He was back on the ship.It was dark out, but someone had turned one of the lamps on in his bedroom.Kieran found himself lying in his bed as if he’d just woken up from a normal night’s sleep, Seaweed snuggled up beside him.The aching pain in all his muscles, though, was proof it had been anything but.Even lifting his head hurt, as if he’d been turned into one giant bruise that went all the way from skin to bone.
Sitting to his left, flicking through a book, was Sebastian.
Kieran shot up without thinking about it.Seaweed squeakedin protest.Instantly, pain hit him from every direction, and he winced and cursed as his body screamed at him for moving too fast.At the same time, Sebastian’s face jerked up from his book, and he closed it.Kieran couldn’t help but notice it was the one with the shirtless vampire on the cover that Briar had lent him.If he hadn’t been in the most physical agony of his life, he might be embarrassed by all the pages he’d dog-eared.
“Kieran?”Sebastian sputtered.He put the book down and hopped to his feet.His hands hovered over Kieran, as if unsure what he could possibly do to lessen the pain.Gently, he put a hand on Kieran’s back and said, “Lie down, okay?The poison should be gone, but it’s still going to hurt for a couple days.”
Slowly, Kieran leaned back against Sebastian’s hand, letting him lower him to the pile of waiting pillows.He grimaced, but the warmth of Sebastian’s touch helped a bit.
“I’ll get you some painkillers,” Sebastian said, straightening.“Those should at least numb some of the—”
“Wait.”Kieran held out a hand.“Hold on.Tell me what happened.”
Sebastian paused for a moment.Then he said, “After the painkillers.I’ll be right back.”
Kieran opened his mouth to argue, but Sebastian was already in Kieran’s bathroom rummaging through the cabinet.He returned a few seconds later with a cup of water and a few small tablets, which Kieran tossed back and swallowed with a grimace.His mouth felt dry, and the water was a welcome relief to his scratchy throat.He drained the entire glass before lying back with a groan.
“Okay,” he managed after a moment.“Start from when I passed out.”
Sebastian waited a beat, assessing Kieran’s condition.When Kieran didn’t immediately start vomiting blood or something, Sebastian sighed and nodded.
“Hélène’s crossbow bolts were dipped in a powerful paralytic poison,” he explained.“It would have stopped your heart if they hadn’t been carrying the antidote—typical assassin procedure, just in case someone wrestles your weapon from you.But it took me and Seaweed too long to subdue them, and by the time I gave it to you, you were already paralyzed and struggling to breathe.I wasn’t sure if you were going to pull through.”
Kieran managed a weak chuckle.“You and me both.”
Sebastian, however, only nodded solemnly.“Once I gave you the antidote, that seemed to help.But at that point, Briar and Delilah were the only ones fighting the mercenaries.Briar got hit with a spell, and when Delilah tried to help her, Elias managed to knock her out.Briar wentberserk.Trouble was, it was her against four.She didn’t stand a chance.”
“But she’s okay, right?”Kieran’s eyes widened.“And Delilah?Please tell me they’re—”
“Briar is fine.Bruised and angry but fine.”Sebastian grimaced.“But Delilah…I’m so sorry, Kieran, but Elias took her.And the Crown.”
“Took her?”Kieran repeated in horror.“Why—”
“As a hostage,” Sebastian explained.His inky hair fell in his eyes as his gaze went to the floor.“Elias told us that if we want her back, we have to bring the Hilt and Stave to the Pinwhistle Forest vein and exchange them for her.”
Kieran’s entire body went cold all at once.He imagined Delilahtied up somewhere, bruised and bloody from the fight.Elias had no reason to treat her well.She was his rival’s daughter, after all.So long as she was alive, he could use her as a bargaining chip, regardless of how ragged and injured she was.
Fire ignited around Kieran’s heart, licking at his ribs as rage built within him.Elias could poison him twenty times over, but hurt his best friend?
“Elias,” Kieran snarled, “is a dead man walking.”
“Briar shared a similar sentiment,” Sebastian said, unfazed by the waves of fury rolling off him.“She hasn’t been taking it…well, exactly.”
“Where is she?”Kieran asked.He could only imagine what Briar’s unfiltered rage could have amounted to in the time he was unconscious.
“She’s been on the top deck since we got back a few hours ago,” Sebastian said.“She’s, ah…taking it out on some crates.Loudly.With a lot of fire.Frankly, it’s good the wood this ship was built with is heat resistant.”
“I need to talk to her,” Kieran decided, starting to sit up again.Even as his muscles screamed their displeasure, he simply gritted his teeth and pushed through it.
Sebastian held out his hands.“You should probably wait for the painkillers—”
“I’m okay,” Kieran insisted as his feet hit the floor.The full-body ache only throbbed more as he straightened.He was still wearing the same clothes from earlier, now with holes in the shoulder where the bolts had pierced him.He could feel the bandages that had been applied there and on his hand.He wondered if Sebastian had been the one to do it.“Really.”
Sebastian went to his side, gently putting a hand on his back.“If you need to, you can lean on me.”
Even in a state of full-body agony, Kieran wasn’t exactly going to say no to more of Sebastian’s hands on him.He gratefully leaned into him, immediately feeling something in his muscles loosen.Together, they made their way to the door, and Sebastian led him down the hall.Even before they got to the door to the main deck, Kieran could already hear screaming.
“That’s not a great sign,” he whispered.
