“Who’s that, Captain?”
“No time. Sorinda, take Athella and go retrieve Draxen from the dungeons. We’re leaving the keep, but tell no one. You must be discreet.”
“Have I ever been anything else?” Sorinda asks. Without waiting for an answer, she grabs Athella’s arm and leads her away.
“We need to be quick,” I tell Riden, “but not suspicious. Walk beside me. Don’t speak if we’re stopped. Let me handle everything.”
He looks at me for a moment, surprise written across his face.
“What?”
“Thank you, for my brother.”
“It’s nothing.”
“It’s not nothing. It’s everything to me.”
His gratitude is overwhelming my already bursting heart. “In that case, you’re welcome. Now let’s go.”
“Lead the way.”
We walk at a brisk pace. We haven’t taken more than a couple of steps when Riden whispers my name.
“What?”
“When we’re out of here, when we’re safely away from the king’s keep, I want to talk to you about something.”
“And what’s that?”
“Alosa?” A new voice comes down the tunnel, and it’s far too close.
Tylon.
“Go on,” I whisper to Riden so quietly I might only be mouthing the words. “I’ll distract him. You keep going.”
“I don’t know where I’m going.”
“Just go.” I wave one hand frantically.
I rush back the way we came, running right past the study door and halting just before the tunnel bends. Tylon’s face appears above mine.
“Are you alone?” he asks, peering over my shoulder. Since he doesn’t reach for his sword, I assume Riden listened and kept going.
“Yes, why?”
“It sounded like you were talking to someone. What are you doing here?” He looks curiously at the study door, and my heart plummets. He cannot think I came from there. He’d rat me out to my father in a heartbeat. I need a good lie. And I need it now.
“I was looking for you,” I say hurriedly. “And rehearsing what I’d say when I found you.”
I reach for the siren in me and pull her out effortlessly. Goose bumps surface on my arms. If Tylon notices, I hope he thinks it’s a reaction to him and not from using my abilities. The siren half of me gives me three unique abilities. I can sing to men and make them do whatever I wish so long as I have the power of the sea with me. I can read the emotions of men—they manifest as colors for me to decipher. And last, I can tell what any man wants in a woman, become it, and use it to manipulate him. Since I wasted most of my song on Vordan, it is the latter two of my abilities I pull from now.
My entire focus latches onto Tylon, on his greatest wants and desires. I can see the red of his desire for me. Though I know he’s attracted to me, what he really cares about is that I’m the pirate king’s daughter. That is what makes me useful to him. Being in my favor serves his own interests. And the only person he’s ever cared about is himself.
“Well, you’ve found me.” He folds his arms and steps back to get a better look at me. He’s scanning me for deception, trying to spot it in any gesture. One wrong word or movement, and who knows what he’ll do.
I need to swallow my nausea and pride in this moment. Forget what it does to my dignity. This is for my mother. “I don’t like arguing with you. What happened today in front of all the captains—it can’t happen again.”
“I agree.”
For some reason, it bothers me more to have him agreeing with me. “And I think you should know, despite what I say and how I act, I don’t hate you.”
His stiff, suspicious stance relaxes. “I know that.”
Sure he does. Arrogant bastard doesn’t realize I’m saying the complete opposite of what I feel. “You do?” I ask, adding a hint of playfulness to my tone.
“I can be very likable, if you’ll just let me.” He peers deeply into my eyes, as though trying to force a connection with me.
“Let you what?”
“Let me show you how great we could be together. Can’t you just see the future we’d make? You and I ruling the sea. All in Maneria afraid to leave the safety of land. All the money of the realm pouring into our treasury. With you and your abilities, our legacy will be even greater than Kalligan’s.”
If he thinks I’d share my birthright with him—
No, not now. Forget the braggart. Focus on your mother.
I take a step forward and slide my hands up his arms to his shoulders. “And just what is to be the nature of our relationship?”
The faraway look in his eyes leaves, and he focuses on me. Something new takes hold of him. It is no longer a lust for riches and glory.
He crushes his mouth to mine. All intensity and passion. The thought of himself becoming the new pirate king has him worked up. And he thinks himself worthy of my attention. He doesn’t hope I will kiss him back. He expects it, and I have to if I’m to keep Riden hidden from him.
I cringe as I remember Riden probably heard some of that.
“What’s wrong?” Tylon asks against my lips.
“Nothing. Come here.” I need to give Riden more time to get away. I grab Tylon by the lapels of his captain’s coat and swing him around the next bend of the tunnel, even farther away from Riden and my mother, before pinning him against the wall and kissing him like I mean it. Now that I have him right where I want him, I let the siren go.
My movements are meaningless to me. My mouth moves automatically, leaving my mind free to wander elsewhere. I hope Riden can remember where he’s going.
I imagine him carrying my mother all the way to the ship without any trouble befalling them, tucking her away safely in my rooms. Then he’ll come find me, maybe smash Tylon on the head because he somehow knows how much I loathe him, even though I told him otherwise.
And then he’ll take me in his arms and kiss me. Because he wants it and knows I do, too.
Just a light peck on the lips, but as I try to leave he’ll pull me back for more. And I’ll be secretly pleased that he wants more.
He’ll pin me against some hard surface, place his hands on either side of my waist, and lean down until all the air between us is gone.
I put my hands on his face, feeling the hard planes of his cheeks with my hands. That pleases him. I feel his lips turn into a smile as he continues to kiss me. His lips move to my throat, and I move my hands to his hair.
But instead of the silky locks I’m expecting, I touch loose curls. I open my eyes in a snap and stare at sun-colored hair.
Not Riden.
I’m kissing Tylon.
He’s still busy at the base of my neck when I spot an enormous figure rounding the corner over his shoulder.
“Tylon.” I slap his shoulder.
He pauses long enough to see that it’s my father before adjusting himself, leaning against the wall next to me, and sliding his hand behind my back to rest on my hip. He’s holding me against him as though I belong to him. I loathe it.
Tylon grins. “We took your advice and stopped arguing.”