Page 34 of A Queen’s Betrayal (Legends of Worldbinders #1)
Arenna peeled and chopped every last carrot Thomas handed her for tonight’s supper. They had been moving in the fog for five days now, and thankfully, there had been no sign of scaled tails or beautiful women who could turn into flesh-eating Sirens in the blink of an eye.
Her hands throbbed as she scooped up heaps of orange and dumped them into a roaring pot.
Thomas had kindly shown her how to properly cube the food, never questioning why she—a woman in this day and age—didn’t know how to cook.
Arenna concocted a flimsy story about bouncing from town to town, never staying long enough to learn the basics.
If he found it strange, Thomas never said.
She hated lying, especially to someone as kind as the cook, but her life depended on it.
Even aboard this sanctuary ship, where Fae and humans alike could find salvation, the risk was too great.
A bounty surely rested on her head by now, and with the continents dwindling and food growing scarce, desperation could twist even the kindest of souls.
Good people will do bad things out of desperation.
Thomas hummed a low tune as she spooned the broth into small bowls and placed them on a serving tray. Arenna enjoyed being around him. In some ways, he reminded her of Koltin.
“Think you can carry this tray?” he asked, placing a sixth and final dish atop it.
She eyed the tray, well aware that it was too heavy and required more balance than she possessed, but she wanted to try anyway.
“I’ll give it a go.” Arenna pushed her hand under the tray and attempted to lift it, but it wobbled and swayed until she had no choice but to stop.
Thomas chuckled, helping her guide it back down.
“Maybe you can carry it, and I’ll hold a few bowls. ”
“I think that’s a great idea,” he said, winking. “Grab a couple and follow me.”
Pulling the warm bowls into her hands, Arenna trudged after him. They were back on the top deck within seconds, the crew scattered about, awaiting their meal. She followed Thomas, helping him by grabbing bowls from the tray and handing them to the weary men.
“I’m going to head back for more. Do me a favor and leave this in that room over there,” he said, handing her a steaming bowl.
Arenna turned her attention to where he angled his head. In the center of the ship sat a small door with a stained-glass window in its center. “Is that Captain Danny’s quarters?”
Thomas murmured something, unable to be heard over the crew’s conversations. She shrugged and headed toward the door.
It was partially open, and Arenna used her shoulder to push it the rest of the way. Danny’s quarters were simple and messy, with an unmade bed in the left-hand corner beneath four tall windows. A table sprawled in the center, covered with yellowing parchments, maps, compasses, and a few daggers.
She made space for the steaming bowl, setting it down just as a shiver ran down her spine. Arenna stilled, feeling an inexplicable familiarity in the sensation that raised every tiny hair on her arms.
“ All hail the king! ” a man shouted from the deck.
Her blood ran cold.
The king? Had Jaksen found her?
Dizziness rattled her brain, but Arenna managed to turn toward the open door. Beyond it, crewmen lined each side of the deck, their right hands balled into fists resting over their hearts. Their boots pounded into the deck, reverberating through the floor and into her bones.
A dark silhouette appeared at the end of the path, a cape billowing in the breeze.
As it neared, a black jacket shimmered beneath the moonlight, its color so deep it seemed to absorb the little light around it.
The fabric clung to a muscular form, gold stitching tracing the seams, collar, and cuffs.
Arenna stumbled backward, gripping the edge of the table hard enough to feel the wood bite into her skin. Her heart pounded as she beheld the familiar chestnut hair and golden eyes, so vibrant they resembled coins.
Emissary Kayson stalked down the center of what should have been a Brookworth crew, though their loyalties clearly lay elsewhere—with another kingdom, under another king.
His gaze never left hers as he moved closer, and she felt as if his stare were ripping into her very soul, tearing through every piece of her.
Kayson seemed somehow more massive than she had ever noticed, but perhaps that was because she knew exactly who he was now, and he was not the Emissary of House Forx at all.
There was nothing Arenna could do as he ducked into the doorway and slammed the door shut, locking her in the small quarters with the King of Worden.