Chapter 40
Carolina sat on the floor of the brig, staring past the bars at the inner wall of the hull when the door to the room opened. She’d been in the cell for what felt like two days, and the only visitors she’d had were the soldiers who brought her food and water and the healer who’d come to fix her leg and shoulder. So when Simon himself walked through the door and wandered up to the bars of her cell, she scrambled to her feet.
“Where’s my sister?” she demanded.
“In the crew’s quarters with the rest of my crew,” Simon answered, and his emphasis on ‘my’ made her fists clench even though she was cuffed and powerless. “Trust me, I was just as surprised as you.” She glared at him, but all he did was smile at her.
“As soon as I get out of here,” she growled, “I’m going to beat that smug look off your fucking face.”
“Big talk from someone in chains.”
She roared as she charged at the door, slamming the metal irons on her wrists against the bars. He didn’t even blink. Instead, he stared directly past her glare for several moments before gesturing with one hand. It spun her around by the chains, and then he lifted them to her neck and pulled, slamming her back into the bars and continuing to pull the metal against her neck.
She pushed back. She tried to force her hands away from her shoulders, kicking her feet against the floor to try and get herself off the bars as she choked for air against the pressure, but there was nothing she could do.
He let her struggle until her face was bright red, then he decided he’d made his point and loosened the pressure just enough for her to breathe. While she panted for air, he leaned in close to the bars to speak into her ear.
“You will do nothing ,” he told her, “because you can do nothing. You will never get out of here, and you will never beat me. You understand?”
She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of thinking he scared her. “Big talk from someone who needed Ascension to feel powerful.”
He slammed the chains to the floor so they took her down with them. “You’re going to spend the rest of your miserable life in a cell,” he snarled. “You’ll never even see the sky again.”
She picked herself up onto her knees to sit back on her heels, and then adjusted over to sit down as she pulled her knees up to her chest. She was done talking to him. Done looking at his stupid ugly face. So she gave him a pursed-lip smile and flipped him the middle finger.
He huffed his annoyance, scowled at her for several seconds, and then huffed again and turned on his heels to leave.
There wasn’t another visitor before they reached Glasoro. The ship’s movement ceased as they arrived at the docks, and a few minutes passed before two soldiers came down to retrieve her. They opened the cell, each grabbed one of her arms, retrieved her weapons from a box to carry them along, and then led her above deck.
After spending days in the darkness, she had to shield her eyes from the sunlight as they took her toward the ramp, but when she saw Rue standing with the rest of the crew, she lowered her hands despite the pain. She glared at her as the soldiers led her by, and Rue only managed to hold that glare for a second before her eyes dropped to her feet.
That was the first time she’d seen her sister in days, and the moment was fleeting as the soldiers took her off the ship. They ushered her away from the royal docks, leaving the emperor’s fleet behind as they took her into the palace. She crossed a bright garden courtyard, passed groups of soldiers traversing grand white stone halls, and descended a light gray spiral staircase for several minutes before arriving at the dungeon.
The soldiers stopped just inside the entrance to speak to the warden, and one of them said, “Beecher wants this one in solitary.”
The warden grabbed a key and gestured for them to follow, leading the way past mostly empty cells on either side of the hall and toward a heavy stone door at the very end of it. Beyond the door was a small room, with half of it behind bars. The warden unlocked the cell gate, the soldiers removed her chains and threw her into it, and then it was locked behind her .
None of them said a word to her as they left, shutting the thick stone door behind them and leaving her in an insulated room. There was no window in the door, and hardly any gaps around the edges of it, so every sound and voice from outside was muffled into a mute whisper. It let no light in from the hall, and her descent coupled with the icy dampness of the stone surfaces around her let her know they were underground and hidden from the sun. Her only source of light were the two sconces on the wall on either side of the entrance, casting flickering shadows from the bars across her cell.
She tried the door in a hopeless attempt to see if it would give, but it was locked tight, and she sighed and trudged to the single cot at the back of the cell. She sat down, swung her legs up onto it, and laid back.
Sleep didn’t come, no matter how tired she was. She lay there for hours listening to the occasional obscure voice from beyond the door, wondering what would happen next. Wondering if Ophelia had made it. Or if Rue even cared where she was. Or what Simon’s next step was.
More hours passed. And more. And every minute she contemplated the events from the last two days, the more restless she became. That restlessness escalated to irritation. And that irritation to anger. Eventually she gave up on trying to sleep and began wearing a line in the floor from one side of the cell to the other, counting bricks and cracks and shadows. Doing whatever she could to distract herself from an anger that had no outlet. It didn’t work.
After some countless trips back across the cell, her fury peaked. She stopped pacing and grabbed the handle of the metal bucket in the corner and smashed it against the wall. She screamed her frustration as she slammed it another time against the floor, and kept screaming as she bashed it again and again and again, the clang of it echoing off the stone walls and mixing with her yell until it created a clatter so deafening she couldn’t tell where the banging started and her screaming ended.
She smashed it against the wall and floor until it was nothing but a flat chunk of metal, and would’ve kept going if one side of the handle didn’t break. She flung the bucket across the cell and stopped yelling as it clattered against the wall and dropped to the floor.
She sank to her knees. Still boiling with rage but too exhausted and defeated to do anything else with it. That is, until that heavy stone door shifted .
Rue opened it just enough to slide through, said behind her, “Stay out there, Wyatt, I’ll be back,” and then closed it as she turned to face Carolina.
“Oh,” Carolina sneered as she climbed to her feet, “you do remember me.”
“I know you’re mad,” Rue murmured.
Carolina’s upper lip curled as she growled, “You have no idea.”
“I couldn’t come see you with Simon watching,” Rue said, “he had to think I was loyal to Sovereign.”
All Carolina did was glare while her jaw worked back and forth.
“I didn’t think you’d follow,” Rue said pleadingly, “Wyatt and I left with them to keep tabs on Simon.”
All her rage exploded as she slammed herself against the door. “That still doesn’t explain WHY WE’RE ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THESE BARS, RUE !”
Rue staggered backwards, staring wide-eyed for a few seconds as she recovered from the surprise and watched Carolina take in several gulps of air. But then her shoulders and chin sank, and she peeled away the collar of her shirt to reveal an iridescent Sovereign insignia on her shoulder as she said, “You know why.”
“ I want to hear you say it .”
“It was me,” Rue said, her brows converging as her eyes moistened. “It was me the whole time.”
Carolina huffed with dry, disbelieving laughter as she shook her head, failing to compose herself as she demanded, “ Why? ”
“I never meant for any of this to happen,” Rue said.
“You didn’t-” she huffed through another dry laugh, turning away briefly before wheeling around again. “You got people killed! John is dead! Simon almost killed you! He almost killed me, and Berkeley! And Ophelia -”
“I’m sorry ,” Rue pleaded as more tears welled in her eyes.
“Sorry doesn’t cut it, Rue!” she hollered. “If you don’t want someone to Ascend, you don’t send the most dangerous man in the empire chasing after them! You don’t put all your friends in danger and start a damn war! What the hell is wrong with you! What were you thinking!”
Rue’s tears broke as she shouted, “You deserved to be cursed!”
Carolina’s mouth snapped shut, and she blinked several times in surprise as she tried to process that. “ What? ”
Rue inhaled a trembling breath as she reached up to wipe at one of her cheeks. “I thought you did, anyway. It wasn’t true, but I never forgave you for leaving, and Ascension felt like you were cheating your way out of it.”
Carolina’s heart sank, but she swallowed down the rising lump in her throat to ask, “What do you mean you never forgave me? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because you didn’t give a shit,” Rue answered.
“That’s not true.”
“It is true! You didn’t come looking for me! You didn’t even care when I told you Mother was dead.”
“Rue,” Carolina said, “I cried myself to sleep that night.”
“But you never cried in front of me,” Rue said, wiping the whole back of her hand over the fresh tears on her face. “And you didn’t ask where I’d been. Or how I survived.” She shook her head. “If you cared, you never showed it.”
“I didn’t think any of that mattered because we were together again.”
“It mattered to me!” Rue jabbed her fingers against her chest. “I needed you and you weren’t there! You left me to fend for myself after Mother died heartbroken and alone.”
“No, not alone,” she said in plea as tears stung her eyes. “She had you.”
“She didn’t want me !” Rue yelled. “She never wanted me! I was a mistake. A burden. Another mouth to feed when she could barely afford to feed the two of you. She didn’t care about me. I’m glad you had a mother who loved you, I truly am, but she was cruel to me.”
Carolina inhaled, squeezing her eyes shut and shaking her head. “No, she was… she was apathetic, maybe, but not… no…”
“I was a child , Carolina,” Rue sniffled, “apathy is cruel.” She inhaled another deep, trembling breath to say, “And she may have been my mother, but you raised me. You taught me to read, and you comforted me when I was sick. You held me after my nightmares. You were my entire world, and then you left without me because,” she paused, sucking in several sharp breaths and choking through a broken sob, “because you didn’t want me either.”
“ No ,” Carolina said, and there was no keeping the tears trapped in her eyes as she stretched her hands through the bars. “No, Rue, that’s not true. I swear to you, that’s not true. ”
“Then why didn’t you bring me?” Rue cried, leaving her hands unmet. “Why didn’t you come back?”
“Because you were nine,” she answered, “and I couldn’t protect you when I was just learning to protect myself.” She pulled one arm in to wipe at the tears streaming down her face. “I didn’t know Mother was gone. I thought she read my letter to you, and you were waiting for me. And I was going to come back. I dreamed of it every day.”
“The letter,” Rue whispered and sniffled again. “She didn’t let me read it. She burned it and said you left and were never coming back, just like your father.”
Carolina shut her eyes and sighed sadly. When she opened them again, she set her forehead against the bars and reached for Rue a second time. “Please, Rue.” And Rue finally took a few steps forward, and Carolina cupped her face and met her eyes to say, “If you’re ever going to trust one thing I say, please trust that I was coming back.”
“When?” Rue asked. “When the curse was broken? When you got bored of pirating?”
“As soon as I had the money to give you the life you deserved,” she answered.
“I didn’t need that,” Rue cried. “I didn’t need any of it.”
“I know,” she said, thumbing at the tears on Rue’s cheeks as she pursed her own lips to keep from breaking down. “You needed me , and I wasn’t there. I know.” Rue’s bottom lip shuddered with another budding sob. “I’m sorry it took too long. I’m sorry that you lived with this, and that I never asked if it hurt you. I am so, so sorry.”
Rue sobbed, collapsing forward against the cell and reaching her own arms through. And even though the bars still separated them, they hugged each other, and they cried. For several minutes while Carolina cradled the back of Rue’s head, they sobbed into each other as best they could, fallen teardrops raining against the metal beneath them and soaking their shirts. They sobbed until there were no more tears left to cry, and then they both relaxed into the embrace and hugged each other for a minute more.
When they finally pulled away from each other, Rue said, “I’m sorry too.”
Carolina brushed her thumbs over Rue’s cheeks again as she smiled resolutely and nodded. “I know.”
“Are you still mad?” Rue asked .
“Oh, I’m very much still mad,” she answered. “But you’re my sister, and I love you. Do you hear me? Nothing will ever change that.”
Rue gave a soggy laugh and nodded as more stubborn tears welled in her eyes. She finally pulled away from Carolina’s hands to wipe at them herself, and then took in one deep breath to calm herself for good. “What do we do now? Is Ophelia… Is she…?”
Carolina sighed and dropped her forehead against the bars again. “I left to come after you before…” She stopped and shook her head. “I have to believe she’s alright. She survived, and she Ascended.”
“Then we go back,” Rue said. “But, Carolina-” She stopped short at a rise in sound from outside the door.
Voices neared the end of the hall, and then someone threw the stone door open, and Ophelia was standing in the doorway with Berkeley, the bounty hunters, and another man and woman behind her.
Carolina’s heart soared as Ophelia hurried over with the key to her cell, and the moment it was unlocked she burst out of it, throwing her arms around Ophelia’s shoulders as her eyes filled with fresh and relieved tears.
“You’re alive,” she said, immediately pulling back to cup Ophelia’s face and kiss her.
Ophelia nodded, her lips thinning as she smiled into the kiss, and then she pulled back to say, “I was thinking the same thing about you.”
Carolina laughed as she stared into Ophelia’s eyes, and they gazed at each other for several long, euphoric moments before the man at the door cleared his throat.
“Oh,” Ophelia said, “Carolina, um, these are my parents. Mom, Dad, this is Carolina.”
“ Oh ,” Carolina breathed, baring an awkward, toothy grin as she took one small step away from Ophelia and held out her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, I um…” She cast a glance around the cell as Mrs. Parker took her hand. “Wish I could’ve made a better first impression…”
Mr. Parker chuckled as he shook with her, and said, “You’re in a Sovereign prison, I’d say that’s a fine first impression.”
Her eyebrows furrowed as she glanced down at the Sovereign ribbons on his uniform, and then one lifted as she turned that questioning look on Ophelia.
“That’s a story for later,” Ophelia told her, “right now, we need to get out of here.”
“Did Simon break the emperor’s curse?” she asked .
“Yes,” Ophelia answered, “and then he killed him.”
Rue grimaced and said, “I was working up to that.”
Carolina blew a hard breath through her pursed lips, but shrugged and said, “Can’t say I’m surprised.”
“He’s taken command of the royal fleet,” Ophelia explained. “He’s had every last store of laibralt explosives loaded onto the ships, and they’re about to leave for Trayward. He’s going to kill the heart, Carolina.”
“My weapons?” she asked. Berkeley held them out, and she said, “Thanks,” and began to fasten the belts around her waist as she hurried past the group to lead them all out. They only got a few paces down the hall before she stopped, because Wyatt was still leaning back against the outside of the doorway and staring at his feet. “Are you coming or not?”
At the same time as Rue asked, “What?”, Wyatt’s chin lifted and he asked, “Me?”
“You’re the only one standing there, aren’t you?” She finished fastening her belts as he pushed off the wall and took a single step forward.
“He can come?” Rue asked with an unmistakable hope in her eyes.
“Look at his pitiful face,” she shrugged, “we can’t leave him here looking like that.” She gestured at him with feigned impatience. “But we’re not going to wait all day.”
Wyatt took a few more steps to reach them. “I want to come,” he said, “but there’s something I have to do first.”
“What?” Rue asked.
“I have to get Maple,” he told her, “and find my friend Peter. I can’t leave without them.”
“I’m coming with you,” Rue said.
“No,” Carolina interrupted.
“I’m not letting him go alone,” Rue argued, reaching out to take Wyatt’s hand in her own.
Carolina watched the gesture as realization dawned, and she couldn’t help groaning to the ceiling, “Fine.” She dropped her head forward and told them both seriously, “Hurry up. Be careful. Don’t do anything stupid. And do not, under any circumstances, confront Simon.”
They both nodded vigorously.
“Omen is docked at the city’s western harbor,” Ophelia told them.
“We’ll wait there,” Carolina added. They nodded again, and then took off running for the stairs, still holding hands. “ Be careful!” she yelled after them .
“You already said that!” Rue called back.
As they disappeared up the spiral staircase, Carolina sighed and rolled her eyes at Ophelia, who shrugged and said, “I think they’re kind of cute, actually.”
“I hate him.”
“Sure you do,” Ophelia laughed.
They didn’t waste any more time in the dungeon. They passed the unconscious warden who was slumped up against the wall behind his desk, and one by one climbed the long staircase until they reached the top and came out in one of the castle’s halls.
“Is it just me,” Carolina asked, “or is it eerily quiet up here?”
“Simon has called every available soldier to the docks,” Mr. Parker told her. “He’s taking the entire army to Trayward.”
“Great,” she muttered. “Which way?”
Mr. Parker led the way, taking them through winding halls where they reached another courtyard, passed into another wing of the palace, and then exited to a large yard with the palace gates at the end. There was no one guarding the gates. There was no one trying to stop them on their way out, and they left the palace to traverse through the rest of the city.
They passed by civilians in the streets, all of whom had already heard the news about the emperor. Some were rejoicing in it. Others simply seemed happy for something to gossip about. Some were panicking.
Nobody, however, was concerned with their group, and they reached the city’s western docks and stood before Omen’s ramp so effortlessly that Berkeley pouted, “I only got to punch the warden.”
“Don’t worry,” Carolina told him, “we’re about to do plenty more fighting.”
Ophelia turned to the bounty hunters. “Thank you for all your help,” she told them. “We’ve got it from here.”
Gerald nodded and inhaled, and hesitated for several seconds before deciding whatever he was thinking wasn’t worth saying aloud. He motioned for Abner and Piers to follow him, but Piers stepped sideways to stand beside Berkeley instead.
“I’m going with them,” he told his fathers. “And you can’t stop me.”
“Son,” Gerald said in a low voice, “we are one sail away from the life we’ve been chasing since you were born. ”
“I know,” Piers said with a nervous tremor, “and I’m sorry, but it won’t be a life worth living if the rest of the world goes up in flames.”
“Look,” Mrs. Parker said, pointing at the sky.
Simon must’ve collected all the troops and laibralt he thought he needed, because the royal fleet had set sail. Nine massive ships cast their shadows over the island as they drifted overhead, with a tenth straggling shortly behind.
“They need our help,” Piers said. “Our friends need our help.”
“Rebellious little shits, aren’t they?” Carolina teased.
Gerald grunted his agreement, but he looked over at Abner for several seconds, glanced at Omen, and then turned a softer gaze on Piers as he sighed, “Let’s go, then.”
Piers’ eyes widened. “What? Really?”
“We might’ve let the world burn to keep you safe,” he answered, stepping forward to set his hand on Piers’ shoulder, “but you’re not a child anymore, and if you insist on fighting the fire, then there’s only one place for us to be.”
Piers hugged him, and when they let each other go, Berkeley slapped his hands against each of their shoulders, leading all three of them onto the ship as he said, “Welcome aboard, officially.”
They went up the ramp, leaving Carolina at the bottom of it with Ophelia and her parents.
“Do you have a ship waiting for you?” Ophelia asked as her eyes began to dew.
“We did,” her father answered, taking her mother’s hand as they nodded at each other, “but we’re coming with you.”
“It’s not safe,” Ophelia murmured.
“We’ll stay on Omen,” he assured them. “But I can help, and so can your mother.”
Ophelia sniffled, falling forward to wrap her arms around her father’s waist.
“Love you, kid,” he said, tightening his arms around her.
“Love you too.”
They let each other go, and Ophelia’s mother said, “I guess let’s go fight a war then, hm?”
“No,” Carolina said, setting her hand on Ophelia’s back as a spark of determination burned in her chest. “Let’s go finish it.”