Sawyer waved a dismissive hand. “No, but we need a crew to man the ship now, don’t we? Not to mention, it would be nice to get away from the blizzards.”
The guard’s eyes studied them for a moment before he nodded, satisfied with their answers. “One more thing,” he added, fishing into a pocket beneath his black armor. He drew out a piece of paper, unfolding it to reveal a sketch of a hooded figure and the wordWANTEDin large letters at the bottom. The only thing recognizable was its bright blue eyes.
Adara blinked, grateful for the potion she drank, and prayed they wouldn’t recognize her. She caught Dominic’s cunning eyes sliding in her direction. He, of course, already put the pieces together. Adara thanked the gods that the queen’s guards were only good for brute force, not their brains.
“There’s this strange . . . ” the guard paused, trying to find the right word, “figment that plagues our kingdom. The citizens have taken a liking to calling it the Phoenix. We suspect it is a dangerousPherra. It is wanted for its many heinous crimes against the queen. If you see anything that could help us locate and capture this monster, do not hesitate to inform us.”
They nodded, and the guard stepped aside, sweeping a hand out to indicate they were free to enter the city.
Dominic sidled up to Adara as they started toward the bustling streets. “Phoenix, huh?”
Adara pressed a finger to his lips. “Shut up,” she hissed. She didn’t need Dominic revealing her identity to the whole bloody kingdom, for the name Phoenix was given to her by the people of Lykrios, filled with fear when they spoke the name. Whispered rumors of an outlawPherrawho had evaded the queen’s wrath, of a creature that had no face or certain form, of death incarnate that came to collect.
When Adara had lived in Lykrios after being dumped through a portal and landing in the Jarkan Forest, she found entertainment listening to the rumors spread about her. The monster was supposedly a living shadow. It moved innocuously through the day, disguised and unnoticed. But at night, it was utterly impossible to identify as it blended with the blackness bestowed upon the kingdom. It was patient, alluring, haunting. Fueling itself with the fear it tasted. Some believed their own shadow had turned against them. That some sort of demonic version of themself had come to drag them to Helfarrow to pay for their sins. Some believed it was a ghost from the Wasted War, coming to exact revenge. Others believed it was some sort of feline animal, swift and silent and vicious. The claw marks found upon bodies that had been shredded into bloody ribbons suggested so.
It would tear its victims apart limb from limb, shredding them to pieces, inflicting as much pain as possible. Then a blazing inferno would light up the darkness so brightly it would blind anyone near. That was why no one had ever seen it make the kill, even when endless shrieks pierced the city.
They said most of the victims were burned from the inside out, skin charred and sloughed off the bone. The putrid scent of burning flesh lingered for days after finding the body. Sometimes, there was nothing left to be found but ash scattered on the wind.
So much could go wrong with Dominic knowing she was the infamous Phoenix. Betrayal by handing her over to the queen was at the top of her list of potential ways this trip could go awry. At best, she’d kill Dominic before he even got the chance to reveal her identity. However, that would leave her without his key or the Realm Fracturer. At worst, he’d tell her secret to the world, and she’d rot away in the queen’s dungeons until sent to the gallows.
Adara couldn’t afford either of those outcomes.
Dominic reached out and peeled another wanted poster off the stone wall of a building. “You fetch a fine price, though,” he said, further inspecting the wanted poster.
Indeed, she had a massive reward for her capture—alive. Surely the queen wanted the honor of taking her life.
Dominic looked up at her with a wry grin. “They’re overestimating your worth.” He chuckled.
Adara scoffed. “Excuse me?” She laughed and amicably punched his shoulder. “You and I both know, I’m worthtwicethe amount.” An overstatement, but she couldn’t help herself. No amount of money in the world would be enough to convince someone to go after her, except the queen’s soldiers, but that was only because the queen would surely kill them if they didn’t try.
Dominic sucked in a long breath through his teeth. “Do we?”
“I don’t seeyourwanted poster plastered all over the kingdom,” Adara countered.
“Because they know they’d never be able to catch me,” he said with a sly smirk.
Adara rolled her eyes, even though she knew it was the truth. No one even knew what the King of Keys looked like—except Damon. The world only knew that Dominic Nite was a boy king who ruled over an enchanted, deadly island filled with monsters, treasures, and water to make one ageless. He was a nineteen-year-old responsible for thousands of deaths—pirates, sailors, traders, anyone unfortunate enough to cross paths with Andreilia on their way across the ocean.
And if Dominic Nite didn’t claim your life on your journey across the Plagued Sea, one of the sea monsters would.
Taking the wanted poster from his hands and crumpling it up, Adara mirrored his devious expression. “Well, I haven’t been caught either.” She tossed it to the ground where feet trampled over it as they weaved through the crowd. When they turned acorner and stepped into the heart of the kingdom, Adara almost gasped in surprise.
The Andreilians halted, caught off guard by the vibrant scene and uncertain where to go in the thicket of people roaming about. Citizens crowded the streets with cheerful smiles and bags stuffed to the brim with goods. Lavender paper lanterns were strung overhead from building to building, zigzagging all the way down the road. Lush green garlands accompanied the lanterns, with violets, orchids, and lilies woven into them. Vendor carts lined the streets. People bustled about to purchase whatever wonders they offered in their wagons.
The Andreilians split off into smaller groups, staying close by as they eagerly surveyed the goods being sold.
The only thing dampening the mood was the ominous castle looming in the distance. Its turrets towered high into the open sky, casting long shadows across the kingdom. Vines climbed the gray stone, the only thing capable of scaling the castle ramparts without meeting immediate death.
The sound of children’s laughter drew her attention away from the grim castle. It didn’t make sense. Lykrios had always been a place people were desperate to escape, but couldn’t. It was a dungeon with a door wide open. The prisoners saw a way out, but were too afraid to brave the dangers they would face. Surrounded mostly by the Jarkan Forest on one side and the Plagued Sea on the other, Adara couldn’t blame them. Not to mention the expense of being ferried across the Narphin River. And it was not like the surrounding kingdoms were entirely accepting. Remaline and Tarin wanted nothing to do with the queen of Lykrios or her people.
The last time she’d seen Lykrios, the whole kingdom appeared to be tinted gray, like peering through a dirty, fogged window. Dark clouds constantly hovered, threatening to wash everything out to sea. Devoid of color or life, it usually felt hollow, empty,sucking the life and joy out of anyone who set foot within its borders.
So what the Hel had changed? Had the queen died and someone else taken her place? Perhaps the prince wasn’t as cruel as his mother.
“What the Hel is this?” Dominic muttered, eyes darting around the scene of people dressed in vibrant colors frolicking around the decorated streets, dresses, robes, and capes billowing behind them. Each face they passed was lit with a grin.
We’re here for the festival!She recalled Silas’s cheerful words. Even the queen couldn’t dampen their spirit.You folk from the southern continent don’t believe in gods. Why come to a festival to honor one?The guard’s words replayed in her mind. A festival celebrating the divine. Gods, she’d never seen the people of Lykrios so joyful. Their elation reminded her of Ignatius.Home.Her heart ached, for this time of year, Ignatius, too, would be bedecked with paper lanterns and garlands and flowers. In Ignatius, there would also be dresses and dancing and gifts and joy.
