Page 139 of Daughter of the Dark Sea
Erick led them to a small, stone platform connected to the base of the spiral walkway. It was so dark down here, and the torches sputtered out from the winds. She sucked in a tense breath as a single guard turned to face them on the platform.
Shit.They’d been caught. Every muscle recoiled on instinct, reaching to grip her sabre daggers—but her hands snagged on thin air.
One dagger had been shattered to pieces . . . the other had been stolen.
The guard was covered head to toe in sheep’s wool, packed beneath his armour. Leathers covered every inch of flesh—in between the metal plates—on his wrists and joints, and wrapped around his head like a fuzzy blanket.
“You’re late,” the guard mumbled through his protective wrap.
“We were held up,” Erick snapped, hiding Kora behind him.
“You know my fee.”
Erick’s hands flicked to his belt and froze. With a curse, he patted around his waist in a flurry before letting out a frustrated sigh.
“What’s going on?” Aryn stepped forward.
“I lost it—the payment. We were ambushed on the way down here. They’ve sliced right through my belt.”
“Ironic,” Aryn muttered.
“Not now!” Erick barked.
What in Umbra was going on?
Kora peered through the darkness, toreallylook at Erick. Blood soaked his clothes and clung to his hair. His gold-and-malachite pommelled sword was gripped in one shaking hand, and his armour wasdented. Only something incredibly strong could do that. His cloak was shredded, along with a thin cut along his neck that was crusted with blood.
“What happened?” she whispered. “Where’s Sam?”
No one acknowledged her.
“No payment, no boat,” the guard grunted.
“We made a deal,” Aryn snarled, and she startled.
“I deal in money. I can easily lock you all up instead. You wouldn’t survive the night.”
“We can’t go without Sam!” Kora shrieked. Panic bubbled inside, until it grabbed her in a chokehold. “We can’t leave Sam, Theron,orIvar!”
She didn’t deserve this. Everything they were sacrificing to free her from the spiral dungeons. Her life wasn’t worththreelives. Did they evenwantto defy the empire? It baffled her to be chosen over something they’d all devoted their lives to and bowed their loyalty to for years—or their entire lives, in Erick’s case.
She was nothing. Nobody. A pity case.
“Kora . . . Sam made his choice.” Aryn’s hooded eyes saddened, and her heart clenched inside her throat. “We can’t find the others. We need to leave now. Sam’s giving us this one shot.”
“No . . . I don’t want him to do that! Don’t let him do that. I’m . . . I’mnothing. I’m not worth it. They’ll kill him!” The ocean sprayed up against the stone platform and Erick warily glanced at it.
“You’re wortheverything,” Erick replied with confidence. “Samuel stayed behind to give us a chance.”
Us.
“You’re not going anywhere without payment.” The guard raised a silver-tapped lance.
Erick raised his sword in return, and Aryn advanced with his longbow.
More death. More loss. It was too much.
“Wait!”
