As soon as he finished breakfast, Tom turned his attention to a map of the cities around the capital. They needed a new destination, one where Isabella wouldn't be found. He was considering lesser known locations, places where they wouldn't think to find her.
“What are you looking at?” Isabella asked.
“Maps. We need a new home.” He leaned closer to the page and tried to read the names of roads. “Is there anywhere you'd like to go?”
“I don't know. I've always wanted to go overseas.” Isabella abandoned her bed and joined Tom on his. “But... I wouldn't want to leave the country until I've done everything in my power to find my brother.”
“That's understandable. For now, I need a decent place to hide you. Needless to say, my cottage is no longer an option.”
“I'm so sorry.” Isabella laid her head on his shoulder. She wasn't sure he would want her so close to him, but when he didn't move or protest, she stayed. “I'm the reason you've been chased from your home.”
“You don't need to keep blaming yourself for anything that's happened to me. I'm sure I've made plenty of choices that led me here.” Harriot reluctantly wrapped an arm around the princess' shoulders. He wasn't sure she wanted to be held, but she didn't seem to mind, so he pulled her even closer. “And you know what? I don't have many regrets... not when all of my choices have led me to this moment.”
“What's so great about this moment?” Isabella asked.
“I'm here. Right now. With you. If my path led me to you, that's not something I can regret.”
“Tom...”
“Hmm?” Though his attention was focused on his maps, in the corner of his eye, he could see her studying his face.
“I've been thinking about the time we kissed. You know, back when you won the tournament,” Isabella's voice was soft, as if she was hesitant to broach the topic. “You called me a silly child. Do you remember that? It really broke my heart, you know.”
“At the time, I was trying to make you hate me. Or at the very least, make you like me less,” Tom explained. “Now, of course, I want you to like me more.”
Isabella reached for his hand. “You... do?”
“Certainly. Is there any chance you might forgive me for everything I've done to your family? You don't have to grant me forgiveness today, but maybe one day soon...?”
“Tom... if not for you, I would have been dead at least three times,” Isabella pointed out. “I think you're well past the point of needing my forgiveness.” Isabella's eyes dropped to his lips. She wanted to kiss him. More than that, she wanted him to want to kiss her. She wanted to be touched, caressed and adored by him. Having his arm around her shoulders wasn't enough. “Umm...”
Harriot finally set his maps aside and gave her his full attention. “Yes?”
“Do you think... and this is purely for the sake of satisfying my curiosity, of course... but, uh... do you think you would ever want to kiss me again?”
His reply came with zero hesitation. “Absolutely. I want to kiss you right now. I wanted to kiss you yesterday, and the day before that... and a week ago, most likely.” Tom smiled at his response. “Does that answer your question?”
“Uh... I... I think so.” A nervous anticipation tore deep into the pit of her stomach. Was he going to kiss her? Or was he teasing her?
“Would you like me to kiss you?” He somehow managed to make the question sound sweet.
“I.. think so.” As she repeated her answer, Isabella could feel fire rushing into her cheeks. Her palms were sweating, so she let go of his hand.
First, Tom's soft lips lightly grazed her forehead. Then he lowered them to her mouth, which he kissed with all the tenderness in the world. Isabella's blood flowed hotly in her veins as Tom's lips suckled hers. She lifted her hands to his hair, winding her fingers through the curly black locks. She prayed the moment wouldn't end too soon.
But it did. When she felt him pulling away, Isabella thought about dragging him back for another kiss, but she wasn't brave enough. Even after everything that happened, deep down, she was still the same shy girl she had always been.
All of a sudden, Isabella's fingers brushed against the scars on Harriot's face. He started to lean away, but her hand chased him. Isabella wanted to touch him, to accept him as he was, so he would no longer feel the need to hide behind a mask.
“I think you have a beautiful face, Tom.” As she spoke, tears flooded Isabella's brown eyes. She meant what she said. To her, Thomas Harriot was the most gorgeous man in the world, and no one could ever convince her she was wrong. “And I'm glad I get to see it.”
Forty Four
“Is this the right place?” Gareth Harriot's voice rang out above the immense throng of Eversio soldiers that had gathered near the inn. “Find my son... find the traitor! I don't care what it takes. Burn down the inn if you have to, I just want him found!”
Within seconds, the torches were lit and ready to toss. The innkeeper's daughter, a rosy-cheeked young woman, burst from the front door and begged them to stop. But when the first torch was chucked through a window, she knew it was a lost cause. Eversio was the authority, and there was no standing against them.
“Guard the exits... all exits!” Gareth demanded. “No matter what hole he tries to crawl out of, I want him stopped!”
A rare fear clawed at Tom Harriot's stomach as he listened from the second story window. When he turned toward Isabella, his face was drained of color.
“Tom... what is it?”
“I messed up. I let my guard down. We should have left as soon as we woke up.” He peered through the window, checking the ground below. There was a large brown dumpster directly below them, and while it would be quite a drop, it didn't seem impossible to reach.
“What is it?” Isabella frantically repeated. “I've never seen you look so worried before. It's scaring me.”
“It's my father.” Tom raced around the room, hurriedly collecting the few belongings he brought with him. “I don't know how, but he's found us.”
“Oh no!” Isabella sprang from bed and ran to his side. “What are we going to do?”
“We'll escape through the window. With any luck, he won't find out we've left.” Tom already had one leg through the window before Isabella had a chance to protest.
“But wait! Are you sure we can get down from here? We...” When she heard him drop to the dumpster, she ran to the window with a gasp. “Tom, are you alright?”
“I'm fine,” he said, shaking out his legs. “Now... jump down and I'll catch you.”
“I don't know...”
“Do it, Isabella!” Tom demanded. He knew he sounded a bit harsh, but it wasn't the time to coddle her. She needed to know the situation was dire. Extending his arms toward the window, he insisted, “Now.”
“Noooo...” Isabella thought she smelled smoke, which prodded her to move. Her eyes snapped shut as she leapt from the window and into Harriot's arms.
“Good.” He set her on her feet and hopped down from the dumpster. “Now we just need to find a way to--”
“They're over here!”
Tom's eyelashes fluttered when he heard the shouts of Eversio's soldiers. With a heavy heart, he yanked his sword from its sheath.
“We need to run,” Tom whispered, even though they were already spotted. “For now, stay as close to me as you can. If I have to stop to fight, don't wait for me.”
Together, they rushed away from the dumpster and ducked down an adjacent alleyway. Tom had no idea where the roads would lead, he just knew they needed to get away as fast as they could. He could hear the stampede of footsteps racing after them, and one of their pursuers even fired a shot—which hit the wall. Tom glanced behind him as they turned a corner. At least six Eversio soldiers were tailing them, and they were quickly gaining ground. He thought about turning around and taking them on, but he didn't want to risk Isabella's safety, not when they had guns.
Tom and Isabella turned another corner, which unfortunately led them to
a dead end.
“Damn...” Tom muttered the curse through clenched teeth. They couldn't turn around, not while they were being chased.
“What do we do?” cried a devastated Isabella. “Tom!”
“I... don't know.” He wanted to keep her safe, and a part of her expected him to, but they were quite literally backed into a corner. “I'll try to fight them off. Stay as far away from the fighting as you can.”
Tom hovered near the alley's entrance, just beyond the turn, making it difficult for anyone with a gun to line up a shot. In his left hand, he held a slightly curved scimitar, perfect for slashing. In his right hand, he held a lightweight small sword, which he would use for thrusting and stabbing. When the first wave rounded the corner, he was ready for them. He focused on offense and speed and gave them no time to react. His scimitar slashed two throats as the small sword simultaneously pierced a heart.
Three more of Eversio's soldiers turned the corner. As he plunged his sword through one man's neck, the curved blade carved into an abdomen. When the third man tried to attack, Tom blocked with the scimitar and lunged with the small sword. His every move was brutal and graceful, and it was over in an instant.
At first, he thought he was finished—until the second wave came raging forward. Four men attacked at once, which presented a rare challenge. As Tom's weapons flowed around him, blocking and countering, one man found an opening. A rapier penetrated Tom's stomach, but he didn't let it slow him down. All four men were dispatched within seconds, and their bodies were added to the growing pile of corpses at Tom's feet.
“Tom... are you alright?” Isabella gasped. Her head was dizzy with panic, and the blood that soaked Tom's shirt only added to her fright. “Is it over?”
Tom stepped over the mound of corpses as he peered around the corner.
“Not yet,” he whispered the answer, because he wasn't sure he wanted her to hear the truth. Over a dozen more men were racing toward them. “Not quite yet...”
Halfway across the city, Nico delivered a speech to the Baltmoor Aerial Militiamen, who were preparing to drop down on the palace from above. Ropes were tied around their arms and waists as they braced to rappel and descend.
“We have two priorities!” Nico yelled. “First, find my sister. I've heard rumors that she's alive, but I won't believe it until she's standing right in front of me. That should be your top priority. Secondly... we need to take down Gareth Harriot, Eversio's leader. If he goes down, we can assume that everyone else will follow. Do you understand?”
His question was met with a chorus of “yes, sir!”
“Does anyone have any questions?”
“Uh... I do!” Julian Featherstone timidly raised his hand. “Remind me again... why are we dropping down on ropes? Is there a reason? Are we doing it to look impressive? Is there a good reason why we can't, y'know... land the airship?”
“We need every ship in the sky, Captain Featherstone!” Nico explained. “The enemy is already sending their ships after us. If we land, we lose our advantage.”
“Oh, very well.” When Julian peered off the side of the airship, he shuddered. “This is frightening as hell, though... just so you know.”
The airship sailed as close to the ground as it possibly could, and one-by-one, the Baltmoor Aerial Militiamen leapt from the airship's rail. Lettie, who was determined to prove herself, was one of the first ones to jump. Julian was a little more reluctant, and when he finally leapt, he was the only one who screamed. When he landed on his feet, Julian was impressed with himself, but his sense of self-satisfaction didn't last. Seconds after he landed, a descending militiamen plowed into his back, knocking him to the ground. To his great shame, Lettie saw it happen. Julian hopped to his feet, dusted himself off, and tried to look as nonchalant as possible, but it was too late. Lettie was already shaking her head with disbelief.
Lettie led the charge to the palace's front gate, which was guarded by Vee and a throng of Everio's men. Lettie recognized Vee right away—her pink hair stood out. Many days ago, Vee was with the princess, and Lettie was tracking her, which led to her capture. Needless to say, Lettie wanted revenge. She attacked first, but her blade was easily deflected by Vee, who wielded two curved swords.
Within seconds, Lettie realized she made a mistake by taking on Vee, who spun like a cyclone as her blades soared and slashed. Lettie blocked and dodged several times, but just as she was getting comfortable with her defense, Vee spun in the opposite direction and unleashed a whirlwind of mad strikes. Caught off guard, Lettie fell backward with a gasp. When she felt the tip of Vee's sword brushing against her neck, she swallowed hard.
“You have some skill, but you need to train harder. Next time, work on your offense,” Vee coached her. “But I gotta say, it's nice to see another woman on the field.”
“Are you going to... kill me?”
“You know what, girl?” All of a sudden, Vee sheathed both of her weapons and took a step backward. “I'm done with Eversio.” The pink-haired woman offered her a hand, which Lettie accepted, albeit with great reluctance. As she hauled the young captain to her feet, Vee added, “I honestly hope you win.”
When they saw Vee abandoning her mission, some of her men went with her. A few minutes later, the gate was free and clear, and Lettie's troops were able to enter the palace. They were met with another wave of opposition in the foyer, where Lettie made her first kill. As she sunk her blade into her attacker's heart, a tremor shot up her spine. It was a horrible feeling, but she didn't have time to process it, because she made her second kill a moment later. Raising her revolver, she took out a third man, and then a fourth. Her confidence was growing, but the sickening feeling never left her heart. She didn't like to kill. It felt wrong to cut short another person's life.
Her enemy didn't seem to feel the same way, especially not Jackal, who crept behind her and slashed her arm. He slashed so deep, Lettie lost her ability to hold a weapon in that hand. Her gun hit the floor, as did a stream of her blood.
“Ha ha... tee hee!” Jackal cackled loudly as he bent to collect her gun, claiming it for himself. When she tried to attack him, he blocked with his sword, then he hit her in the head with the butt of the gun.
“Lettie!” Julian screamed her name as he rushed toward her. “Lettie... it's him!”
“Aww. So you do remember me! I'm touched!” When Jackal tried to stab Lettie's gut, Julian arrived just in time to block him. “How is that eye, Lord Featherstone? You seem to be adjusting to the loss of it rather nicely. If you want me to, I could always poke out the other one and see how you handle that.” When Julian's sword whizzed toward his head, Jackal ducked and popped back up. “Actually, I don't have time to play with you right now. I have better things to do. So... bye bye!”
Jackal bolted, giving Julian a chance to check on Lettie's wound.
“Are you alright? Lettie! That cut looks deep! Maybe we should bind--”
“Julian... no.” Lettie thrust a finger in Jackal's direction. “You can't just let him get away! You have to go after him. Take him down... for both of us!”
“But, Lettie, I...”
“Go!” Lettie begged him. “I'll be okay. One of us needs to get revenge for Jared, right? I know you can do it. I know you can.”
“I think you have more faith in me than I have in myself,” Julian said with a chuckle. “I usually run from fights, you know.”
Jackal was getting away, meaning Julian had to make a quick decision. He could either let him flee—which was, of course, the safe option. Or he could make Lettie proud.
Of course, Julian didn't want to let her down.
Captain Featherstone drew a deep breath, tightened his grip on his sword, and charged after the maniac who took his friend's life.
Forty Five
“Well, if it isn't Sir Roderick Kelp!” Lyneah sounded somewhat coquettish as she greeted her former lover. “I can't tell you how glad I am to see you.”
“Queen Lyneah.” As Roderick bowed to her,
he tried to ignore the scathing glances of Tobias Robb. No matter how polite Roderick was, Lyneah's husband would never warm up to him. “I hear you ran into a bit of trouble here in Columbigo?”
Six months ago, after his father refused to support a new queen, Roderick was promoted to Vice-Captain of the Royal Black Wings. And it was just as well, because Roderick was fiercely loyal to her. As soon as he learned of the trouble in Columbigo, Roderick set off with a half-dozen airships to rescue his queen. Finding her in the company of Francis Doon was an extraordinarily unpleasant surprise. He didn't look forward to being called Roddy Rick by one of his least favorite men in the world.
After a short pause and a nervous giggle, Lyneah finally answered his question. “Trouble? Me? I'm in no trouble at all! My airships were stolen, my men were killed, my mother is up to her usual bad behavior, and my fiance was tortured. But other than that, I'm perfectly alright.”
“I'm sorry to hear about all that,” Roderick responded with a frown. “I wish I would've come sooner.”
“I wish you would've come sooner too... but now that you're here, it's time to turn the tables. I'm going to give my mother the surprise of her life.” When she felt Doon's airship descending, Lyneah's hand moved to her holstered pistol. “Doon is going to land the airship as close to the Black Palace as he possibly can. I need at least a third of your soldiers to accompany me, Roderick. Today, I will see my mother put down.”
“I'll tell my ships to land as well.” A few seconds later, Roderick corrected himself. “Rather... I'll tell your ships to land.”
“It's alright, Roderick. They're your airships as well as mine. The men would probably listen to you before they'd listen to me.” As soon as Doon's airship touched the ground, Lyneah headed for the gangway. Even though it was odd to make small talk as she launched a mission to murder her mother, Lyneah decided to indulge herself. “How is Aislainn, by the way?”
“She's doing well. She asks about you all the time. Actually, she wanted to come with me, but I told her it would be too dangerous.”
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