Page 26

“That’s true,” I allowed. “However, the princeattacked and forcibly drank from our people. Which, as everyone aboard this ship knows, is against our laws. We provided your prince with fae blood and offered him volunteers to drink from. He took liberties with our people.”

“With whom?” The captain stood; anger restrained but visible in the tight lines of his neck. “A merchant? A peddler? A whore?”

“It matters not what they did for a profess?—”

The captain lunged. Neve screamed, and I acted on instinct, leaping up, throwing my arm out, and with all my might, flinging the vampire to the side and into the wall.

“Sian, protect her!” I drew my sword. At my side was young Filip, stake in hand.

“What happened to not drawing blood?” the captain rasped as he stood. “Or did you just mean yours?”

“You wouldn’t dare attack a royal,” I replied.

“You’re right. I can’t drawyourblood, Prince Vale, not if I wish to keep my head back home, but that doesn’t mean I can’t take theirs.” He flew to the door, darting past the guards in the room with ease, little more than a blur with his great vampiric speed.

“Behind you!” I roared, hoping I wasn’t too late to save the outside Clawsguards from an attack.

“They killed our prince!” Captain Barvo bellowed. “Prince Gervais is dead!”

I didn’t need to see the Clawsguards to know they’d fallen into a fighting position. Or that the closest vampires were already upon them. Metal struck metal. Preternatural growls rang from the lips of vampires.

I darted out the door, desperate to help my escort. “Sian, keep Neve safe!”

“You heard him—burning moon, get back here!” Sian yelled as someone barreled into me from behind, then another person. I twisted. Neve was squished between me and Sian.

She gasped, wriggled her way out, and I grasped her wrist. “Get back in the cabin. Sian and Filip will?—”

“Vale, watch out!” Sian growled, drawing a blade and pushing Neve into the arms of his younger brother.

The captain was upon us again, his dagger flying.

“Your guards will die. One by one,” Captain Barvo grunted as I pulled my sword and met his metal with my own. The news had sent him into a rage. He could no more honor the diplomatic treaty than keep the fury from his eyes. “And you will see their blood spill on the decks of my ship.”

He wasn’t wrong. Though I focused on the captain, I didn’t miss when one of my guards fell to his knees. Thankfully, he had backup. Another fae took the head of the vampire looming over his comrade. Vampire blood sprayed as two more opponents went down.

The vampires on the top deck had attacked, but we had the numbers, at least until those below arrived.

“I did it!” Neve shrieked from behind. “I killed your prince because he was trying to kill me!”

I prepared for Captain Barvo to swing around me, to go for her, but then she added, “however, I’d think before you take another step, Captain. I’m Prince Vale’s wife, a member of the royal family of Winter’s Realm.”

The captain froze, his eyes wide, dagger still aloft. I halted my attack, waiting. For a moment, neither of us moved, though the fighting continued behind us. Another vampire head flew, another fae soldier took a dagger in his leg.

“Prince Laurent attackedyour wife?” the captain breathed as he met my eye. “She killed him? In defense?”

“Yes!” Neve screamed. “I killed him in self-defense. Or he would have murdered a member of the Royal House of Aaberg! That cannot stand!”

The captain sucked in a breath and spun. “Stop! All who fight for the banner of Laurent, stop!”

“And those who fight for House Aaberg!” I added, not wishing to draw more blood if we were, in fact, at a standstill.

The skirmish came to an abrupt halt as twenty more vampires appeared from below decks. Not far behind, the sailors from the docks soared our way with Vidar and Sayyida. So many were covered in blood.

I sucked in a breath. Had others from our side died below? Was the captain going to continue now that he had backup? But then the captain gave the signal for them to hang back. To stop. The vampires didn’t look pleased about it, but they did as ordered. As a result, the fae sailors, Vidar, and Sayyida lowered their weapons.

He twisted to face us again. “Your name, my lady?”

“Princess Neve of House Aaberg,” my wife replied, her chin tilted up. “And I believe that, as he attacked me first, your prince was in the wrong. I had every right to defend myself. And I may be new to the royal house, but Ibelieve that attacking a royal is grounds for war. Much like this might be considered?”