Page 39 of Crossbones
Time is different down here with no light and no schedule to help track it. Exhaustion hangs so heavily on me I don’t even remember falling asleep but the next thing I know, I’m being nudged awake. Blinking away the darkness and brain fog, I look up to see the General standing before me.
“Prince Caspian sent me to give you two choices,” he says, straight to the point. “Come with me or stay here and see the noose.”
I carefully tuck the page back into the book and shove it into my pocket as I get to my feet. The choice is an easy one. I’d decided before I even left Caspian’s study.
“Let’s go,” I say.
I follow the General through the dungeons but instead of heading back up to the castle proper, we descend deeper underground. Apprehension grips me but I know this is just the start of having to trust the prince. The General doesn’t speak to me as he leads the way through tunnels that get increasingly more narrow and rough. We travel for almost two hours before he stops at a decaying ladder.
He jerks his chin at the dark shaft that disappears above our heads. “Your ship is up there.”
I grip the first rung and start to climb.
“Captain.” When I turn to look, he’s staring hard at me as though he’s not sure he likes what he sees. “Don’t condemn the man for the sins of his father.”
“I judge a man by his actions, General.”
The man nods once but seems satisfied by what I’ve said because he steps back and I continue climbing, soon losing the glow of his lantern in the shadows.
The sins of his father…
Yeah—the King—who has the blood of thousands on his hands. Aldric is just as bad and I have no evidence proving Caspian isn’t any better. But even as I think it, I get the feeling I don’t know the whole story once again. I keep coming back to how he doesn’t want his father and brother to know we’re going after the lost city. You don’t hide something like that from your family if everything is love and good times. But I still have more questions than answers and it leaves me with the same intrigue I want to spend time unwrapping.
If I’m being honest with myself, maybe I’m more interested in unearthing secrets that have nothing to do with a lost city and everything to do with a man whose smug smile tugs at my chest. I want to strangle him most of the time, but the grudging seed of respect in my gut isn’t something I can ignore any longer. He’s never what he seems, which makes him both unpredictable and damn it—desirable.
The tunnel lightens and I soon emerge into the brisk outdoors. The sun is setting to my right, the sky a brilliant display of soft pastels. I’m on a cliff overlooking a small bay somewhere on the coast outside of De’Vero but what has my attention is theTempestsitting in the calm water of the cove. I pull myself all the way from the hole, relief coursing through me at the sight of her.
“Captain.”
I turn abruptly but it’s only Harrison. He looks relieved as he walks out of the brush where it’s apparent he’s been waiting for me.
“Good to see you in one piece,” he says. We clasp forearms and I nod my thanks as he hands me my sword and pistols. “Compliments of Fox.”
I study his face. He has multiple cuts and the beginning of a black eye. “Are those his doing too?”
Harrison’s jaw tightens as he turns and leads the way towards a trail that disappears over the cliff edge.I’ll take that as a yes.
“What does the crew know?” I ask.
“Only that you were going to make your escape tonight.”
We continue to the small strip of beach where a row boat is waiting. Harrison stops me with a hand on my arm.
“What’s going on, Captain?” He’s looking me over in concern mixed with confusion. “Two men came to me saying they were helping to coordinate your escape with the help of Fox. I went along with it, but Fox is walking around your ship like he owns the place now. What changed?”
I hesitate but I’ve always told Harrison the truth.
“Fox’s real name is Caspian De’Vero.” Harrison stares at me in disbelief. “He hasinformation about the location of Grythmoor which is why I’m standing before you now. He asked for my help—”
“Whoa, whoa, wait—what? We had the fuckingprinceof De’Vero in our posession this entire time?” I stay silent as he processes what I’ve just said. Irritation flickers in Harrison’s eyes but it isn’t enough to push out the shock of my news. “And Grythmoor? We’ve searched the Stormwrack for years and never found anything,” he states. “And now we’re just supposed to trusthim?”
His voice is growing louder and I grab his arm and yank him a few more steps away from the men near the rowboat.
“This same man who did nothing but lie to us for weeks?” Harrison hisses.
“Technically he didn’t lie,” I mutter.
“By omission!” Harrison explodes.
