“We had finished our supper, and I should have gone up to my rooms, but I found myself curious and wandering the halls of the manor.” She sat up a little straighter before continuing, “I found Tarkiin’s study. It was massive, the entire room lined with rows and rows of bookshelves. I couldn’t help it, I scanned them looking for something that I might enjoy reading, but then I heard voices coming from the hallway just on the other side of the door.”
Kamira took a deep breath before shaking her head and breathily chuckling, “Any sane person would have politely made themselves known and left, but for whatever reason, I hid behind a large leather reading chair.”
Doraan smirked. “That certainly does sound like something you would do. Hiding behind things, boarding ships in the dead of night, and sneaking around places you shouldn’t be.”
She glared at him. “Do you want me to continue or not?”
“Sorry,” he said, raising his hands in defense before motioning for her to continue.
“Tarkiin and two men I’d never seen before came into the study. They were speaking in hushed tones, but I heard one of them say something about a will being settled and stamped with the Emperor’s seal. Tarkiin laughed, a truly heinous sound.” She scrunched up her face in disgust, an involuntary shiver racking through her at the memory. “Tarkiin poured them all a drink and said ‘A toast is in order, men. Our hard work has paid off. After years of the Emperor refusing to name a new heir, he has finally named one in writing and given it his official stamp of authority. To the legally binding will that has sealed our fates!’”
Doraan’s eyes were wide. He was growing more sober by the minute.
“The Emperor is sick, you see, and I took their words to mean that, somehow, Tarkiin got the Emperor to sign some kind of will stating that he was the new heir to the throne and stamp it with his royal signet ring. I don’t know how he did it, but they all seemed to think it was set in stone. But then, he said the words that showed him for the true monster he was.” She paused, adjusting her position on the hard floor. “He said, ‘Now we can give the old man the final dose, and once he takes his final breath, the will shall appoint me as rightful heir, and I will become the new Emperor of Emmoria.’”
Doraan had gone very pale, and Kamira wasn’t sure he was even still breathing.
She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Doraan? Are you alright?”
“Y-yes,” he stammered. “Please, go on. What happened next?”
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him before continuing, “I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Treason of the highest form. Tarkiin was the reason for the Emperor’s sudden illness and he was ready to finish the job. I must have made a noise or something, because when the two men were dismissed, Tarkiin knew exactly where I was and came straight for me. He yanked me up by my hair and threw me against the wall, his hand came around my neck, and he squeezed so tight, I saw stars. He asked me what I had heard, and I wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of my fear, so I simply said ‘you treasonous pig’ and spat in his face.”
Doraan looked at her, the color returning to his face. “Is that why you killed him? Because of what you heard?”
“Yes and no. He was choking me. I couldn’t breathe, and I began hitting and kicking him as hard as I could, but his grip didn’t loosen. I knew he would kill me, so I grabbed the heaviest thing I could reach—a small marble bust from the shelving just next to me—and hit him over the head with it. It took him by surprise and he let go, but the blow also caused him to lose his footing and he fell backward, hitting his head on the edge of his desk. Blood pooled so quickly around his limp body, I knew if I didn’t flee, I would be strung up for all to see in the Aksahri square. It wouldn’t matter what I heard—only those two men knew of Tarkiin’s treason—and they would deny it all. No one would believe the ramblings of a woman who just killed her husband in cold blood. So, I fled to the sea.”
Doraan drew his brows together in thought. “Do you realize what you’ve done? Without the final dose of the poison Tarkiin was giving him, he might recover. You did good. You saved the Emperor’s life, Kamira.”
She didn’t smile, but cast her gaze solemnly at her feet. “I don’t know, it might be too late.”
“Kamira.” Doraan’s warm, calloused hands cupped either side of her face. She blinked, unsure what words were going to come from him next. “Because of you, and only you, my father is still alive. You are amazing. Each time I talk to you, I am more in awe of the person you are. Your strength and determination are admirable. You make me believe that anything is possible. How in all the realm did you end up here in my life?”
“I think it was…” but she didn’t get a chance to finish as Doraan’s lips descended on hers, hard and searching. Kamira’s eyes went wide as his tongue shot into her mouth. She moved her mouth with his, waiting for a spark, a flicker, anything, but none came.
Doraan broke away suddenly and dropped his hands from her face, pushed away from her with a frown. “I’m so sorry, I—I just got caught up in the moment and the rum didn’t help. I’m…”
Kamira was dazed, but then his words prior to the kiss registered. “Did you say father?”
17
Doraan
Hadhereallyjustdone that?Bloody seas. Doraan raked a hand from the back of his head, and pulled it down over his face. The room was spinning around him—his senses felt slowed and his movements loose. Why had he drunk so much rum? He knew he would regret it, but he wanted to drown his thoughts and the crippling anxiety that seemed to be a constant in his life these past weeks. He wanted to forget everything just for a little while, so he just kept drinking, one swig after another, until the bottle was completely empty. Not even one drop left.
Doraan groaned. He would definitely feel the nasty after-effects in the morning. He looked over at Kamira who was staring at him, concern sparkled in her blue gaze. His eyes darted to her parted lips, and he groaned again. Skies, did he kiss her? Why did he do that? It felt like kissing his cousin. He knew it had been the alcohol that sprung him into action. Ordinarily, he would never have made such a forward move. In all honesty, he never really had the chance. It was ten years since he last kissed a girl and he didn’t remember it feeling likethat.
She continued staring at him with a strange look. It wasn’t that she wasn’t pretty—with her rosy cheeks and freckles dotted across her nose and under her eyes—but there was just nothing there. No feeling outside of friendship.
“I’m so sorry,” he muttered and began rambling about the rum, apologizing for his rashness and not controlling himself.
When she smiled at him, he realized that she had asked him something earlier and he had completely ignored her. “Wait, what did you ask?”
She snorted, giving him an incredulous look as she said, “I asked if you just referred to the Emperor of Emmoria as your father.”
Flaming stars.“I—” he stopped. There was no use in lying to her. She was bound to have found out at some point if she remained on their crew. “Yes.”
“But…” she huffed, growling. “The Emperor doesn’t have any children. His only son died…” Kamira breathed in sharply and put a hand over her mouth, eyes as wide as the wheel of the ship. “Captain Doraan. You—you’re Doraan,PrinceDoraan?”
