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“That would be never.” Wren considered this. “Does that change anything? If Gunn is more pirate than he is merchant? In all honesty, we’re all criminals and traitors to the Verlanti.”

“Good point. If anything, it might work in our favor if he largely works beneath the law.” Leif shrugged, as if it didn’t matter much to him at all, then headed for the door that led out onto the lower deck proper.

“You mean you don’t know?” she asked, arching a brow.

The bard gave her a ghost of a smile. “I know Gunn, and he’s as good as they come.” Leif gave her a piercing look that made Wren want to fidget. “But not everyone shares all their secrets.”

She shuddered her eyes. If only he knew.

He suspects though. You need to be careful.

If Wren didn’t watch herself, it would be so easy to confide in Leif. But that would put Britta in danger. Her sister needed to be kept hidden until Wren had sorted everything out and recaptured the Dragon Isle throne.

With a glance in her direction, Leif tried the handle of the exit only to find the door locked. She reached forward to try her hand at picking the lock, but the bard held his hand up and then pulled out a tiny bag of tools from the waistband of his trousers. Where the devil had those come from?

“So you are a thief now? Or a bandit?” Wren teased, as Leif held his ear to the door whilst he worked away at the lock. “Did you steal your tools too?”

He stuck out his tongue. “I always come prepared. Plus, you learn a thing or two when you work with Bram.Ah,there we go,” he said, satisfied, when the lock clicked and the door swung open. Going by the bustle and thumping of heavy footsteps overhead, it was clear that mostly everyone was on deck, preparing the ship to leave port.

“We don’t have much time before they leave the city,” Wren concluded, noting the failing light through the porthole in the cargo hold before closing the door behind them and lifting the hood of her stolen cape to conceal her hair. “We need to find Gunn as soon as we can. Getting stuck on this ship isn’t part of the plan, and there’s no way you can swim back.”

Leif said nothing, though he nodded in agreement, and together the two of them prowled through the dark lower deck as silently as they were able.

“Who’s there?” a man slurred.

Wren froze, spotting a sailor. He blinked at her through bleary eyes and then promptly passed out, slumping against the wall, his bottle of spirits clanking to the floor.

Leif whistled out a breath. “That was a close one.” A pause. “Wonder what kind of rum that is. Smells delicious.”

“Get your mind in the game,” she muttered, stepping past the sailor.

“My mind isalwayson games.”

Wren’s eyes widened as another older sailor swung out from behind the stairway to the upper deck, his back to them. Leif darted forward and knocked the man unconscious and caught him before he hit the floor. Her friend tucked the sailor back behind the stairs and brushed his hands off.

He gave her a wry smile. “You were saying?”

“That you’re amazing,” she chirped before sneaking up the stairs.

All around them was organized chaos. Cargo was being brought on board, while the final loads of cargo to be broughtoffthe ship were being hurriedly taken down the gangplank. It was clear the ship would be leaving imminently.

“There,” Leif muttered, surreptitiously pointing toward the telltale figure of Gunn by the prow of the ship. The man was laughing at a sailor whilst wildly waving his arms. Wren gritted her teeth and imagined he was regaling his companion with his antics from the tavern. She still didn’t know how she was going to get back at him, but it wouldn’t be pleasant, that much she knew.

Together, Leif and Wren stalked toward the merchant-turned pirate, thankful for the anonymity their cloaks granted them as they wove between cargo, thick coils of rope, port workers, and sailors. It was only when Gunn’s companion left to continue with their duties that Wren decided to approach him, waiting until the pirate was by the mast of the ship before leaving Leif’s side, dagger in hand.

“So I got out of your mess,” she breathed into the man’s ear, before slicing her dagger through the side of the man’s cloak to stick it to the mast. All at once Gunn turned round, though Wren had the element of surprise and used it to her full advantage. She bowled into the man and bodily pinned him to the mast, pulling out her other dagger to point it directly at his jugular. “Now get out of mine,” she purred.

For a moment a flash of admiration filled Gunn’s gray eyes. Then he let out a raucous laugh. “I must say, I’m impressed. Not many people can sneak up on me.” His gaze trailed down Wren’s figure and back up again, then flicked to Leif. “In my own stock, no less. But I told you to get out of the city, did I not? You’re still in the port.”

With a growl, Wren nicked Gunn’s throat with her blade. “I’d rather say that successfully boarding your ship despite all of its security is more than a fair test of my abilities,” she said, waving out toward the intimidatingly large, muscular bodyguards the pirate had posted all across the deck of the ship. They were heading toward them now, intent on pulling her off their captain. “Now call them off, and work with me as you said you would, or we’ll report all of your illegal cargo to the crown. I doubt Soren would smile upon you for it. I hear he’s very temperamental these days.”

Gunn’s lips stretched over his perfect teeth into a feral grin. “So you would just walk up to King Soren and tell on me? You, who’s wanted by the crown and hunted wherever you go? I highly doubt that, Princess. No matter how bold you are, I doubt you’re that stupid.”

“I’m fairly certain my husband would do something about it. Something tells me he doesn’t take too kindly to pirates.”

This, at least, caused Gunn to pause in his mirth, though the smile did not slip from his face. “I see you more than live up to your reputation as a princess of dragons.” A nod at Leif over Wren’s shoulder. “You did not exaggerate when you told me I’d meet my match in her. I like her fire.”

“You cannot even begin to match Princess Wren,” Leif said, his confidence in her warming Wren up from the inside.