There had been a time, back when they were still sneaking in and out of the Court of Shadows, that he had explained his history. He had spoken of a settlement on the outskirts of the Twilight Kingdom’s forest. Of an attack by Ulvarth when he was still the leader of the Swords of Light.
“They were.” By Ducot’s tone alone, she knew he was telling the truth. Even despite all her doubts and questioning of his intentions, she could hear it in his voice. “What I neglected to tell you was that the reason we would dare form a settlement on the outskirts of the forest where we were vulnerable to the zealots of Yargen is because we wanted to be closer to the water—closer to where theStormfrostmight come.”
“You were all pirates?” Eira hesitated at a corner, looking up and down the street before turning.
“The majority, and those of us that weren’t actively on her payroll knew what the rest of us were and did.”
“But Adela?—”
“Never harmed the Twilight Kingdom, unlike most others,” he interrupted. “She was good to us, as she is to most of the unwanted wretches of the world.”
“But you said you joined the Court of Shadows right after to avenge your family.” Eira hastily crossed the street. She was making a point of heading generally parallel with the river.
“No,yousaid that,” Ducot corrected.
Eira thought back to their conversation, racking her memories. He had told her of his family. Of Ulvarth’s attack. Rebec finding him clinging to life.
Then she had said,So you vowed vengeance and joined the Court of Shadows then and there. Ducot had nodded…but hadn’t said anything else. The conversation had shifted.
“Okay, but you nodded in agreement,” she muttered under her breath.
“What I told you about Rebec finding me was true. As was my need for vengeance. But what could a boy do against a madman like Ulvarth? I needed time. And Rebecdidoffer to take me in…but I knew I had somewhere to go and refused to follow her then and there. She assumed that ‘somewhere’ was back to the Twilight Kingdom. Rebec told me to seek her out when I was older and ready.”
“You did, and joined the Court of Shadows as a double agent.”
He nodded. “I was there to observe. Not to meddle, and not to harm Meru. If anything, the opposite.”
Eira slowed her pace. They were nearing the docks, and judging from the distant shouting, there was still some kind of chaos unfolding. The idea of running to find her family, or Olivin, crossed her mind. But Eira pushed the notion away. Her family was either dead or somewhere she wouldn’t be able to get to. As hard as it was not to run to them, she had to focus on the people she could still help—and those people were back on a boat controlled by Adela.
“Why would a pirate—one of Adela’s, no less—notharm Meru?”
He shrugged. “If I knew, I would tell you. She’s instructed all of us who set foot on Meru’s soil not to do anything that would harm the well-being of Meru. No murdering, pillaging, stealing, or any of the usual piracy.”
Deneya’s words came back to her.Adela hasn’t been seen along the coast for a long time. Perhaps Adela truly had lost interest in Meru. Which made it even more mysterious as to why she had defied all odds to come back for Eira. Her earlier suspicion that maybe Adela wasn’t being entirely truthful returned unbidden.
Ducot must have heard the increasing noises of the town growing around them, too, because he came to a stop. “Listen, Eira…I never wanted to mislead you. But Icouldn’ttell you. She’s already going to be cross that I allowed you on her vessel.”
“Didn’t she want to see me?” Eira asked softly. His answer could crumble her theories of Adela’s return to Meru and the meaning behind it.
“Adela was very, very curious about you the moment word got out. She hasn’t come this close to Meru in decades. Something really shook her years ago and she’s made it a point to never come back.”
“What was it?”
“No one knows.” He shook his head. “The important thing is, the rumors of you did burn a hole in her brain. You’ve wormed into her thoughts and that’s why we’re both still alive. But Adela isn’t a charitable woman. That’s why I told her the lockbox you kept the journals within was sealed shut with your magic, and soyouneeded to come. You need to start proving to her now that you have strength and utility.”
“You didn’t tell her my magic was gone?” she whispered.
“Not yet. I wanted to give you a chance to prove yourself first.”
“And what if I don’t prove myself?” Eira asked.
“I think you already know the answer to that.”
She swallowed thickly. “Right. We should get going then; our hour is ticking away.”
“One more thing.” Ducot reached out his hand toward her. The smoke must really be interfering with his senses because he only grabbed air. Eira took his hand, their fingers clasping together firmly. “Will you still trust me?”
She studied his face. Every scar had become familiar. His milky eyes that never quite saw her, and yet looked right into her. The emotions that she had first felt when he revealed histrue alliances began to dull. He was right, what could she have expected from him? And it wasn’t as if he’d ever done anything to harm her. In fact, the opposite. Even up to this very second he was trying to look after her.
