Cutlass (32 page)

Larkin was quiet while William spoke. How could the twins be traitors? They were Barren’s cousins. They had joined his crew willingly, and sailed with him for the past few months. Why would they go through the trouble....unless the whole purpose was to trap Barren? Now that she thought about it, the twins were always quiet and reserved. They both sort of just faded into the background. They were also the ones who were always sent as lookouts, right before attacks like the one on the Cliffs. Now the twins were sailing with Barren, and he was ignorant of his cousins’ betrayal. She needed to warn him—but how? By the time Barren found her at Cape Oceaniana, it would be too late. And what did this mean for Tetherion? Was he ignorant, too?

“You were with my brother a very short while to be so dedicated to him.”

“I can sympathize with his situation,” said Larkin. “Though I do not always agree with his decisions.”

“So you haven’t forgotten his crimes against Maris? Because Barren is a pirate and he deserves death for his deeds.” He spoke steadily, and Larkin could feel a lump rise in her throat.

“You are a murderer, but no one calls for your death.”

She watched, expecting William’s face to change—for his jaw to tighten, his eyes to grow darker, narrower...but he gave no hint of anger, and for some reason, that was even more frightening.

“What happened to you two?” she asked, her voice low—a whisper in the silence of the brig.

William looked away from her, his face turned into the shadow. She couldn’t be sure, but she thought he was hiding something—his faltering composure, maybe? She watched the rest of his body, searching for signs of his mood, but he was a master at self-possession.

“There is no affection between us,” said William at last. “It ended the day I killed our father. He was the link we shared, the only source of brotherly love. I have no wish to recall what once was.”

“What about your mother?”

William’s brows rose, but he didn’t look at Larkin. His eyes became distant, endless pools of black. “She is like a distant dream,” he whispered. “She was beauty, she was power. I thought she would live forever.”

“So you remember her?”

“I remember the way I felt when Jess told me she was dead. Barren did not understand. He was…unaffected. Though, why shouldn’t he be? He had everything—Jess’s affection…Jess’s attention. He never did any wrong,” he paused. “You see…Barren…Barren only understood my heartache once he lost his father.”

“What are you saying?”

“Jess killed
my
mother,” said William, his lips barely moved. “You should understand. You of all people—he killed your mother, too!”

Larkin was very quiet as the impact of what William said hit her. “What?”

“I know you’ve wondered where you came from—who she was. She was a Lyric, just like my mother. She died trying to destroy the bloodstone.”

Larkin felt both relieved and empty at the same time. Suddenly her mother had an identity; she was like Barren’s mother, she was a sorceress, a powerful but dead being—and Jess Reed had taken her. Larkin cringed at the last thought: it didn’t
sound
right and it didn’t
feel
right.

“How do you know this?”

“Your father, why else do you think he and Jess became enemies?”

Larkin never knew they had been friends. “What do you mean,
became
?”

“Your father and Jess were once friends, but after Kenna’s death, Lee swore he would have his revenge.”

“But…that doesn’t make any sense, they could not have been friends….”

“One thing has never changed about your father—he has always been a traitor.”

Larkin kept her lips pressed tight, but she wondered why Tetherion had not spoken of this before—surely he had known that her father was once on Jess’s side.

“Now you have been told the truth, and must understand my wish to kill Barren.”

“I do not.”

“What?”

“I do not understand your wish to kill Barren.” Larkin’s eyes were dark with disdain for William’s assumptions. “And what you have given me is little evidence in support of your crime.”

“What evidence do I need other than your mother’s death?” spat William.

“That is not Barren’s crime,” Larkin glared at William, and her breath came in deliberate drafts.

“You have been brainwashed,” William attempted to shake off her comments.

“No!” Larkin’s voice was severe. “I have not been brainwashed! I have been free to think, to come to my own conclusions about others! And I do not believe for a second that Barren Reed is deserving of death.”

William’s jaw was clenched so tightly, Larkin wondered if he was going to speak. “You forget one thing, Larkin Lee—you still have to marry me.”

“I will not,” her voice rang with promise and silence followed as William processed what she said. He was used to her over speaking, but not about their marriage—it had been arranged by her father, and she never defied him.

“What did you say?”

“I will not marry you,” Larkin’s voice rose, defiant and strong.

“I see my brother has had more of an effect on you than I thought.”

“He has done nothing to sway my opinion of you,” Larkin’s voice stung the air. “I have always thought unfavorably of you, and even your brother but—”

“But what? What has he done that I have not?”

“He’s sorry,” she said desperately. Somehow, she knew William would not understand. “I believe his pain, and while I do not agree with his decisions, there is something about him worth holding on to. Worth giving a chance to.”

“So you would see to it that a man who did nothing but wreak havoc on the coast of your home, be given more of your favor than me?”

“I gave you a chance, and I was willing to marry you despite the fact that I would never love you, but what I hated about you then, isn’t what I hate about you now. I shudder to think what I would have faced had I not been kidnapped!”

“And what, may I ask, makes you think you won’t be my wife now that I have you back?”

Larkin glared at William as he moved out of the cell and into the shadow.

“If it is your wish to live in fear of your life, then take me as your bride. It’s your gamble.”

“I would not be so eager,” said William, closing the rusted door to her cell. “But I know whose heart yours has turned to, and before I see you with my brother, I would see you dead.”

She listened as William’s footsteps thudded over the wood and a door shut somewhere in the distance. She shivered; she felt cold and exhausted, both mentally and physically. She never expected to learn about her mother in such a manner. In fact, she had never expected to learn about her mother at all. Why had her father felt it was necessary to keep such a secret? And why had Tetherion avoided this piece of information? He didn’t seem to be on William and Lee’s side, but things weren’t adding up on Barren’s either.

Outside, Larkin heard water and wind crashing against the hull. The massive ship groaned beneath the fury of the Orient. From where she was, she could hear cries erupting on deck; chaos ensued above. Part of her felt that this was revenge, revenge for the pain and the abuse William and Christopher had inflicted—she knew the Orient worked in that way. Or maybe she was angry that they were trespassing on her waters. Barren had said if the Orient did not want them to pass, they would all die.

As Larkin sat there, she pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs, examining the bruises and the long red marks across her skin—evidence of her fight with Cas. Her heart pulled tight and she withheld the waves of tears threatening her eyes. She did not want to die here, not with William and not with her father.

Another wave crashed into the hull and she fell to the wooden floor, ignoring the pain accosting her. She lay very still, closing her eyes as tears spilled down her flushed cheeks. In this moment, she could only think of one person. One person who had saved her life over and over again, and she wished he were here now.

Barren felt silly as he looked in the mirror. The Elves had brought him clothes to change into and now he wore brown leggings and a green tunic. He much preferred his clothes, though they were less than acceptable—caked with blood and mud from Estrellas. They would probably need to be burned.

A knock sounded at the door, and Leaf entered his room, presenting a mug filled with steaming tea.

“Drink this before you head out tonight,” he said. “Your limbs won’t get sore from standing.”

Barren took the drink and put it to his lips. He blew on the hot liquid before taking a sip.

“Cove told me you want to go to Cape Oceaniana in hopes of rescuing Larkin.”

Barren did not say anything; instead he turned from the Elf and walked toward the row of windows in his room. He’d forgotten he’d told Cove that. “What if she does not want to come back? Have you prepared yourself for that reality?”

“Yes, Leaf,” he said, irritated. “It’s not about coming back to me. It’s about her freedom.”

“Is that what you’re telling yourself now?”

“Believe what you want,” Barren looked at his friend, and the Elf raised his brows, partly amused, partly as a challenge.

“I didn’t think to warn you not to fall in love with your brother’s fiancée…that would have been the worst luck, after all.”

Barren scowled, but Leaf only smirked and then nodded to the drink still in Barren’s hands. “Finish that or you’ll regret it.”

The Elf retreated then. Barren had half a mind to throw the mug at him, but instead he sipped the hot liquid, knowing full well that Leaf wasn’t lying about regretting it later. When he’d finished the mixture, he made sure his knives were concealed. It was probably frowned upon to bring weapons to this gathering, but Barren never liked being unarmed. He left his room. Though the huge windows outside his room would allow anyone inside, he locked his door. He’d felt uncomfortable ever since he woke up this morning.

Tonight, he planned to confront Lord Alder about the bloodstone whenever and wherever he could. It would probably be a mistake, but he knew the King of the Elves would not allow a private audience with him, so Barren was going to have to manage with whatever he could get—even if that meant leaving Aurum tonight, and possibly facing Leaf’s disappointment.

Barren headed down the hall. At night, Aurum took on an ethereal feeling. Candles and lanterns illuminated the halls in a way that made them glow, and while it was dark outside, the sky was filled with stars and a full moon, causing silver to blanket everything. Entering the great hall, he was met with the same otherworldly feel. It was well known that the Elves were beautiful, and having so many in one room, all dressed in fine silk and shimmery robes, made him forget for a moment how untrustworthy they could be. Without a doubt, Barren knew every last one of these elegant and willowy creatures was deadly. Sure, their skills varied: some were better with bows, others with swords, but most liked to use their hands because weapons made too much noise. That simple bit of knowledge, which Barren had learned directly from Leaf, always made him feel that the Elves were far more brutal than the world actually knew.

Barren kept close to the windows. Being in tight spaces made him uncomfortable, and the fact that he was half-Elf in a room of full-bloods, didn’t make him feel any better. He sifted through the faces in the crowd, seeking members of his crew. He hadn’t seen everyone yet—the twins, for instance, had gone to the shore. Barren imagined they’d felt very uncomfortable in the Elvish kingdom considering their mother had been from Aurum and ran away when they were young, giving way to a strained relationship between humans and Elves.

“Who are you looking for?” Cove asked, coming to stand beside him. The Ambassador had also been given a green tunic and brown leggings and was enjoying a glass of wine. As Barren looked at him, Cove swirled the liquid around and took a slow sip.

“I was searching for the twins,” Barren said. “I have not seen them since I woke.”

“Yes, they were not comfortable coming here,” said Cove. “I would not be surprised if they are spending their time on the
Vasa
.”

“It is a pity few can enjoy Leaf’s homeland,” Barren mused quietly.

“Quite,” said the Ambassador. “But you know, we are not so different from Lord Alder. He feels threatened. He sees his race waning—a race that once dominated Mariana. He does what he can to protect it, just as we do what we can to protect our freedom.”

Of course Cove would defend him. He was the Ambassador of Arcarum. It was his job to understand both sides. It was his job to offer peace.

“He would do well to trust more.”

“You think?” Cove raised a brow. “It seems he trusted Eadred enough to offer him aid in the fight for the throne of the Orient, and Eadred betrayed that trust. It is unfortunate, but the race of men has taught Lord Alder how to treat them. If he is to decide to treat us differently, he must be taught that we can be trusted.”

“And how would one do that?”

“I do not know,” Cove said honestly. “But not having his trust bothers me greatly. Lord Alder…he is a small power, but a great one all the same.”