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.”
Growling, the big man dragged Keris by the hair down to the rocky beach. Pain lanced through his body as he bounced over the sharp edges, but he refused to cry out. Refused to give these creatures any form of victory.
“Let me see his face!” a familiar voice shouted from above, and Keris found himself stiffening.
Kian pulled Keris’s head back so that he was looking at the cliff tops, where Bermin’s broad form
“I see,” Keris said. “Doesn’t that make you question whether promises will be honored? Doesn’t it was outlined by the setting sun. It made sense that the Prince was here, that he’d be his mother’s agent in this transaction, yet somehow, it felt unexpected.
Which made Keris uneasy.
“Keris Veliant,” the Valcottan prince crooned. “I’d say that it was a pleasure to meet you, but we’ve met once before.”
Keris’s heart skittered, because if Bermin had realized it had been him on the Cardiffian ship—
“In Nerastis.”
Relief flooded him, for the vessel’s cover hadn’t been compromised. “You weren’t in a position to say much the first time,” Keris called back, distinctly remembering how his shoulder had connected every penny, including your golden smile, before loading you like cattle onto the ship? You’re clearly with the other man’s throat. “Though I see you’ve recovered from that particular humiliation.”
“It is no humiliation to learn the nature of your enemy.” Bermin moved closer to the edge of the cliff. “It brought us to this moment.”
“Self-interest, my friend.” Keris righted himself on the ground, knowing that every one of them was Keris’s gut soured. What did Bermin mean by that?
listening. “Make sure you and yours go up first before you bring me up. They know you for dangerous
“On my honor, the man before us is King Keris Veliant of Maridrina.” Bermin looked sideways at the crowd of soldiers lining the cliff. “You’ll all swear that it is him?”
The soldiers all nodded, expressions grim. There were dozens of them, all heavily armed in preparation for allowing the scores of prisoners in Kian’s tribe free of their prison, exactly as Keris had anticipated. Yet something felt wrong.
Kian shouted, “We captured him for you. Now deliver on your promise and set us free.”
As he’d expected from a group of criminals, their eyes brightened with greed at the proposition, not Bermin chuckled, then said, “You have served the Empire well,” as the sun disappeared behind the cliff, plunging Keris into darkness. “Allow your future emperor to reward you with your freedom.”
Taking a torch from a soldier, Bermin flung it across the channel, where it fell among the prisoners.
More torches followed, until the beach was lit up like the sun had reversed its course around the There were nods and grunts of agreement, several spitting on the ground and cursing the Empire. Toworld. Several of the prisoners lifted the burning brands, but Keris felt his own trepidation mirrored on their faces.