Garyth had wanted to know what my father was doing at the mine, hinting that it was something he didn’t want the world to see.
But now my father was dead, and Renwell wore the crown. His sickening smirk filled my mind. He’d felt he deserved that victory. Gods only knew how he’d schemed in the shadows to tear my family down. And I’d been his willing puppet.
Vengeance burned in my gut. “Turn the ship,” I commanded.
Skelly rasped a chuckle. “I don’t know who you think you are, lass, but?—”
“If you want to help Aiden, point this gods-damned ship toward Calimber.”
The sea captain opened his mouth to snarl back at me when another voice cut him off.
“And why in the deep, dark, wandering hell should we believe you’re trying to help me?”
My whole body stiffened, and I slowly rotated to find Aiden towering behind me. He must’ve slipped up the stairs like the silent shadow he was while I was busy staring at the western horizon.
Gods, he was close. So close I could feel his warmth. I could reach out and stroke his inky black hair or scratch the dark stubble on his taut jaw. Or I could shove him over the railing as I’d already been tempted to do.
We hadn’t stood this close since I’d pressed my mother’s blade to his chest.
“Go ahead. It’s harder than it looks.”
I glared at him, trying to cover for my brief distraction. “You know as well as I do that something’s going on over there. What better time to find out than before Renwell gets there first?”
Aiden glared back at me, that same intensity from the infirmary burning in his eyes. I preferred his fury over his listlessness.
His jaw worked, still reluctant.
Come on, fight me. Give me a reason to fight you back. Give me a reason to unleash my demons.
“You have no idea what we’ll find,” he ground out. “We could sail straight into another ambush. Unless, of course, that’s what you want.”
His words found their mark, cutting through bone and exposing my guilt. “I wouldn’t be on this ship if it weren’t for you,” I hissed.
“Add it to the list of things you won’t forgive me for, princess.”
I inhaled sharply, my fingers curling into fists. “You think I shouldn’t hate you for what you’ve done?”
Aiden’s eyes narrowed to blades. “I saved you from the man you should hate the most.”
“I never asked you to save me!”
“And you’ll never have to,” he snarled, his nose nearly brushing mine, his breath warm on my lips. “Now tell me why you want to see the mine.”
My anger wavered. I wanted to keep shouting at him about every horrible thing I felt. But I also needed him to do my bidding. Ineededto get the upper hand on Renwell.
Someone cleared their throat. We broke apart to find Nikella studying us with what looked like indifference, but I knew better. She’d been terribly quick to shoot me in the neck with that dart a few days ago.
“What’s this about the mine?” she asked, her walking staff—which encased her spear—cradled in one arm. “I told you I haven’t been able to get close to it in months.”
“All the more reason to try by sea,” I countered. “It’ll be dark soon. They won’t see us if we douse the lights.”
“No,” Aiden growled. “I’m not risking any more lives.”
“That hasn’t stopped you in the past,” I snapped.
Pain flared in Aiden’s eyes before he turned away, his face blank once more.
The scar on Nikella’s face seemed to deepen in the setting sun as she stared at me. “Unless you have information we don’t?—”
