Page 76 of Vengeance of the Pirate Queen

I use my dagger to cut through the dried skins and slip inside the tent.

Kearan is thoroughly tied to a series of crossed poles. They serve to both hold up the tent and keep him prisoner. His back is to me, but I can tell he’s not in great shape from the way his body is slumped. His crying quiets, as though he’s trying to get himself back under control.

On the floor far out of his reach, my rapier and remaining daggers rest. I take what’s mine before rounding the pole so I’m in Kearan’s line of sight. I put my finger to my lips.

Despite my clear caution to be quiet, Kearan sucks in a huge gasp. I immediately take my dagger to his bonds. They’re thicker than the rope I’m used to, made with wound animal hides.

Once his hands are free, Kearan wipes at his eyes. I can see that they haven’t treated him well. He’s sporting a swollen eye and a bloody nose. He rubs his wrists gingerly, and I begin on freeing his legs.

The guards are mere feet from us, just on the other side of that tent flap, so it’s impossible for us to speak to each other. I prefer it that way for now. Especially when he still has silent tears falling from his face. When he’s completely freed, I drop onto my hands and knees to look through the cut in the tent.

More people are rousing from their cabins. The way isn’t clear.

Shit.

I slip back inside and shake my head, but Kearan isn’t quite all the way there yet. He’s still staring at me as though I’m some sort of ghost.

There’s nothing for it. We can’t sneak out. We’ll have to act as though we belong.

I look outside once more, then gesture for Kearan to follow me when I don’t see anyone looking our way. When I rise to a standing position, I wait for Kearan to join me before moving away from the tent. He’s acting far from normal, with the way he’s looking at me, looking around. And I hardly blend in with the way I’m covered in soot, my clothing fire streaked.

I do the only thing I can think of and throw Kearan’s arm over my shoulder, blocking most of me from view and giving him something to focus on.

Contact.

“Act natural,” I whisper to him. “We have to walk out of their camp.”

“How are you alive?” he fires back.

“Not now. Focus.”

“I’m focused!”

“Hold,” a deep voice says, and Kearan and I freeze at being discovered.

Chapter 15

ONLY, AS I SURVEYour surroundings, I don’t see anyone talking to us. No, the order was given some thirty feet off to our right. One of the guards has his spear pointed at a newcomer who is entering the camp.

A man who isn’t wearing a shirt or boots.

The hair on my arms stands on end.

It’shim.

“I said hold!” the guard repeats. An alarm goes up in the camp, and more people rush toward the altercation. More men and women with weapons and hastily-thrown-on clothes. “We will attack if you don’t comply.”

“I’m not here for fighting,” Threydan says in their language. “I’m searching for my beloved. She was spotted entering this camp.”

My stomach twists, and I feel the need to vomit my stolen meal. Because I know he’s talking about me. Those parts of me that are missing? He has them. That’s why I can feel him. We’re connected. I think I might have stolen part of him, too, when I stabbed his heart. His weirdly solid heart.

Before I can look away, peacock-blue eyes fix on me. Threydan winks.

He shouts loudly, “Who’s in charge here?” He keeps walking, as though nothing scares him.

A spear is thrown his way, burying itself in his back. It goes clean through until it pokes out of his chest on the other side.

He looks down at the weapon, as if it is only a minor inconvenience.

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