by Frost Kay
When Hayjen placed a large hand on her shoulder, the currently ferocious woman turned to him. Whatever she read on his face seemed to calm her. She smiled up at her husband and placed a quick kiss on his hand before turning to Rafe. “My threat stands.”
Sage finally stood and strode to her friends, staring down at the handsome man seething below her. His eyes flashed to hers, roving her face.
“Sage.”
In that single syllable, he had infused a wealth of meaning. She reached over and pried one of the captain’s hands from the railing. “It’s okay. Why don’t you go back to bed and I will handle our unwelcome guest?”
Lilja searched her eyes before nodding. She spared one last glare at Rafe before turning on her heel and striding to her chamber. One side of Hayjen’s lips turned up, before he whispered, “Don’t let him step foot on this ship. Heaven knows I can’t control her if he does.”
Sage returned his smile before turning back to their audience. Rafe stayed quiet as Hayjen’s footsteps faded away, gazing intently into her eyes as if trying to peer into her soul.
“Little one… ”
Sage stiffened at the endearment, her lips pinching. “What do you want, Rafe?” she barked.
He scanned her face before he spoke. “I want many things, but, first, you need to return to those who love you.”
“Home?” she scoffed. “I can’t go home, Rafe. I need to keep my family as far from this as possible. You know that. A treaty hasn’t been signed. I won’t put them in any more danger than they are in already.”
“I didn’t mean to your parents’ home.” A pause. “I meant mine.”
Sage gaped. His home?
“I will have you protected the entire time.”
“From the rebellion?”
“Yes,” he drew out.
“The same rebellion that cast me out for having the unlucky happenstance of being caught and tortured by the Crown?” she hissed. “The same rebellion that sent a monster to check on me but did the opposite, damaging me in a way that will never heal? The same men I thought to be my brothers in arms but who kept that monster in their midst, even letting him decide what’s best for our people?” Sage seethed with righteous indignation. “The same rebellion that commissioned me to murder our king? That rebellion?”
“You weren’t cast out…”
She slashed a hand through the air. “That is exactly what happened! You sanctioned it! You sought me out in the woods. You offered me a chance to help protect people, yet the men you are working with have done the hurting.”
“No one is perfect, Blade.”
Oh, he’d used her nickname—something he only did when really pissed. Well good. Maybe he would now feel a fraction of the turmoil she was feeling. “You’re right, but I refuse to be blinded by honey-coated words meant only to incite loyalty.” She stabbed a finger down at him. “I have had a few weeks to think on our first conversation in the cave. I was too distressed after my escape and dealing with that low life to notice, but I remember your face. You weren’t shocked when I told you of the king’s illness. And I very well know that you never agree to something you don’t know inside and out. You already knew,” she accused. He didn’t drop her gaze or look ashamed. Disgust filled her. “You were willing to sacrifice an innocent old man for what you wanted.”
“No one is innocent.”
“You’re right.” She stared pointedly at him.
Rafe cursed and threw his hands in the air. “He wants to die, Sage. The old man misses his wife, he can’t function. It would be a kindness to put him down.”
Revulsion filled her. “Like a lame animal? Are even listening to yourself? Who made you the judge?”
“You are still young, little one, and naïve. We’re at war.”
“What war?” she cried, flinging her arms out wide. “There is no war, save the one you’re trying to create!” His condescension made her blood boil. “Don’t you dare patronize me! My youth was ripped from me in that cell. Don’t you dare call me naïve after what I have seen and experienced.”
His face dropped, and he raised his hands, attempting to placate her. “It’s not my intention to argue with you.”
“No,” she said hollowly. “You came to cage me.”
His hands curled into fists, his face turning red. “Why are you being so difficult? I can see Lilja’s influence already. I should have stolen you away earlier.”
“Excuse me?!” she growled, rage pulsing through her. Sage leaned over the rail, glaring furiously. “Lilja has been nothing but kind and honest, unlike you. I am where I want to be, I am not leaving!”
“Oh, yes, you are,” he retorted. Rafe sprung from the deck and slammed a blade into the side of ship.
“What the bloody hell? Lilja is going to skin you,” Sage yelled.
“If she can catch me,” he grunted, climbing the side of the ship. Her eyes widened and she took a step back as Rafe cleared the railing in no time. He crouched there, eyes brimming with a tumult of emotions.
Stars above, he was angry.
“I will not leave you here.”
He reached for her arm, but she pulled just out of his grasp.
Rafe’s eyes hardened. “Do not make this difficult. I will protect my family. You’re part of it.”
Her chin jutted out. She was not leaving with him. “Family don’t betray each other. I am nothing to you.”
His jaw clenched before he shifted onto the balls of his feet. “No, you are everything.”
A moment of clarity hit her.
He wasn’t going to take no for an answer. She would have to out maneuver him. Rafe would never hurt her intentionally, but he wouldn’t give up. Time to put her skills into action. She would have to fool the master.
Sage softened her face a little and stared at him with resignation and exhaustion. She didn’t have to fake being tired, she really was. “I am tired, Rafe. I haven’t slept a full night in ages.”
He reached a hand out and cupped her cheek, his palm rough but gentle. “I know, little one, I will you keep you safe so you can sleep.”
She swayed into his body, placing a hand on his chest. “Will you protect me from my monsters?”
A small smile flashed in the dark, breaking what was left of her heart. “Always, little one, always.”
Sage smiled back, steeling herself, and then shoved with all her might, ducking down to avoid his grasping hands. Startled amber eyes met hers just before he disappeared, a loud splash sounding below. She peered over the rail at Rafe as he flailed in the water. He sputtered and kicked to the wooden dock, heaving himself up as water pooled beneath him.
“Sage,” he bellowed.
She grinned impishly at him and waved, ignoring her churning stomach. “I will send a message on the day of the exchange with a location. If you come up here uninvited again, I will have Lilja take you for a swim.” Incense filled her nose just before Captain Femi appeared at her side.
“And it would be a pleasure,” the Sirenidae purred.
Rafe looked between them, his fury mounting the longer they stared at each other. He stabbed a finger at her. “We will talk about this Sage Blackwell.” He straightened his soggy leather vest then turned, prowling down the dock.
Sage released a breath she hadn’t been aware she was holding. She felt so many emotions that she couldn’t differentiate them anymore. She swallowed and pushed Rafe from her mind. There were too many things to deal with, and his obvious control issues were at the bottom of the list. She glanced at Lilja from the corner of her eye. The captain was still squinting in the direction Rafe had gone when she spoke. “Did you enjoy the show?”
“There’s been more excitement around here in the last three days than the last three years combined.” The sound of Hayjen’s deep voice rumbled from a nearby alcove.
Sage rolled her eyes and hid a smile. Privacy? More like the illusion of. “Eavesdropping?” she hummed.
Lilja quirked a white brow, a smile on her lips a
nd her eyes bright. “Of course we were spying, as if we would truly leave you alone with that bully. For a moment, I thought he would snatch you from my ship and abscond with you into the night. You’re lucky you’re so quick.” The Sirenidae sniggered. “The look on his face when you pushed him will provide me with amusement for years to come.”
Sage turned to rest a hip on the rail, trying to figure out the woman next to her. Lilja spoke of Rafe as if they knew each other intimately. “How do you know him? Is he a former lover?”
Lilja choked and shook her head so furiously her white waves flipped around her. “Stars above, no. Let’s just say he and I have run in the same circles over the years, and I don’t approve of his highhanded ways.”
Sage snorted. “Highhanded is a mild term. Do you truly dislike him?” Despite his obvious failings, Sage still felt he had a good heart.
Captain Femi’s magenta eyes caught hers. “No, he wants good things. I just disagree on how he gets them.”
Hayjen popped out of his darkened corner to join their conversation. He wrapped his arms around his tall wife and grinned broadly over her head. “He has a will as strong as Lil’s, and she doesn’t like when someone challenges her.”
Lilja scowled and swatted at his arm. “Not true.”
Hayjen peered down at his wife, a silly grin on his face. “You and I both know it’s the truth.” Before she could argue, he swept her into his arms. “Now, my contrary wife, it is exceedingly late, and well past my bedtime.” He lifted his eyes from his wife to Sage. “Time for you to seek your bed as well, I believe.”
Sage scoffed at him. “When did you become my keeper?”
Hayjen grumbled under his breath like he was prone to. He shifted Lilja in his arms and stared up at the stars. “Lord save me from feisty women.”
Lilja touched his face. “Ah, but you love it.”
His lips tugged up at the corners before he addressed Sage. “Well… I am a glutton for punishment. I only meant that you might be tired as well. I know you didn’t sleep last night.”
She smiled sheepishly and bid the couple goodnight. Sage paused by her door, watching Hayjen cart away the giggling Lilja. A stab of envy struck her at their companionship. She hoped someday she would have that. Sighing, she slipped into her room, most likely for another night of nightmares.
***
Over the course of the next few days, Sage continued helping Lilja and furthering her own training. Captain Femi was a wonderful sparring partner. The woman’s movements were smooth and fluid, yet quick as a viper. Training aboard the ship added another element of difficulty. The dipping and swaying of the vessel caused her to stumble a time or two, but over time it improved her balance.
The day of the exchange arrived speedily. She sent messages to both the Crown and the rebellion with the meeting location, praying that Lilja’s contacts proved trustworthy.
Sage had encountered and persuaded a merchant to lease the entire space of his home for a few hours. Calling him a merchant was a perhaps bit of a stretch as he was more pirate than anything, but she didn’t care. She was most likely living with pirates. If Lilja was a legitimate trader she’d eat her own hat.
The home she’d secured suited her purposes well. It was neutral territory with plenty of escape routes. The peaked roof was perfect for surveying the surrounding area. It also boasted a hidden trapdoor between the chimney and tallest peak, making it easy to lurk in the rafters of the house.
Sage perched in the rafter with the hatch slightly raised, peeking out of the trapdoor. She scanned the street below with interest. She had been sure to arrive early specifically so she could observe the interactions between the Crown and the rebellion before she made her entrance. She was still piqued by the fact the rebellion’s demands had not been revealed to her. Over the last three days she had tried needle it out of Hayjen, but it seemed that the man was skilled in avoidance and, occasionally, in disappearing into thin air.
A laugh drew her attention. A blond deckhand was chatting up a washer girl. Her eyes narrowed on the familiar frame.
Sam.
If he hadn’t laughed she wouldn’t have known it was him. That man was certainly good at what he did. She snorted. But he was always chasing women. If Sam was nearby it meant his group had already arrived as well.
Sage clicked the trapdoor shut and waited in the darkened beams for her guests to enter. A door creaked open. She watched with interest as a cloaked figure slipped into the room and searched it. After a moment, he threw back his hood and whistled softly. His disheveled dirty blond hair almost covered his eyes. Sage scrutinized him. He was familiar, but she just couldn’t place him. He moved to one side of the room and waited.
The door creaked open again and a heavy tread moved across the wooden floor as Hayjen entered her line of vision. He stopped across the room from the cloaked man. “So, they sent us in first?” The blond remarked while chuckling. “Either they trust us implicitly, or we’re expendable.”
She could see Hayjen’s lips crack a smile. “No doubt the latter,” he joked.
Both men turned to the door when it opened, both cataloguing the newcomers. A man with black and silver peppered hair glided into the room. Sage would bet her best blade he was an assassin by trade or, at least, exceptionally skilled in combat. The man trailing behind him was someone familiar. It was the older gentleman that had said her scars were beautiful the night of the banquet. They both moved to the blond’s side, assessing Hayjen.
Light footsteps slipped into the home, adding Badiah to the mix. The slender man perched on a chair next to Hayjen making him appear like a child when contrasted with the other man’s hulking frame. Sage smiled. None of them would suspect the small man’s skill with daggers and hand-to-hand combat was perhaps unparalleled. Badiah was deliberately using his short stature to his advantage; no doubt the other men would underestimate him. She held in a snigger. Badiah wasn’t anywhere near as mild and delicate as he was portraying.
“God damned pirates,” exploded a voice behind the door as it was flung open. Noah. He never changed, he still couldn’t whisper.
“For all that is holy, lower your voice, Noah,” Madden grumped behind him. “You could wake my dead mother with your bellow.”
Both men quieted as they got a good look at the room. “Well, isn’t this a regular old tea party? Crumpets anyone? I heard that’s what the Crown’s lackeys eat these days,” Noah taunted.
Sage pursed her lips, searching the Crown’s representatives for trouble. She slowly exhaled when she found none. Noah couldn’t be more contrary if he tried.
Sage cocked her head when she heard the back door open beneath her. Mason strode into the room followed by a large figure hovering in the doorway, but, before she could examine him, her eyes snapped to the opposite door as it opened as well. Three more cloaked figures entered and paused, watching the man below her. One of the three threw back his hood, exposing blond curls, stepping into the room. “Well isn’t this a happy occasion,” Sam cried gaily.
“Really?” Gavriel’s smooth voice chastised.
Her heart clenched. Gavriel. She hadn’t seen him since she left him behind at the festival. The look on his face still haunted her. Sage shook her head and focused back on the events playing out below.
Sam’s eyes swept the room and up into the rafters. She stilled, knowing her cloak hid everything but her eyes. His eyes narrowed into a squint, then a small smile tugged at his lips. That was the moment he spotted her.
Damn the spymaster.
She placed a finger to her lips, and he dismissed her immediately. None of the other men had noticed her yet.
Idiots.
What she did notice was that the two figures in the opposing doorways still stared at each other.
“Your Highness,” Rafe intoned below her.
The crown prince nodded to the rebellion leader. “Rafe.”
The room crackled with anticipation and tension. Both men went to stand with their represent
atives. Twelve men in one room. Both sides distrustful, looking like they’d rather be anywhere else. Madden whispered something, and the black-haired man she had labeled as dangerous narrowed his eyes.
“Where is our liaison?” the gray-haired man asked.
“She is not yours,” Noah corrected blandly. “That’s the purpose of an liaison, is it not?”
Madden rolled his eyes even as Sam smirked.
Sage didn’t feel ready to leave the safety of her hiding spot, but she focused on the fact that she had numerous escape routes. None of these men could cage her again. It was time to get things started before there was any bloodshed.
Sage shifted on the balls of her feet and dropped from her perch to the floor, landing in a crouch. She lifted her head, considering the room. Weapons glinted in almost everyone’s hands.
She smiled and straightened lazily, projecting confidence. “You called, and I answered.” Sage sauntered toward the middle of the room, keeping her back to the front door. Men stared at her from both sides, a range of expressions on their faces. The blond man’s mouth was still hanging open. She slipped to his side and placed her finger under his chin, closing his mouth, and fought the temptation to wipe her hand off after touching him. Instead, Sage winked at him, her heart thudding. “If you leave that open long enough it could stay that way.”
She moved forward to stand next to the dark one. She cocked her head to the side to give him the impression she was sizing him up even though she already had. “You,” she murmured, watching him tense, “are someone everyone should be afraid of.”
He stared down at her with banked intrigue. “And are you afraid of me?” he asked just as softly.
“No,” she answered, realizing it was true. The two of them were similar. It was the ones who hid what they were you had to watch out for. “There are worse things in the world than you.”
“A realist?” the dark man mused. “A pleasure to meet you, my lady. I am Zachael.” He bowed from the waist.
“Charmed.” She dipped her head in acknowledgement, gliding down the middle of the men.
“My offer is still open,” the grizzled older man remarked from her left. Rafe hissed from his side on her right. “Still spoken for I see,” he added, lightly.