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The pirate took a moment to consider this, then waved at his men to stand down. “Get the dagger away from my throat and we can trade, as you wanted. I think I’ll enjoy seeing how your little drama with yourhusbandwill play out, Princess Wren. My sources say his hunt for you has been quite ferocious.”

She smirked, pulling the blade out of Gunn’s cloak before removing the one she held at his throat. She didn’t care for the pirate’s petty reason for helping them out—she knew he had far more reasons than drama alone to help the rebellion, if Leif was to be believed that the pirate was against the slavery the Verlantian Court benefitted from. All she cared about was securing food for the rebellion and proving that she could be trusted with dangerous work on their behalf. Even though the marriage had been forced upon Wren, her connection with the crown had tainted her reputation. It was unfair, but so was life.

“Bring them as much grain as they can carry,” Gunn ordered his men. He bowed graciously to Wren, though the filthy look on his face made it look anything but gentlemanly. “A gesture of good faith, if you will. I will contact you in time with the rest of the promised shipment. But be warned, Dragon Princess: playing with fire will lead to you getting burned.”

“Good thing I like a little heat,” she countered, collecting the grain with Leif before leaving the ship without another word. Her boots thumped against the boardwalk and she felt like whooping in victory, but even now she could feel Gunn’s gaze pinned to her back. She wasn’t quite sure what to make of the pirate.

“You did it,” Leif breathed, hugging the sack of grain closer to his chest.

“Wedid it,” Wren corrected, even though Gunn had made their task as impossible as he possibly could.

She eyed the ships bobbing in their slips and savored the brine scent of the sea. A haunting melody filled the air as they passed the nearest ship, and for a moment, if she closed her eyes, Wren could pretend she was home. But it wasn’t to be. All her worries and stress rushed back in.

Bram was going to be so angry. They’d lost him earlier.

“It’s going to be a long walk,” Leif lamented as they moved around the edge of the city.

Wren sighed. That was an understatement.

Her skin prickled and she swept the area, searching for the source of the feeling. Her breath seized and she froze.

The prince.

He almost blended in with the shadows, but his silver-white braids were a shining beacon. Wren dropped the sack of goods and pulled a dagger from her hip, taking one step toward the man who’d ruined her life.

“Wren?”

She glanced over her shoulder at Leif and then back at the prince.

Except that he was gone.

Wren searched the darkness for any sign of him. There was nothing. Was she hallucinating Arrik now too?

“What’s wrong?” Leif asked, stepping to her side.

“I thought I saw something,” she murmured. “It’s nothing.”

She sheathed her weapon and took a step back to get the grain.

“Are you okay?” Leif questioned.

“Yeah. Let’s just get home.”

Wren wasn’t okay. Not by a long shot.

* * *

It was full dark by the time they made it back to camp. As if he could sense them, Bram thundered toward the camp entrance the moment Wren and Leif set foot over it, murder written all over his face. Vienne was quick to follow him, her own face unreadable.

Here we go again.

Wren held her head high as she met Bran head on.

“You irresponsiblewretch,” Bram spat, pointing at Wren. “That’s the last time you’reeverbeing trusted with a mission.” Then at Leif: “Just what in the blazes were you thinking? You let her pointlessly put her life on the line for a fool’s errand!”

With a satisfying thump Wren and Leif chucked the bags of grain they’d hauled back from Gunn’s ship at Bram’s feet. Satisfaction swirled in her chest as Bram’s eyes narrowed on the foodstuffs.

“I never said we failed,” she argued, making sure to intonate every word with care and precision. She turned her attention to her aunt. “If this isn’t the proof you need to know that I can work as a spy for the rebellion—playing by the ridiculous rules set by our allies whilst also avoiding our foes—then I don’t know what is.” She crossed her arms and stared down her aunt.