Arms have come around me from behind, and it’s like being grabbed by a mountain. I suddenly can’t breathe. My ribs might already be cracking. I remember Olive telling me about Lina and Mouse, and Corrick just told me about how horrific they are, but now I understand.
A woman’s voice is telling him to do it, too. “Crush her, Mouse,” she says, and her voice is undercut by pain. I wonder if Corrick shot her. I don’t know how many bolts he has left, but I wonder if he’s going to shoot the man crushing me against his chest.
“Smash her bones,” the woman says, and I want to whimper, but I don’t even have the breath for that. I’m beginning to see stars.
“Please don’t,” says Corrick, and I’m surprised by the even calmness of his tone. “Oren is dead, Mouse. Lina is about to be. You don’t have to listen to her anymore. Tessa never hurt you. Tessa never hurts anyone.”
The man’s arm’s don’t loosen. “She killed Oren.”
“Because he was killing all those people.” Corrick pauses. “I love her, Mouse. She’s very precious. Please give her back.”
For a moment I hear nothing but crackling flames and water slapping the boat. But then his arms loosen, and I slip to the ground, my lungs heaving for air.
Corrick pulls me to him, and I stare up at the largest man I’ve ever seen.
I expect him to shoot Mouse, as if perhaps I’d been in the way and it wasn’t safe, but he gives the other man a nod. “Thank you,” he says.
“You’re welcome, Weston. Thank you for the muffin.”
My breath shudders, and I look up at Corrick. “The—the muffin?”
“I’ll tell you later. Mouse is a good man. He’s just been forced to do bad things.”
Lina gets her legs under her, and she’s spitting with rage. “He’s not a good man! He’s a fool. An idiot. And I’m going to rip every single bone from his—”
Mouse steps forward and grabs her. Her rant turns into outraged shrieks, and she starts smacking at his arms. He lifts her in the air, and I suck in a breath, worried he’s going to snap her neck.
But then he tosses her over the side.
I give a sharp little yip and cling to Corrick. I can feel his heartbeat under my hand. A second later, we hear the splash, and then Lina’s distant outraged cursing continues.
“I thought he was going to kill her,” I whisper.
“She would have deserved it,” Corrick says.
Mouse leans over the side to peer down at the darkness. “I didn’t kill her.” He looks back at me. “Lina can swim.”
I nod swiftly. “You did the right thing.”
My relief is short-lived, however, because there are still sailors on deck, and other men have begun to come up from below, hearing the screams and coming to help. Corrick lifts his weapon, but Mouse steps in front of him.
“No!” he shouts. “Weston Lark is our captain now. You will surrender to him or I’ll throw you over the side.”
They skid to a stop, exchanging glances. They take in Oren’s body, and Lina’s yowling from down below. I wait for a mutiny, for them to surge toward us anyway, but they don’t.
They lay down their weapons.
I look up at Corrick. “Captain Lark?”
He smiles. “I don’t hate it.” He loses the smile and looks at Mouse, then at the others. “Signal a cease-fire to the men on the ground. Tether the cannons.”
They exchange glances again, and then one of the men must decide to take charge. “Boone, see to the cannons! I’ll raise the flag for parlay. Mouse! You’ll need to shout.”
From behind us, Lochlan says, “You did it. You ended their war.”
Corrick looks out at the fires that are burning, at the battles still being fought on land. I can’t see anyone I recognize. No Olive. No Erik. No Rian, even.
Corrick’s expression is grim. “Not yet,” he says.
It takes hours before the sounds of battle go silent, and the first threads of dawn begin to appear on the horizon. Mouse has been shouting at the shore for parlay, to cease fire, but we haven’t had a response. A man who was bleeding on the deck is discovered to be alive, and Corrick tells me his name is Ford Cheeke, and he was the one who helped bring this plan together. We’re able to get him sitting up, but I don’t have any of my treatments, so I can’t help him much more than that.
I want to leave the ship, to look for Olive and Erik, but Corrick is worried that Oren’s men might try to take control again, so we don’t. As his men return, they learn that the ship is under our control, and they lay down their arms, too.
We stay vigilant and wait.
Eventually, a small rowboat leaves the dock, heading for our ship. Corrick takes a spyglass, then hands it to me. “They’re in cloaks,” he says. “It’s too dark to tell who it is. It could be a trap.”
“I could club them when they come over the side,” Mouse offers.
“No,” says Corrick. “But thank you.” Then he seems to reconsider. “If it’s Rian and he tries to kill me, I wouldn’t mind the protection.”
Mouse nods, and I swallow, because I’m wondering if Corrick should have given more qualifications. But then the rowboat draws near, and I see that it is Rian . . . and Olive and Erik as well.
I lean over the side, heedless of danger.
“You survived!” I cry. “I’ve been worried all night!”
Olive looks up at me as she climbs, and her smile is bright. “I’ve been worried about you all night.”
Her smile tells me that her little boy must be safe, but I have to hear it anyway. “Where’s Ellmo?”
“It took us forever to find him,” she says. “Because he and the other children hid in the palace—and then Oren’s cannons kept blasting through the walls.”
“He’s a smart little devil,” Erik says behind her. He looks pale, and I’d bet he’s reopened his entire wound. “He got everyone safe.”
Then they’re climbing over the railing, and they’re on the deck.
And Rian still hasn’t said a word.
He’s glaring at Corrick, however. The emotion seems mutual.
Especially when Erik gives Olive’s hand a squeeze, then leaves her side to come stand at Corrick’s side.
I suddenly feel like new battle lines have been drawn.
“You’re welcome,” Corrick finally says.
Rian scowls. “You helped him enact a plan that killed more of my people.”
“No. You did that. I never intended to double-cross you. From the very instant I got on your ship, my motives were to work with the king of Ostriary to barter for Moonflower in exchange for steel.”
“I will never trust anyone from Kandala,” Rian says. “I know what you’ve done to your people.”
Corrick is glaring back at him. “I’m going to have a rather hard time trusting anyone from Ostriary. I’ve learned enough about you to know that any deal I make would be subject to trickery and deceit.”
“Kandala is the one guilty of trickery and deceit,” says a groggy voice near the railing, and I look over to see the older man has spoken. “As I’ve said before, Your Highness, your country is not known for fair dealings.”
Rian crosses his arms and regards Corrick. “I told you there was a reason I wasn’t forthright with you when I came.”
Corrick looks between the two of them. “I can’t answer for the actions of my father or my grandfather when I don’t have any proof of what they’ve supposedly done.”
“I have plenty of proof,” says Ford Cheeke. “My records go back for decades. Your country reneged on deals trading lumber for steel, and when we tried to make a claim, you sent ships to kill our people.”
“Exactly,” says Rian. “And you can’t even deny it. Your own consuls have tried to assassinate the royal family on more than one occasion.”
I gasp out loud and look at Corrick. “More than one?”
He shakes his head, but his expression is locked down now, revealing nothing.
Rian hasn’t looked away from him. “You know I’m not lying about this. You know your country is overrun by sedition and sabotage.”
A muscle twitches in Corrick’s jaw, but he doesn’t say a word to deny it. He can’t.
The sad thing is that I can’t either.
“I still won’t negotiate with you,” Corrick says to him. “And Harristan certainly won’t, once he learns of what you’ve done.”
Rian smirks. “Good luck getting back to Kandala then.”
Olive huffs and smacks him in the arm. “Ugh, honestly. This is why I’ve been on the point for so long. If Oren is out of the way, I’ll sail you back to Kandala myself, Tessa.”
I stare at her. “Wait. You can do that?”
“Of course I can do that. Ellmo would honestly love it. We’re an entire family of sailors. You think Rian is the only one who knows how to raise a sail?” She scoffs. “I used to watch our da smack his knuckles because he could never get his knots right.”
Rian glares at her. “When I was five.” He takes a step forward to face Corrick. “And no one said I was letting you go.”
Corrick’s eyebrows go up. “Letting me?” he echoes. “I rather think you’re outnumbered, Your Majesty.”
Rian inhales a furious breath, and for an instant, he looks like he really is going to throw a punch or draw a dagger or shove Corrick right over the railing—but Erik takes a step forward, forming a bit of a barrier between Rian and Corrick. To my surprise, so does Lochlan. Mouse moves close enough that Rian glances at him warily, then back at Corrick.
Suddenly, a lot of the sailors surrounding us look more alert. I hear the click of more than one crossbow, and I don’t have to look to know they’re aimed at Rian.
He goes very still. His mouth clamps shut.
“Should we put him over the side, Captain?” one of the men calls.
Corrick’s gaze darkens further. His voice is low and dangerous when he says, “They’re talking to me, you know.”
“Corrick,” I whisper, because I know this dark look in his eye. I know what he’s capable of when he’s cornered. I know what he’s willing to do when he sees no other options.
At first, I don’t think he’ll respond to me, that he’s too far lost to this battle of wills or fury or revenge against Rian. But he turns those cool blue eyes toward me. “Tessa.”
“He’s not doing it the right way,” I say softly, “but he really does want the best for the people of Ostriary.”
“I know,” he says. “Believe it or not, so do I.”
I stare up at him in surprise, and he nods. “I do, Tessa. I can’t speak to any past conflict with Kandala, but I’ve seen the effects of this war. I saw what Oren Crane was doing, and the harm caused.”
But then he looks back at Rian, and his voice is cold and resigned. “I got on board the Dawn Chaser in the hopes that our countries could help each other. I acted in good faith. But you never have. Even now, you’re only willing to offer threats and violence. If you could be trusted to negotiate honestly, perhaps we could come to terms and Kandala could provide assistance, but as it stands, I don’t see a way forward.”
Those words are piercing.
Because I don’t see a way either.
By the way Rian is glaring, it’s clear he feels the same.
Corrick looks to Erik and Lochlan. “Stand down. He’s free to leave.” He glances up at Mouse. “Let him go, Mouse. Don’t harm him.” He looks to Olive. “If your offer to Tessa was genuine, we will gladly accept. I will ensure you’re compensated for any expenses.”
But Rian doesn’t move. His chest is rising and falling rapidly, his eyes a little desperate. He looks to Olive.
“Livvy,” he says softly. “Do something.”
“I think you’ve already done enough,” she says, and I realize her voice is broken and breathy, too. When I look up, I realize she was just as hopeful as everyone else on the islands. The emotion in her voice tugs at my heart.
I think back to the beginning, how Rian sat at the table and spoke to the king. How earnestly he talked about the need for steel. How badly I wanted to believe he was fighting for everything right. I remember all the people I helped who were so desperate for Kandala to finally be on their side. How much they all trusted Rian—because he’d given them reason to. Good reason! He really has helped so many people.
But I also remember everything Rian did wrong. The people he hurt. The people who died. The way he nearly destroyed so many lives.
I can see why Corrick won’t negotiate with him.
But I also don’t know how we can leave here, knowing that Kandala has a thriving supply of what they need. I don’t know how we can sail away on a ship with Olive, knowing that she’s returning us to a country that’s turning its back on hers.
And just like that, I realize the solution.
Olive is moving away, dabbing at her eyes now, and Erik is reaching for her hand. I grab it first, pulling her around to face me. She sniffs hard in surprise, blinking away tears.
“It’s all right,” she begins. “I wouldn’t trust him either—”
“No,” I say. “I have an idea.” I reach out and take hold of Corrick’s hand, too. “Your Highness,” I say, and he raises his eyebrows.
“Yes?”
“Prince Corrick of Kandala, allow me to introduce Princess Olive of Ostriary. My newest, dearest friend.”
He glances between me and her as if trying to track the course and timing of this introduction. “A pleasure,” he finally says.
Olive looks from me to him. “What are you doing?”
I take a deep breath. “Olive loves her country and has been found to be trustworthy. She has offered to grant us passage home, out of the goodness of her heart. Instead of working with Rian, would you be willing to introduce her to King Harristan so she can negotiate for steel?”
“What?” Rian sputters.
“Tessa!” Olive gasps. “But I—I—”
I squeeze her hand tightly, then glance at Erik. “Perhaps with Rocco as her escort? For protection?” I smile sweetly. “She is a princess after all. And devoted to her people.” I look back at Olive. “Right?”
Her mouth works for a moment, but no sound comes out. She looks from me to Erik to Rian, and back to me again. “Well . . . yes.”
“So would you?” I say to Corrick. “Would you be willing to allow Princess Olive to act as liaison for negotiations with Ostriary?”
Corrick smiles. “Ah, Tessa.” He takes my hand and kisses my knuckles, then gives Olive a nod. “Princess Olive, I would indeed.”
