Page 92 of The Shadow Prince's Ruin
Whatever Captain Lepearl might want, I’ll give it to her, as long as it brings me closer to my goal.
The moon is high when I walk into the cave.
All three pairs of eyes turn toward me from the shore where the smugglers have gathered the wood from the broken pier.
“You’ve got some nerve,Your Highness,” she says through gritted teeth, and both her crew members glare at me with their watery eyes.
It’s not a great start, but I have been raised among snakes and politicians, and here I don’t feel as defenseless as I did against a bassal.
I raise my hands so they know I’m not armed. “I know. It’s pathetic, but I am desperate. I am wanted, I am banished, and my beloved ruined your pier while attacking your crew. Still, I come here to throw myself at your mercy. Hawk never meant harm or destruction. He is… cursed with the form that all of you saw. There’s only one way I can think of to help him, but I need to get to the Nocturne Court as swiftly as possible. I have nothing but my mother’s promise, but I vow—”
“What is that?” Lepearl asks and steps closer. She grabs my hand and eyes the ring on my thumb. “I wouldn’t say you have ‘nothing’.”
I swallow, torn between saying it’s my wedding ring, a piece of sentimental value, so that she leaves it alone, and inflating its cost with my words so she’s greedy for it. My choice depends on what outcome I wish for. If I lose Hawk, this ring will be the one memento I have of him and our love. But if I don’t use it, Lepearl might not want to help me. I’d give my hand for a chance of saving Hawk, so what is a ring? Material possession won’t matter if I can’t save him.
I take it off. “It is my wedding ring. A human tradition, and a token of my husband’s love. The piece itself was made by the legendary grimsmith, Tassarion, and features a diamond, a ruby, and a sapphire set in titanium. A diamond for the longevity of our bond, a ruby for the blood we shed for it, and,” I smile shyly as I lie through my teeth, “a sapphire in the shade of my eyes. I… as you can imagine, I struggle to part with it.”
She comes closer, reaching for the ring, but I squeeze it in my hand and take it out of her reach. A flash of annoyance passes through her gaze, but I stand my ground. “I need to go now. Deliver me to the Nocturne Court, discreetly, and it shall be yours.”
She licks her lips as I try to keep a cool head and avoid blurting out something that might expose my lies, but she glances at her crew. Moments pass, and when the kelpies harrumph, unhappy with the prospect of needing to venture out on top of all the work they’ve already done fishing out the broken chunks of the pier, I open my mouth again.
“Surely, you can discipline your crew in order to finish the day with something this precious,” I say, once again, showing her the ring, which isn’t nearly as valuable as I presented it. Not to her, at least.
Bite growls but stops when Lepearl pats him on the chest, as if he were in the form of a kelpie. “Calm, my sweet.”
I hide my surprise at the endearment. The kelpie is… her lover? I’m not one to judge, but I still wonder about the legitimacy of such a union.
Kick throws a piece of wood to the pile with an exasperated sigh. “How much do you want it?” he asks Lepearl, and the fearsome pirate captain smiles, turning into a playful coquette.
“It is so very pretty…”
Bite glares at me. “Maybe I’ll just take it then.”
I stare right back at him. “Try me. You must have heard what I did to the Nightcloaks at The Burning Corpse.” A bluff, since I no longer have Hawk’s shadow, but that’s my life now.
Lepearl sighs and gets to her toes to kiss his jaw… just as she reaches for Kick’s hand.
I feel very confused. And uncomfortable.
“Wouldn’t that be a bit too easy? Sometimes, your captain wants to see you’re willing to put in the effort,” Lepearl says as her fingers entwine with Kick’s.
The kelpies share a glance, and Bite growls before letting out a low snort.
“Fine.”
“Fifteen minutes,” Kick adds, walking off toward the boat of bone.
I bow to him as if he deserves such a courtesy. Nothing is beneath me to get what I want. As the kelpies walk off to prepare the ship, I watch their pale, muscular bodies, long black hair streaked with seaweed, and I have to admit they are quite fine men. But it’s confusing to even think of them aspeoplewhen I’ve beenridinga royal kelpie so many times. I suddenly feel self-conscious about it.
I clear my throat as I stand next to Lepearl who is stuffing her pipe with adora.
“If you don’t mind me asking… are they not dangerous? They’re not from the Nocturne Court, so they must be wild kelpies. Even if they wear elven skin, are you not worried about their violent nature?”
She glances my way and rubs two of her rings together, creating a spark to light the herb. “Oh, there are ways to tame wild kelpies. I’m surprised they’re not known at court, considering what I heard about royal… exploits.”
My cheeks heat up at the suggestion, but in truth, the kelpies have only ever been a means of transport for me, and I never spent excessive time at the stables.
“I’m not sure I understand the meaning. Are you saying there is a way to break them?”
