soldiers and dockworkers. “You are dismissed.”
“ Yes, sir,” many of the men said, and followed his orders with respectful compliance.
Carmine ’s tone hardened. “I was referring to the Common-Lord, not his baby brother.”
We filed onto the ship, passing the disembarking workers shoulder-to-shoulder. “Not a good way to start,” I warned her, but it was too late.
“ Baby, is it?” Dylan asked, smiling in a way that could stop a girl's heart from beating. “Why pilot, I didn't know we'd come to pet names so soon. Very well, Darling. I'm the only Axton aboard.”
“ Don't talk to her like that,” Kyle bristled.
“ Your arrogance knows no bounds.” Carmine put her hands on her waist. “What were they doing on my ship?”
“ Outfitting your toy boat with supplies.” Dylan was not at all ruffled by our pilot's irritation. “Darling, you really shouldn't frown that way. You'll destroy that pretty face of yours.”
“ Oh, I'll destroy a pretty face.” Carmine's words dripped venom. “But it won't be mine.”
That only made Dylan laugh. I related all too well to Carmine's fury.
“Enough of this,” Professor Block said, moving to stand between them. He held up the letter in his hand, signed and sealed by Lord Brendon. “We were told to come here.”
A voice came from behind us. “Yes. Indeed, you were.”
All of the militia soldiers and dockworkers had dispersed. One man strode up the ramp to our ship. A heavy hood draped over his head, wrapped about his shoulders, and trailed two long strips of cloth that brushed the ground. He wore practical, nondescript clothes that would easily pass him off as fisher or farmer. His shoulders were broad, and his footfalls heavy.
Once aboard, he pulled his thick wool shroud back far enough that we could see his face. It was the Common-Lord of Breakwater, himself.
Rune straightened his shoulders and lifted his chin, standing at attention in the Common-Lord's presence.
“Forgive my tardiness, I was regrettably detained,” Brendon Axton said. “Brother, thank you for arranging the labor. Were there any problems in supplying the ship?”
Dylan made eye contact with Carmine. “None that I couldn't handle.”
Her fists clenched and I could tell that s he wanted to hit him. I put a hand on her arm, and she looked at me sharply. I shook my head slowly and watched her breathe out some of her anger.
Lord Brendon looked between the six of us, his square jaw set. “I know that this is not standard custom and it may seem in poor taste, but we have no time for pleasantries and even less for precautions at the keep. Trust cannot be guarded by friendship alone and I'm not fool enough to believe that all of my subjects are beyond selling information to our Prince.”
Or making promises in order to save their own skin s.
My stomach rolled, and not from the gently bobbing ship. It wasn't supposed to be like this. We were the good guys, and I felt like a villain by association , like a wolf lurking in the brush. This wasn't me.
Rune nodded once. “Understood.”
Beside me, Ruby was nodding, but I could tell by her expression that she didn't understand why he couldn't trust his own people. She had a lot to learn about this place. We were raised to believe that loyalty was standard. I'd found out the hard way that it wasn't the case. Not here... not even in Haven.
“You already know what I require of you,” Brendon continued. The wind blew his hood back from his face, and I could see his short, wheat hair and the stubble on his cheeks. Though simple in their design, his clothes were unstained, and he himself smelled faintly of soap. Even fresh and clean, I could see that the man was exhausted. Early wrinkles creased his sun-weathered forehead, lines of sleeplessness looped below his eyes. Despite his physical appearance, he didn't show a single moment of weakness. He was alert, attentive and focused. “I have received word that Cape Hill is rioting. If not for
“ Yes, sir,” many of the men said, and followed his orders with respectful compliance.
Carmine ’s tone hardened. “I was referring to the Common-Lord, not his baby brother.”
We filed onto the ship, passing the disembarking workers shoulder-to-shoulder. “Not a good way to start,” I warned her, but it was too late.
“ Baby, is it?” Dylan asked, smiling in a way that could stop a girl's heart from beating. “Why pilot, I didn't know we'd come to pet names so soon. Very well, Darling. I'm the only Axton aboard.”
“ Don't talk to her like that,” Kyle bristled.
“ Your arrogance knows no bounds.” Carmine put her hands on her waist. “What were they doing on my ship?”
“ Outfitting your toy boat with supplies.” Dylan was not at all ruffled by our pilot's irritation. “Darling, you really shouldn't frown that way. You'll destroy that pretty face of yours.”
“ Oh, I'll destroy a pretty face.” Carmine's words dripped venom. “But it won't be mine.”
That only made Dylan laugh. I related all too well to Carmine's fury.
“Enough of this,” Professor Block said, moving to stand between them. He held up the letter in his hand, signed and sealed by Lord Brendon. “We were told to come here.”
A voice came from behind us. “Yes. Indeed, you were.”
All of the militia soldiers and dockworkers had dispersed. One man strode up the ramp to our ship. A heavy hood draped over his head, wrapped about his shoulders, and trailed two long strips of cloth that brushed the ground. He wore practical, nondescript clothes that would easily pass him off as fisher or farmer. His shoulders were broad, and his footfalls heavy.
Once aboard, he pulled his thick wool shroud back far enough that we could see his face. It was the Common-Lord of Breakwater, himself.
Rune straightened his shoulders and lifted his chin, standing at attention in the Common-Lord's presence.
“Forgive my tardiness, I was regrettably detained,” Brendon Axton said. “Brother, thank you for arranging the labor. Were there any problems in supplying the ship?”
Dylan made eye contact with Carmine. “None that I couldn't handle.”
Her fists clenched and I could tell that s he wanted to hit him. I put a hand on her arm, and she looked at me sharply. I shook my head slowly and watched her breathe out some of her anger.
Lord Brendon looked between the six of us, his square jaw set. “I know that this is not standard custom and it may seem in poor taste, but we have no time for pleasantries and even less for precautions at the keep. Trust cannot be guarded by friendship alone and I'm not fool enough to believe that all of my subjects are beyond selling information to our Prince.”
Or making promises in order to save their own skin s.
My stomach rolled, and not from the gently bobbing ship. It wasn't supposed to be like this. We were the good guys, and I felt like a villain by association , like a wolf lurking in the brush. This wasn't me.
Rune nodded once. “Understood.”
Beside me, Ruby was nodding, but I could tell by her expression that she didn't understand why he couldn't trust his own people. She had a lot to learn about this place. We were raised to believe that loyalty was standard. I'd found out the hard way that it wasn't the case. Not here... not even in Haven.
“You already know what I require of you,” Brendon continued. The wind blew his hood back from his face, and I could see his short, wheat hair and the stubble on his cheeks. Though simple in their design, his clothes were unstained, and he himself smelled faintly of soap. Even fresh and clean, I could see that the man was exhausted. Early wrinkles creased his sun-weathered forehead, lines of sleeplessness looped below his eyes. Despite his physical appearance, he didn't show a single moment of weakness. He was alert, attentive and focused. “I have received word that Cape Hill is rioting. If not for
Similar Books
