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“I feel like that’s skirting the edge of the truth. Again, contempt does not suit you.”

“It’s not contempt. She has nothing to do with you. She has nothing to do with Kandala. Itold youto stay away from that room—and you manipulated Tessa into breaking in on your behalf.”

“If it makes you feel any better, she was breaking in to prove that you weren’t working against us. So I suppose webothmanipulated her.”

He glowers but says nothing. He doesn’t like that.

Good. I’m not done. I glance at the young woman bound near Rocco. “How did you hide her when my guards searched your ship?”

“Does it matter?”

Probably not, but I’m curious.

He shakes his head anyway. “Bella has nothing to do with any of you. I’ve approached you in good faith since the beginning.”

“Good faith! You lectured me on the ethics of Kandalan laws, while you were starving a prisoner right here on board.”

“I wasn’t starving her!” he snaps—but he quickly regains his composure, and he straightens, looking down at me. “We could have helped both our people, Your Highness. But your pride got in the way, and you set me as your adversary the very instant you placed a foot on board theDawn Chaser.”

“Both our people?” I repeat. “You reallyhaveallied yourself with Ostriary, haven’t you?”

He says nothing.

I study him, trying to figure it out. My head aches and it hurts to think, but I say, “Did this new king promise you something if you made a deal with Kandala?” I say to him. “Why are you risking yourself?”

“No one promised me anything. I’ve promisedthem.” He runs a hand back through his hair and sighs. A bruise has formed on his face from where I hit him. Good. I hope it hurts spectacularly.

“Why?” I demand. “You said yourself that you were a boy. Your father put you in this position. You owe themnothing.”

His eyes snap to mine, but he snorts. “Just like your father putyouin this position.”

I stare right back at him. I remember the day we met, when I asked about his father.

Dead. The same as yours.

“What happened to him?” I say. “You said he died in their war. You’d think that would make youmoreloyal to Kandala. Not less.”

He drops to a crouch and looks me right in the eye. “I’m not loyal to Kandala. I never was.”

He says it so plainly that the words hit me like a blow.

Then he leaves me bound there and moves away.

There are too many variables here. I can’t quite piece any of them together. I wanted access to that room because I was seeking proof that Rian was lying about something—and I guess I got it.

I just didn’t expect it to be in the form of an unconscious girl who looks like she hasn’t eaten in weeks.

But I can’t do anything for her. I can hardly do anything forus.

I blink in the early sunlight and take stock of our situation.

It’s not good.

I look over at the girl. Her wheezing is worse than Harristan when he has a coughing fit. Tessa seems unharmed, which is good, but Captain Blakemore isn’t stupid. She’s on the other end of the deck. I hope she has the good sense to be compliant. Despite everything, she has the best chance at being released.

Rocco is on his knees, bound to the mast between us. I don’t know if he was struck by a bolt from a crossbow or if he took a blade, but he’s a bit slumped, as if his bindings are all that’s holding him upright. I’m concerned about the amount of blood on his livery.

No Silas. No Lochlan. I don’t know what they’ve done with them—if anything.