42. Adrian
Adrian
We made it back to the ship, where Connie was already on deck. I got her all caught up on the situation.
“And no one else saw her?” she asked.
I shook my head. “It’s like they disappeared into thin air.”
“And she was with a blonde guy?”
I nodded.
“I know she’s a bit…” Connie trailed off as my expression dared her to say anything about her. “Her,” she went with instead. “But she doesn’t seem the type to just run off with anyone.”
I tried to think of anyone who fit that description. “The only one I can think of is Octavio, but why would he be here?”
“Wasn’t he going on some grand tour?” Bramwell asked. “They could have met up by chance?”
“A noble stopping here would have drawn a lot of attention. And there’s no ship here big enough to be for one.”
“Maybe he traveled by caravan?”
“That quickly?” I asked. It just didn’t make sense.
“Either way, she’s out there somewhere, and we’ll find her,” Connie said. “I’ll get everyone who can leave together and start a search.”
As she said that, a large beam of light shot up from the sky, one I recognized easily.
I didn’t care about where it led, but I did care about where it came from.
“We have to go, tell everyone to catch up and meet us.”
I obviously couldn’t pinpoint the exact location, but it was off the east side of the island, and had to be near the coast, since she was dunked in the water.
Bramwell followed me, moving as fast as we could. It would probably take some time for everyone else to join us, but it didn’t matter, I needed to get there now.
Eventually in the distance I could see a dark dot in the water.
A ship.
She had to be there, I felt it in my gut.
“Should we have a plan?” Bramwell asked.
“Getting her back is the plan,” I said. “There’s no way there’s more people on that ship then there is of us.
” It was too small, and I couldn’t wait to make a plan.
I had no clue what their plan was with her, but if they were on a ship, it was obvious they planned to move.
This wasn’t how I normally operated. I always liked to go in with a strategy, but waiting even a minute could mean the ship would leave, and it would take us much longer to sail off than it would this thing.
I was up on the deck quickly, lifting myself right over the edge of the small vessel.
It took my brain a moment to understand what I was seeing. Sage was there, tied up, being held by Coltar.
My best friend who died four years ago.
At least I thought.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“Long time no see,” he said to me and Bramwell, who looked just as shocked. “You don’t look too happy about our little reunion.”
My heart pounded out of my chest, the sound of water rushing through my ears.
“You’re alive?”
“Seems pretty obvious, yeah?”
“B-but how. We found you.”
He shook his head. “You found our dear Octavio.”
Then, in front of my eyes, Coltar shifted, getting taller, and blonde.
Turning himself into Octavio.
“Or maybe you like me like this better.”
And again he shifted, this time into the man who hired me for this job. I was fucking stunned.
“But why?”
His face turned to an ugly sneer. “Because you took everything from me!”
I knew he felt like that, but I hoped after a couple months he’d moved on. It had seemed like it. “I didn’t take anything from you, I didn’t make the decision.”
“You could have! We were the only ones who knew. And you knew it was my right.”
“It was Tungesten’s decision.”
“That old man didn’t know shit,” he said, turning back into himself. “He cared more about morals than he did treasure.”
“That’s how it should be.”
“And you’re just like him.” He squeezed Sage’s arm painfully, based on her flinch.
I moved to bolt forward, grabbing my rapier from my side, but Coltar moved too, brandishing a dagger that he pressed against her neck.
“Not so fast,” he said. Sage hissed, and I froze, locked in place. “A very easy way to get the necklace I want is to take it right off her pretty head, don’t you think?”
“Don’t hurt her,” I said, teeth gritted.
Coltar latched onto my care. “You two?” he said, gesturing between us with the blade.
“Oh, what a fucking laugh,” he started cackling manically. “Truly, I’m almost brought to tears. This would never work, not in a million fucking years.”
I stared at my old friend. It was his face and his flesh, but this was not who he was. I don’t know what happened to him, if it was years of living as someone else, or all the resentment he held for me so long that corroded him, but this was someone I didn’t know.
“I mean she’s a princess, and you’re a fucking pirate. You kidnapped her. And I’m soon-to-be Lord Kalfin who’s going to bring you both back. The savior. Her parents will be practically begging me to take her hand in marriage.”
“So that’s your plan? Take us both back and become prince charming?”
“It’s a pretty good one, isn’t it?”
“Except it’s not happening, you’re not going anywhere. The whole crew will be here soon, and you’ll be outnumbered.”
I could see the shift in his eyes as he tried to come up with another plan.
“Call them off,” he said, I watched him draw his knife in closer, a bead of blood dripping down Sage’s skin. “I’ll kill her. Marrying a princess would be nice social status, but with the amount of money I’m about to make, I could live without her.”
My instinct sent me forward, needing to protect her. But Bramwell put his hand on my shoulder, stopping me. I looked over and he shook his head, insisting I bide my time. But how could I?
“Make Bramwell get off my ship, we’re all going on a little trip.”