Page 15 of Ship of Shadows
I scowled at him. “Yes, you did. You humiliated me, Bastian. You—you”—I lowered my voice to a whisper—“talked about all the places your tongue has been on my body.”
He let out a laugh that turned into a cough. “Sounds like some good old-fashioned dirty talk to me.”
“During my coronation ceremony?”
“There’s never a bad time for dirty talk, love.”
“Don’t you dare call me that.” I turned my back to him. “I don’t know why I came. This was a complete waste of time.”
“You came because you know I spoke the truth. I can help get your brothers back.”
I whipped around. “My brothers that you kidnapped?”
He stood, wincing with the movement. “I didn’t kidnap them. The idiots got on my ship of their own accord.”
I glared at him. “Don’t you dare speak about my brothers like that. They are, were, brave and kind and selfless. The opposite of everything you are.”
“Aye, I suppose you’re right about that.”
I wanted to walk away and turn my back on him, but he’d piqued my curiosity. “What do you mean you didn’t kidnap them?”
He held up his hands, palms facing me. “I just came for the boys, and your brothers are certainly not boys.”
They’d always be my baby brothers, but Bastian was right: Mal was twenty-four and Lochlan was twenty-eight. They hadn’t been boys for a long time.
“I don’t know how they did it, but your brothers somehow snuck onto my ship after we’d left with the boys.”
Bastian was right. They were idiots. My heart splintered.
“They hid belowdecks.” He swallowed. “I had no idea of their presence until it was too late. Until we got to Sorrengard, got the boys off the ship, and then your brothers stormed the island, trying to be heroes and save everyone, not understanding the price they’d pay once they entered that jungle.”
My brothers liked to play hero. Despite being younger than me, they were always trying to protect me, looking out for my best interest. And I’d failed to do the same for them.
“So you just stole all the boys from my court, but not my brothers. That makes it so much better. Thank you for the clarification.”
“Well, I’m always happy to help.” He flourished his hands and did a bow.
“What do they want with our boys?” I asked. “What do they want with their shadows?”
Something was stirring in the shadow court, something dark, and they needed our boys for a reason. I just didn’t know what.
“I don’t ask questions.” Bastian stared at his fingers like he was bored with the conversation. “I just follow orders.”
“Whose orders?” I demanded.
Bastian’s lips flattened into a thin line that told me he wasn’t going to reveal anything.
“Did you lie to me our entire relationship?” I asked, trying to keep my voice from betraying my hurt.
His jaw ticked. “I never lied about anything, love.”
“Right. You just withheld the fact that you were working with the shadow court, that you were trafficking people to their island so they can steal their shadows for who knows what purpose.”
Bastian shrugged. “Well, looks like you got me all figured out. Good on you.”
I started pacing. “Do you do this regularly? Kidnap people and take them to the shadow court? How do you do it? How did you take all of our boys in a single night?” The questions poured out of me, one after the other. Questions I’d had for so many months with no way to get answers.
He fingered the long silver chain around his neck, a small clock hanging from it. I squinted at it. He’d never worn that before. It must’ve been new.
