Returned to us? She looked at the man’s face, again struck by familiarity. “Who are you? What is your name?”
He hesitated, lips opening to answer, but then a distant scream from behind caught Zarrah’s attention. Heads turned, but whatever the warriors saw did not cause them to go back. Zarrah tried to see for herself, but the commander’s grip on her arm was implacable.
“Commander,” a man shouted. “The lights on the navy ships have been spotted, all sailing in fast.
We need to hurry.”
“There is time for explanations later,” the commander said to her. “We need to get on our ship and the Ithicanians on theirs.”
They crested the cliff, dark ocean spreading out in all directions. Freedom. But that thought vanished as her eyes latched on to the two ships anchored below.
Was this the end?
Not half a day in Keris’s presence, and now they’d board separate ships and sail in opposite directions. Would she see him again? Or was this goodbye forever?
Zarrah’s feet slowed. There was no future for them together, but she couldn’t part ways with him like this. “I need to say goodbye.”
The commander looked sharply at her, then pointed out to sea, where glimmering lights drew closer. “Save goodbyes for later or spend eternity together in the grave.”
Her eyes burned, but Zarrah wasn’t reckless enough to risk more lives for the sake of her
sentiments. There was later. There had to be a later.
Moving as fast as they could on the slick steps leading down the cliffs to the guard tower, the group raced through the fortifications and onto the glowing pier stretching out into the ocean. It was littered with corpses in Valcottan uniforms, and her chest tightened.
girl,” a Valcottan man said as he dragged her over the edge. “You’re safe now.”
As though sensing her thoughts, the commander said, “They believe that Petra’s reign of terror is inevitable and inescapable, and that is why they keep fighting for her. As the rightful empress, you can give them a different future.”
It wasn’t the first time she’d been called such. “How am I the rightful empress?”
“Later.” Two soldiers caught Zarrah’s arms, lifting her into a longboat. “This will all be for nothing Instead of filling Zarrah with warmth, that knowledge tightened like a vise around her chest, makingif they catch us,” one said.
Keris knew. Had said that he’d tell her.
twisted by his blood and upbringing. A love that burned so hot that it destroyed anything that got in its
“Everyone in the boat!” Aren’s voice reached her, close, though she couldn’t see him from this angle. “This is life or death; we have to hurry.”
His panic confirmed the rebels’ fears, but it wasn’t the approaching naval vessels that had her heart pounding. Bending low, Zarrah peered under the pier, seeing the Ithicanian longboat bobbing as they good fortune that we crossed paths with climbed in. Keris had to be less than a dozen feet from her now, but she couldn’t see him. “Keris?”
she called, but his name caught in her throat, so she tried again. “Keris!”
No answer, only the shouts of Ithicanians and rebels as they filled the boats.
“Row!” the commander ordered, and the boat surged forward.
Zarrah dug her nails into the edge of the boat, her heart beating faster as they drew toward the end of the pier, the Ithicanians rowing hard on the opposite side.
When they reached the end, she’d be able to see him.
The longboat shot out past the end of the pier, bucking and plunging over the waves. Leaning over the edge, Zarrah’s eyes locked on the Ithicanian vessel. Much like the one she was in, it was packed with men and women, their faces faintly illuminated by the torches burning on the dock. She found Aren’s tall form. He was gesticulating wildly, pointing at the ship, shouting, “Faster!”
Where was Keris?
The vessel drew out of the pool of light, those inside fading to shadowy forms, her chance to see Keris lost.
“We have contacts who do business in Southwatch,” the commander said. “We will get word when they return safely. Can send word to them, if you so wish.”
Except it wasn’t Aren and Lara she was worried about.
She must have muttered as much, because the man said, “The Maridrinian who is with them … The Ithicanians didn’t tell me who he was, but you called him Keris just now.”
Of course Lara hadn’t told them Keris’s identity. Why would she, given the enmity Valcottans held for her family? But the rebels fought for an end to the Endless War, which had to mean they did not hold such hate for Maridrina. “Your suspicions are correct,” she said, watching as Aren’s longboat sped toward his ship. “He’s Keris Veliant, King of Maridrina.” She looked back at the commander.
“If you want the Endless War to end, your best chance at achieving it is about to get on that ship.”
Everyone who wasn’t rowing fell still, silent, the tension ratcheting up higher with each swipe of the oars.
No one spoke, and Zarrah’s skin crawled. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“He was hit with an arrow,” one of the rebels finally said. “I don’t think the Maridrinian is long for this world.”
Aren’s words echoed through her skull even as her chest constricted. Life or death.
Zarrah’s eyes locked on the other longboat. It had reached the ship, the Ithicanians scrambling up Moving as fast as they could on the slick steps leading down the cliffs to the guard tower, the group the rope ladder that had been tossed down while others secured lines to the fore and aft of the boat.
Only three figures remained inside as it started to rise. Aren’s large form. Lara’s much smaller one.
And …
An Ithicanian aboard the ship leaned down with a torch, illuminating the rising boat, and Zarrah’s inevitable and inescapable, and that is why they keep fighting for her. As the rightful empress, you canheart stuttered.
Keris’s shirt was brilliant red with blood, an arrow jutting terrifyingly close to his throat.
She felt the scream build deep in her core, wild and full of terror as it burst from her lips. “Keris!”
“Later.” Two soldiers caught Zarrah’s arms, lifting her into a longboat. “This will all be for nothing His head lifted, eyes searching the darkness before moving back to his sister. Then he slumped, only Lara’s reflexes keeping him from falling.
There wasn’t going to be a later.
If there were thoughts that came after that realization, Zarrah didn’t remember them. Only felt the bite of cold as water closed over her head, the shouts from the rebels a distant drone as she swam His panic confirmed the rebels’ fears, but it wasn’t the approaching naval vessels that had her hearttoward the ship.
She needed to be away from him to think clearly, to stand on her own feet, but this wasn’t what she’d meant. This was a twisting of words, a twisting of sentiment, as though some divine power was mocking her, giving her freedom from love by cutting out her heart.
No! she screamed into the void. I will not let you have him!
Waves splashed her in the face, her exhausted body almost spent. “Aren,” she shouted, and was rewarded with a mouthful of water. “Lara!”