A Pirate’s Life for Tea (Tomes & Tea #2)

29. Reyna

Chapter twenty-nine

Reyna

R eyna heard new footsteps—but after the hit of alchemy, everything sounded kind of murky, like she’d fallen overboard and was clawing towards the surface of the Nacean. Her instincts screamed, move, but her brain lagged behind and whispered, why, again?

She was in Arlon’s hold before she could fully comprehend what happened. Once she did, Reyna began to think that maybe, just maybe, she should have taken Kianthe’s advice and left the dragon eggs alone.

This was just embarrassing.

The blade against her neck was dull, the bite of it against her skin paling in comparison to the agony of leftover alchemy. Everything in her body thrummed—it felt like she was a violin string vibrating out of tune. Pain had been washing over her in dull waves since she’d woken up, but reassuring Key had been her priority then.

Now, she just had to not die .

It seemed glaringly simple, but considering her body wasn’t responding to her commands, there were complications.

One was Kianthe, and the utter horror draining her face of color. She surged forward, but Arlon said, “Ah, ah. One more step, one spell of magic, and she’ll be dead before I am.” His voice was beside Reyna’s ear, low and gravelly, and she shuddered as his breath hit her skin.

At her feet, Ponder screeched, clawing at the confines of a heavy blanket, twisting herself deeper inside it with every panicked thrash.

Reyna had to do something. An elbow to the ribs, a hit to the wrist, and she’d be the one pressing a knife to Arlon’s neck. In her mind’s eye, it played out so beautifully. Over in two breaths, and then she and Kianthe could go home.

But the world was spinning. She felt vaguely nauseated, and tried hard to focus on one stationary point.

She chose Kianthe, who was a sight to behold. When faced with a challenge, her fiancée was as fierce as she was beautiful. Fury had painted her face with murderous tones, and she didn’t even seem to notice the wind picking up. Her dark eyes blazed, her voice booming.

“Let her go, Arlon.”

He tightened his grip. She was his insurance, after all.

It made Reyna chuckle, which pressed the knife harder against her throat. She stilled, clenching her eyes shut against the dizzying twist of the world. “You must be truly desperate to pick a fight with the Mage of Ages.”

When she pried open her eyes again, Kianthe was several steps closer, calling his bluff.

Reyna didn’t even need to twist to be free. She just needed to reach the knife along her thigh. Keeping as still as possible, she fumbled for it, but another rumble of pain trampled over her. Agony. This alchemy lingered like nothing she’d ever experienced—when she sat perfectly still, it had faded to a manageable thrum, but now that she was standing, breathing, moving, it roared back to life.

It made it very hard to concentrate on her surroundings.

Hard to do anything but shudder in pain, actually. The banter she’d shared with Kianthe after she woke up was a distant memory, now.

“You aren’t leaving with those eggs.” Arlon spat the words.

Ah. Then he didn’t have a plan. That sharpened Reyna’s senses: this entire time, she’d assumed Diarn Arlon came down here with a scheme in mind, something he could use against Kianthe to keep himself alive. Apparently that something was, quite literally, Reyna .

It was a shortsighted thought, and it made him even more dangerous.

Animals backed in a corner lashed out, after all.

“I don’t give two shits about the eggs.” Kianthe’s voice rang loud, reinforced with unnatural power. “But if you don’t release my fiancée, I will kill you .”

“Step closer and I’ll—”

He didn’t get to finish the sentence.

This entire time, Reyna had been planning how to rescue herself. Her fingers were already curling around the knife, even though she could barely stand, even with immaculate pain stunning her. She had a dozen and one ways to stay alive.

She’d forgotten about the dozen and second: the Realm’s most powerful mage.

A mage who only became unhinged when Reyna’s safety was threatened.

Kianthe twisted a hand, and suddenly Arlon was choking, clawing at his throat. The knife he’d used against Reyna clattered to the ground. He wheeled back, slamming into the wall, writhing as he gasped like a fish for air that didn’t come.

Reyna tried to keep her footing, but her balance was gone. Immediately, Kianthe’s arms wound around her shoulders, catching her before she toppled.

“Are you okay?” Her voice was low.

Reyna was beginning to admit that, in this moment—no, she was not okay. But she forced herself to focus, because Diarn Arlon was turning purple. He turned pleading, watery eyes on them before crashing to the tile floor, suffocating under the deadened stare of the Arcandor herself.

Kianthe would let him die for hurting her.

Reyna couldn’t let that happen. She gripped Kianthe’s arm. “Not like this, love. Please. Feo’s working on justice, but—not like this.”

For a long moment, Reyna thought it might be too late, that the goddess of a mage had already decided this human’s fate. But just as Arlon’s eyes fluttered shut, Kianthe twisted her hand again. He seized a ragged breath, then another, pushing himself onto his hands and knees as he hacked and coughed.

Nearby, Ponder had clawed the blanket to shreds. She emerged, screeched, and landed on Arlon’s back, tearing at his flesh without mercy.

“P-Pondie,” Reyna gasped, surging forward. “No!”

Her words seemed to register, dimly. The griffon pecked at Arlon’s head for good measure, then took off on shaky wings towards Reyna. If she felt this bad, she could only imagine how Ponder was doing.

Of course, with her blood-soaked talons, she clearly got her revenge.

Kianthe eased Reyna to the ground, leaning her against one of the wooden podiums. She pressed a gentle kiss to Reyna’s forehead and murmured, “I won’t kill him, all right? I’m just going to talk.”

“Thank you,” Reyna replied, resting her head against the podium in exhaustion. She had no concern for Arlon’s life—but she cared deeply about how Kianthe would feel about these actions later. There was already a lot to unpack.

Ponder perched beside Reyna, guarding her yet again.

Meanwhile, Kianthe strode towards Arlon, looming over him.

This time, he cowered under her ire. “S-Stay back,” he gasped. “You can’t kill me.”

“Considering you were planning to kill us both to hide these eggs, I don’t think you realize what I’m capable of,” Kianthe knelt beside him, her fury heating the air. It rippled above them, made sweat bead along Diarn Arlon’s brow. She lifted his chin, so their eyes met. “You might walk out of here if you answer one question: who asked you to steal the eggs?”

“No one,” he ground out.

“You’re lying. Think carefully, Arlon.”

A flash of panic overrode his features—Reyna watched it with dispassionate interest. Arlon clenched his eyes shut, gritted out: “You’re not the most dangerous person in the Realm.”

“Rude.”

“There are people with more power—”

She waved a hand, pinning him in a tomb of rock. A vine slid over his mouth, gagging him—Reyna noticed belatedly it was lined with vicious thorns. Blood trickled down his neck, and he went very still, eyes widening.

“Turns out, I don’t care.” Kianthe pushed to her feet, stretching her arms over her head. Despite the casual gesture, her gaze was icy now, a direct contrast to how warm the room had gotten. An impossible breeze still tousled her hair, but it had died down significantly now that the danger had passed.

“I truly don’t know what possessed you to lose your Stone-damned mind this season, Arlon. One pirate shouldn’t have shattered your sense, but… well. When we see you next, it will be petitioning the Council for your immediate removal as diarn. And if this powerful person comes knocking about the missing eggs—” she paused, flashing a cold smile. “Well. Tell them I’m in Tawney, and I’d love a chat.”

With a sweep of her cloak, she strolled back to Reyna.

“You ready?” Kianthe knelt beside her. Gone was the fearsome Mage of Ages—in her place was a chivalrous knight carefully helping her stand.

“I might be falling in love with you all over again,” Reyna told her. Since sitting again, the pain had quieted, but she wasn’t looking forward to walking out of here. She grimaced, staggering on unsteady feet. “Or just falling over you. I truly hope this isn’t permanent.”

Kianthe frowned, smoothing Reyna’s hair off her face, squinting into her eyes. “You don’t look good. I kept your body functioning, but that spell was designed to attack intruders. I doubt it’d stop just because I told it to.” Kianthe shot a nasty look at Arlon, who was watching them with venom in his eyes. “Come on. Let’s get you to an alchemist and see if they can help.”

“Agreed.”

Ponder wound between her legs as Reyna braced herself against the podium while Kianthe retrieved the dragon eggs. Holding both was awkward, one in each arm, and she grunted under the weight. “Can you hold onto me? I might be able to carry you on my back—I don’t really trust you carrying one of these.” A pause, a humorless chuckle. “No offense.”

“None taken,” Reyna said. “I can walk.”

Kianthe frowned. “I… highly doubt that’s true.”

Reyna set her jaw, pulling the last dregs of her energy. This was the reserve she relied on—the determination that pulled her through days of exhausting travel, through bloody battles and back to Queen Tilaine’s side. It narrowed the world to singular directives: walk past Arlon. Tread up the stairs, one step at a time. Fight the encroaching darkness. Get out of the library.

Kianthe followed close, almost too close. She grunted under the weight of the eggs, but kept a steady one-sided conversation.

“So, he didn’t get past my earth wall. He must have another entrance here somewhere; maybe a tunnel from his estate.” She nodded at the wall she’d erected to block the staircase and it collapsed under her glance, crumbling into dust.

Reyna murmured a prayer of gratitude to the Gods that she didn’t have to stop her forward motion—she truly wasn’t sure she’d start again. She tried to reply, but her breath was gone.

Kianthe seemed to notice. She hovered close, still talking. “Dreggs has alchemists; once we get up top, I can hide you and Ponder and go find them. You’ll be okay, Rain. And then we’ll load up the eggs, stop in Wellia for the Council, and we’re home before winter really begins. I could use a nice cup of tea right about now.”

One step.

Another.

“I can drop the eggs off upstairs and come get you, Rain—” Kianthe said.

“No,” she wheezed, pausing to gasp for air. Sweat trailed down her face, and the pain was rippling through her chest again, but she forced a smile. “There might be constables waiting upstairs. G-Gods forbid, Arlon’s alchemist. It’s best to go together.”

Kianthe’s fingers clenched on the eggs, like she wanted to toss them aside and scoop up Reyna instead. “Just—take it slow, okay? For me?”

“I doubt I can go faster.” Reyna laughed, which sent a spike of pain through her chest. She began moving again, barely noting Ponder flying on ahead, angling towards the top of the staircase. They were close, so close.

Of course, when Kianthe elbowed the lever and the bookshelf swung open, people were lounging on the other side.

Kianthe stiffened, stepping in front of Reyna, hands igniting—but almost instantly, they recognized Dreggs and Bobbie.

The pirate captain quirked an eyebrow, lowering a wicked-looking sword. “And here I thought you’d be Arlon. Found your booty, I see.”

“Thank the Stone of Seeing itself.” Kianthe didn’t even laugh at the word. She just handed the eggs off—one to Dreggs, one to Bobbie—and immediately took some of Reyna’s weight. It was a huge relief, and Reyna sagged against her.

“A pleasure to see you both,” she said, her eyelids fluttering. “Please don’t be concerned if I pass out.”

Bobbie looked alarmed. “What happened? Is Arlon down there?”

There were several bodies littering the library floor—constables who’d apparently swarmed the place as backup to Arlon, but couldn’t make it downstairs to help. That wall probably saved her life… or at the very least, kept things downstairs from escalating beyond their control.

Relatively speaking, Reyna acquiesced silently.

“Arlon is secured. We’ll have to transport him east for a trial. Attacking the Arcandor with intent to kill is a grievous offense.” Kianthe didn’t sound upset about that. Her jaw was hard, and she looked like she wanted to go downstairs and finish the job properly. “How’d things go on your end?”

“Well, Arlon was originally engaged… and then the bastard slipped away when he realized where you two were.” Dreggs didn’t sound pleased about it.

“The alchemical ward must have alerted him when it triggered,” Kianthe muttered.

Dreggs held their egg in one hand, sheathed their sword with the other. “Well, however he knew, it cut into my triumphant vengeance. I had a whole monologue planned.”

“Your half of this mission relied on stealth,” Bobbie said, exasperated. “Why did you prepare a speech?”

“Lesson number one, dear: always have a monologue ready. You never know when the opportunity might arise.” Dreggs winked.

Reyna listened half-heartedly, trying and failing to focus amidst the sudden roaring in her ears. She sagged more against Kianthe, drawing everyone’s attention.

“We need an alchemist—” Kianthe sounded like she was underwater.

Dreggs’ reply was inaudible.

The darkness washed over her, and everything went black for the second time that day.