by Apryl Baker
“My lord.” Ajax’s face fell, a mix of disappointment and anger wrinkling his features.
“When they come, they’ll have to do so stealthily. They’ll need supplies and a place to stay. No one is better suited for the task. Ileana knows everything that goes on in the borders of Atlantis. We’ll keep tabs on them until after the announcement. Then, and only then, will we bring them in. We’ll denounce them as DeCadian spies,” Kronos said, making up his mind. His plan was coming together, but the fact they traveled with a Dragon, and who else might be on board, was something that could not easily be solved.
“I’ll see Ileana gets the message.” Ajax gave his king a crisp salute. He was also about to exit the room when a question halted his progress at the door. “If I may, you know who the magicians on board this vessel are, don’t you?”
“I do.” Kronos allowed himself to sink into a chair at the head of the table, weary. “Green magic is wielded by those with Dendali blood. If Hera is correct and witnessed two magicians, I can only assume Tobias is returning with a family member.”
A cruel grin crossed the commander’s lips. “Let them come, my king. The nation loves you. We’ll see the traitors both die in the name of justice.”
Without another word, Ajax left the room, closing the door behind him.
Kronos sat alone with his thoughts. The wheels were turning in his mind at a furious pace. With a nation at his disposal, whatever Tobias had in mind would fail. It was a nuisance at best.
“Tobias Dendali.” Kronos gazed at the map on the wall that bled red. “I should have killed you when I had the chance. Now, you’ll die alongside whatever member of your family was foolish enough to return with you.”
***
Valeria roused from a deep, dreamless sleep. Confusion swamped her, a fog surrounding her memories. She shook her head and decided that wasn’t the best idea when a bolt of white hot pain ricocheted along the inside of her skull. She felt like she’d been on a week-long drinking binge.
“Hey, hey, now.” Strong hands pushed her back down into a sitting position. Lukas. “You need to rest, Val. Tobias said you shouldn’t be up and moving for at least a day or two.”
Tobias…wait…Tobias! “He’s okay? I saw that thing attack him, and then he went down…”
“Shhh,” Lukas shushed her. “He’s fine. Ya-You is taking care of him.” He gently pushed her hair away from her face. “I’m more concerned about you. How are you feeling? You used a lot of magic. It completely drained you.”
“How long have I been out?” she asked, accepting the glass of water Lukas offered her.
“About a day.”
A day? She tried to stand, but he pushed her down again. “No, Valeria. Captain or not, you need to rest.”
She sent him a scorching glare, but he shook his head firmly. “No. We’re hidden and safe for the moment. Both of you need to rest. If this is the welcome we can expect, I think we all need our wits about us.”
“That ship…it was from Atlantis?” She took a sip of the water, the cool liquid splashing across her parched tongue like manna from the heavens. She knew better than to drink too much, too soon.
“Tobias says it was,” Lukas confirmed. “They came to stop us from finishing the Crucible’s trials.” A chuckle escaped him. “Too bad for them, they only gave it a means to run its last test.”
“Which was?”
“Tobias.” Lukas took the cup from her and sat beside her. “Your grandfather braved his worst fear, death caused by your own hand.”
“I didn’t try to kill him.” Leave it to Tobias to go all drama queen on them.
“No, but you put him in a situation where his death would be a sure thing if he tried to save you. He didn’t run, Val. He stood by your side and took a killing blow for you.”
Huh. Maybe the old man had more to him than the coward she assumed him to be. Brave wasn’t in the man’s vocabulary. Wiley, resourceful, yes, but not brave. He’d hidden himself on a slave ship for God only knew how many years. Maybe there was something to say for blood bonds after all. She would need to thank him for standing with them.
“The crew? How many did we lose?”
A heavy sigh filled the room. “Three, including our old-timer, Spartan. We’ll need to hold some kind of service for them.”
“Of course,” she murmured, sadness creeping into her voice. Spartan had been with her from the beginning. The cranky old man would be missed. “And…Stephen?”
Lukas’ eyes narrowed and his lips thinned into a flat line. “He’s fine, aside from the shot to the butt he took earlier.”
Val cringed away from the censure pouring out of the one person she trusted more than anyone, even Stephen. She didn’t want to hurt Lukas, but she couldn’t deny her feelings for her first love either. She closed her eyes, frustrated. Lukas had forced her to take a long, hard look at her feelings for him when he’d spoken up about his. They’d been through so much together, faced down dangers untold. He’d never wavered in loyalty. She’d had to admit at least to herself she’d come to love him, just not the same way she loved Stephen. Different didn’t mean any less important. She loved them both, honestly, and would have to choose eventually, but not right now. Right now, they had other things to worry about. Like coming into Atlantis when they’d sent a ship full of magicians and monsters to stop them.
A knock at the door saved her from having to respond to Lukas’ obvious anger and hurt. Tobias poked his head in. “Is she awake yet?”
Lukas moved so her grandfather could enter the room, and his eyes swept over her. They were tired, strained. If she felt like someone had just run her over, then he had to be in much the same shape. Add that to the fact he’d been all but skewered, and Val wasn’t sure how he was on his feet.
“I’m up, but are you sure you should be?”
He waved off the question. “They know we are coming. Kronos sent Hera. I saw her for but a moment, but this is not good, girl. We have lost the element of surprise.”
“So what?” she asked, grumpy. “We should just turn tail and run? I haven’t found Atlantis just to walk away from it, Tobias.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “We can’t run if we wanted to. We are out of the Crucible. The only way is forward.”
“So where are we now?” Valeria attempted to stand again. Dizziness hit her before she managed to even get halfway up. She sank back down, eyes closed until the world stopped spinning.
“In a cove. It’s hidden away from prying eyes, protected by my own magic. A ward I set up long ago in case I needed a safe place to hide. None of Hera’s magicians can breach it.”
“We are making repairs as best we can,” Lukas told her. “There isn’t much to work with on the small island.”
“So we can expect a less than welcoming greeting when we arrive?” Valeria shifted so that her back was against the headboard. Her body ached, cried out for sleep, but she needed to understand this first.
Tobias snorted. “You can expect either an accompaniment of armed guards or an outright attack before you ever hit the gates of the city. Kronos will never allow a Dendali back in Atlantis unless they are dead or under magical lock and key.”
“But I’ve done nothing to him…”
“You think that matters?” Tobias cut her off. “Kronos killed every member of the royal family to cement his rule. He would have killed me and mine had we not escaped the city. You are my flesh and blood, Valeria. He won’t suffer your presence. You are a threat to him, to his throne. Going into the city is suicide.”
“But you just said we can’t go back.” Lukas perched on the edge of Valeria’s desk. “What else can we do but go into the city?”
“I still have friends in the city…hopefully. If we can take a small vessel and sneak into the city center, they may be able to hide us until we figure out what is going on, the political atmosphere of the city, and how much Kronos has corrupted it. We need information before we make our move. Information is what wins wa
rs, and we are sadly lacking in it.”
“And you think your friends would be willing to risk their necks for us? For you?”
He glanced out the small round window in the cabin, his thoughts far away. “I don’t know what’s going on now. It’s been over a hundred and fifty years since I’ve been home. No one may have any loyalty left to the Dendali bloodline. We won’t know until we try.”
“So who are these people who might help us?” Lukas cracked his knuckles.
“My brother set up alliances with the underworld of the city, the thieves and pickpockets, the people who had their hands on the very heart and pulse of the city. I’m hoping Kronos hasn’t won them over entirely, but we won’t know until we get there.”
“You want to trust thieves?” Valeria arched a brow in question. Tobias gave her a hard stare and she laughed. She couldn’t very well question thieves when she was one herself. “Point taken. When do you want to do this?”
“We both need rest, but I fear waiting too long. Tomorrow. I say we leave in the early morning hours and attempt to breach the walls and sneak into the city. I know where the old Thieves’ Guild used to be. I’m sure we can start there.”
“And if you are wrong?” Lukas asked. “If the thieves are in Kronos’ pocket? What then?”
“Then we only hope that we are strong enough to fight our way out. Given what we saw board our ship, I’m hoping against hope we don’t have to go that route. I’m not sure we would survive it.”
Valeria blinked again, trying to focus. Her body demanded rest, so she found herself nodding. Tomorrow they would start the next leg of their journey, but for now, she allowed herself to succumb to the pull of the dark oblivion of sleep.
Chapter Nineteen
“You’re either delusional or lying to yourself if you think I’m staying.” Stephen met Valeria’s stern gaze head on. “I’m bringing my limp with me and I’m going.”
The conversation was taking place in the wee hours of the morning following the most recent attack on The Emerald Queen that also marked the completion of the Crucible.
Valeria had explained to the crew that she would be leaving the ship and most of the crew docked in the magically protected cove. A much smaller unit consisting of Lukas, Tobias, Ryder, and herself would be manning a skiff to Atlantis. The idea was to sneak in undetected, gather intelligence on Kronos, and discover if there was anyone left loyal to the Dendali name.
“It’s not a punishment,” Valeria said to Stephen, hands on her hips. “I’m asking you to stay because I trust you to lead the crew and wait for our return.”
In the background, Stephen could see sailors running this way and that, carrying out orders. It was also plain that whenever one of the crew was within earshot, they would slow their stride or steal a glance at the arguing pair. Stephen didn’t care.
“Well, you can give the honor of staying behind to someone else.” Stephen folded his arms across his chest. “I’m going if I have to swim the whole way.”
“Don’t tempt me,” Valeria growled, taking a moment to weigh her options.
Stephen knew firsthand how much Valeria hated anyone disobeying her wishes. He’d be lying if he wasn’t taking some degree of satisfaction at her scowl.
“Leave your medicine man in charge,” Stephen managed to say with a straight face. He fought back the urge to grin with every muscle in his face. “He’d be a fine choice.”
“That’s enough out of you unless you want a bullet in the other cheek,” Valeria said and stalked off.
Stephen shrugged. He could only guess she was on her way to leave someone else in charge of the ship, but this wasn’t his concern. What was on the top of his list was to take another swig of the elixir from his flask to numb the pain in his rear end and find where Tobias and the others were preparing for departure.
Stephen headed below deck, remembering one of the many levels in The Emerald Queen served as a hold for a trio of smaller vessels. The pain in his rear end throbbed as if someone had taken a pistol and emptied its contents in the meaty part of his ass.
Stephen chuckled to himself as he thought of this too-true analogy before taking another swig from the flask Ya-you had topped off for him. The fiery liquid that once reminded him of sour milk and rotting egg was starting to grow on him. Stephen trudged through the underbelly of The Emerald Queen, remembering the warning Ya-You had given him when he removed the lead bullet and refilled Stephen’s canteen with the magical brew.
“Not to drink too much,” Ya-You warned with a stern expression on his dark face. “Bad things a happenin’.”
“Oh, yeah?” Stephen had asked, taking another swig. “What’s worse than losing your command, having to stand up for the creature you swore to hate, and your arse being used for target practice?”
“You blind. Then you die.” Ya-You had given him a mischievous smile.
“I’ll go blind and die?” Stephen had lost control and began to laugh. “No, but seriously, Ya-You. Ya-you?”
The medicine man had refused to speak more on the subject.
These memories played themselves through Stephen’s mind. He shrugged before taking another drink. If it was his time to die, then drinking was about a good a way to go as a blade or bullet.
His limping finally ended in front of an open wood door on the third level of the ship. Inside, Tobias and Lukas were supplying a four-person skiff. Already, it was loaded with provisions and weapons. Tobias was checking items off a list while Lukas was opening a port door on the side of The Emerald Queen that would allow them to release the craft into the sky.
A breeze rustled through the large room as the opening swung outward, revealing a rather nice morning. There was a slight chill in the air, the sky just beginning to grow pink from the rising sun.
Tobias saw Stephen first and raised a single eyebrow, which reminded Stephen of Valeria. “I told her you wouldn’t stay behind.”
“She threatened to make me swim the whole way if I insisted on coming.” Stephen grinned. He took a moment to scratch the scruff on the underside of his jaw. “I’m not entirely sure she won’t.”
“I’ve seen her do worse.” Lukas joined the men. “How’s the ass cheek? You sure you’re up to this?”
Stephen took a moment to think on the question. Not if he was ready and willing to join them. There was no other option in his mind but to go to Atlantis and see where fate would take him. The question that reared its head when Lukas spoke was the man himself. How should Stephen feel about Valeria’s first mate being so close to his captain?
“I’ll be fine.” Stephen produced the bottle of pain-numbing liquid from inside his long coat. “It only hurts when I walk, sit, or lie down, and I have this special medicine to help me. I might go blind from drinking too much, but I guess side effects will be side effects.”
“You’re kidding, right?” Tobias’ eyes widened with Stephen’s nonchalant manner. “You’ll die?”
“I don’t really know.” Stephen limped closer and took a closer look at the packed supplies. “Are we sneaking in, or are we starting the next great war?”
What had appeared before to be an even mix of foodstuffs and weapons was actually a disproportionate amount of ammunition, explosives, and armor.
“We might be sneaking in to start the next great war,” a familiar voice said from behind Stephen. “I’m glad you’re coming with us.”
Stephen turned to see Ryder sporting her new look. A patch covered her right eye, giving the Dragon’s otherwise flawless human skin a hard edge. To his surprise, anger wasn’t the first emotion that popped into his head when he saw her.
“He’s only coming with us because I’d have to kill him to make him stay.” Valeria looked none too happy about that fact when she entered the room behind Ryder. She was cloaked in a traveler’s robe, her sword and pistol belt already undone. She carried both in her left hand, a cloth sack in her right. “Well, let’s get going. No weapons that can be seen by intruding eyes. We’re sneak
ing in, not announcing ourselves at Kronos’ door—although, he knows we’re coming already, so I’m not sure what the point is.”
“The point is to find the Thieves’ Guild and—” Tobias started.
“Yes, yes, I know, to see if there is still loyalty to the Dendali name.” Valeria took a look at the contents of the skiff. She turned to Lukas with a raised eyebrow. “Packing light, I see. There’s everything in here besides the blasted cannons themselves.”
“They wouldn’t fit.” Lukas grinned. “I tried.”
“What about the maps?” Stephen sorted a bit more through the bag. “Couldn’t we use them to get around in the city, since that is what they are of?”
“They are over one hundred and fifty years old.” Tobias shook his head. “I don’t trust them to be accurate. Besides, I know the city better than most. I spent most of my evenings during my first few months memorizing the layout.”
“Well, let’s get you all changed and be off.” Valeria threw the sack she carried in her right hand onto the small ship. “Here are your cloaks. Remember, if anyone asks, we’re travelers from the small islands surrounding Atlantis.”
Stephen undid his sword belt, electing to keep his dagger in his right boot. He chose a dark red cloak that fit nicely over his shoulders. It was equipped with a deep-set hood. The fabric was worn and stained, adding to the illusion of a water-weary traveler.
“Need a hand?” Ryder offered as soon as she boarded the skiff. Valeria was behind the helm, the small engine already thrumming to life.
“You know, it wasn’t that long ago that I wanted to kill you. Some of me still does.” Stephen let out a sigh. “Now here you are offering to help my crippled self onto a skiff.”
“Things change—people change.” Ryder held out a slender hand in his direction. “After you?”
“Are you sure you’re going to be able? I mean, I’m heavier than I look.”