CASPIAN
I hope it doesn’t come as too much of a surprise that I’ve escaped the noose once again. Although this time, I owe your General for my trip back from the dead.. Regardless, I’m thankful for my nine lives because there is too much left unsaid between us—
I’ve sent Harrison to get you out. Go with him. I mean it.
I’ll meet you at the ship, or if I don’t—
If I don’t, just know, despite how everything went down in Foxhollow, I can’t stop thinking about you.
The truth is, your touch is the only thing that has ever made me question if I could be something more than a monster.
Our time together made me dream of a life where the blood in my wake wasn’t the only thing defining me.
Our love became a mutiny against reason, and I want nothing more than to be recklessly yours.
This is my truth: You were my ruin, my undoing, my most dangerous adventure. Of all the treasures I’ve stolen—you were, and are, my most cherished.
It was never about the gold; instead you stole my heart.
I love you—with fierce, unwavering devotedness and with a fervor forever as wild as the sea.
—Always yours, J
I stand staring at the words, rereading it once—twice—and once more because I still can’t wrap my mind around the miraculous truth that he’s alive. I turn the note over, realizing it's been written on the back of a page torn from the book of poetry we both love:
If love is to find him, let it not come as a whisper
but as a force as restless as the tide
let it take him the way the ocean takes the shore—
slowly, violently
until he is something softened,
until he is something free.
A drop of water splashes on the page, and belatedly I realize it’s a tear. Despite everything, he’s fighting for me—he’s giving me another chance to prove to him what’s real. He’s given me another chance to make a different choice—one that doesn’t come on a double-edged blade.
“Caspian—we don’t have time for this,” Harrison grumbles. “Save the sentiments for when we get out of here. Come on—”
Certainty and resolve rise up inside me and I shove the letter into my pocket, walking past him towards the door.
“Where are you going? We need to go that way—” Harrison thrust his hand towards the balcony.
“Where is he?” I demand.
“He told me to take you to the ship.”
I round on Harrison. “Tell me where the fuck he is. I won’t ask again.”
Harrison narrows his eyes. “What do you expect will happen when you waltz out there into the hallway?”
“Where is he?” I growl.
Harrison pinches the bridge of his nose in exasperation. “You two are going to be the death of me.” He takes a breath and jerks his head towards the balcony. “Fine—I’ll take you to him, but we’re going this way.”
I admit that’s a better plan, and follow Harrison out to the railing. We climb over and scale the wall to the ground. I shouldn’t have drunk so much wine—I land a little harder than I usually would and Harrison gives me a look.
“Are you going to tell me where he is, or is it a surprise?” I squint, hoping he’ll solidify into one Harrison instead of the two he is now.
“He’s headed towards the throne room,” Harrison frowns. “To kill your brother.”
“Without help?” I exclaim in alarm, taking off without waiting for a reply.
We run through the hallways of the castle, heading towards the throne room. The need to see James alive is an incessant urge driving me forward. I don’t think I’ll believe it until I see him for myself. I round a corner and just barely miss colliding with two De’Vero soldiers .
I quickly draw my cutlass and drive the blade through one’s stomach while Harrison snaps the neck of the other.
“Stop!” A shout from behind us has us sprinting down the hall.
A gun goes off, the marble cracking next to my head as we turn another corner. There’s two guards standing on either side of the back entrance to the throne room. They rush us, but again, Harrison and I dispatch them easily.
“We make a pretty good team,” I pant. “Even when I’m drunk.”
“Fuck off,” Harrison grumbles.
I chuckle breathlessly—doing this under the influence is not as easy as I’d hoped. I grab the two spears the guards had and open the door. Once Harrison is through, I slide the weapons through the door handles.
I hear voices as I walk through the columns and see the main floor of the throne room come into view. Aldric is sitting on the throne—I notice he’s taken all of the others away so there’s only one—pretentious fucker.
Soldiers line both sides of the dais and Thaddeus stands on the first step, hands clasped behind his back watching Aldric speak to a few advisors. I’m about to step out of the shadows when the muffled boom of a cannon echoes from the bay. I look at Harrison.
“Is that the Tempest ?” I whisper.
Harrison shakes his head, looking just as confused. “The Tempest isn’t in the bay.”
Instead of revealing myself, I move towards the open balcony along one side of the open hall that overlooks the water. There are three ships—all flying the Black.
“Those are Anders’ colors,” Harrison says.
Another boom of a cannon and we watch as the two other ships fire at the walls in quick succession.
We hear shouts behind us; Aldric giving orders by the sound of it.
I head back into the hall, ready to end this, when the crash of the massive double doors of the main entrance thunder through the space.
Every eye turns towards the figure striding purposefully through them.
Blackwell .
My heart jumps into my throat. It’s apparent he’s fought his way here.
He’s splattered with red, hair recklessly tied back and sword dripping blood onto the marble.
He looks every inch a pirate Captain—the Stormbreaker —and the way it takes my breath away is criminal.
The blaze in his eyes as they focus on Aldric sets a wildfire loose in my veins.
The soldiers have moved into a defensive position on the dais steps, watching apprehensively as Blackwell approaches. The surprise on Aldric’s face should be comical, but I can’t find the breath to laugh .
“Blackwell—” Aldric growls. “Why are you alive?”
He looks over at Thaddeus who is calmly appraising Blackwell, his hands still clasped behind his back. He’s the only one, besides Aldric who doesn’t have his sword drawn.
Blackwell gives Aldric a humorless smirk but before he can reply, I step from the shadows.
“Come now, brother, don’t you know he’s allergic to the noose?”
My words are for Aldric but I can’t seem to tear my eyes from Blackwell who’s attention fixes on me with a hunger I can feel.
His attention caresses me with that intensity I’m so familiar with.
I see his jaw clench and can’t help the small smirk that tugs at my lips, knowing he’s annoyed that I’m here and not on the Tempest like his letter requested.
His eyes flicker to Harrison who shrugs. “I tried, okay? He wouldn’t listen.”
“Like I would miss this,” I scoff. “Besides, you know there’s only one place you can give me orders.” I wink at Blackwell.
Harrison groans quietly.
Blackwell frowns at me. “Are you drunk?”
I huff a laugh. “Didn’t you hear? I’m supposed to get married tonight—” My words are slurring slightly and dripping with sarcasm as my focus shifts to Aldric. “Thought I’d start the celebrations early.”
There’s another boom of a cannon.
“I didn’t know you had friends, Blackwell,” Aldric growls.
“Those aren’t mine.”
“Then who—”
Harrison opens his mouth but it’s Thaddeus who speaks. “They’re mine.”
“No, those are Anders’ ships,” Harrison insists.
“Anders?” Blackwell says.
“Like I said—they’re mine,” Thaddeus states.
The hall goes silent as the implications of that settle on everyone.
Aldric’s mouth is open in shock. “Yours?”
Thaddeus calmly slides his sword from his belt and points it at Aldric.
“It’s over, Aldric,” he says. “There’s nowhere to go from here. The De’Vero rule is over.”
I can’t help it—I laugh. It’s too comical. It starts out as a chuckle but now I can’t stop. Everyone’s attention turns to me and I realize I’m being entirely inappropriate. I shake my head, attempting to stifle my humor.
“You should really see your face right now,” I say when I find my breath. “I think it’s safe to say you’re done, brother.”
“No,” Aldric sneers. “The crown is mine. ”
He draws his pistol, takes aim at Blackwell and pulls the trigger.
Chaos erupts in the hall. Everyone moves at once.
I slam into Blackwell, shoving him out of the way, only to feel the bite of pain flare across my shoulder.
We fall to the ground, rolling several feet away as the sounds of metal clashing echoes around us.
Blackwell ends up on top, anger igniting the black in his eyes.
“What are you doing here?” He growls.
“It’s nice to see you too, Captain,” I quip. “Especially so alive .”
“Why the fuck aren’t you on the ship?”
“God, most people would just say thank you—”
I see a soldier lunge for us, and I shove Blackwell off me.
We separate and I climb to my feet, engaging with several men.
I quickly stab one, but my reflexes aren’t where they should be—it’s like my wine drunk decided to hit me full force right now—and when I go to block a second strike, I’m too slow.
The soldier slips under my guard and heat explodes across my ribs.
I grit my teeth and fall into him. I grapple with his belt and my hand closes around his dagger.
Yanking it out, I quickly push it into his neck and we both fall to our knees.
I pull the body in front of me, just in time to avoid the gunshot aimed my way before I’m rolling away from another sword strike.
I pop up next to Harrison, tripping a soldier coming for him.
“You know, you could have gotten here sooner, mate,” I huff. “I’m way too drunk for this right now.”
I twist out of the way and wrap a soldier up in my arms, snapping his neck with a grunt of effort. Harrison slides his sword out of someone he just killed and flashes me a quick smirk.
“What happened to I can handle it ?” He mocks.
“That was definitely the alcohol talking,” I say. “And drunk me is a cocky bastard.”
“That’s different from your sober self, how exactly?”
Before I can reply, movement behind him catches my eye. Blackwell and Aldric are dueling across the hall. I strip the soldier at my feet of his dagger and run over, just in time to watch Aldric slam his knife into Blackwell’s side.