Page 19 of A Kiss of Healing & Honor (Darkstone Academy #4)

“Absolutely not,” Mama said without hesitating. “That den of twisted mages is no place for an heir to the imperial throne.”

“Where are we going, then?” I asked, feeling a pang at the thought of not returning to the island.

My mother was right about the academy. It was notorious as a dumping ground for mages and mage-students who’d broken the laws governing magic or offended the imperial authorities. But despite my many unpleasant experiences there, I’d also experienced surprising acts of generosity, kindness, and friendship.

And it was where I’d met and fallen in love with Tama, Boreas, and Gwydion. And Ilhan, too, though I’d only just realized it.

At least they were all here with me now.

Mama signaled Captain Jaquob to join us.

“We wish to sail north, to the capital.” Mama sighed. She added in a bone-dry tone, “I’m sure the domina-regent will forgive me for my past transgressions since I now have an heir and three spares.”

I noted the tightness around her mouth, the unease in her hazel eyes.

Captain Jaquob cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. “I’m afraid that won’t be possible, Your Highness,” he said, addressing Mama with a respectful incline of his head. “This ship’s hull is badly damaged, and we don’t have a working rudder. Or a full set of sails.”

I glanced at Tama. He returned my look with unblinking serenity.

“Plus, even if we can somehow make repairs and get underway,” the captain continued, “we don’t have enough supplies to make the long journey north to the capital. Our stores are depleted, and we’ll need to restock somewhere.”

“What options do we have?” Mama asked.

“How about heading to Baleares, Your Highness?” Lady Karminn asked. “It’s the nearest port to Darkstone Island. All the academy’s supply ships sail from there. And my father, the Duke of Espola, remains loyal to the imperial throne.”

“Loyal? Then explain your brother here,” Mama tilted her head in the abashed young mage’s direction. “The duke’s loyal retainer.” Her tone was as cold as the polar sea.

Karminn’s expression suffused with shame, but her voice remained steady. “Yes, my brother is impulsive and makes stupid choices,” she said, each word as sharp as a blade. “Father’s on the verge of disowning him.”

Mage Maksim flinched. His freckled face flushed a deep red.

“But my father is a man of honor,” Karminn continued. “He’ll never abandon his oath of fealty to the imperial throne.”

She turned to me, her gaze softening. “Princess Jacinthe, I swear to you on my life and my honor that you will be safe with at the ducal court in Baleares. Father will grant Your Highnesses anything you need to travel on to Neapolis Capitola.”

“Since I was the one who damaged this ship, I will bring it into port,” Tama said. “I will ask the warriors of Dolphin Clan to assist me in towing you.”

“I don’t care if we’re imperial hostages. We’re not returning to Darkstone Academy if Princess Jacinthe isn’t,” Ilhan said firmly.

Alondra nodded. “And if anyone asks, we can tell them we’re in Princess Jonquil’s custody.”

“Damned right,” Boreas agreed. “I’m coming with you, too. I have a bone to pick with your domina-regent about the way she treats her honored guests.” He crossed his arms and glared defiantly at Mama.

Her gaze dipped to his impressive manhood in its nest of fiery hair at his groin, and I saw her color. She dragged her eyes up to his face. “I would be honored to host King Menelaus’ emissary.”

“I also wish to remain with Princess Jacinthe,” Gwydion said in his soft, musical voice.

I looked around at my circle of friends and felt humbled by their loyalty. They’d risked everything to come on this rescue mission.

“To Baleares, then,” Mama said, sounding resigned. “And then on to Neapolis Capitola.” She took a fortifying breath. “Now, what to do about the Duke de Norhas?”

“He’s too dangerous to be left alive,” Boreas growled, his golden eyes flashing. “That earthworm will never stop plotting against Jacinthe. Let’s end him now, while we have the chance.”

Tama nodded, his clawed fingers flexing as if itching to tear into the duke’s flesh. “Boreas is right. My people don’t leave their enemies alive to trouble them later.”

Mama nodded, her expression fierce and unyielding. “He’s a traitor and a black magic practitioner. He held me captive for over a year, stealing my will with a compulsion charm and…” she paused, swallowing hard. “Repeatedly assaulting me while pretending we were betrothed. I want him dead!”

Red-hot rage flared inside me as I realized what Mama was saying. I flexed my fingers, feeling my palms tingled with Fire magic straining at my control.

I could snap my fingers and roast the duke like a pig on a spit, I thought, looking at the unconscious man with loathing.

Then Mage Armand raised his hand. “Your Highness, I beg you. Don’t stoop to murder, no matter how much the duke may deserve it,” he urged in a gentle tone. “We’re healers. We took an oath to the Divine Mother to do no harm and to save lives whenever we can.”

His words doused my anger like a bucket of cold water thrown over a fire.

I took a deep breath. I hated the Duke de Norhas for what he’d done to Mama, and for what Lady Erzabetta and Lord Roderigo had done in his name. But my mentor was right.

“Mama, if we execute him now, while he lies helpless and unconscious, we’re no better than he is,” I said.

Ilhan and Alondra nodded. “Your Highness, as healers, we agree with Mage Armand and Princess Jacinthe.”

She glared at us as if I’d just betrayed her.

Fernan said, “Your Imperial Highness, I agree my father must face justice. But I beg you, let it be in a court of law, not here on the high seas.” He paused, and I saw anger, shame, and a deep, aching sadness in his expression. “I cannot—will not—condone my father’s actions. But he is still my father. If you decide to execute him without due process, I will have no choice but to withdraw my support.”

“Then what do you want me to do?” Mama demanded. “I can’t bear that man’s vile presence an hour longer. Much less for the length of our voyage to the mainland.” Her mouth thinned into an implacable line. “I won’t have it!”

“Your Highness,” Mage Bevitrice spoke up for the first time. “Why not send the duke and his mages back to Darkstone Island with us? We can have Captain Ondine and his men-at-arms guard the prisoners.”

Mage Armand nodded. “Yes, yes, that might work, Highness. After all, the castle there is an imperial prison in all but name.”

“And a hotbed of traitors,” Mama retorted. “As we’ve seen.”

“Castellan Guisbald will ensure none of the duke’s supporters can get to him,” Ilhan declared, sounding confident. “Besides, the island has no ships. Even if by some miracle the duke escapes the castle, he can’t go anywhere. Or work any spells while he’s collared.”

“And the castle has a dungeon. With cells.” Gwydion bared his teeth in a humorless smile.

We traded glances. Recently, we’d both been imprisoned in those cells.

“We have to decide quickly,” Gwydion added, shooting another glance at the position of the sun. “We only have our second ship for another few hours, anyway.”

“Castellan Guisbald will see that the Duke de Norhas remains under heavy guard until the imperial authorities can bring him to trial in the capital,” Mage Armand said.

“Is everyone in favor of sending the duke to the island?” Mama asked.

A murmur of assent rose from the humans in our little group.

“Fuck, no. He needs to die,” Boreas rumbled. “I’ll kill him if none of you have the guts.”

Tama nodded his agreement.

I pinned them both with my sternest gaze. “You’re not helping.”

“Fine.” Boreas crossed his arms, which made his muscles under his dark brown skin bulge in the most interesting way. “This is a human matter. Do what you think is right.”

“I will accede to my mate’s wishes,” Tama said with a shrug.

“Then I believe we’re all in agreement, Highness,” Armand said.

Sudden movement in the corner of my eye caught my attention. I turned just in time to see the Duke de Norhas and Mage Ysandre surge to their feet. Their severed bonds fell to the deck with a thump.

Ysandre’s hands whipped through the air, tracing glowing sigils that seared my eyes, as the Duke de Norhas chanted a quick spell.

“NO!” Mama screamed, her hands rising as if to grab the escapees.

In the blink of an eye, both Duke Beltrán and Mage Ysandre shot into the sky like arrows loosed from a bow, propelled by the force of an Air spell.

We all stared in horror as they rapidly shrank to mere specks against the cloudless sky. I felt sick to my stomach.

This couldn’t be happening! We’d fought so hard, risked so much to capture them, to put a stop to the duke’s treachery and black magic.

And now, in the space of a heartbeat, they were gone. Free to work fresh mischief.

“They shouldn’t have been able to break those bindings!” Mama’s voice cracked like a whip, sharp with disbelief and fury.

Tama left my side in a blur of movement. An instant later, he’d seized a sailor by the throat, hoisting him into the air as easily as a child might lift a doll.

The sailor’s feet kicked frantically, his face turning a mottled red as he clawed at Tama’s implacable grip.

“Here’s the culprit,” Tama snarled, his voice colder than a winter sea. “I saw him trying to crawl away from Mage Ysandre’s side.”

Blood welled where the razor-sharp tips of his claws dug into the sailor’s skin.

The man struggled and wheezed, his eyes rolling in terror.

I shivered at the ruthless, protective fury that burned in Tama’s expression. From experience, I knew he would do anything, absolutely anything, to protect me.

“Tama, please,” I begged, finding my voice at last. “Don’t kill him. We need him alive.”

Mama stepped forward. “I want to question this bilge rat and find out if anyone else on this ship is still loyal to Duke Beltrán.”

Tama’s lip curled in disgust, and I wondered whether the man in his grip was doomed.

After a long, tense moment, he relented. With a snarl of frustration, he tossed the sailor aside like a piece of garbage. The man hit the planks hard and curled into a whimpering ball, his sobs for mercy muffled against the salt-stained wood.

I let out a shaky breath, then turned to Boreas, hope warring with despair in my chest. “Boreas, can you change back to your Wind-Walker form and catch them?”

Boreas’ golden eyes flashed with regret and barely leashed fury. “Not fast enough, damn it! They’ve got too much of a head start.”

“I wager they’re headed straight for the other ships in the duke’s fleet,” Gwydion declared, his silver eyes narrowed.

“Makes sense.” Boreas nodded grimly. “Once I’m back in my true shape, I’ll fly over to their ships and capture them there…”

I saw again in my mind’s eye the terrible sight of Boreas plummeting from the sky with his wing shattered and his plumage stained with blood.

“No,” I said. “Not by yourself, Boreas. I won’t risk losing you again. We have to find another way.”

Boreas wheeled on me, his golden eyes flashing. “Are you fucking serious, Jacinthe? You expect me to just sit here while that parasite-ridden earthworm De Norhas continues to threaten you?”

His clawed hands clenched into fists at his sides, the muscles in his powerful arms flexing.

Ilhan stepped forward, his hand coming to rest on my shoulder in silent support. “Princess Jacinthe is right, Boreas. We have to be smart about this. Charging in blindly will only get you killed, and then where will we be?”

Beside him, Alondra nodded, her blue eyes wide and solemn. “Remember what happened the last time you flew off to attack the duke’s ships on your own?”

For a long, tense moment, Boreas remained rigid, his burning eyes boring into mine as if searching for some chink in my resolve. Then, with a growl of frustration, he turned away, his broad shoulders slumping in defeat.

“Fine. Have it your way. But don’t blame me when he fucks us over again.”

Relief flooded through me, so intense it left me lightheaded. I sagged against Ilhan, grateful for his steadying presence as I fought to compose myself.

“Thank you, Boreas,” I whispered, pouring all the love and gratitude I felt into those simple words. “We’ll find a way to stop him. I promise.”

“There’s something else you should all know,” Fernan said grimly, his gaze flicking from me to Mama and back again. “My father has already suborned six imperial legions. After capturing Princess Jacinthe, he planned to meet up with his troops, march on the capital, depose the domina-regent, and put Princess Jonquil on the throne as his puppet.”

The Duke de Norhas controls half the imperial army now?

We all stared at him in horror.