Page 111 of Across an Endless Sea

That’s Hoar’s brother, Hogart. I’m certain of it. Both of the brothers have voices that naturally sound condescending, but Hogart is the worst of the two.

“His missive says you’re to be detained until he arrives.” Hogart clears his throat, then reads aloud. “‘Praedra has colluded to free my treasonous bastard. Search her ship and detain both of them until my arrival.’” I peer through a gap in the fabric just in time to see his smarmy grin. “Sounds like someone’s time in the king’s favour was short-lived.”

Prae’s good eye roves around the tent, looking for a weapon. They’re not alone. Hogart has three guards surrounding her. For a second, I reach for my blades, ready to take them all out and be done with it.

Only they’re not there. My magic is muzzled. Harmless.

Fuck.

Fine. I don’t need fairy powers to rescue my fucking cousin.

I draw my sword and hack my way through the side of the tent. Marl drops our glamour in favour of concentrating on staying on my shoulders as I cut down the guard on Prae’s left.

“You idiot!” she roars, gutting the one on her right and whipping her head back to head-butt the one behind her.

“You’re welcome!” I retort, wheeling to find Hogart.

The coward is already gone, fleeing from the tent, crying for more warriors.

He knows he couldn’t take either of us in a fair fight.

“We need to get out of here,” Prae growls, snatching up her confiscated bag and grabbing more weapons. “I can’t believe this. You utter numbskull! I could’ve snuck out later, gathered all of my equipment, and they’d be none the wiser. Now look what you’ve gotten us into!”

Fucking. Reasonable. Female. Urgh!

“I wasn’t about to let them torture you,” I retort.

That’s where it would’ve gone, eventually. Hogart has always been greedy for our father’s praise; he'd want to hunt me down quickly and have both Prae and me trussed up and ready for the king on his arrival.

“Move!” Prae growls, cutting down another warrior who charges into the tent.

“To the stables.”

She shakes her head. “No time!”

Prae whirls, cutting another hole in the fabric of the tent and dragging me through it. The two of us flee between the disorganised maze of dirty fabric and mud, slipping and sliding as we dodge our pursuers. The iron wall looms over us, and Prae reaches it first, heading left—away from the gate.

“Where are you going?” I demand, hesitating.

That hesitation costs me. A crossbow bolt hits me in the ass and I grunt in pain.

“You really think they’re leaving that open for us?” she retorts. “Get your ass moving.”

“I hope she knows what she’s doing,” I growl, yanking the bolt out with a curse before following after her.

Marl huffs at my ear, like he agrees with me, and I focus on that rather than the agony coursing down my leg with every step we take. It doesn’t help that I’ve begun to figure out where Prae is headed.

“The river?” I hiss. “Are you insane?”

What’s her plan? Swim down the Torvyn until we reach Orvendel, then walk to Elfhame City from there? That’sdaysaway.

By now, I should know better than to doubt my cousin. There, at the docks, a new batch of drakes are being unloaded from the ships we just arrived from, hissing and spitting at their handlers as they descend onto dry land.

The crew must’ve brought them with us from the mountains, because they’re young and unsaddled. Not that it matters. We beeline straight for them. Prae jumps astride the nearest as I claim the largest of the pack.

The warriors chasing us call out in alarm as we wrestle the reins from their shocked handlers and urge the two beasts into the water.

Drakes are damn strong swimmers, and it’s all we can do to hold on as they dive, cutting through the muddy water and thick reeds with ease. The Torvyn isn’t a calm river. Its currents are strong, its banks are steep, and the water icy with the runoff from the snowmelt of the Winter Court.

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