by LJ Andrews
Nova’s jaw dropped in stunned outrage. “Of course, I’m not thinking of the crew, Atlas. I’m not a pirate,” she snarled.
He scoffed and rubbed his hands over his head in frustration. “Even with the favor of the captain, you still want to throw it all away, and for what? The chance your father is alive? Odds are, if he was kidnapped by pirates, he’s dead, Nova.”
She stared at him in disbelief. “Favor of the captain? I don’t want his favor. I want to survive.”
“Is it so bad here? We have food, a loyal crew, and the chance to get a lot of money!”
“Atlas, stop,” she said. “I can’t believe you’re saying this, we aren’t pirates, this isn’t a good life. They aren’t the family you’re looking for.”
Atlas smirked. “As if you or I know anything about real families. I don’t understand why you complain so much, you’ve got it better than most of us because of Smythe. Well, I wonder what he’d do if he learned your skills are some kind of parlor trick coming from that dagger of yours. You aren’t so special without it, are you?”
She bit her lip and held back the tears threatening to come. “Atlas, if I had known you wanted to be such a valuable pirate, I would’ve given you the dagger. If you want Smythe’s good graces, take them. I don’t want anything to do with him or this ship. And you know the dagger is missing.” She wiped an embarrassing tear from her cheek. “I wanted to talk to you before I left, because I am going in alone, as you say. I don’t know how I’ll survive this without the dagger. I’d hoped you would be there, but I was obviously wrong…about everything.”
Atlas’s face seemed to soften, but he still said nothing.
“Nova,” Taylor shouted from the quarter deck. He waved his hand, signaling her to join him.
Quickly, she glared at Atlas, who stood still and silent before jogging away up the short flight of stairs. Smythe stood near the helm and watched her with his telling dark eyes.
“Review what yer after,” Smythe demanded. “It’s almost time, and we can’t afford mistakes.”
Clearing her throat, Nova squared her shoulders and retold the captain what he’d instructed her on earlier. “The map will be kept in a small box near the queen’s bedroom, probably in her powder room. It will most likely be a simple object, but legend says ancient symbols should be on the surface somewhere. I can read them, so it shouldn’t be a problem pulling it out from other items. I am to retrieve the object and exit out the tower window there,” she said, pointing toward the northern tower. “The ship will be waiting.”
“Good,” Smythe answered, nodding.
“Captain, you’re certain this palace snitch has provided ye with proper information?” Taylor asked.
Nova was touched by his concern for her wellbeing.
“Gold-tooth, ye know more than any the information a few jewels can buy. King Insel’s deadly temper doesn’t demand loyalty from his subjects when a better offer is on the table. He spoke true.”
Nova held her breath, praying the palace informant was true in his words and she wasn’t walking into a trap, or she was certainly dead.
“It’s time, Miss Nova,” Smythe said. Nova looked across the deck, searching for Atlas, but she couldn’t find him anywhere. Her spirits sunk as his harsh words replayed in her mind.
She tightened her cutlass against her hip and nodded. Stepping across the rail, she sat in the small boat which would take her to the window leading into the kitchen. The informant was to leave it unlocked, providing her entrance without having to blaze through the front door.
The night was silent as she paddled through the dark blue clouds toward the lower window. Only occasional flickers of lanterns and candles brightened some of the servant’s windows. Nova was careful to stay close to the wall and out of sight.
Finally, after docking the boat, she pulled herself onto the thick windowsill and lifted the latch. She released a breath of relief when the window pane opened and she was able to slip inside without a sound.
The kitchen smelled of rich butter breads and salted meats. Her stomach grumbled for proper food, tired of the gruel and tough meat sticks she ate on the Vengeance.
The map of the palace Smythe had drawn for her played across her mind. It was crude and not perfect, but she remembered being told to take the second door from the kitchen instead of the open stairs.
Eyeing the winding stone steps cautiously, she stepped past the clear path out of the kitchen and pushed open a heavy arched door. The black iron hinges creaked so loudly she had to stop to make sure no one had heard her. When no one came, she kept going into the small room.
Inside was a small store room filled with dirty root vegetables with long greenish-blue stems. But another stairwell was carved into the wall, like a secret staircase for servants to travel throughout the palace unnoticed. Quickly, Nova jogged up the stairs for two flights, never hearing another sound. The stairs ended and she either had to push through the wooden door or return to the root store room.
The door opened into a grand hallway with long gold draperies lining arched stained-glass windows. The walls were made from fine white marble with long scars of gold leaf embedded in their surface. Wooden arched doors lined the hall and tables topped with tropical potted plants brought a cheery feel to the enormous palace.
Nova stepped softly along the burgundy carpet trying to remember which floor she was on. Mentally, she reviewed the rough sketched map. Two flights up meant she was on…
“Royal offices,” she whispered into the darkness.
There was supposed to be another stairwell on the left side of the hall near the strategy room where the navy’s captains would counsel with King Insel.
With silent steps, Nova made her way quickly to the far end of the hallway. When she caught sight of the winding stairwell leading to the north tower, she was surprised by a door swinging open. Two soldiers and a man dressed in a long purple robe burst into the dark hallway. The man wasn’t the king, but he appeared to be one of his high counselors.
“Any word on the attack of Port Saber in the third province?” one soldier asked.
“We have a solid lead on the ship that was seen,” the counselor said in a gravelly, monotone voice.
Nova backed against the wall, slowly stepping behind one of the gold drapes.
“What of the pirate activity near Lacin? There are reports of ships attempting to be commandeered in that area, but the reports talk of a single man. Could we be dealing with a rogue pirate or a new crew?”
The counselor shook his head and stroked his long, pointed beard. “From the reports, he is too skilled to be a new pirate. I suspect it may well be the man who escaped a year previous. Remember the shipwrecked man who tried to overrun the port in the fourth province?”
“Very possible. We’ve never found him since he escaped.”
“No matter who it is, we should send more support for the people of Lacin. There’s already enough pirate activity near that area, so we don’t want to encourage more. Best to send word to Port Tieg to increase security around Lacin.”
Nova peeked around and saw the younger soldier nod. Her heart stopped. There had been three men. Where was the other soldier?
As soon as the thought passed through her mind, she felt the hard grip of thick fingers wrap around her elbow and rip her from her hiding place, throwing her to the floor on her back.
“Thief!” the larger soldier shouted, pointing his bayonet at her throat.
The other soldier had joined with him and the counselor had jumped against the wall, clutching his chest like a frightened child.
“Sound the alarm,” the larger man shouted.
Immediately, the counselor nodded and darted down the hallway.
“A woman,” the smaller soldier said quietly.
“A she-pirate,” the first snarled. “She’ll hang like the rest of them.”
Nova’s eyes narrowed. She had come too far to fail now, not when she was so close to fulfilling her end of Smythe’s
deal. Without a pause, she kicked her legs, hitting the larger soldier in the knees. He cried out in pain and lowered to the floor, giving her time to roll and leap to her feet. She pulled out her cutlass and held it at the smaller man, who had his musket pointed directly at her heart.
“Stand still, woman. There’s nowhere for you to go,” he said, cocking the hammer.
“That you know of,” she snidely replied.
Nova embraced the strength tingling in her arms. She wouldn’t allow these two inferior fighters to take her down. Slashing her blade, she hit the tip of the long barrel, knocking it away from her chest.
In surprise, the soldier fired, blasting a deep, smoking hole in the smooth marble wall.
She winked before darting down the hallway just as several bells sounded all around the outer wall of the palace. She was out of time. Stepping through the doorway of the stairwell, she slammed the door closed behind her and placed her cutlass through the handle. Hopefully, it would prove a solid block when the soldiers would assuredly try to get through.
She knew there was another stairwell on the opposite side of the palace, so she had to move quickly before they made their way to the upper floor.
The stairs were cold, and her pounding steps echoed against the stone. She counted each flight out loud as she passed the doors leading out into different hallways. Finally, arriving at the third door up, she pushed her way onto the queen’s floor.
Beautiful silver lanterns hung near each stained glass window, creating a magical feel to the light hallway. She saw the closed double doors at the end—the queen’s bedroom.
Taking a deep breath, she rushed down the hall, stopping short of the royal bedroom and stepping into the smaller, white door into the queen’s powder room. The bells were growing louder and more urgent outside, and the fury inside her grew more intense with frustration.
They dare try and trap me, she thought to herself. Something inside her wanted to fight back against everyone to prove how foolish they were to even try to stop her.
She shuttered the dark thoughts out of her mind and tried to focus. Inside the room was a large gilded vanity covered with numerous brushes and facial cloths for the queen’s use. The room was probably one of the smallest in the palace, but still larger than her own bedroom had been on Mollem.
Shelves lined the walls filled with gold jars and fragrances. Nova caught sight of a smooth, polished wooden box on one of the higher shelves. Something inside the box called to her like a trapped spirit inside the flower-decaled container.
She smiled wickedly and turned the key still in the door, hoping no one would suspect her in the powder room. But better to be locked in than to have any unwanted interruptions.
She pulled the queen’s plush stool out from under the vanity, the smooth velvet wrapping around her palms. The material was softer than anything Nova had ever felt. She grimaced as she soiled the fine material with her dusty boots.
She picked up the box and hungrily opened the lid. It was filled with long strings of green emerald necklaces, diamond rings, ruby earrings, and one small bronze ring. It stood out as simple and plain against the glittering jewels.
“Stop there and turn around slowly,” a trembling voice shouted into the room.
Slowly, Nova turned and saw a thin, pale brunette standing in the doorway of a hidden door that had swung in from the queen’s bedroom. Her night dress was made of the finest white satin and shimmered as if sewn with silver strands.
“Queen Neah, allow me to explain,” Nova said darkly. She didn’t want to hurt the young queen, but the fury within her would stop at nothing to fulfill her task.
The queen pulled a long sleek dagger out of her billowing white robe and held it out toward Nova. It was clear Neah had no intention of allowing Nova to leave and would prove only to be a road block. Slowly, Nova pulled a small knife from her boot. Twirling it in her hand, she smiled at the queen, wishing she hadn’t enjoyed the flash of fear cross her brown eyes. The ring, it seemed to ignite the battle between the light and dark inside her even more.
The two women stared at one another, each waiting for the other to make a move, but knowing someone wouldn’t make it from the room alive.
Chapter 20
The Queen’s Escape
Queen Neah held the dagger straight, but her trembling hands made Nova smile. Slowly, she stepped off the velvet seat, still holding tight to the box.
“You’re the pirate they’re after,” Neah said. “Stop—stay right there. I’m not afraid to kill you.”
Nova chuckled, her laugh more sinister than she thought possible, and the sound frightened her deepest self. “Your Highness, please. Your grip on your dagger is weak at best. It isn’t wise for a woman of your stature to cross blades with a pirate.”
Neah’s eyes narrowed, but the stray tear falling from her eye proved Nova’s point.
“I can’t let you leave,” she said.
“Why not? I’m not here to hurt you. No one has to know I was here,” Nova said, taking a step toward the white door.
Neah turned with her. “I can’t allow you to leave. If he…” she trailed off, but her frightened voice caught Nova’s attention.
“What?” Nova said. “If he who? King Insel?”
Neah didn’t say anything, but her bright, teary eyes darted to the floor, as she held more tightly to the dagger.
Nova scoffed, tucked her knife back into her boot, and placed the box on the vanity. “You’re afraid of your own husband?”
The notion was strange to her. But she supposed the only couples she’d witnessed were her loving parents and the fine couples on Mollem. It was a curious notion, even with Atlas’s coldness she’d never feared him.
“Of course not,” she said, but Nova heard the lie in her voice. “I am the queen and you will halt because I am.”
“With all due respect, Highness,” she replied with a bite in her tone as she opened the small box. “More lives than yours are at risk if I fail. The king can’t get away with harming you anyway. You’re too much of a public figure. The people would be outraged.”
Nova dug through the box and removed the bronze ring. It surged with power. Smythe was right. She was holding a piece of ancient magic and it was thrilling. The darkness raging inside her reacted, but instead of growing more sinister, it seemed to unite with her. The strengths she’d had her entire life became stronger, and the qualities she considered weak become new strengths. She felt complete with the ring in her palm.
Neah lowered her dagger while Nova reveled in the ring’s strength. “I’m not the first queen.”
The words shook Nova from her trance and she looked at Neah curiously. “Of course you are. You’re Queen Neah, are you not?”
Tears spilled over Neah’s cheeks. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this. Maybe because you’re a woman, maybe because I see the same desperation in you,” the queen sobbed. Nova swallowed nervously. Was she so transparent? “Do I look old enough to be the original Queen Neah?”
“Wait, the original?”
“I’m Insel’s fourth wife,” she cried. “He forces us to take on Neah’s name. Why do you think I never go out in public? Because people would see I’m not Neah.”
Nova clutched the ring and watched the young queen in horror. “Wait, if you’re not Neah, then…where is she?”
The queen rolled her eyes and wiped her tears from her cheeks. “Where do you think? She’s dead. Executed, murdered, whatever you want to call it, by Insel himself. I suppose she challenged him one too many times. As did the others after her.
“My father is one of the barons of Regen. The king came and threatened my family if he did not give me up to be part of the king’s charade. I already haven’t been able to produce an heir. If I allow a pirate to escape, well, there will be a new Neah in my place within days.”
Nova stared at her in horror, but her youth was obvious. King Insel must be twenty years her senior, and as she thought on the few times the king had
visited Mollem, he’d never been accompanied by his queen.
“This is unbelievable,” Nova whispered. The hot anger surged through her, though not as uncontrollable as it had once felt. It seemed to be in check as long as the ring was in her palm.
“Believe it,” was all Neah said.
Outside the door, voices sounded from far down the hall. Nova’s pulse raced wildly and she looked at the queen in desperation.
“Your Highness, I need to take this ring. I promise you, where I am going, I will have the power to free you from Insel if I succeed. I promise you I won’t leave you here, but you must let me go. Return to your quarters, and no one will ever suspect you.”
Neah turned toward the hallway, hearing the voices. She seemed to be weighing everything Nova had said.
“How can I trust you to keep your word?” she whispered. “You’re a pirate.”
Nova shook her head. “Only to survive for now, but I am no pirate. Maybe we’re more alike in our different prisons than you’d imagine.”
Neah seemed to understand what Nova insinuated. She allowed another tear to fall before straightening her shoulders and clenching her teeth together.
“Don’t forget about me,” she said as she opened the secret door to her room. “Go through my quarters and up a hidden stairwell. It will take you to the upper level.”
“I need to get to the northern tower.”
“Take the first door once you leave the stairs and it will lead you to the tower,” Neah instructed firmly.
Nova rushed into the queen’s quarters after returning the small box to where she’d found it on the shelf. The voices were getting closer as they checked each door along the hallway.
Neah rushed to a large bookcase and pushed, revealing the hidden stairwell. “Don’t forget your promise.”
Nova smiled. “My name is Nova. You can set your guards upon me if I don’t return. Just promise to stay in the king’s graces until I can return,” she said.
Neah smiled sadly and nodded. The stairs were dark, and it was almost impossible for Nova to see when Neah closed the bookcase again. Nova paused for several minutes until she heard the door to the queen’s room open.