“You sit and speak with feigned innocence, but all I hear is bullshit.You’re responsible for Percival’s death, and you wish to waltz in here and claim you are worthy of the same title? That we should adhere to your demands and follow your orders?”
My lips curled back in a snarl. “I am not demandinganything,though if you are smart enough, you will follow the chain of command. Not because I require you to, but because this palace’s walls have godsdamned ears. If you wish to lose your head, by all means, allow your temper to rule. But believe me, I don’t want to be in this position just as much as you do not wish to have me here.”
His grip didn’t waver, and his glare only deepened. “You’re a fuckingpirate.Your kind are known for lies, betrayal, and misleading, which is precisely what you are doing here. Infiltrating the royal guard like a goddamn infection, with only one aim, eradication.”
“Do you agree with King Marellan’s ruling?” I asked, hissing between clenched teeth as he dug the tip of the dagger into my flesh.
“No.”
“Great. Then you’re not on my fucking list.” Palms slamming into his chest, I forced him away from me but kept my voice to a harsh whisper. “Do as I order if you wish to stayalive.The king and the Others are on high alert andwillcontinue with executions if they deem them necessary. And believe me, the four of you, the remnants of Percival’s entourage, fill the top slots on that list.”
Brows furrowing, his composure slipped. “Wait, what?”
I exhaled in a mix of annoyance and disbelief at his naivety. “None of you are safe, and I am willing to put my neck on the line to say that. If you want to battle me on my allegiances, go for it, but just know that I’ve escaped these grounds once by myself, and have no problem leaving the lot of you behind as I do so again.”
“What is your goal?”
“Currently?” Running the back of my forefinger down the side of my neck, I gathered the lineage he’d drawn. “To keep Kaelivan safe. Outside of that? To have my bind—” A searing anguish circled around my throat with theadmittance.
Tension dissipating from his shoulders, a flash of understanding graced his features. “You’re bound to the king?”
I shook my head with a humorless scoff, swallowing the building agony. “I wish it were just him.”
“Is it true that?—”
Approaching footfalls silenced him, and I reiterated the need for it as two feminine voices slithered through the hallway. Adrenaline spiked, numbing some of my affliction as I snapped my chin toward the sound. Turning back to Brix, I pressed my finger to my lips as I leaned back against the stone, tucking myself into the shadows the alcove provided.
“Well, if those are your plans for the prince, what of the pirate?” the first one asked, her articulation slightly familiar—the dark-haired woman who’d led Kaelivan off the ship.
“The pretty one?” the second crooned, and the way my chest ached alongside her sing-song timbre solidified who I presumed would be prowling through the palace.
Sorva.
“I don’t know, I think the blonde is rather… appetizing.”
“We each have our preferences, I suppose,” Sorva countered, a small laugh following as their voices grew more audible. “As for the pirate? Breaking his bind may have risks, though we will not be the only ones facing them.”
“What do you mean?”
“With his words no longer silenced, he will be able to spread the word of our truth. Though with the servitude mentality King Marellan has instilled in Serevalen, I am not too worried about the people here. The outstanding towns, though? They will likely become an issue, which is why we made the statement we made on Veilmar.”
I lifted a hand toward Brix, ordering him to stay where he was. Leaning forward, I peered around the corner, quickly reeling back as they passed the pillar lining the side of the alcove Brix stood on.
“For him,” Sorva continued, her lack of acknowledgment earning an exhale filled with relief from me. “It presents a weakness. I showed it to him in a stream of visions. His link with the red-headed cunt, and howtheir ties to one another may serve as more of a downfall than a benefit. Without the bind, the barrier falls, and their souls link, which means we have a direct line. That is, if we wish to further torment the Damned and can kill two birds with one stone. Though there is nothing I love more than a bit of psychological warfare before the true war begins.”
A snicker was the only reply she got, which quickly fell more and more inaudible as they slipped through the hallways.
My throat bobbed, mind immediately slipping back to what I’d seen when she’d toyed with the mark buried beneath my brand. It was becoming increasingly evident who I truly belonged to and who held the reins over my livelihood. The king's hands were nowhere near her taloned claws when it came to possession, for she could command me as she wished so long as I was tethered to her.
“Fucking hell,” Brix whispered, his gaze meeting mine. “What the fuck was that about?”
“What I told you. Let’s go.” Shoving myself from the wall, I grabbed hold of his collar and ripped him with me toward Kaelivan’s quarters.
I silently prayed the prince would put a knife in my throat and bleed me dry for what I’d stolen from him.
“What the fuck do you want?” The question came with as much ire as I’d anticipated, though the reactivity I’d imagined would follow remained nonexistent.
Instead, Kaelivan remained seated in one of the plush black-fabric-backed chairs on the opposite side of the room. Arms folded over his chest, his selection of plain trousers and a loose-fitted linen shirt made it clear that he desired to be anywhere but here—he wished to be at sea.
