Zaria’s mouth dropped. “You can’t be serious?”
“I’m deadly serious,” he confirmed.
“You mean to put the prince and the princesses in wine crates and ship them back?” Zaria was aghast.
“They will be big crates,” he shrugged and looked so innocent I almost believed it.
“You’ve lost your mind, the King will have your head,” she said, exasperated.
“When I return his son in one piece, he will not care as to the method.”
I chuckled, watching their back and forth.
“I don’t know what to do with you sometimes.” Zaria threw up her hands, and I could see this argument sliding out of control.
“It’s not the worst idea,” I ventured. “No one would suspect wine being shipped for trade, and they wouldn’t have to be in the crates for long. If we can just get them out of the Light Kingdom,we can switch boats at another port and disguise them as crew seeking work or something. It’s actually quite a good plan.”
Nyx smirked. “See?”
Zaria looked between us and huffed. “Well, I’m not going to be the one to tell the duke.” With a wave of dismissal, she stalked back to the palace.
FOURTEEN
FAOLAN
It went over about as well as you'd expect. I wasn't there when the duke was told of the plan to box up his daughters and load them on a small merchant vessel. I was on the dock seeking said vessel. But I could still hear the yelling from all the way out at the palace gates when I returned with word. It wasn't great news—it was merely news.
Thankfully, the ports deeper up the river and further into the city were left untouched by the attack which seemed to be only focused on the Duke of Light’s palace. So I was able to find a small merchant vessel leaving at dawn tomorrow, which could accommodate us, but it wassmallsmall, just a family-run operation from the River Kingdom who were hand-to-mouth enough to chance docking despite the attack. So it was really basic, and we would have to sleep with the cargo, which was going to be cosy. But it was all there was available when many other vessels had rerouted to other ports after hearing the news of the undead attack. We were lucky there was anything willing to take us with the unrest. Fae were getting more and more fearful, and I couldn’t blame them.
I accepted and agreed to the fare, which was robbery in my eyes, but it was the best I could do in the circumstances, andwith word of the raid spreading, it could be weeks before normal service resumed here. So the price reflected the demand, and it was the King's gold, not mine. I didn't care.
The hardest part of the trip would be avoiding Calytrix. But I had to maintain that distance so she didn’t figure out anything was awry. The more distance I kept, the safer we’d all be. I decided that, despite what Nyx said, I could live with the pull towards her and ignore it.
I headed for Kol's room rather than go near the duke’s offices, where I could still hear yelling. Nyx’s replies weren’t as loud, but occasionally he’d chime in to the duke’s ranting, and the effort of restraint in his tone was clear to my dragon ears. I would not want to be him, and I didn’t want to get in the middle. Not my circus, not my dragons.
I knocked on Kol’s door and he answered, shirtless. The lack of clothes seemed to be something of a running theme with him. I didn't hate it, he was an attractive male, but my notice of such things had suddenly shifted, so even the hard ridges of Kol’s lean muscles didn't turn my head like they would have before. While I might once have lingered in the admiration, I didn’t have any desire now. He was attractive, so why the change? I didn’t think less of him…
It hit me. What a fool I was.
It was because of her.
I knew it in my bones, but I denied it with my soul.
I would not allow it. I just had to keep to my plan and stay away. Then I could leave it all behind, once she was safe. That would be easier said than done on a small boat, while all sleeping in a cargo hold together. I would need to steal some of the wine we planned to have in the crates as cover for their real contents and then use it to numb my pain for the next few weeks. It was going to be the longest journey of my life.
“Faolan?” Kol said, snapping his fingers in front of my face.
“Hmm?” I replied, coming out of my thoughts.
“I’ve been talking to you with no answer.”
I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. “I’ve had a lot on my mind.”
“Everything okay? You seemed miles away.”
“I’m good, just thinking over the trip back to the First.”
Kol laughed, gazing over my shoulder towards the shouting still emanating from rooms I wouldn’t set foot in if I was paid and wincing at a fresh tirade from the duke. “It sounds like it's going to be a nightmare.”
