by Frost Kay
“I would like to see your technique or maybe try a few of my own. One for each inflicted on her,” Sam offered, his tone flat.
“Don’t forget the broken bones and bruises,” the crown prince added heatedly. “He ought to pay for those as well.”
Rafe regarded them before a vicious smile spread across his face. “I may require your expertise.”
The royals mirrored his feral smile, dark promises filling their eyes. All three of them were in agreement: the crown prince, the commander and the spymaster, and the rebellion leader. If she hadn’t been in the same room, she would have never believed it. This brought them together?
Rafe stalked toward the royals with feline grace, halting in front of them, looking like a warrior pirate. His hands flexed at his sides once before he shoved his hand out. The crown prince glanced at her once before stepping forward and clasping Rafe’s forearm. Rafe looked over his shoulder and tipped his head to the side, beckoning her.
Sage steeled herself and glided to Rafe’s side. She looked from one prince to the other. This was her last chance to back out, but she was never one to back down from her duty. She thrust her arm out for Sam to take. Sam quirked a smile at her and clasped her arm.
“It will be a pleasure working with you, my lady.”
“We will see,” she said, making his smile widen.
Sage forced herself to turn to the crown prince. She willed herself not to shake when she reached out to him. With care, he clasped her arm, long fingers overlapping. He stared down at her with solemn eyes. “Thank you for your sacrifice.”
“If she is harmed in any way, mentally, emotionally, or physically, our agreement will be void and you will have war,” Rafe threatened from her side.
The crown prince’s dark sapphire eyes dropped hers and stalked to the large man at her side. His voice dropped low, deadly. “Agreed. If she is harmed by anyone in the rebellion again, I will burn it down to the ground.”
She blinked up at Tehl, shocked at the threat. Apparently, her value as an asset had increased more than she realized. His thumb caressed her arm, and she shifted awkwardly. He hadn’t let go. Sage pulled her hand from his grasp, feeling uncomfortable. Time to get down to business.
“It is time for you both to leave. I will arrange a meeting in six days at a location of my choosing.” Sage said as she scanned all three men, hoping she didn’t sound as inexperienced as she was. “Each of you will meet with whomever you need to. You will only bring six men with you to the meeting in six days’ time. Demands will be exchanged, and we can meet three days later for negotiations. Any objections?” Silence met her question. “Good, then it’s set. I will see you all in six days’ time. Good day.” She nodded and turned on her heel.
“I would speak with you before you leave, little one.”
She flashed Rafe a sharp smile, knowing what he wanted to talk about. It wasn’t going to happen. “And I you, but I have somewhere I need to be. So if you will all excuse me.” Sage reached her bag and picked it up, then retreated, forcing her steps to slow so she wasn’t seen running toward her escape.
“How will we contact you?” Sam asked.
Sage peeked over her shoulder. “I will find you.”
Time to disappear.
Chapter Four
Sage
Once out of sight, Sage sprinted down the stairs, needing to get away. Her boots pounded against the dirt floor, padding a loud rhythm as she sped from one tunnel to the next. She burst into an intersection of six openings, ducking into the second one on her right without hesitation. She had to get ahead of Rafe; he had a peculiar way of finding her whenever she least wanted to be found.
The floor gently sloped downward, fading from dirt to wet sand. The rough stone walls surrounding her were covered with seaweed, little sea creatures, and moisture. She shivered as the ceiling dripped cool water onto the top of her head and down her neck. Pushing her brown hair from her face, she sloshed through puddles to the mouth of the tunnel. Passing through it, she was momentarily blinded by the sun’s brightness. When her vision cleared, her breath caught at the view before her.
Nothing surpassed the turquoise waters of the Thalassian Sea. The ocean glimmered in the light like a million aquamarine pebbles covered its surface. Its waves called to her. She would kill for a swim right now, to explore the treasures under the surface. Sage sighed. She didn’t have time for that.
Reluctantly, she peeled herself away from the enticing ocean and scanned the surrounding bay. Ships rolled in the blue-green waves, hulls towering above her. Those moored where the bay met open ocean were actually rebellion supporters. It was brilliant, really, for if anyone left through this doorway it just looked like they had exited in one of the vessels.
Sage eyed the slippery steps carved into the cliffs. They looked awfully slick. With care, she crept up the steps, testing each ledge before placing her weight on it. Finally, she reached the wooden dock; its wood creaked beneath her as she stepped from the stone staircase. People milled about, and she heaved a sigh of relief when the merchants ordering about their workers didn’t spare her a glance.
She lifted a hand, shading her eyes from the brightness of the sun, scouring the ships for the Sirenidae. Her eyes landed on an old but well-kept vessel where ‘Sirenidae’ had been painted in pale green, contrasting the dark wood of its hull.
Gotcha.
Sage meandered among the workers, blending seamlessly and arrived at the massive ship in no time. Oddly enough, there weren’t many people around the ship. Where were all its sailors? Unease crept over her, but she steeled herself. She trusted her mum. Gripping the rope rails, Sage marched across the ramp with the churning ocean below, hoping her hosts would not stab her for trespassing on their vessel.
When her feet met the deck, she peered around curiously. The ship was clean and its wooden deck well oiled, practically gleaming in the sun. Large white sails billowed in the breeze, reminding her of her mother doing laundry on sunny days.
Someone takes pride in their work.
A whisper of leather against wood caught her attention, and she focused on the shadowy cove obscuring the new arrival. Sage shifted on her feet and ran a reassuring finger along the blade at her waist. “Sorry to board your ship unannounced, but I mean you no harm,” she called out. “I seek refuge, and it was my mum that sent me. She said your captain could provide shelter.”
“Blade?” a familiar voice asked gruffly. “What in the blazes are you doing here?” Hayjen stepped forward, his ice-blue eyes regarding her.
“Hayjen?” How did her mum know Hayjen?
“Your mum sent you?”
Sage thought about not answering him for a moment, but she trusted Hayjen as well as her mum. “Yes. Gwen Blackwell.” When his face didn’t show any sign of recognition, she questioned the directions. Maybe she read them wrong. “I have a letter,” she explained, pulling it from inside her vest.
Hayjen’s lips pursed before he replied. “I will speak with the captain.” Her friend turned back and left, leaving her standing alone on the deck.
Sage frowned. Well. That was odd. Questions swirled through her mind but they would apparently have to wait. She leaned her back against the mast and soaked up the warming rays. If she wasn’t careful, she would fall asleep right where she stood.
After a time, her eyes peeled open at the sound of Hayjen’s approaching feet. He smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. The tension in her shoulders relaxed, this Hayjen was familiar.
“She will see you now.”
Now that sparked her interest. A woman captain. You didn’t hear about one of those every day. Women could work in any trade but it was still usually frowned upon if she worked in a position or trade dominated by the male gender.
Sage returned Hayjen’s smile and followed him down a narrow hallway that smelled of orange oil. They paused at an ornate door painted with swirling colors, and Hayjen knocked twice before opening the door for her. She skirted around him and wait
ed for him to follow, but he simply winked and closed the door. She hadn’t expected that.
Sage turned and took in the chamber. A pale blue wooden desk stood in front of three large, clear glass panes that formed a bay window with a plush window seat. Bracketing each side of the window were two massive bookshelves full of colorful books. She found herself gravitating toward them, running a finger along a red leather spine.
“Do you like them?” a husky female voice murmured.
She smiled at the books. Sage had known the other woman was watching her. “They are lovely,” she commented. “You have quite an amazing collection. Some of these look to be hundreds of years old.” Sage turned to greet the woman but jolted when she met a magenta gaze. She stared blatantly, not able to help herself. She had never seen eyes that color, ever. Someone had invented small colored lenses that could be placed in the eyes to change the color, but this was something else, it was obviously natural—and yet it seemed unnatural.
Sage blinked when the captain arched a delicate white brow and pushed her hip off the opposite bookcase. She moved like water, smooth and flowing. She sat on the edge of the pale blue desk and adjusted the emerald silk scarf wrapped around her head and neck, covering damp hair that was seeping through. The scarf dripped down onto unique clothing. Neither buttons nor stitches adorned them. Everything seemed knotted or tied, yet it somehow created a form-fitting dress. A long pale foot dangled from the desk. Sage pulled her gaze from the interesting dress to meet the woman’s dancing eyes.
The captain gestured to her eyes. “You will not ask about them?”
Sage quirked her lips at the candidness. “My mum taught me not to ask questions that were rude, and as that would be in that category, I will refrain. But what I am curious about is how you know Hayjen.”
The woman smiled at her. “I was a pirate, and he happened to be one of the goods I was stealing, but that’s a long story for another time.”
Was she joking or serious? Before Sage figured it out, the captain spoke again.
“I’ve been waiting a long time to meet you, Sage Blackwell. Your mother and I are very old friends.”
“Really?” Sage cocked her head to the side, curious, as the woman looked to be only a handful of years older than herself. “This is the first time I am hearing about you,” Sage replied carefully.
“No need to beat around the bush, ma fleur.”
Sage hesitated a moment before continuing. “My mum is a proper woman, and you look anything but proper. No offense.”
A smoky chuckle emerged from the woman. “None taken.” She smiled with warmth at Sage. “You have spirit which I presume you get from your mum, but your lovely eyes must be from Colm.”
Well then. The woman wasn’t lying after all.
The captain shifted on the desk and faced her. “And, to answer your question, your mum and I grew up together, but because of some, shall we say, unsavory acquaintances, we had to part ways. We still write letters and every once in a while she steals away to see me, but it’s not as often as we would like.” The woman’s voice turned serious. “Your disappearance just about killed her.”
Sage’s eyes widened, and the captain’s smile sharpened. “There are few things I cannot discover. She came to me but even I could not find you and that is saying something. All Hayjen discovered was that you were on an assignment but we both knew that wasn’t the case with Rafe riled up. So that narrowed it down to one man who possessed the skills necessary to make you disappear so entirely.”
“Sam,” Sage breathed. How was this woman associated with the rebellion? And who was she?
A bitter smile marred the captain’s stunning face. “That boy.” She shook her head. “Knows more tricks than a whore. He concealed you well.”
Sage frowned at the glimmer of respect she saw in the captain’s eyes. Whose side was she on then? “If you guessed where I was why didn’t you tell my mother? Or even Hayjen? He thought I was dead,” Sage questioned.
“Your family would have gotten themselves killed with that information. I was protecting them, even if I couldn’t protect you. I knew I could trust Rafe to do that.”
Anger and hurt seeped into Sage’s blood. “He’s a pretty poor protector. I want nothing to do with him or his other aspirations.”
“So you’re not with the rebellion any longer?”
Sage studied the captain’s eyes. Admitting she was part of the rebellion was dangerous. “Rafe is no longer part of my life,” she replied cryptically.
“Interesting. What made you want to leave?”
“Not everything is black and white.”
“True, but something must have set you off.”
“I’m not blind anymore. There are no absolutes when it comes to people. I believe in certain ideals but prefer to go about it in a different manner than certain others.”
“How very insightful for someone so young.”
Sage snorted. “I am hardly young. Mum has been chomping at the bit to marry me off.” She looked down at a scar peeking out from her sleeve. “But I have survived things that have changed my view of the world. Sometimes the enemy isn’t someone far off, but a brother wearing a friendly mask.”
“All scars heal, ma petite fleur.”
Sage’s lips twisted. “Some take longer than others.” She lifted her eyes and forced a weak smile. “I am in need of sanctuary for a little over a week. I’m willing to work and help here in exchange for you harboring me.”
The exotic woman dipped her head. “Done. You will be treated as if you were my own. I have watched over you since you were a child. I look forward to spending time with you.” Her magenta eyes flashed. “No one will take you from here. You are safe and protected.”
“Hayjen?” she questioned, feeling bad she even asked. Sage didn’t want Rafe to know where she was. She had enough to deal with at the moment.
“He will be silent. He is, after all, my husband. We will both protect you.”
Sage froze. Hayjen was married? She’d have to come back to that later. “The leader of the rebellion has an uncanny ability to…”
The captain slashed her hand through the air. “That predator will not find you here. Even if he did, he would never set a foot on my ship.”
Sage had heard no one call Rafe a predator before, but the description aptly fit. There was something raw and primal about him, a wild danger, like if you got to close you could be bitten. Sage reeled in her thoughts and bowed to the captain. “Thank you for your hospitality, if there is anything I can do to repay you Ms…” She trailed off realizing the captain never gave her name.
The captain leapt from the desk and dipped into an elaborate bow, displaying all sorts of pale skin. “Lilja Femi, at your service.”
Sage catalogued the many weapons strapped to the exotic-looking goddess bowing before her. Lilja’s scarf slipped from her head exposing wet silvery hair, and her neck! Sage’s breath froze at what she spotted: three slits flared slightly with each of Captain Femi’s breaths. The captain stood and met her eyes, her gaze inciting a challenge. Sage quickly schooled her features, hiding her fear, and forced her hand from the dagger at her hips.
“Breathe, ma fleur, I will not hurt you,” Lilja coaxed.
Sage forced a breath in and out. Her mind scrambled. It couldn’t be. They weren’t real, and, even if they were, they’d supposedly disappeared a thousand years ago. So long ago, in fact, that they’d become a legend, a fable in stories.
“Sirenidae,” Sage whispered. The proof was evident. Her mum had sent her to a damn Sirenidae, a living, breathing—sort-of—Sirenidae. This is what she must have meant about not being quick to judge. In all the old stories, Sirenidae were believed to be beguiling, deadly creatures, though so beautiful your eyes would bleed.
Yet, growing up, her mum had never told the stories that way. She’d always painted them as heroes, fierce and kind. Now, Sage understood why. Her mum was hiding a Sirenidae! Sage’s fear spiked again. She was standing in a ro
om with one of the most dangerous races ever. The fifth race existed.
The Sirenidae lived.
Sage let out a shaky breath and said the only thing she could think of. “Do you have a tail?”
Chapter Five
Tehl
He cocked his head and watched the mysterious man track Sage’s departure, a wealth of feeling in Rafe’s eyes as he watched the girl. How close were they? After she’d gone, the man in question turned to them with outright disdain and disgust evident on his face. Tehl was sure his own expression mirrored the rebellion leader’s. He didn’t want to work with him; the man was a traitor and a liar.
“Are we going to glare at each other all day or get down to business?” Sam drawled.
Rafe’s lip curled as he continued to stare at them with those eerie eyes. There was something off-putting about the man’s gaze but he’d be damned if he let the other man realize it. Tehl straightened and stared right back. The rebellion leader’s lips twitched slightly, like he was holding back a smile.
“Since the two of you are still staring, I will start.”
Sam pushed from the wall, breaking their stare-off. His brother was up to something. A million questions lurked in his Sam’s eyes, despite the carelessness of his expression.
“What is your name?” Sam asked. “We are working together now so that makes us friends.”
Tehl snorted but kept silent, waiting for the rebellion leader to answer.
“My name is Rafe.”
Sam blinked. “You don’t expect me to believe you used your own name last night. You are a better spy than that.”
Rafe shrugged, quirking his lips. “Believe what you want to believe, but maybe because I used my name I am the best spy, it keeps you guessing.”
Sam mirrored the rebellion leader’s smile.
Games. It was always games with these damn spies. Why couldn’t anyone just say what they meant? If someone didn’t give a straight answer, they’d be here all day. “Are we going to have problems with the Methians?” Tehl inserted.