Chapter 36
Sylvan
S o I fucking lied. I only made the promise to Hawk so he stays put. And I would lie a hundred times more if it meant saving Hawk’s life. I would lie, beg, steal, and kill if need be. Maybe it means I’m no good, but I’ve not been brought up to be good . I’ll leave that to the heroes .
The promise I made at our wedding was way more important, and I intend to keep it. I understand full well that he wanted me to leave for my safety, that he cares for my life as much as I do for his. That’s why he put on that damn mask in the first place. I would honor his sacrifice if there was no other way, but I am not giving up on him when there might still be something I can do.
Our bond tells me he’s still alive, and I will fight for him for as long as I can sense his heartbeat, no matter how faint.
It might be a shot in the dark, but there are artifacts capable of containing the power of Sunlight. Were he a shadow-wielding elf, he would stand a chance against the force radiating inside him, but because he is not, he needs something to do that for him.
There are collars that suppress shadowcraft, like the one I wore during my time in the human realm, but the treasure vault of the Nocturne Court contains one capable of blocking Sunlight. A long time ago, a grimsmith fashioned it for his daughter out of a rare metal mined on the Darkmoon. He embedded it with sunset gems, and it was used a few times to aid royal children born with the power to wield both shadow and Sunlight, until they learned to cope with the two forces tearing them up from the inside.
The Umlaris Band.
Could it save Hawk? There’s only one way to find out.
I need to steal it from the Nocturne Court.
I’m the prey about to dash toward the hunting party, but I’ve grown up at the castle and know several ways to sneak inside. My mind fizzes with the many plans and options, but I can only make them happen if I reach my destination safely. And fast, because I have no idea how long Hawk’s soul has until it is burned to char.
So even though I dread meeting Lepearl and her crew again, I make my way back to the cove where they are still hopefully moored. Her vessel is small enough to get close to the Nocturne Court without being spotted, and with two kelpies tugging on the boat, it should take merely hours, unlike the perilous journey I’d have to make on foot.
Whatever Captain Lepearl might want, I’ll give it to her, as long as it brings me closer to my goal.
The moon is high when I walk into the cave.
All three pairs of eyes turn toward me from the shore where the smugglers have gathered the wood from the broken pier.
“You’ve got some nerve, Your Highness ,” she says through gritted teeth, and both her crew members glare at me with their watery eyes.
It’s not a great start, but I have been raised among snakes and politicians, and here I don’t feel as defenseless as I did against a bassal.
I raise my hands so they know I’m not armed. “I know. It’s pathetic, but I am desperate. I am wanted, I am banished, and my beloved ruined your pier while attacking your crew. Still, I come here to throw myself at your mercy. Hawk never meant harm or destruction. He is… cursed with the form that all of you saw. There’s only one way I can think of to help him, but I need to get to the Nocturne Court as swiftly as possible. I have nothing but my mother’s promise, but I vow—”
“What is that?” Lepearl asks and steps closer. She grabs my hand and eyes the ring on my thumb. “I wouldn’t say you have ‘nothing’.”
I swallow, torn between saying it’s my wedding ring, a piece of sentimental value, so that she leaves it alone, and inflating its cost with my words so she’s greedy for it. My choice depends on what outcome I wish for. If I lose Hawk, this ring will be the one memento I have of him and our love. But if I don’t use it, Lepearl might not want to help me. I’d give my hand for a chance of saving Hawk, so what is a ring? Material possession won’t matter if I can’t save him.
I take it off. “It is my wedding ring. A human tradition, and a token of my husband’s love. The piece itself was made by the legendary grimsmith, Tassarion, and features a diamond, a ruby, and a sapphire set in titanium. A diamond for the longevity of our bond, a ruby for the blood we shed for it, and,” I smile shyly as I lie through my teeth, “a sapphire in the shade of my eyes. I… as you can imagine, I struggle to part with it.”
She comes closer, reaching for the ring, but I squeeze it in my hand and take it out of her reach. A flash of annoyance passes through her gaze, but I stand my ground. “I need to go now. Deliver me to the Nocturne Court, discreetly, and it shall be yours.”
She licks her lips as I try to keep a cool head and avoid blurting out something that might expose my lies, but she glances at her crew. Moments pass, and when the kelpies harrumph, unhappy with the prospect of needing to venture out on top of all the work they’ve already done fishing out the broken chunks of the pier, I open my mouth again.
“Surely, you can discipline your crew in order to finish the day with something this precious,” I say, once again, showing her the ring, which isn’t nearly as valuable as I presented it. Not to her, at least.
Bite growls but stops when Lepearl pats him on the chest, as if he were in the form of a kelpie. “Calm, my sweet.”
I hide my surprise at the endearment. The kelpie is… her lover? I’m not one to judge, but I still wonder about the legitimacy of such a union.
Kick throws a piece of wood to the pile with an exasperated sigh. “How much do you want it?” he asks Lepearl, and the fearsome pirate captain smiles, turning into a playful coquette.
“It is so very pretty…”
Bite glares at me. “Maybe I’ll just take it then.”
I stare right back at him. “Try me. You must have heard what I did to the Nightcloaks at The Burning Corpse.” A bluff, since I no longer have Hawk’s shadow, but that’s my life now.
Lepearl sighs and gets to her toes to kiss his jaw… just as she reaches for Kick’s hand.
I feel very confused. And uncomfortable.
“Wouldn’t that be a bit too easy? Sometimes, your captain wants to see you’re willing to put in the effort,” Lepearl says as her fingers entwine with Kick’s.
The kelpies share a glance, and Bite growls before letting out a low snort.
“Fine.”
“Fifteen minutes,” Kick adds, walking off toward the boat of bone.
I bow to him as if he deserves such a courtesy. Nothing is beneath me to get what I want. As the kelpies walk off to prepare the ship, I watch their pale, muscular bodies, long black hair streaked with seaweed, and I have to admit they are quite fine men. But it’s confusing to even think of them as people when I’ve been riding a royal kelpie so many times. I suddenly feel self-conscious about it.
I clear my throat as I stand next to Lepearl who is stuffing her pipe with adora.
“If you don’t mind me asking… are they not dangerous? They’re not from the Nocturne Court, so they must be wild kelpies. Even if they wear elven skin, are you not worried about their violent nature?”
She glances my way and rubs two of her rings together, creating a spark to light the herb. “Oh, there are ways to tame wild kelpies. I’m surprised they’re not known at court, considering what I heard about royal… exploits.”
My cheeks heat up at the suggestion, but in truth, the kelpies have only ever been a means of transport for me, and I never spent excessive time at the stables.
“I’m not sure I understand the meaning. Are you saying there is a way to break them?”
Lepearl scowls, watching her crew set up the ship. They rush around, almost as if they were in competition with each other. “Break them? Such an ugly way to put it. They are amazing creatures, the kelpies, extremely loyal once they bond. Like with many things, you’ll get more with sugar than with salt.”
His philosophy is definitely not what I’ve been taught all my life, but I can see its merit. “Please, let me clarify, are we talking sugar cubes, or—”
Lepearl stares at me like I’m stupid and inhales some adora smoke. “Fucking, Your Highness, I mean fucking .”
My ears twitch, turning as hot as my cheeks. “Oh, and… um… both of them?”
She smirks. “Yes, both. How is that so shocking? I’ve heard of royals at the Nocturne Court who have both a spouse and a Dark Companion.”
It’s not something I am interested in pursuing, but I have to admit she has a point. “I suppose I was taught I need to dominate others to command respect.”
Lepearl spares me a glance telling me all she thinks about an elf my size dominating anyone, but I’m not offended. Thanks to what I’ve been through with Hawk, I know my worth isn’t tied to the force I can exert.
“I used to be part of a big crew, worked my way up by proving I can be as ruthless as anyone else on board. But then I met my match, and it wasn’t even in a brawl. Instead, someone whose name doesn’t even deserve mentioning, rallied others against me with lies and shit talk. I got left in the middle of the ocean in a boat no bigger than a bathtub. When Bite and Kick appeared, I tried to fight them at first, but every time I hit them with a paddle, they’d come back, curious about me. Instead of dragging me to the bottom of the ocean, they brought me food, and hauled my boat to an island. When I stopped trying to exert dominance and befriended them instead, I realized that so far I’ve been going about my life wrong. So no, I didn’t need to ‘break’ them. If anything, it was them who showed me I don’t always need to be cruel to get what I want. Just like in the ocean, you have to follow the waves. Sometimes, you have to surrender to reach your destination.”
I ponder her words as the kelpies drag a little boat to shore. If it were just me, they’d probably make me wade through water to get to the ship, but since they want to treat their captain, I’m lucky to also step aboard with dry shoes.
As much as I see Lepearl’s point, and I’m more open to making friends than I used to be, I can’t justify the risk of letting guards take me to Lord Kyran and throwing myself at his mercy.
Once I obtain the Umlaris Band and save Hawk, I’ll consider what to do next. Until then, my plans must remain carefully concealed.
I know an entrance into the palace, but I cannot just break into the vault. If I obscure myself with whatever shadowcraft I possess and reach Lord Kyran’s chambers, I might use the Cerulean Puffball spores I have collected before reaching the tavern to put him and his Dark Companion to sleep. With the human as my hostage, I should convince Kyran to hand over the Umlaris Band without much fuss.
Will I be making an enemy for good? Most likely, but that is a matter to worry about later.
With the salty wind on my face, I feel hope in my heart.