by Cait Marie
“I’ve been to Cyfrin, Ada. I found it,” he continued when she didn’t say anything. “It’s a deserted island. No one is there.”
She shook her head in denial. “No.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I don’t believe you,” she whispered.
“What?” Lee asked.
Ada moved, closing the distance between them. Their bodies almost brushing each other. A glimmer of hope spread, and she started to smile. “You’ve truly been to the island? It’s real?”
He nodded, and she covered her mouth with her fingers. Her eyes widened as she grabbed the front of his shirt. “Then I don’t need the clue, you can just take me!”
“I’m not going back there.”
“Why?” She couldn’t hide the hurt in the question.
“I’m not taking our—my crew to a deserted island when we’re already living off limited supplies. I won’t do it.”
“But you said—“
He backed away from her. “I don’t care what I said, it’s not happening!”
“Fine! I’ll keep looking for the clue and find someone else to take me.”
“Ada, please,” he begged.
“No.” She felt betrayed by the tears rolling down her cheeks. Taking a step back, she said, “If you won’t take me, I’ll find someone else who will. I’m sure there are plenty of pirates around who wouldn’t say no to some gold.”
“They’ll take more than your gold.”
She didn’t move or speak. She looked to the street beyond, wondering how bad of an idea this was, but she didn’t care. With the dagger in her room and plenty of gold, she could protect herself.
Lee sighed when she didn’t say anything and shook his head. He held out a hand in the direction of the street. “Fine, go. Find someone else to deal with your stubborn ass.”
“Fine,” Ada whispered as she shoved past him. She waited until her back was to him to wipe her face. When she finally looked back, he was gone. She swallowed past the lump in her throat and inhaled deeply before straightening her shoulders and facing the village once more.
The noise in the streets grew. People hustled to open shops, stirring the passed-out drunks on their stoops. The sun lifted higher in the clear sky above and warmed the air around her.
Ada didn’t know where she was going as she wandered down the cobblestone lanes. Her plan was to stall long enough for Lee to leave so she could return for her things. The book and cards were in the same bag as her clothes back at the inn.
She turned a corner and ran into a long box of flowers in front of a building. It was so out of place with the rest of the town, it was hard to believe it existed in Tugora. She trailed a finger along delicate petals as she walked by. A bright purple flower caught her eye, and she bent down to smell it.
“Beautiful, aren’t they?” a gravelly voice asked from beside her.
Ada clenched her fists to hide the shaking as she stood upright. “Theo.” She looked to him then the man on her other side. “Geoff. Excuse me.”
She bumped past him, but a hand reached out to stop her. It gripped her wrist like a vise, and her previously healed injury flared to life.
“Let go of me,” she told Geoff. Even sober there was something menacing about the pair.
“Where’s your captain?” Theo casually walked around them. Her pulse picked up speed as she considered the situation.
“He’s waiting for me.” She raised her head in challenge.
Theo snapped a blue flower from its roots and pointed it in her direction. “Now, Ada, let’s not lie to each other. I saw him heading toward the docks. Get in a little tiff?”
He asked the question, getting in her face. She turned to run, but they each grabbed her by an arm.
“Ah ah ah,” Theo whispered in her ear when she opened her mouth to scream. He pulled out what she assumed was the same dagger as the night before.
They pulled her along with the threat of a blade digging into her side. Back through the streets they travelled, except not in the direction of the inn. To her surprise, they led her to the docks. She immediately looked around for Lee or Brienne, even Ren.
A different ship caught her eye though. One made of iron, littered with blue and green flags. The fear of seeing her father’s ship was stronger than anything she’d felt in the last week. She dug her heels into the stone ground as she realized that was where they were taking her. No longer caring about the dagger, she began fighting to get away. She yelled and screamed, kicked and scratched, but nothing helped. Eventually, Theo grabbed her around the waist and hauled her over a shoulder as he carried her up onto the boat.
Ada was thrown to the ground once onboard. She scrambled quickly to her feet, looking for a way out. Dozens of armer guards stood in a circle around them. Footsteps moved closer, and the crowd parted to let someone through. An older man stopped before her. His graying hair and strong jaw formed a pit in her stomach. It was one of the same men who’d chased her through the castle the night she’d overheard her father.
“Well, well, well,” he said, circling her like a vulture. “Looks like the fun is over, Princess. Time to go home.”
“You do realize how horrible his plan is, right?” She spat. “He’s taking us to war. He plans on killing hundreds!”
“Thousands, my dear.” He let out a malicious laugh, but she noticed more than a couple questioning looks from the soldiers. “Now, your father doesn’t really care what happens to you, as long as you’re found. But I think you’d serve a better purpose returning alive. After all, your brother is awfully worried about you. I wonder what he’d do to ensure your safety?”
Ada clenched her fist. The last thing she wanted was for them to manipulate Shane with threats against her.
“But if you don’t cooperate,” the man continued, “I’d be just as glad to throw you into the shark-infested water.”
She shuddered at the thought. He smiled, reading the fear in her eyes. Everyone in her kingdom knew the stories of the island princess terrified of the ocean. She had been teased about it her whole life. “That’s what I thought. Take her down to my chambers.”
“You promised me twenty minutes with her, Markus,” Theo’s voice boomed. He approached the man with Geoff following him.
Ada’s eyes widened. She shook her head, looked for an escape, and found herself surrounded by guards. A pair of familiar hazel eyes met hers. Her brow furrowed in confusion. The helmet blocked most of his face, but she’d known those eyes her whole life. Too subtle for anyone else to notice, Phillip shook his head.
“Fine,” Markus called. “Take her down to our new friend’s cabin. I’ll get her from there later.”
Ada took a step back and felt her way blocked by a guard. He grabbed above her elbow, stealing any last chance she had of running. She glanced to Phillip standing across the circle from her. Her labored breath quickened as she tried to come up with a plan. Something hard bumped her right hip, and she looked down.
Her head snapped back up, stifling a sigh.
“We have got to stop meeting like this,” a voice whispered in her ear. She almost laughed with relief. Leaning back into him, she took a deep breath.
“Is there a problem, soldier?” Markus asked the man behind her. The man who’d come after her again. It seemed she’d started a pattern by breaking him out of jail.
“Ready?” Lee whispered.
As she inched her hand to her side to grab the pommel waiting for her, she looked up to Phillip once more. She didn’t know what would happen and worried she might have to fight him to keep up pretenses. More than that, she wondered why he was there and not with her brother. Markus stepped forward in confusion, but before he could get close, they moved.
She grabbed the sword and twisted out of Lee’s way as he charged the surrounding men. He ripped off his guard’s helmet that she’d inquire about if they made it out of that mess. They fought together, moving toward the boarding ramp. She told him to be careful with the guards, not
wanting to kill them if they could help it. Lee took on Markus plus two other guards. Ada heard a slimy voice behind her.
“Going somewhere, Princess,” Theo asked, raising a sword. It was met with a flash of silver as a uniformed man stepped between them.
“Run, Ada!” yelled Phillip.
“Yeah, good luck with that,” Lee called as the guards pushed them closer together. They stood in a small circle with their backs to each other.
Geoff appeared, and Phillip moved to take him on. Theo’s stare sent fear through Ada’s core, but she held her sword up. They danced back and forth. Metal against metal filled the air, echoing off the iron ship. She overstepped, and Theo’s blade bit into her side. Cursing, she turned and ducked away. The three were herded to the far side of the ship.
Theo’s sword met hers with too much force, and her blade fell to the ground. Just as he moved in what would be a fatal blow, Ada spun in the opposite direction toward Lee. Ducking, she reached down for the dagger she knew he kept in his boot. Her fingers grasped the cool wood of the handle as she continued her turn and stood upright once more. By the time Theo’s shock registered, the blade had found its home in his chest. When he sneered down at her, she twisted the knife up through his ribs. She let go as he began to tumble.
A hand wrapped around hers and pulled. She didn’t fight it; those callused fingers were becoming more and more familiar. They ran through a split in the crowd—a handful of the men had turned against their fellow soldiers to give them time. When they reached the rail at the bow of the ship, Lee squeezed her hand.
He said something to Phillip, who nodded and chucked his own helmet off before jumping to the sea below. She watched with wide eyes as he began swimming.
“My ship isn’t far,” Lee explained.
Ada felt time slow as he climbed the rail. She read more than fairy tales growing up. She read about history and science and nature. The ocean and all its creatures had always frightened her, and Markus said the waters were full of shark. Her focus went to the blood seeping from her side and the injuries on her leg. Blood that would attract any predator the second she hit the water.
Lee stood on the railing, watching her. He frantically looked from her to the water to the soldiers still holding off the others from coming after them. One struck out to a net of barrels, sending them tumbling into Markus and his men.
“Ada,” Lee whispered when she didn’t move. He climbed back down and took her face in his hands. “Ada, do you trust me?”
She met his gaze. Their earlier conversation echoed in her mind. In that moment though, none of it mattered. Because after everything they’d been through in the last couple days, he still came after her.
“Yes,” Ada nodded. She took his hand and looked out over the rolling waves.
He helped her over the rail. As they stood and prepared, he lifted their hands and kissed her knuckles. “Trust me,” he repeated.
She held her breath, and together they jumped.
The frigid saltwater stung Ada’s open injuries. She made it to the ship with Lee’s help, and he pushed her up the rope ladder, following close behind. When she reached the top, Brienne and Ren were there, pulling them both over. Ada collapsed on the deck next to Phillip, coughing up water. George held a sword pointed at her childhood friend. She waved him off but couldn’t catch her breath long enough to speak.
“He’s fine,” Lee filled in for her. “He helped us. I’m guessing you two know each other?” he asked kneeling beside her. He patted her back to help move the water out of her lungs, and she nodded.
“Lee.” Concern filled Brienne’s voice.
He stood abruptly. “It’s mainly shock but help her.” He moved toward the helm. At her confusion he said, “I have to get us out of here right now. I’ll explain later.”
Ada saw Ren help Phillip get to his feet. He mumbled something about dry clothes before they disappeared below deck. She tried to follow, but Brienne led her to the captain’s quarters instead. It was a relief to be back in the small cabin. Without knowing when, she realized it had started to have the comforting feeling of home. She felt completely safe there.
Brienne left for a quick moment, then returned with some clothes. Between the blood-speckled garments from the fight in Innysa to jumping in the ocean, she was running low on options. She’d only brought a few items with her from the castle.
Ada took the long skirt and sweater, not caring who they belonged to as long as they were dry, and moved behind the screen to change. In the mirror, she looked at her injuries. They weren’t too deep, and at least most of the blood had dried on her leg. Not wanting to alarm anyone, she hid the wounds beneath her clothes and decided to deal with them later. Brienne helped towel off her hair and pin it up, then wrapped her in a blanket.
A knock on the door startled them both. Phillip stuck his head in. Ada ran to her friend, who enveloped her without hesitation, and Brienne excused herself. Ada breathed in his familiar scent, sniffing back the tears that threatened to spill. His lips pressed against her temple, and she sighed. Her whole body seemed to relax in his presence.
Ada sat on the bed, holding open the blanket. He sat beside her, the mattress shifting beneath him as he scooted next to her and pulled the other end of the soft fabric around his shoulder. He tucked her into his side, holding on as if he never planned to let her go again.
“Why are you here?” She had needed to ask since she first saw him.
“Your father insisted I join them to help find you. I couldn’t tell him no.”
“Shane?”
“He’s fine. He misses you and has a lot going on, but he’s fine. He is playing his part, keeping your father from knowing that we know his plans.”
Ada held her head in her hands. “I can’t believe this is happening. How did they even find me?”
“There are a dozen fleets out looking for you,” he explained. She looked at him in shock. “Your father ordered them all out as a search party. I’m guessing only a few know the real reason he needs you found though. The men on that ship don’t know what is going on. They didn’t want to fight you.”
“I noticed,” she replied, leaning her head against his shoulder. The ship gently rocked, and she watched a couple birds soar past the large window. With a sigh, she whispered, “I didn’t find the next clue. The Rosy Inn was a dead end.”
She didn’t tell him that the one man who could help her was on the same ship. They sat together for a while, Ada filling him in on what happened in the last week. She told him about the crew—how she and Brienne had grown close, and how the captain got on her last nerve.
As if her thoughts summoned him, Lee walked through the door and froze at the sight of them sitting together. She sat up quickly. “Lee.” At Phillip’s questioning look, she cleared her throat and corrected herself. “I mean Captain—Captain Lee. I—”
Phillip’s eyes filled with amusement, and she elbowed him in the ribs. He laughed and stood, pulling out from the blanket and wrapping it around her.
“I don’t suppose there’s food on this ship?” He walked toward Lee, and with a slap on the captain’s shoulder, he said, “You know what, I’ll just go find something myself.” He turned at the door. “I’m glad your safe, Princess.”
The door shut behind him. After a few uncomfortable moments, Lee said, “So, he can call you Princess, but when I do, I get yelled at? Only a lover’s nickname, then?”
Ada didn’t respond. She stood, leaving her blanket behind, and moved across the room while shaking her head. The darkness in his eyes didn’t falter as she stood right in front of him. They stared at each other for a long second before she wrapped her arms around his waist. His relieved breath stirred her hair as his arms encircled her.
“You came back,” Ada whispered into his chest.
“Of course I did,” he laughed, holding her close. “What kind of pirate do you think I am?”
The question was rhetorical, but she squeezed him tighter anyway. Decision
made, she leaned back and said, “I haven’t been truly honest about who I am.”
“You don’t say,” Lee said. At her serious look, he stopped.
“Phillip is the guard I told Brienne about. He’s been my brother’s best friend since before I was born.” She knew she was rambling. Counting to three in her head, she slowed down and said, “He can call me Princess because that’s the title he’s sworn to protect.”
“You—you’re…” Realization flashed in his eyes as he let go of her. He stepped back and whispered, “Princess Adalina.”
He closed his eyes, shaking his head. She waited nervously for his reaction, and his laugh as he dragged a hand through his dark hair surprised her.
“Of course you’re the damned princess… All right, so why are the king’s men hunting down his daughter?” He finally looked at her, the darkness replaced with concern.
“That’s kind of a long story,” she replied.
“I’ve got all night, Princess.”
She glowered at him. “I still don’t want to be called that.”
He winked as he walked past her.
A thought made her gasp. “My book! I left my book at the inn!”
“You do not give me enough credit.” He reached below the table and pulled out the gilt-edged book. As she stepped closer, he showed her all the cards were still inside. When she asked how he had it, he simply said, “I took it.”
“You stole my book?”
“I’m a pirate.” He shrugged and handed it to her. “I was mad at you, grabbed it from our room, and stormed back to the ship. But I had no intention of actually leaving you there. I figured you’d come crawling back, begging me to take you home once you realized that I’m one of the nice ones compared to those in Tugora.”
Ada rolled her eyes and moved to the bed. She sat sideways on it with her back to the wall. “I can’t go home. Not yet.”
“I gathered that.” Lee joined her on the bed. He sat beside her, not leaving any room between them. The shiver that went through her was not from the cold, but she didn’t complain as he picked up the blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders. He pointed to the book. “Then convince me to take you to Cyfrin instead.”