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“We should go,” I said, standing to my fullest height to glimpse any traces of unwelcome company.

“Agreed,” she breathed.

I waited until she exited the booth, letting her slip by me. She took off in a run, her steps near silent as she went. I hurried behind her, muting mine in her wake. Somehow she’d read my mind, taking us far away from the market, and I had a suspicion of where we’d end up.

When I returned to the castle, I would have to snuff out the now confirmed traitor within my walls carefully. Dozens of people had access to the armory. Maybe following that thread would lead to uncovering this entire mess that had been operating right under my nose. I stifled my anger, honing my focus to keep myself agile as we moved deeper through the town, nearing the outskirts.

I couldn’t help my gaze from settling on the limber woman in front of me, moving like the wind. She’d charged that man, not one ounce of fear in her tiny body stopping her from interrogating him, even though he had to be over a foot taller than her. Not quite up to my height, but against her petite frame? Still intimidating. This woman was fearless. Motivated. Ruthless, maybe. After all, she’d thrown a dagger at my head.

I replayed what she’d said to the man, how she threatened to kill him, but didn’t. I questioned if she would ever cross that line. For as much anger as she possessed in her heart, it wasn’t venomous. She didn’t seek power, or the thrill of ending a life. Focused? Yes. Bloodthirsty? No.

Had her perception of me changed the night I took a man’s life? Did she know I had before Sverik burnt the bodies to ash? When it came to her, I didn’t hesitate, and I knew in the future I wouldn’t either. Did that make me a dangerous ruler?

The questions circled my mind like vultures above carrion as we approached the base of the outlook. I followed her up the slope, wondering what I would say once we reached the top.

38

Nora

My heart hadn’t stopped its thunderous beat the entire way to the ledge between towns. I’d actually done it. I’d sent them a clear message: Mess with my people again, and suffer the consequences.

Evenita had led me to the moment I’d been dreaming of. It was apparent now that the stolen cargo and kidnappings were performed by the same group, unless multiple factions were using a ghost ship to transport their goods. Doubtful.

I lost all care that Evenita knew my intentions and secrets, especially since she was willing to help. In front of Chol, she expressed that she knew how important it was that my identity remained a secret. I was grateful to her for that, and now even more so for this. The joints between my knuckles still throbbed, but every swell of pain only served as evidence that we’d come this far. And I was proud of it.

By the time my legs carried me up the steep slope of the hillside, they burned, but it didn’t ease my adrenaline. No, my energy levels were still swirling, still rising. I’d brought us here in probably my fastest time yet, my body still thrumming. I reached the top of the ledge, jumping up and down and shaking out my wrists.

I blew out a large breath, making my mask round in front of me. “We found them. We actually confronted them,” I said in partial disbelief.

Chol finally slugged up the hillside with noticeably less energy. “We did.” He was satisfied too, I could hear it in his softened voice.

“Can you believe it? He tried to act all innocent. We broke him! He ended up confessing!” I continued my relentless jabbering now that we had the space and safety to do so. My feet carried me in small, repetitive circles.

“He did.” I could hear Chol’s smile under that mask.

He hadn’t hesitated for a moment as I’d raced from the shore. I’d never had someone have my back that way, unquestioning support. I guess I’d never needed anyone else to hold a sword to a man’s throat before. Gods, he’d done that for me. An unbreakable team, steadfast, together.

“Do you think you can look into the stolen weapons? Maybe find another lead as to who is taking them? And why?” I asked, a little too much excitement in my voice while still bouncing on the balls of my feet.

His gloved hands curved into fists beside him. “Trust me, I’ll be keeping a very close eye on it.”

“Chol,” I said, almost breathless.

“Yes?”

“We did that.” I had to say it, to hear it again, to solidify that it really happened.

“We did. You were amazing.”

The adoration in his voice was my undoing. A fire ignited low in my belly, and everything restrictive fell from me. His support, his praise, that body. I ran and jumped. He caught me in his arms, my legs wrapping around his waist at the same moment my arms slid behind his neck.

His hands gripped dangerously close to my ass, at my uppermost thighs. It sent electricity coursing through me at the proximity. I hesitated, staring down into his deep, darkened eyes, my breath heaving behind my mask.

He only stared up at me in return, no hint of shying away from my closeness. My gaze dropped to his mask, to where his lips rested behind it. I tried envisioning their shape, their color. Wondered what it would feel like to press them against mine. My body tilted closer to his.

He moved gracefully, effortlessly with me in his grasp, leading us into the trees. We didn’t need words. His intent was written across those eyes barely glistening from the moonlight. Twigs and brush snapped beneath his feet before we were consumed in even more darkness by the tree cover. He pinned my back to a tree, the uneven bark digging into my clothes.

He’d been silent until now, until he released a gruff breath that sent fire to my loins. With one hand still cupping my thigh, he brought up his other to pull down his mask. I couldn’t make out details, but my gaze targeted his now exposed mouth.