“He already has it.” Daria spat into the dirt. “But let it be done.”
She jabbed Keris in the spine again, forcing him to walk even as Kian dragged Zarrah, who kept screaming, “Run! Run! Run!” Wrenching free of Kian’s grasp, she slammed into Keris.
For a heartbeat, their bodies were pressed together, and time seemed to freeze as he looked down into her eyes. He’d been terrified that all he’d find was hate, but that was the only emotion absent in the liquid depths of her gaze, her words muffled by her gag as she said, “You came for me.”
He tried to spit out the wad of fabric Daria had shoved in his mouth, but before he could, Zarrah said around her gag, “Why did you come for me? He’s going to kill you!”
proved to be accurate. But on the very small chance you ever get to speak to her again, remember that A tremor ran down his spine, twisting guilt filling his gut that he was putting her through this. For her once again to be caught blind in one of his plans. Trust me, he tried to tell her as he stared into her eyes.
Then Kian had a hold of her again, wrenching her away. Zarrah twisted and thrashed, eyes wild as she screamed and screamed, only for Kian to backhand her hard. “Shut your gob, woman.”
The blow stunned her, and Zarrah dangled limply in Kian’s grip. Keris’s control fractured, and he
“Focus, Your Grace,” Daria muttered as they descended the hill to the meeting spot. “None of what took two quick steps before Daria jerked on his wrists.
Kian laughed. “Can’t say I blame you, Your Grace. She’s pretty as they come, and if it hadn’t been against the terms of my agreement, I might have taken her for a turn myself.”
Don’t let him bait you, Keris silently screamed at himself as Kian tossed Zarrah at Daria’s feet.
You need him agreeable.
“Here,” Kian said, lifting a cord over his head, from which dangled a key. “I gift you my gallery, old nemesis.” He held it out to Daria, but she ignored it, and he let it drop to her feet. “Enjoy the beach.”
Daria shoved Keris, and he stumbled, Kian grabbing him by the arm and dragging him back toward his men. Keris risked a backward glance to see Daria lifting a stirring Zarrah, Saam moving to help
carry her to safety.
It was done. No matter what happened next, she was as safe as he could make her, so Keris turned his mind to the rest of his plan.
The prisoners dragged him roughly to camp, alternating between crowing insults at him and making suggestions of how best to enjoy their freedom as the sun began to set.
“Didn’t go quite according to plan, did it, Your Grace?” Kian said, catching Keris by the hair and pulling loose the gag. “Such hubris to believe you could come onto my island and take one of my things. That you could plot, conspire, and machinate, without me knowing exactly what you were up to.”
“Character flaw, I’m afraid.” Keris smiled. “I’ve been told time and again that my excessively high opinion of myself will be my downfall, but I never learn.”
Kian backhanded him, then hauled him up by the front of his shirt with shocking strength, holding a knife tip above Keris’s left eye. “Only need one to prove your breeding, Veliant.”
“Willing to bet your freedom on that?” Keris asked. When the man shrugged, he added, “How about your fortune?”
Kian went still, but the knife remained in place. “Fortune isn’t on the table.”
“Oh, but it is.”
Silence stretched, and then Kian said, “I’m listening.”
“You know who I am,” Keris said. “Which means that you know that I’m very, very rich.” Utter bullshit, given that his father had drained the coffers in his pursuit of the bridge, but Kian wouldn’t know that. “I’d be willing to reward those who help me escape this particular circumstance alive.”
The big man snorted. “Gold don’t spend on Devil’s Island, Your Grace. I ain’t doing nothing to jeopardize freedom.”
“Nor would I ask you to.” Keris blinked, feeling the ends of his lashes brush the tip of the knife. “I assume your arrangement included transport back to the mainland.”
Silence.
“I see,” Keris said. “Doesn’t that make you question whether promises will be honored? Doesn’t it make you question whether you’re just being used?”
Some of the other prisoners heard, and mutters traveled outward.
“Even if you are given a ship to get off the island, all they’ll do is drop you on a beach in the he tried to tell her as he stared into hermiddle of nowhere without a penny to your name. So you’ll have your freedom, but you’ll be destitute.”
“We got gold,” Kian snarled. “Chests of it.”
“You think those guards are going to let you keep it?” Keris scoffed. “You know the men and women who’ve kept you imprisoned. How well have they treated you? You think they won’t steal every penny, including your golden smile, before loading you like cattle onto the ship? You’re clearly a smart man, Kian; don’t let the scent of freedom cloud your good judgement.”
Slowly, Kian lowered the knife. “What are you proposing?”
“Self-interest, my friend.” Keris righted himself on the ground, knowing that every one of them was listening. “Make sure you and yours go up first before you bring me up. They know you for dangerous individuals, so they’ll have every guard on the island there to assist, which means biding your time.
With luck, they will have a ship waiting, and once we are aboard … mutiny. Kill them all. Take the ship, your gold, and me to ransom back to my country. Or Ithicana,” he added as an afterthought. “My Daria shoved Keris, and he stumbled, Kian grabbing him by the arm and dragging him back toward sister is their queen, and everyone knows how deep the bridge kingdom’s coffers are.”
As he’d expected from a group of criminals, their eyes brightened with greed at the proposition, not a one of them showing any concern about betraying Empress or Empire. He waited for the idea to circulate, then said, “All I’m saying is that I’m worth a great deal. Why give up such a valuable asset The prisoners dragged him roughly to camp, alternating between crowing insults at him and making to the woman who imprisoned you if you don’t have to?”
There were nods and grunts of agreement, several spitting on the ground and cursing the Empire. To his credit, Kian only smiled and laughed. “You think you have this all figured out, don’t you?” Before Keris could answer, he leaned closer. “I’ll think about what you’ve said. But don’t get it in your head that I’m risking my life for the sake of your neck.” To underscore the point, he kicked Keris in the ribs, sending him sprawling.
“Character flaw, I’m afraid.” Keris smiled. “I’ve been told time and again that my excessively high Through the pain, Keris said, “Understood.” It wouldn’t be for his neck that they’d mutiny—it would be for their greed—but the results would be the same. He had no doubt in his mind that the guards would provide ample motivation to drive them toward the plan of action.
“Signal the guards,” Kian shouted. “Let’s get this done.”
“Willing to bet your freedom on that?” Keris asked. When the man shrugged, he added, “How about Several men departed, but the rest scuttled among the shacks and tents, gathering barrels and water-stained chests of what Keris assumed was their treasure. He didn’t bother engaging with those who remained to guard him, his mind consumed with replaying the moment he’d seen her.
Alive. Zarrah was alive, and he realized then how much he’d feared otherwise, for it felt like a thousand pounds of rock had been lifted from his shoulders with the disappearance of that uncertainty.
Alive and fighting and … His throat tightened as he remembered the heartbeat when their bodies had been pressed together, the dark pools of her eyes revealing that she had not entirely forsaken him.
“Kian!” someone shouted. “It’s time.”