Chapter Twenty-Three
The women and children struggled up the slope in twos and threes, leaning on each other, feet stumbling over loose rock.
Months, some of them years, of bent backs and shallow meals had left them fragile.
The dark hid how thin their arms were, and how their sharp collarbones stood out under torn fabric.
Hellena walked beside me, one hand braced against the rock, the other gripping Hope’s small fingers. None of them spoke much. I wasn’t sure they had the strength left for words on top of walking.
When we finally crested the ridge, the mountain falling away behind us into low scrub and tree line, we came upon the forest up ahead. I halted everyone to take a rest. I wanted to get away from the mountain as far as we could, away from possible soldiers coming to change shifts.
“Which way?” Jina asked, glancing back and forth between the fork in the road.
“The forest,” Minha said finally, nodding toward the dark line of trees in the distance. “It’s the only direction that isn’t a road the queen’s soldiers use.”
It wasn’t much of a plan, but it was the only safe route we had.
We made it as far as the forest’s edge before the horses came. They surrounded us before I’d even registered the sound of hooves, dozens of riders forming a ring around our ragged group, longswords drawn, the late sun catching steel.
My stomach dropped.
We weren’t outnumbered, but only the four of us were fit for battle. Women and girls I’d just freed could barely stand, let alone run.
A man on the horse at the front, broader than the rest with a scar on his neck, said, “Well.” His eyes swept the group, lingering on the children. “What do we have here?”
“They were enslaved by the queen,” I said, stepping forward. “We freed them. They need safe passage.”
“I suggest you let us pass.” Minha held out her dagger.
The men laughed.
Jina made a face but kept quiet.
“Slaves of the queen,” the scarred man said. “Even better. She’ll pay well to have them back. A reward for returned property, and a finder’s fee.”
“Why would you do that?” My hand drifted toward my dagger. “There are gemstone in that mountain. More than you could carry. Why bother with people when the gems are sitting right there for the taking?”
His grin faltered, just slightly. “There’s a rumor about a giant creature, big enough to take a man whole. Nobody who’s gone in after those stones has come back out.”
“I was just in there.” I shrugged. “There’s no creature left to fear.”
A ripple of voices went through the riders behind him, glances exchanged, the kind of uncertain shifting that meant some of them were thinking about turning their horses toward the mountain. For a moment I thought I had convinced them.
The leader’s mouth curved again. “I’ll take the gemstones.” His eyes moved over our group. “And I’ll take all of you.”
The riders tightened their circle. Jina’s hand found her dagger. Minha pressed close to my side, and Ranis stepped in front of Hellena and the children, for all the good it would do against this many blades.
“Stay close together,” I said over my shoulder to the children. “And close your eyes.”
I didn’t want them to see the violence. They’d already seen much hardship in life.
Hellena pulled Hope against her and began herding the others backward.
The thief nearest to me with red hair swung a sword. I jerked back. His eyes danced with humor. “Not bad for a lady.”
“I’m no lady,” I ground out. “I’ve killed many men.”
“Sure you have.” He jumped off his horse. “If I catch you, I get to keep you.”
“You touch her, you die.” The voice came from the tree line clearing.
A figure emerged from the shadow of the trees, unhurried, like he had all the time in the world. Theron, his coat billowing behind him with the breeze, a sword at his hip. No hat this time.
My heart thudded, and I wasn’t sure if it was from the sight of him, or the fact he happened to be here by pure luck.
No crew at his back, no ship behind him, nothing but the forest and a sword. A pirate with no crew—no, not a pirate—the true Crown Prince of Caelum, walking straight into a circle of mounted swordsmen like the odds didn’t apply to him.
Laughter rippled through the riders. “One man,” someone called out. “Against all of us?”
“You shouldn’t laugh.” Theron’s eyes moved past the leader, to me, something unreadable passing across his face.
“These women and one man over there are great fighters.” Then, almost as an afterthought, the corner of his mouth tilted.
“Of course, so am I. Besides, you don’t want to mess with Seaborns. ”
“Seaborn.” The one with red hair chuckled. “They’re all dead.”
Theron stepped closer and waved a hand in our direction. “Do they look like ghosts to you?” He rolled his eyes. “Grow some balls, admit defeat, and leave before I kill you all.”
More laughter echoed.
“I’d like to see a ghost try to stop me,” the thief with red hair ground out, drawing his sword.
Behind me, Hellena took a sharp intake of breath, and the children whimpered.
Theron growled and charged. I didn’t wait for his permission or direction to strike. Neither did Minha, who pounced on the nearest bandit like she’d been born to fight.
Two weapons flashed—one the shell dagger that dropped a man screaming, his chest turning dark, the other the pick she’d grabbed from the mountain. So very Minha.
Jina fought tighter, smaller movements, every strike landing with precision. When a man screamed from the burning, she winced as if she could feel his pain. Ranis fought beside her, watching her back, wielding a fallen sword.
Theron fought with brutal ease, even surrounded by five. He landed a blow across one bandit’s chest, pierced another through the throat, sliced a third’s ankles, and drove his blade through the fourth’s belly. The last one ran.
The children huddled low with their eyes pressed shut, small hands clamped over their ears against the screaming and the clash of steel. Hope buried her face in Hellena’s side. A couple of the older girls didn’t look away. They wanted to see. And I would have done the same.
I’d just jabbed my dagger into a man’s stomach when someone grabbed me from behind, twisting my arm until the blade slipped from my grip. The lead man towered over me, stinking of ale and sweat. “Stop! Or I’ll slit her throat.”
Everything went still. The clash of steel died around us as the remaining riders backed off, watching.
Theron straightened from the man at his feet, blood dripping off his blade. For a moment his face was unreadable, calm in a way that should have terrified the man holding me.
The corner of his mouth tilted, slow and lazy. “You really want to test how fast Seaborn wounds heal?” He took a step closer, twirling the sword once at his side. “Go ahead. Cut her. I’ll wait.”
The man’s grip on me faltered, just slightly. “You’re bluffing.”
“Am I?” Theron tilted his head, almost bored. “Last man who threatened her lost his hand before he finished the sentence. You’re welcome to find out what I do to the ones who finish theirs.”
I felt the blade at my throat tremble. He was contemplating his next decision—good.
“Or,” Theron went on, voice dropping, all humor gone, “you let her go, and I make this quick instead of slow. Your choice.”
He didn’t get to answer. With a flick of Theron’s wrist, a small dagger flew across the space between them and buried itself in the man’s eye, blood streaming down his face.
Theron wasn’t even looking at the man—his eyes were on me. How had he done that? So precise, so effortless.
“I warned you.” Theron said. “You touch her, you die.” He glanced at the others, sword at the ready. “Anyone else?”
The remaining thieves ran.
“Oh, thank the goddess,” Hellena cried out.
“You’re safe now,” I said to the group, then turned to the pirate. “This is Theron.” I gave him a curt nod. “Thank you for helping. How did you find us?”
“I guess you had good luck today.” He smiled at the children. “Now, who would like to ride on a ship?”
“Me!” Hope jumped up and down, the rest of the children bouncing along with her.
Despite their fragile state and everything they’d been through, they smiled, and their spirits were lifted.
“My ship isn’t too far. Do you think you can make the journey?” Theron asked. “If you can, you’ll have a great adventure. You might even get to see some whales and dolphins. Also, I have plenty of food and sweets. What say you, young pirates?”
“We say we can do it!” Hope shouted, glancing at her friends.
A cheer went up among the children, small fists in the air, the kind of noise I was sure they hadn’t made in a long while.
I looked up at Theron, and our eyes met. He wasn’t watching the children. He had his eyes on me, that same unreadable look he always wore whenever I caught him staring.
What are you thinking, Crown Prince of Caelum? Why won’t you take your rightful place?
I cleared my throat. “Is Fraya on the boat?”
Theron’s mouth twitched, a hint of a smile. “She’s waiting for you.”
“And Jimin?”
“The same.” Those lips remained curved, blue eyes bright, assessing every inch of my body.
“What are you all standing around for, young pirates?” Ranis said to the children.
“Follow us.” Jina waved a hand, the children crowding around the three of them as they walked together.
Hope grabbed my hand, her sweet voice breaking me out of Theron’s spell. “Thank you… ummm… ummm.”
“My name is Star,” I said.
“Like the song. A star in the darkness will unite us all.”
My chest filled with warmth, and my eyes stung with tears I refused to let fall.