Page 6 of The Princess of Nothing
I felt sick to my stomach watching him walk away. I’d slept well and had eaten, thanks to Hawk’s bread-and-butter breakfast, but the nausea had stemmed from my fear of the future, something I couldn’t sedate. I needed a distraction.
I looked at the ocean and wondered how deep it really went. I remembered when I had fallen into the depths after being chased off a cliff by an anumi, and I shuddered. I had been certain I had died, but I was saved. I’d always wondered how. Even with Aquarius and Bella nearby on their ship, a mercreature should have torn me apart in seconds, but I’d only suffered a bite. Something had saved me down there. I felt it.
The rainforest hummed in the distance as we closed in on Berovian shores. I rolled my eyes up to the blinding sky. I had missed the heat and relished in it as the sun soaked through my aching muscles, loosening them. I rolled my shoulders back and inhaled deeply. My staff dug into my hip. I’d have to hide it here. With prying eyes and a recent attack, they’d be on high alert. Such a big kingdom wasn’t used to being underhandedly attacked and having a hit on their people.
I looked down at the map. We had sailed south of Woodbourne, but we needed to go farther east to reach the port Aquarius had taken me from, to where Birch had walked me into Woodbarrow. However, Hawk said it could be unsafe.
People would be out for blood, I was sure. Their own, killed like that. The solis king would be under pressure to return vengeance on our kingdom. It was only a matter of time. I knew how politics worked. Even my father’s death wouldn’t appease their people. War was coming, and I had to be my kingdom’s defender.
An eerie silence settled over the forest, which narrowed our path toward a smaller waterway. The waters turned murkier, and mosquitoes swarmed. I squashed one when I spotted it on my arm. “I don’t miss those,” I remarked. What I thought was a log moved. A dark-green tail splashed behind it as the long-snouted creature swam to the muddy banks.
Hawk strutted toward me, his eyebrows raised. “We’ve never sailed this far.”
I licked my dry lips. “Perhaps I can give you some of the payment now. As a show of goodwill.”
He cleared his throat. “Thank you.”
I reached deep into my drawstring bag and felt the cool edge of the dagger. It had been gifted to me on my thirteenth birthday. The hilt was made with sapphires and diamonds. It was the most valuable thing I owned. I wasn’t going to give it to Hawk yet. Instead, I grabbed some coins and shoved them into his hands. He quickly stuffed his pockets. “I’ll give you the dagger and the rest once you take me home. As promised.”
He pursed his lips, then exhaled heavily. “Of course. How long do we expect to be here before bringing you back?”
“A week, maybe two. I need to return before month’s end, else Edgar can change laws I may not be able to reverse.” I cleared my throat. “Honestly, I’m afraid of what damage he would do.”
“I suggest two weeks,” he advised. “It’s enough time to eradicate suspicion but short enough so you can take back Magaelor’s reign before any damage occurs.”
“Yes.” I furrowed my brows. He reminded me of Ashur in his words and tone, my father’s right-hand man.
Hawk shouted at one of his crew for pulling the wrong rope and marched toward them. I leaned over the side of the ship. The sun reached its peak in the sky as we reached shore. I was back in enemy territory, but this time of my own accord. My lips parted as I took in the orange-yellow horizon.
CHAPTER THREE
Iwiped a sheen ofsweat off my forehead and looked around. My hair was sticking to my face.We’d disembarked safely and Hawk managed to find a horse dealer and stables for us to hire four horses to ride to Woodbarrow. Whispering the ancient words “Cum ab oculis abscondere tuam augurium” twice, I cloaked my staff, making it invisible to all. I clasped the pendant of my blue necklace, letting it deceive those around me into believing I was one of them. It could pass as a relic; it did last time I was here. On horseback, Hawk, along with a few of his men and I, began the three-hour journey through Woodbourne province.
We neared the town center of Woodbarrow, and my stomach was in knots. There was more chance now than ever of being caught, with the recent attack on their people.
After climbing off my horse and handing the reins to Hawk, I walked to a newspaper rack on the corner of the street and sighed. A detailed drawing of my father’s face covered every single one, his accusing dark eyes on me. I grabbed one, paying a bronze piece to the man at the stand.
