Page 11

“I don’t have all night, love. Come on out of the shadows. You know who I am, which means you also know of my brother. I’ve grown up around shadows my entire life. You cannot hide from me.”

As if in response to his words, the flames of the flickering candles grew more intense, bathing nearly the entire room in their warm light. She willed her skin to return to normal before he could witness its transformation, blowing her cover further.

With her lips pursed and arms placed behind her back, she hesitantly strode into the center of the room. “When did you realize?”

Draevyn let out a breathy chuckle. “The moment I stepped into the room. Now, are you going to answer my question regarding why you’re in my private office unattended?”

This couldn’t have been more perfect. She finally had the prince alone.

“And yet you didn’t rat me out to your loyal little dog. Why is that?” she challenged.

“Don’t question me to avoid what I have asked you now twice.” His voice radiated an authority that normally would’ve had her clawing out the man’s eyes. She wasn’t sure why she couldn't bring herself to do it.

Esmyra smirked, but the amusement was fading from his features. “Was out for a little stroll and got sidetracked. Must’ve gotten lost.” She dragged out the last three words.

“You’re trouble, Miss Esmi.”

“You sense this, yet you don’t listen to your friend. Why is that?”

Draevyn leaned back in his chair and folded his hands behind his head as his eyes leisurely raked over her. “Perhaps I like trouble. It keeps things interesting. But, while I have you here, I need to know the truth. Why exactly did you choose to come aboard my ship? ”

Her skin heated beneath his gaze. “Is safe passage no longer believable because I became a little curious, Captain?”

“I’m not entirely sure I ever fully believed that’s what you were after.”

Esmyra chuckled softly, a bit of menace beneath it. “You do enjoy trouble, princeling.”

He let out a sound that was half laugh and half scoff. “Princeling would be my brother. I’ve told you, it’s Captain.”

“But you’re also a prince.”

“Only in certain eyes.” Draevyn stood from his seat and moved to circle her.

With every pass he made around her body, he inched closer until his breath grazed her nose, before finally coming to a stop directly before her.

His whiskey-hued stare bore into her, the gold flecks in them dancing like flames.

“Give me the truth. I won’t tolerate any more lies slipping from your pretty lips. ”

She sucked in a sharp breath at his sudden proximity, loathing that he noticed as he took a step around her once more—only she knew this predator’s dance he was attempting.

The tiny hairs on her arms stood at attention and she went on high alert as he became silent behind her. “And if I don’t have the proper answer?” she asked, her eyes shifting as she readied herself to attack.

All she had to do was force his stare to meet hers and she could compel him. Her siren song began slipping its way up her throat.

Draevyn brought his lips to her ear. “Then I’m afraid the only things awaiting you in Lephyrin are the gallows, love.”

Esmyra moved to strike, but he was faster. The ice-cold touch of cuffs clamped around each of her wrists faster than she could blink, and she let out a sharp hiss at the contact.

Horror seized her then.

A sudden depletion of power left her motionless—her eyes refused to shift, talons wouldn’t extend, and her connection to the sea beneath the ship was severed. Her throat tightened, eyes darting back and forth as she repeatedly tried to summon her magic.

“What the fuck is this?!” she barked over her shoulder. Esmyra thrashed in his hold while unrelenting panic overcame her for the first time in her life.

“Now, I’m afraid since you didn’t find your original quarters suitable the first night, we’ll need to move you down to the lower levels.” He leaned down to her ear, sending goosebumps along her neck. “While you appear human, you can never be too careful. These cuffs are precautions.”

Esmyra scoffed as she tried to pull out of his hold. “I assure you, I’m human.” The words came out in a growl.

“Well, then these cuffs act like any other.”

Draevyn bent down and effortlessly heaved her over his shoulder before stalking through his office, out the doorway, across the deck, and down the stairs with her in tow.

They passed the sleeping crew, though she was sure to wake them all as she continued to kick, bite, and scream the entire way down to the holding cells.

Once in the ship’s prison, he rummaged in his pocket for keys and opened the single cell door, throwing her in as he ignored her efforts to shove out of his hold.

Esmyra couldn’t feel her power—there wasn’t an ounce of it left in her. She felt utterly mortal —drained and weak.

The cell’s barred metal door was slammed in her face, and her fingers coiled around them as her breaths became heavy with fury, staring into Draevyn’s eyes.

“ This is how you treat women aboard your ship?” The words dripped with venom as they left her, and she imagined tearing his pretty little eyes from his skull.

“No, Esmi. This is how we treat prisoners . And until you can give me a believable answer, this is where you’ll remain.

I can’t have you sneaking around the ship at night if you won’t even provide me the smallest of answers when I’ve only shown you kindness since we met. Kindness that no one else would give.”

“Do not speak my name as if you believe it holds power against me, Prince Draevyn Rowe.”

His jaw ticked at her words and she gave him a menacing grin from behind the bars.

Esmyra’s stare drifted down to the cuffs locked on her wrists. They were strange looking. The cuffs possessed a silver sheen, but with crimson-hued crackles etched into the surface, mimicking spider-like veins.

“They’re made of velsinyte,” Draevyn admitted as he watched her. “They were the only ones I had on hand in my office, and while harmless to humans, they’re very uncomfortable. Apologies, they're all I had on hand.”

Velsinyte?! What the fuck is velsinyte?

Esmyra cleared her throat. “Yes, they’re wretched.” She stuck her hands through the bars. “Release me.”

He raised a brow. “I believe you’re missing a crucial word, love.”

“Release me…Captain?” she tacked on, annoyed.

“I was thinking a ‘please’ should be in there.”

Esmyra clenched her teeth, patience wearing extremely thin. “ Please release me, Prince and Captain Draevyn Rowe, from these velsinyte bindings.”

He huffed out a laugh. “Absolutely not. You’re more trouble than anticipated.”

Draevyn tucked the keys into his pocket. “I’ll be back to check on you in the morning, and hopefully by then you’ll want to work with me a little, so you won’t need to remain down here until we reach the next port.”

He turned from her, but her words stopped him in his tracks. “And my trip to the gallows?”

“To be determined,” he said over his shoulder without looking back and then stalked back up the stairs.

Esmyra hissed at his back and then frantically tried to twist her wrists in any direction possible to free herself from the cuffs.

Velsinyte . She had never heard of such a thing. How had they affected her? Her magic…it was entirely gone. Her connection to the sea was cleaved straight through, and it left her nearly gasping for air.

Her throat tightened as she shook her head in denial.

Gods, was this how it felt? To be so drained, weak, and… powerless.

She became disoriented, unsure if it was an effect from the cuffs or her surging panic .

Esmyra was about to snap her wrist in an attempt to break free when the sound of wings filled her cell. She glanced up through the bars and found Jak now standing before her in his human form.

“What in all gods happened to you?!” he whisper-shouted.

“I watched you walk into his office and he followed in shortly after. I saw him drag you out with cuffs, but I assumed you were just fucking with him until you had a better moment to strike.” He crossed his arms as he stared at her, frowning. “You’re still cuffed?!”

She nearly threw herself into the cell door. “Get these fucking things off of me!” The words rushed out of her as she shoved her clasped wrists through the bars.

Jak’s eyes flared. “Holy gods, Esmi…” He moved to grab the stone-like metal and hissed when his skin brushed against it. “What the hell are those made out of?”

“He said they’re made from velsinyte. Whatever the hells that is. They completely depleted my power in seconds…it’s as if I’m now…”

“Mortal,” he finished for her, and all she could do was give a small nod.

“How can something drain someone of their power?” he asked, his lips parting as he took a step back from her, looking horrified.

“I have no idea,” she admitted, breath heaving.

Jak kicked at the bars, the loud ting barely registering. They both heaved, pulled, and tried to pry it off its hinges, but nothing worked. Regardless of whether or not they could free her of the cell, there were still the cuffs to deal with.

“His pocket,” she whispered, and Jak met her stare.

“Draevyn took the keys with him when he went upstairs.”

“We need help, Esmi…”

“No… No . No, we don’t.” The thought of her father finding her this way had her wanting to crawl out of her skin. “Just go get the gods-damn keys and free me so I can sink this fucking ship.”

He took a hesitant step backwards, his eyes locked on hers.

Esmyra knew then he wasn’t going to obey her. “Jak…don’t you fucking dare bring my father here. ”

“It’s a good thing I followed you, gorgeous. Just try to forgive me, okay?”

“Jak, wait—” she shrieked, reaching through the bars.

But she was too slow.

Jak shifted to his owl form in the blink of an eye and swooped up the flight of stairs, out of her sight, and leaving her in the dark.

Powerless and alone.