“Your territory would try to rescue you. Others would align with you, out of loyalty to you or to ensure the fleet admiral didn’t think he could do to them what he was doing to you.”
She nodded, but didn’t speak.
“Some would align with him out of loyalty.”
Now, she cleared her throat. “England, Rome, and Castille are loyal to him. Ottoman would possibly side with him, but it would be to weaken my territory, not out of loyalty for the fleet admiral.”
“Kalmar,” Xavier added. “It’s his home territory, and my mother says Alma still feels guilty they forced Eric to be fleet admiral.”
“And France?” she asked softly.
“France would fight to keep from ceding power.” Xavier smiled slightly. “And because you tipped the scales when it came to finding a way for Colum to be with me. With us.”
“I had selfish motivations, but I appreciate France’s friendship,” she said carefully. “Four territories for sure, maybe five, would side with him. The rest with me.” Nikolett felt sick. “It would tear us apart.”
“I don’t think the fleet admiral would dare to hold any of the other admirals prisoner.”
“I’m very aware of that, and there’s only one solution.”
Colum jogged down the final steps, eyes bright. “I think that stone is removable.”
Xavier grabbed her crutches, passing them over without looking away from Colum.
Nikolett started for the door as Colum said something about secret compartments. She was very aware that she couldn’t actually get far on her own, but she needed to be out of the castle.
Xavier’s hand on her arm stopped her. “You have a solution?”
There was a way to stop her broken, chaotic relationship with Eric from plunging the entire Masters’ Admiralty into war.
“Yes. I do.”
Xavier arched one brow and nodded.
Iacob was jogging down the stairs, his worried gaze trained on her. Regina was behind him, but walking rather than running, and Nikolett thought she saw regret on the other woman’s face.
“Can you keep a secret?” Nikolett asked.
Xavier nodded.
“Even from Colum?”
Xavier pursed his lips. “This is something you don’t want him to tell Eric.”
She nodded.
“Then I will keep your secret, at least for now.”
Her plan wouldn’t be secret for long. All she really needed was to get off the Isle of Man, then it really wouldn’t matter if Eric knew or not.
Nikolett leaned in, keeping her voice low. “What Eric and I have? It ends now.” She pulled back just enough that Xavier could see her cold smile. “Because I’m getting married.”
CHAPTER TWO
“Fleet Admiral, Nikolett’s missing.”
Eric jumped out of bed, and what felt like only a moment later, he was on the plane. The flight too passed in a blink, his panic and fear making his vision fade in and out.
Then they were touching down in Stockholm.
