Page 88 of Fearless

But he doesn’t even make it to the dock.

Dozens of spears are swiftly pointed at his chest, gleaming ominously as they inch toward the sliver of bare skin beneath his loosely buttoned shirt. I tense, heart stalling as I take in every long weapon aimed at the Enforcer.

Though, the lack of tension clutching his shoulders tells me he doesn’t seem to mind. Still standing behind him, I can just make out the lifted corner of that cocky grin he’s wearing. I shouldn’t be surprised by this, and yet, I want to hit him over the head all the same.

Kai lifts his hands slowly, showing his seemingly harmless palms to the guards. Yes, he does enjoy this. Fear is power. And where there is power, there is something for him to wield.

“State your business here, Elites,” booms a steady voice belonging to a particularly gilded guard. Glancing over the golden buttons adorning his uniform, I catch the small pin above his heart.

Ilya’s Enforcer has just met Izram’s captain of the guard.

“Easy, gentlemen,” Kai says smoothly, lowering the tip of a prodding spear with his palm. “I’m sure this is quite the surprise, but we come in peace. Things are changing in Ilya, so I’m here to escort our future queen to meet with yours. She will explain everything.” Kai gestures behind him to where I stand, stiff and unsure. “This is Paedyn Gray. The Ordinary.”

Astonished blinks are the only response to his words. I watch the captain and his guards take me in, eying the silver hair I earned from the Plague. I clear my throat, uncomfortable. “We brought a gift,” I blurt quickly. “As a gesture of goodwill.”

The captain meets my eyes, his own skeptical. They are a warm brown, crowded by the lines that a life of laughter carves into one’s skin. But that stern expression solidified onto his face smothers the happiness that once came so easily. And yet, even as a middle-aged man, he’s quite handsome.

“You’re telling me,” the captain says slowly, “that a crew from Ilya braved the Shallows just to reintroduce themselves to the kingdom they shut out?”

His question spurs me forward until I’ve stepped beside Kai and planted my feet before the multitude of spears. “Yes,” I say, voice even. “I’ve fought to survive every day. Just like all of you. And I will do anything to see Ilya become free and welcoming again.”

A long stretch of silence stifles everything but the sound of sloshing water around us. The captain keeps his gaze pinned on mine, though not in a way that tells me he’s scrutinizing every disheveled piece of me.

I believe it might even be hope I hear in his voice when he orders, “Lower your weapons, men. We’re taking our guests to the castle.”

We have been walking for nearly an hour, cocooned within a constricting circle of guards.

They barely bother glancing at me when the Enforcer strides among them. Every eye is trained on him, every weapon at the ready to defend themselves from the Elite that stepped straight out of a bedtime story they tell their children.

Captain Torri walks beside me, surprisingly silent. I was only allowed the company of two Elites on this hike to the castle. The rest of the crew was left to patch up what is left of theReckoningthat currently bobs sadly beside the dock.

I’ve had plenty of time to take in the surrounding city. It’s filled with a quieter sort of bustle than Ilya. The cobblestone streets are even andneat, filled with mindful men and women. Bright blue banners hang from roofs and stretch between wide alleyways. Merchants are kind, children are well-behaved, and smiles are shared regularly.

It’s an anomaly I find both comforting and concerning.

I breathe in the salty air and grant myself a moment to acknowledge the warmth coating my face. The sun seems to shine only for me, painting my skin in a soft glow and wrapping its rays around me. A cool breeze ruffles my short hair, and I shut my eyes, relishing the feel of a sturdy ground beneath my feet.

People stop and stare at the spectacle I don’t doubt we are. I’m swallowed by guards, forced to dodge the piercing tips of their spears. They herd us up another hilly path that has me panting before my eyes lift to the towering castle.

I step into its shadow, feeling so small beside the mass of stone. The castle is encased in a pearly white stone that winks in the dripping sunlight. Tall towers spring up into the sky, casting ribbons of shadow across the path. Billowing blue flags sprout from the highest spires to display what I recognize as Izram’s crest.

I lift a hand to shield my gaze from the peering sun and scan the flapping fabric. A pair of swirling fish create a perfect circle within the sea of blue. Atop the rippling flag, it seems as though they are forever swimming around each other, creating a constant balance.

A barked order from the captain of the guard has us coming to a halt at the base of several pristine stairs. They ascend toward a milky set of doors that match the steps beneath. Everything about this castle is light and airy, as if the sky hanging low above the water was personified.

I watch the captain peel away from his guards and head beyond those towering doors. He walks stiffly, seemingly unexcited about the task at hand. But when Kai’s rough knuckles brush against mine, the observation and my accompanying curiosity swiftly float away on a salty breeze.

My eyes flick up to find a crease of concern nestling between his brows. “Are you all right?”

The question is worrying enough to startle one in response. “Why, do I not look all right?”

“Gray, you always look far more than all right.” He says this with a low chuckle, his voice soft enough to slip past the guards unnoticed. “But I know this is a lot. I want to make sure you’re doing okay.”

“Quite the gentleman you’ve become,” I croon.

“Only for you.”

His words have my smile melting into something sweeter. “I’m… okay. Just hoping my benevolence doesn’t fail me,” I say weakly before continuing to whisper, “I have no idea who to be or what to say. Better yet, I have no idea how to speak to a queen, let alone be one.”

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