“You knew how we got in. You should have put guards on that alley.” I glance between the two of them and let my gaze stop on Oren. “I hope you got what information you wanted, because I rather doubt he’ll send any messages for me now.”
“I think I did,” says Oren. “Lina kept telling me that your story was too easy. That there was no possible way that you could’ve convinced someone that you were a prince of Kandala, simply fallen from a ship, right here on Silvesse. If you were, why wouldn’t you try to bargain withme?” His eyes are almost black in the moonlight, and the sails snap in the wind. “BecauseIhave ships.Icould’ve gotten you back to Kandala.Icould’ve used a bargain for steel in exchange for medicine, if that’s what you so badly need.”
He’s also a tyrant, and I wouldn’t bargain with him if my life depended on it.
Which it might, in a second.
My spine is absolutely rigid, but I keep my voice easy. “So you fetched the harbormaster yourself? Of course he told you I’m the prince. That’s what I toldhim.”
“He also told me about all the ways Kandala tried to trick Ostriary in the past. I don’t know why my nephew ever thought he couldtrust any of you. I was a boy when your people set our ships ablaze, but I still remember.”
“No matter who you think I am,” I say, “I don’t know anything about that. I wasn’t evenbornyet.”
“You’re lucky you were born at all,” says Ford bitterly.
I frown. “What?”
“Enough of that,” says Oren. He pulls folded parchment out of his jacket, and he holds it out to me. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a prince or not. It doesn’t matter if you’re tricking me or not. My sweet little nephew has set the trap you told him to lay.”
I take the paper and unfold it. My palms feel damp.
We’ll have Bella under guard in the old Mason house on the north point. I’ll have people in the woods, too. The water will be clear.
It’s not as incriminating as it could be—but it’s pretty damning.
I snap my head up. “I didn’t tell anyone to lay a trap.”
Oren shrugs. “It doesn’t matter if you did or not.” He looks to one of the deck hands. “Pull the anchor.”
“Where are we going?” says Lochlan.
“We’re going to rescue my girl,” says Oren. He gestures at the paper. “You see yourself. The water will be clear.”
I frown. “You just said Rian is laying a trap.”
“Oh, I’m not the one getting off the ship to get her, Your Highness.” He smiles viciously. “You are.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Tessa
Erik hates literally everything about this plan.
I know this because he’s told me at least a thousand times a day since I first announced it.
“If I do this and we succeed, Rian will take us home,” I keep telling him.
“If you do this and wefail, you could be dead,” he keeps responding. Then he’ll grip his waist and try not to wince, because I know he’s still in pain.
“Well, if I’m dead, then it won’t matter at all!” I’ve started snapping, just because I’m as nervous as he is.
Olive and Ellmo have begun to exchange glances when we start this up. She usually drags her son out of the house while he keeps hanging back, wanting to watch the fight.
But now it’s nightfall, and Ellmo is at the palace with Anya and some of the others, because Olive won’t risk her son getting anywhere near Oren Crane.
I honestly didn’t expect her to risk herself, but she’s here at the house with me, waiting while Rian’s people are outside, checking the coastline, preparing the house to look like it’s holding a prisoner.
I expected dozens of armed men, but there aren’t.
