“What the fuck do we do with him?”
Zarrah heard the edge of panic in his voice. Knew that he’d been pushed too hard, too far, to think clearly. But she’d been raised on the battlefield, trained to fight and to think even when bodies were falling around her. Even when her life was on the line. Which meant her mind was now at its sharpest. “We take him with us.”
68
KERIS
Heart in his throat, Keris followed the pair of sweating men he’d tasked with carrying his trunk of books down from the tower, keeping his arms crossed and a scowl on his face as they passed through the gardens and out the gates into the main palace.
Only for the drum towers, which had been a constant barrage of noise for hours, to plunge into silence.
Keris froze, his stomach twisting. Had Aren been caught or killed? Was that why the towers had ceased their noise? All it would take was one of Aren’s party being caught alive, one of them caving to Serin’s torture, for the information of Zarrah’s whereabouts to be revealed.
As well as Keris’s complicity in the escape.
Hooves clattered, and his father appeared before him, mounted on the back of his stallion. “They’ve made it up the cliffs outside the western gate,” he shouted at the soldiers massing around them. “We can’t let them reach the water! Go!”
His eyes latched on Keris. “Where the fuck are you going?”
“Nerastis.” He met his father’s glare, not bothering to curb the venom in his voice. “As you ordered. Your Grace.”
“Now?”
“You told me to be gone by dawn. And as it stands, I find there little reason for me to remain in Vencia.”
The horse sidled sideways, betraying his father’s tension, and he hauled on the reins. “Coralyn deserved her fate. She’s a traitor to the Veliant name.”
There was no one more loyal to this family than her, Keris wanted to scream, but he bit down on the words. Because drawing his father’s ire would be foolish. And because Coralyn’s loyalty to her family had been what had gotten her killed. “My ship sets sail at dawn. Do you have any orders for me?”
His father stared him down, then gave a tight nod. “War will be coming to Nerastis. Make sure we are ready.” Then he dug in his heels and galloped out the gate.
The streets of Vencia were empty except for the soldiers patrolling them, everyone under orders to remain in their homes while the city was searched. It was quiet, but the stink of smoke from the fire at the east gate was nearly as thick as the tension that hung in the air as his carriage slowly made its way down to the harbor.
The wind had risen, the waters rippling with whitecaps despite the thick storm walls that protected it from the worst the seas had to offer, which meant it would be rough once they passed out into open water. But being out on violent seas was more appealing than remaining in Vencia a moment longer, because drowning would be a far more merciful death than would be granted them if they were caught.
Soldiers flanked the gangplank as Keris and the servants carrying his trunks approached, the men with his book trunk staggering beneath its weight. Aboard, more men searched the contents of the vessel, his father taking no chances of anyone escaping. The sight had sweat rolling in rivulets down Keris’s spine.
“Your Highness.” The soldier in command bowed low. “I regret the inconvenience, but your belongings must be searched before the ship can set sail.”
Keris huffed out an annoyed breath but gestured to his trunks. “Be quick about it. I’ve had a long night.”
They riffled through the one full of clothing, then turned to the trunk with its precious—and damning—cargo. Turning to him, the soldier said, “I need the key, my lord.”
Digging the small bit of metal from his pocket, Keris unlocked the trunk, lifting the lid and stepping back. His stomach was in ropes as the man picked up a book, setting it on the ground before plucking up two more. The layer of books over the false bottom was only six deep. If the soldier reached it, there was no way in hell that he wouldn’t guess there was something hidden beneath.
Surrounded by soldiers as they were, there’d be no escape.
Feeling ready to vomit, Keris snatched the book the man was holding out of his hands. “That’s the only copy in existence. Have a care with it.”
The man frowned. “It’s just a book.”
“It cost two hundred pieces of gold.” Which was total bullshit. He’d picked up the volume from a bookseller for a handful of silver. But it had an ornate cover, so it looked expensive. “One good gust of wind and I’ll lose the lot to the harbor, and it will be you I hold accountable.”
The soldier hastily set the book back in its place, then stared at it, clearly warring between the cost of disobeying orders and the cost of damaging Keris’s belongings. The latter prevailed, and the man reloaded the chest, gesturing at the servants to carry it aboard the vessel. “Safe travels, Your Highness. The seas are fierce.”
It was a struggle not to let the breath he was holding out with a loud woosh, and Keris pretended to pluck at lint on his sleeve as he followed the trunks up the gangplank.
The captain met him at the top, but Keris only half heard the man’s pleasantries as he was led to a large stateroom, where his trunks were placed neatly against one wall, the men who’d carried the book trunk grumbling about the weight as they exited. “No interruptions,” he told the man. “I prefer to study at night and sleep during the day, and if I wish for food or libation, I will call for it. Understood?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“When do we set sail?”
“As soon as the soldiers finish searching my ship.” The captain scuffed his boot against the ground, his eyes bright with curiosity. “Is it true the King of Ithicana has escaped?”
“Unless he’s aboard this ship, Aren Kertell’s whereabouts are not your concern.”
The captain’s eyes widened. “Certainly not, my lord! I am loyal to king and crown.”
“Wonderful. I look forward to journeying south with you.” Stepping inside, Keris bolted the door behind him, then searched the room for any spyholes drilled into the wall, but there were none.
He stopped next to the trunk holding Zarrah. “I’ll get you out as soon as we pass the breakwater.” They’d still be at risk, but not from his father’s soldiers deciding they needed to do another inspection of the ship. “Are you all right?”