through too much growing up and deserved to be happy.
“Do you think she made it to Tugora?” Shane asked.
“Oh, I have no doubt she found a way there.” Phillip laughed. “She’s stubborn enough.”
Shane sat in the chair across from his friend. “True. I just hope she’s safe.”
“She knows how to protect herself.”
Shane knew that too. They both spent time teaching her to defend herself growing up. The pretend sword fights as children shifted to real weapons training. As Shane stepped into more of his duties as prince, Phillip took over teaching her the art. He took her down to the targets and taught her archery and how to throw a knife. He also taught her some basic hand-to-hand moves. Shane couldn’t help but grin as he recalled her showing off her skills to the guards. She had mastered knife throwing and could beat any one of them—hitting the bullseye every time.
“Are you sure we shouldn’t just go to the docks ourselves and meet the prince?” Shane asked with a sigh.
“Wouldn’t it call too much attention?”
“Maybe that’s what we need.” Shane scratched his jaw, thinking. “We could go down to greet him. Make a show out of welcoming him to the kingdom. People would see it—see him.”
“Have him ride in the royal carriage back with you.” Phillip stood. “I think that’s a great plan, actually. You’re right.”
Laughing, Shane said, “That has been known to happen occasionally.”
Shane grabbed his cloak, and together they headed downstairs. On their way, he grabbed a page and had him run to the stables to tell them to bring a coach around. The boy took off, eager to have a task from the prince. As they reached the entryway, a group of soldiers blocked their exit. The king stood among them, speaking in hushed tones to one of the men. He turned and greeted them as they approached.
“What’s going on?” Shane asked.
“We are sending out a search party for your sister,” the king explained. “She has been gone for too long, and there is no sign of her anywhere in Ferda. I am sending some out to the other parts of the kingdom, but most are going out to sea.”
Shane felt the color drain from his face. His father sounded genuinely concerned. Shane wondered if pieces of the old king were bleeding through, or if his concern was just for show. “Good. Yes, that’s great. I’ve been so worried.”
“As have we all,” the king replied. He turned and motioned for one of his commanders to join them. “This is Markus, my new Captain. Markus, this is Phillip. He is part of the royal guard but has been a friend to both my children throughout their lives.” His gaze fell on Phillip, and Shane’s stomach twisted into knots. “He will be joining you.”
“What?” Shane blurted before he could stop himself.
“I am sending out a fleet of ships to look for her. Phillip will be going with Markus and his men.” The king placed a hand on Phillip’s shoulder. He looked back to the captain. “He knows my daughter well, and I trust him. I’m sure he will be a great help in finding and bringing her home.”
His last words were directed at Phillip.
“Yes, sir,” Phillip replied. He nodded as if in a trance then looked to the prince. Stunned into silence, Shane didn’t know what to say. Desperation filled his wide eyes, and Phillip took the cue to continue. “Prince Shane and I were just on our way to meet Prince Michel at the docks. We thought it would be nice to welcome him there and escort him back. As soon as we return, I will prepare to leave.”
“No,” the king said. “They are readying themselves now and will leave as soon as possible.
You need to gather your things. Shane can take another guard to the docks.”
“Father—”
“Yes, sir,” Phillip interrupted. He glanced to his friend and subtly shook his head.
“Good, lad.” The king squeezed his shoulder. Before turning away, he said, “Bring home my daughter, please.”
Phillip nodded. The king’s words sounded sincere. He sounded like a truly concerned parent. Shane gritted his teeth as his breath quickened. Phillip grabbed his sleeve and pulled him through the throng of people and out the door.
Though it was brisk, the weather that time of year was almost always pleasant with the sun shining high in the sky. It always made Adalina happy that her birthday fell during her favorite season. A pang of remorse shot through Shane as he wondered if she would be gone on her birthday. There had never been a time he hadn’t celebrated with her.
He could remember the day she was born. Vaguely, but he remembered. After hours of waiting in the halls with Phillip, a nurse came out to let him in the room, telling him he had a baby sister. When he walked toward the door, he hesitated and looked back at his friend who hadn’t moved. The nurse apologized and said she would send someone to sit with the boy, but only family could enter the room. His father appeared in the doorway with a smile on his face, and he scooped Shane up into his arms. He then moved out farther in the hall to gather up Phillip as well, telling the nurse that he was family.
Shane shook his head, bringing himself back to the present. He followed Phillip down the steps and around the stonework. Once out of sight and hearing range, they stopped.
“Phillip.”
“I know,” he said, facing the prince. “I have to go though. I can’t just tell the king no.”
“You’re right.” Shane groaned and swept a hand across his face. “Besides, everyone knows how much you care about Ada, how you’d do anything to find her.”
“But I don’t want to leave you,” Phillip whispered.
“I’ll be fine,” Shane replied. “I will go down to the docks to greet Michel and tell him what’s going on if I can, then I’ll keep looking for information about the Kald.” They hadn’t found anything yet, but he had a couple ideas where to look next. Quietly, he added, “Phillip, if they find Ada…”