Cutlass (14 page)

At first Barren felt guilty. He didn’t mean to cause more trouble for his uncle, but then again, William had lived at peace in Maris for the past five years. He’d lived a comfortable life, ignoring Barren’s calls to meet him off shore. Larkin’s situation was just as much Tetherion’s fault as it was William’s. If Tetherion had not wanted this to happen, he should have ordered William to meet Barren.

“You owe me the chance to kill him,” Barren said evenly.

“No one owes you a life,” Larkin interjected.

“You made a selfish decision.” Judgment and anger ran through Tetherion’s voice. “But I should not have expected more from someone so young.”

For a moment Barren felt overwhelmed by their scrutiny, and then it quickly turned to anger.

“You realize William has wanted the crown for some time—”

“You really thought he would succeed in his attempts?” countered Tetherion powerfully. “Do you think I am a fool? I know what William wants!”

“Has he not proven he would do anything to get what he wants? He could have killed you!”

“And if he did?” Tetherion was on his feet, voice rising. Barren stood, sword in hand. “Datherious or Natherious would have been there to defend the throne. Now you have given those people someone else to look to—a false leader! What is worse? His living as a mere Ambassador? Or his succession as king?”

“I did not know William’s intentions! Had I known he was waiting for a precise moment to move against you, I would have reconsidered my plans!”

“Would you? Barren, part of growing up is realizing limits. Realizing that there is a whole world that has suffered just as you, and you are not entitled to any sort of revenge!”

Barren looked away from his uncle, his throat worked. He might not be entitled to revenge, but he would have it. His eyes fell on Larkin who was staring intently at her hands.

“Did you know?” he demanded, turning toward her. She met his stare with unkind eyes.

“No I did not know! It was my understanding William assumed he was the natural heir to the throne. However, it’s clear that is not the case.”

“It seems you both provided a proper arrangement for William’s success,” Tetherion said.

Barren slammed his fists against the oak table, and the silence that followed was deafening. He sat down in his chair again. Barren hated to think William had gotten the best of him. What was worse was not knowing his next move.

“Where is William now?” asked Barren. “Do we know what he is planning next?”

“I do,” Tetherion paused for a long moment, and Barren and Larkin suddenly had the feeling that Teth dreaded this conversation. He rubbed his eyes as he sat in silence, deciding how he would proceed. “Your brother has left Maris in search of the bloodstone.”

Barren laughed. “But that’s a myth, why would he go after something that’s not real?”

Tetherion lifted his eyes to Barren, as if admitting to guilt. “Because it is real, and it was stolen…by your father.”

“You’re lying!” Barren wasn’t sure if he thought Tetherion was lying about everything, or the accusation against his father. Either way, he had heard about the bloodstone from the time he was a child. The stone was said to bind the Reed line to the throne. Barren just assumed the legend was created by those in Mariana who felt the Reeds had come into power unfairly. If there was any truth to the tale, it meant that the stone bound the Reed line to the throne by dark magic.

“There are many secrets the throne must keep from the public. Some are too dangerous to let loose, others would create imbalance in the world. The bloodstone is both of those.”

“So all the rumors are true,” Larkin sat higher in her seat. “The Elves are hiding magic.”

“They are not hiding it,” said Tetherion, crushing that assumption quickly. “Not all Elves can control magic. Only Elves born with Lyric blood, and there have been none of those born for years, and those who were in existence are dead. So yes, at one point, the Elves were hiding magic, but they learned their lesson with the bloodstone.”

“What do you mean?”

“The bloodstone was offered to Eadred during the First War by Lord Alder in exchange for a promise that the two kingdoms would rule together in peace within the Orient. Eadred was to give the stone back once he won his crown, but when the time came to release it, Eadred refused. There was nothing Lord Alder could do, as the stone would protect Eadred no matter what.”

That would explain why Lord Alder hates mortals so much.

“And why would my father steal such a stone?”

“Well, if it was in his possession, then he would be untouchable.” Barren felt his eyes darken, and anger rose in his chest. Tetherion continued. “The stone was stolen around the time of the Ore Wars. Jess was fighting our fathers’ soldiers.

“You want me to believe my father stole a bloodstone in order to make himself invincible? He was a pirate! He had a sense of honor!”

“And your father’s wish for Saoirse triumphed over that,” Tetherion countered. “But do not think his decision wasn’t met with deep regret in the end.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Tetherion took a deliberate breath, and Barren knew he wasn’t going to like what his uncle was about to say. “You never knew your mother, but she was perhaps the most powerful Lyric in Mariana. When she discovered what your father intended to do with the bloodstone, she sought to destroy it, but the bloodstone is composed of dark magic, and over time, it strengthened. The stone drained her life-force, and she died.”

Barren was silent. Part of him couldn’t wrap his mind around any feelings he should probably have, and the other part of him was angry. He wasn’t sure what to say. Sysara. Sysara had been a Lyric. Even now the thought made him uncomfortable. He never liked to hear about his mother because he didn’t remember her. For all he knew, she had never been around or loved him. It was easier to think she didn’t exist than to wonder
why
she didn’t exist.

“Why tell me this now?” Barren asked slowly. “Why now when you’ve had five years?”

Tetherion seemed confused for a moment, and when he spoke, it was sincere. “I could not add to the pain of your father’s death.”

“So you choose to now? As if it would be easier?”

“It is now a necessity,” Tetherion’s voice was stern. “William is after the stone, which means when he finds it, he will be unstoppable—against me, my army, and you. I am asking you to stop him, to find the stone.”

“And what would I do with such a thing once I had it?”

“Destroy it,” Larkin interrupted. “Nothing like that should be in existence.”

“We would all be better off if it were not in existence,” agreed Tetherion. “But dark magic cannot be destroyed, unless you are ready to surrender your life to the otherworld.”

“So you want it?” Barren’s question sounded more like an accusation.

“It is better, is it not, to have such a device in the hands of someone who will not exploit it?”

“But you will not be the only king. There will be others who are not as wise.” Barren argued.

“Can you not trust your cousins, Datherious and Natherious, who so ardently believe in Saoirse, that they joined your crew? Believe me, Barren, the hope is that this stone will be returned to the crown’s vault and not looked upon again. It has no power so long as it is in none of our hands.”

Barren shivered hearing the promise in Tetherion’s tone. He was very quiet. He did not like the idea of this stone being in existence. Even if he trusted the king, and even if the twins believed in Saoirse, it still left the potential for the throne to be unopposed, and while that was convenient for any king, what if the world no longer wished for a king? What if that king was a terrible ruler? That stone had the ability to lay waste to many. To hand over such a stone felt like treason to Barren since he upheld the right to Saoirse and the code.

“I would go after it myself, but I have a rebellion to quash in Maris. I believe I should stay put for a spell, since this isn’t the first.” Tetherion added more guilt to Barren’s shoulders. “Barren, I am offering you a chance to have your revenge. Do this for me, and whatever happens to William along the way will be no one’s fault but his own.”

“What?” Larkin stood immediately. “A life is not yours to offer up in exchange for anything, not even for something as dangerous as this stone.”

“I am not handing over a life, Lady Larkin. Barren has to catch William first.”

Barren understood what Tetherion was offering. William would be at sea in search of this stone. He would be vulnerable, and he could take advantage of that by seeking out the bloodstone for Tetherion.

“Don’t you trust me?” Tetherion added, as if he could read Barren’s mind.

The pirate was at a loss—he did trust Tetherion…with his life. The king had done nothing to harm him, always remaining blind to Barren’s antics, despite the fact that he allowed William to move up in the ranks. At any point, he could have sent Barren to the noose, and now, as Tetherion’s dark eyes surveyed the pirate, that truth was all the more evident. Not only that, but Tetherion was offering Barren an open invitation to pursue his wish for revenge.

“I don’t even know where to start looking,” said Barren.

“Your brother will begin by seeking members of your father’s crew who were with him at the time.”

“Members like Alex?”

“Alex’s injuries kept him here in Silver Crest during the time your father took the bloodstone, but it is Alex who will take you to Conn and there you can begin your search. He says he knows someone.” Barren was a little irritated that his uncle had already taken the liberty of discussing this with everyone else before he ever agreed to do it.

“But William has known about the stone longer, how do we know he hasn’t already found it?”

“You will know when he comes into possession of the bloodstone. He will begin to destroy what he hates most in the world—pirates. The most frightening thing about the bloodstone is that it is dark magic—the power of evil, of selfishness, and it cares for no living thing. It will corrupt in whatever way it feels necessary—through famine, disease, or natural disaster.”

Barren stood quickly, and Larkin jumped. “Is that all you needed of us?

Tetherion nodded. Barren extended his hand, motioning for Larkin to leave. She brushed past him and hurried for the exit. Barren was right behind her, but before he could escape, Tetherion called to him again.

“I will be gone by morning,” he said. “I must return to Maris and clean up the mess your brother has made. Promise me you will bring the bloodstone.”

Barren only held his uncle’s gaze for a moment, then he closed the door behind him. Turning to face the cool air of the hallway, he hadn’t realized how hot it had been in the study. He let out a low breath.

“What are we going to do?” Larkin asked, waiting for Barren to speak.

“Stop William and find the bloodstone,” said Barren simply, not missing that Larkin had suddenly involved herself in his expedition to destroy her fiancé.

“You mean kill him?”

Surprisingly, Barren felt more concerned with the knowledge that his mother was a Lyric, and his father had been the reason for her death. If anything, he felt motivated to attempt this quest to find the truth.

Barren leveled his gaze with hers. He didn’t want it to seem that his wish for revenge had lessened during the course of their conversation, because it hadn’t. The thought of an unstoppable William Reed was not favorable to Barren in the least. So he asked, “Are you going to protect him as you protected Jonathan?”

“And if I did, would you kill me?”

“No one gets in the way of my revenge.”

The look she gave him challenged that statement. “Do you trust your uncle?”

“I have no reason not to trust my uncle,” Barren said, scratching his prickly chin. “I may not always like him, but he has done me no wrong.”

The two headed downstairs and out of the Bloodshed Pub. He imagined Larkin was more than happy to leave the pub. She kept her pace with Barren as he headed toward a white, two-story house at the end of the road. It was a charming home with a wrap-around porch, warmly-lit windows, and delicious aromas.

As they approached, they found Alex on the porch, rocking in a chair. He had a knife and was whittling away at a piece of wood. When he spotted them, he stood and held the door open for them.

“Mary’s got some food saved for ya. She wouldn’t go to bed ‘til she knew you’d all eaten,” he said, leading them into the kitchen.

Mary was Alex’s wife. She was a round woman with a round face and flush cheeks. She kept her hair in a bun, though wisps of it escaped and flew in a frenzy around her face. When she saw Barren enter, she hugged him tightly. She pulled away, and placed her hands on either side of the pirate’s face.

“You’re such a good boy,” she said. “A good, kind-hearted boy.”

Then Mary’s eyes fell on Larkin, and it was as if she’d known her all her life.

“What a doll you are!” she said, spreading her arms wide and embracing her. Larkin seemed surprised but accepted the welcome with a smile as she returned the hug. “Barren, where did you get such a pretty girl?”

Mary pulled away, but managed to grasp Larkin’s hand as she did.

Barren smiled and rubbed the back of his neck, not meeting Mary’s gaze. “That’s complicated, Mary…”

“I’m from Maris,” Larkin interrupted. Barren watched her as she spoke, relieved that he didn’t have to explain to his only mother-like figure that he’d kidnapped a girl. “You could say I stowed away on Barren’s ship. Not my best idea.”

“I’d say,” he muttered.

“Well, you better be nice to her,” Mary placed her hands on her hips. “A man’s only as good as he treats his lady.”

Barren buried his face in his hand. He would have attempted to correct Mary—tell her Larkin was most certainly not
his
lady, but he had learned long ago it did no good to right her.

The rest of Barren’s company had already eaten in the time it had taken for him and Larkin to speak with Tetherion and had now retired to their rooms. Mary gave Barren and Larkin their supper. They ate between questions from Mary, which were both entertaining and awkward. Barren had the strangest feeling of ease as they all sat around the table, laughing together—he would never have guessed this would be happening. Larkin was
actually
enjoying herself, and Barren found that he liked watching her smile more than he should.