Renwell. As much as I battled him out of my thoughts during the day, he always found me in my dreams. Taunting me, hunting me, strapping me to Korvin’s table and killing my family members one by one until I begged for mercy.
That look in his eyes—when he’d shot an arrow at me and missed as the sea pulled me away from him—I wouldn’t be able to hide from him for long.
And I didn’t plan to.
A large shadow blocked my path toward the other end of the ship. Reluctantly, I looked up into the bright blue eyes of Maz’s youngest sister, Yarina. She’d been one of the Dag warriors to thank me for my resourcefulness, her bloodied scythes sheathed on her back, sweat dripping from her golden braids.
My heart twisted in my chest. Seeing her face reminded me of Maz. Fierce, lovable Maz, who was lying with the other injured warriors while he recovered from Korvin’s flaying. Again, because of me.
Yarina folded her arms over her chest and stared me down. “Mazkull wants to see you.”
I tried to sidestep her. “I can’t.”
She blocked me again, lifting one eyebrow with a smirk. “Got some other engagement planned? Another lap around the ship? I can tell you the scenery won’t change.”
“He needs to heal, not chase me down for conversation,” I snapped.
Yarina’s eyes narrowed. “Look, I don’t know what happened to you back there or why you’re here with us, but my brother has been asking for you since he found out you were on this ship.” She grimaced. “He threatened to come get you himself and ruin the paste I just painstakingly applied to his sorry back. So if you care about his recovery, you’ll come visit him.”
Gods damn it, Maz, you don’t want to see me. Unless...
My breathing hitched. Had Aiden finally told him what I’d done?
My only weapon was silence, but Aiden wielded the far sharper truth. I’d been waiting for him to use it.
Nikella was the only other one on board who knew who I was and what I’d done. But somehow, I knew she wouldn’t say a word.
I studied Yarina’s expression. Exasperated, sure. But not angry. Not disgusted.
She gestured toward the hatch. “After you, Kiera.”
I grit my teeth. I couldn’t hide forever, but I’d hoped I wouldn’t be on a ship in the middle of the Niviath Sea when I faced my reckoning.
Perhaps the truth would hurt me less if it came from my mouth. But the retaliation from dozens of betrayed Dags and bone-rattlers was sure to crush me just the same.
I slowly made my way to the hatch and stumbled down the stairs into darkness. “How is he?”
“Well enough, I suppose. Got him good and drunk after the funerals. He wishes he could’ve helped us kill more of those bastard Wolves. As do I.” A snarl darkened her voice. “Especially that torturer, Korvin. My sisters and I hadplansfor that weasel.”
The scars on my back itched as we tramped down the creaking corridor. I still wasn’t entirely convinced a monster like thatcouldbe killed.
“What of your other sisters?” I asked. “Davka and Sigrid?” I’d learned their names from Nikella.
“Sigrid lost her left eye, but one of the bone-rattlers gave her a leather eye patch she loves.” Bile rose in my throat, but Yarina continued as if such news were commonplace. “Davka has burns up and down her body from a burning Wolf that attacked her, but she said Aiden’s salve soothed the pain.”
An entirely unwelcome, unwarranted thought slammed into my mind—that of Aiden rubbing ointment into Davka’s skin the same way he’d cared for the knife wound I’d gotten from a Wolf.
I crushed the image—and the squirm of jealousy that accompanied it.
You can’t have feelings for a man who had his sword to your throat mere days ago. Who stabbed your mother in the heart. Regardless of what he says about why.
“I hope their injuries heal quickly,” I murmured.
We halted in front of the infirmary door. I’d never been inside, avoiding it as though it had teeth and claws.
Gods damn your little weaknesses.
I clenched my trembling fingers and shoved the door open.
