I didn’t speak. Instead, I hoisted myself up onto the boat.
“Did you find it?” Karim asked, “Is the city down there?”
Turning around, I helped Axel pull a bag filled with some of the things we’d been able to drag up with us on this first trip. I set the bag down and when it fell on its side, it opened, spilling a handful of gold coins onto the deck. Karim’s eyes widened, the sun’s reflection on the coins playing on his face. He picked one up and stared at it, pulling his shades off so he could see it more clearly.
“Fuck off…” he said on the back of a sigh. His eyes darted to me. “Is this real?”
“No,” I said, my heart still pounding, “Of course, it’s real!”
RJ swam up to the boat, pulled himself up, and dropped another bag filled with items onto the deck. A wave of elation moved through the boat. Danvers squealed so loud I thought New York would’ve been able to hear her, even from way out here. Becket’s enthusiasm was more controlled and collected, but even he was excited at our discovery.
“I can’t even begin to tell you what else is down there,” I said.
Becket picked up a small, marble statue of a dragon with topaz eyes and carefully examined it. “This feels powerful,” he said. His eyes widened. “Many of these are magical artifacts.”
“It’s not all gold doubloons,” Axel said, grinning. “I mean, a lot of it is, but not all of it.”
“We’ll have to determine where all this goes,” I said, “We can’t keep it all.”
“Can’t we?” Danvers asked, “Who else can we trust with this?”
“I promised the Magistrate we would bring them some of the things we found, and that’s what we’re gonna do. It’s the right thing to do. But they’re gonna promise to keep it at the Athenaeum, where anything we give them will be safe and under guard. Do you think your brother will make sure of that?”
Becket nodded. “Eliphas will make sure none of these items are misused. If he does, he knows I’ll have him possessed.”
I shuddered at the thought. “Alright, good. Well, we should probably go back down there. There’s so much stuff to get. I’m not even sure if it’ll all fit on the boat… we should’ve planned for this.”
“I’ll open a portal back to the house,” Becket said, “We can transport it all directly there from the deck. Someone will have to pilot the ship back to shore…”
I looked at Axel. “What do you think?” I asked.
Axel grinned. “Another two days with you out at sea? Why not?”
Karim stood. “Well,” he said, “All of that is fine and dandy, but none of us have asked the million-dollar question yet.”
“Really?” RJ asked, “Because it kind of feels like we’re millionaires now.”
“That’s not it.” He looked at me. “After all this is done, once we’ve handed some of these wonderful little trinkets to the Magistrate and collected our share of the booty, what the hell are we supposed to do next?”
I shrugged. “Anything you want. You can go wherever you want, do whatever you like, and you can do it without me.”
Karim frowned and rolled his eyes. “What if that’s not an option?”
“I don’t understand… what do you mean?”
“You’re going to make me spell it out for you, aren’t you?”
I searched the faces of the others around me, looking for an answer, but finding none. “No?”
“Look, I haven’t known anything except… this—you, all of you—for a long time. Before you stunned me in the graveyard and dragged me by my ears into your little heist, I couldn’t stand the sight of you. But I suppose I’ve grown… attached—don’t you dare make a fuss about that.”
“Awww, Karim!” I threw my arms around him, but he just stood there. It was like hugging a coatrack, but I soaked it in. Moments later, Danvers joined, squealing with me.
“Yes, because this is exactly what I want,” Karim said, “Two scantily clad women coiled around me like wet snakes.”
“Oh please, you’re loving the attention,” Axel said.
I pulled away from him. “I don’t know what to say, except. I guess I haven’t given too much thought to what happens next. I mean, we aren’t a heist crew anymore. We all have lives we probably want to go back to, right? I guess I just kind of assumed we’d part ways, but I’m gonna say it… I really don’t want to. You guys are my family.”
“A strange, dysfunctional family of outcasts and criminals,” Becket said, “But yes, I agree. Family nonetheless.”
“We could be pirates?” RJ said. “We have a boat, and we’re digging up treasure under the ocean?”
“Not exactly pirates,” Karim said, “But there is a notoriously haunted mansion down in Savannah I’ve been dying to investigate. Rumor has it the old owner left a sizable fortune behind...”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Even if he didn’t, it sounds like it’ll be worth the trip to me.”
THE END.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Here we are again, dearest reader!
If you’ve made it this far, thank you so much for reading my books! I hope you’ve thoroughly enjoyed Izzy’s—or Kandi’s—adventure. I had a blast writing it, so much so that I wrote a 4th book when there were only supposed to be 3! I think I got a little carried away, but it’s been for the better, right? I hope you think so!
This has definitely been the most “adventurous” series. I never thought I’d find myself writing about a heist crew, but everything kind of fell into place, y’know? I loved Izzy ever since I first wrote her into my Obsidian Order books. I knew she needed her own series, and I’m super proud of the powerful warrior she’s become! I know, I’m talking about her like she’s a child of mine, but authors are crazy. You and I both know that!
You probably have questions about whether or not there will be more of these books. I can tell you, right now, I’m not planning anymore Wardbreaker books. Yes, I know, they talked about heading down to Savannah just a few minutes ago, and that could well be something I look into in the future, but for now, I’m putting Izzy and her crew down. This universe I’ve created is large, and many of the characters I’ve already teased in other books and series are constantly fighting for the limelight.
Which brings me to the part where I tease what I’m writing next. I have no way of knowing in what order you’ll read my books, but at the time of writing this, I’m working on a series of novels featuring Six—the Serakon from my Obsidian Order books—as a main character. Lately I’ve been thinking about that character a lot, and writing about Harrowgate Prison in book 3 of this series got me thinking…
That’s all I’ll say about that ;)
If you haven’t already read them, the books in the Obsidian Order series are where Izzy and Six get their origin stories. They’re also great books, if I do say so myself! But don’t take my word for it. Check them out!
That’s it from me for now. Thanks again for reading the Wardbreaker! Don’t forget to join my Facebook group, where you’ll get a chance to hang out with other folks who read my books, and please flip over to the next page to sign up to my email Newsletter so you don’t miss another book!
xoxo,
Katerina
Do you want to know what RJ, Danvers, and Karim were up to while Axel and Izzy were breaking Hugo out of prison? I wrote a short story from their points of view just for you!
CLICK HERE TO GET IT!
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Also by Katerina Martinez
**(NEW)** THE WARDBREAKER SERIES
Book 1: Heart of the Thief
Book 3: Crown of the Queen
Book 4: Heir to the Throne
THE OBSIDIAN ORDER SERIES
Book 1: Wings of Light
Book 2: Wings of Night
Book 3: Wings of Shadow
Magic Blood Series
The Warlock
Book 1: Demons and Deception
Book 2: Mages and Masquerades
Book 3: Scions and Sorcery
Book 4: Hellfire and Homicide
Book 5: Warlocks and Wickedness
Magic Blood Series
The Primal
Book 1: Hunter’s Calling
The Blood and Magick Series
Book 1: Magick Reborn
Book 2: Demon’s Kiss
Book 3: Witch’s Wrath
The Half-Lich Series
THE HALF-LICH BOXED SET
Book 1: Dark Siren
Book 2: The Void Weaver
Book 3: Night and Chaos
The Amber Lee Series
THE AMBER LEE BOXED SET
Book 1: True Witch
Book 2: Dark Witch
Book 3: Shadow Witch
Book 4: Red Witch
Book 5: Devil’s Witch
The Cursed and Damned Series
Book 1: The Dead Wolves
The Order of Prometheus Series
Book 1: Smoke and Shadows
Book 2: Cloak and Daggers
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Katerina Martinez is a widely known author who writes supernatural fiction with a creepy, thrilling, and romantic bent. A veteran of many years of writing, she is the author of Dark Siren, the first book in the breakout Half-Lich Trilogy which became an instant bestseller in 2016. She continues to expand her back-list with books such as Magick Reborn, The Dead Wolves, and Smoke and Shadows. Though she took a brief pause during 2018, she is now back with her brand new Magic Blood series, which she intends to expand into a huge universe of interconnected novels and characters.
HEIR TO THE THRONE
The Wardbreaker
Book Four
Copyright © 2020 by Katerina Martinez & LJ Sampere
Visit: www.katerinamartinez.com
***
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, events or locales is purely coincidental.
Reproduction in whole or in part of this publication without express written consent is strictly prohibited. I greatly appreciate you taking the time to read my work. Please consider leaving a review wherever you bought the book, or tell your friends about this serial to help spread the word!
Thank you for supporting my work.
Heir to the Throne (The Wardbreaker Book 4) Page 18