Page 1 of Four Ruined Realms (The Broken Blades #2)

Aeri

The East Sea

I’m so sick of being on this ship—the rocking, the closed-in space, everyone wanting to kill me. It’s been exhausting.

Still, my week on the East Sea hasn’t been nearly as bad as Euyn’s. His room is to the right of mine, and I’ve caught the echoes of him retching day and night. I think he’s just seasick, but I’m not sure. I would’ve checked, but I’m kind of worried about him shooting me with his crossbow.

By “kind of,” I mean seriously concerned.

I guess that’s what happens when everyone finds out you’re the king’s daughter—and you were planning on betraying them from the very start.

Footsteps sound outside my room, and I freeze, gripping my book. Someone is coming. I glance at the furniture wedged against my door. There’s a lock on the cabin, but I doubted a little bolt would do much on a ship full of killers. So, the second we got on board, I barricaded myself in with every free piece of furniture. I’ve only left to sneak some meals and to empty my chamber pot.

The noise fades, and I let out a slow breath. I’m about to return to my book when there’s a knock on my door.

My heart skips. Royo?

I’ve hoped for and dreaded seeing him again. I want to tell him that I didn’t know he was part of the king’s plan to bring in Sora, Euyn, and Mikail. Count Bay Chin had casually mentioned Royo as someone reliable to guard me. I didn’t suspect there were other reasons Bay Chin wanted him involved. But I haven’t said any of that to Royo because, in the end, I don’t think he’ll believe me.

His cabin lies to the left of mine. I’ve pressed my ear against the thin wall dozens of times over the last seven days. I’ve heard him stirring or snoring, so I know he’s all right, but he hasn’t spoken a word to me. Maybe he’s finally changed his mind, forgiven me. Or maybe he’s here to kill me—the same way he murdered his girlfriend years ago.

I sigh and bite my lip, remembering I’m not the only liar. Maybe I should avoid him, too, since I learned in the throne room that I’m the worst judge of character.

A second knock pulls me from my thoughts. I hesitate, but curiosity gets the better of me.

“Who is it?” I ask. My voice sounds weird and raspy from not speaking for a week.

“It’s Sora.”

Relief and a little disappointment rush through me as I get up and push the furniture out of the way. Finally, I get the door open a couple of inches.

Sora stands there looking stunning as always. Her violet eyes shine, her clear skin is dewy, and she’s in a luxurious green dress. I give a heartfelt sigh. Even her black hair is perfect—and no one has had a proper bath since we left Yusan, so how?

“Yes?” I ask.

“We’re approaching Quu Harbor,” she says. Her voice still sounds like wind chimes. “Come above deck with me? We all need to talk before we reach Khitan.”

Sora gave a really nice rallying speech when we were sent on this deadly mission to steal the Golden Ring of the Dragon Lord. While the rest of us were reeling from all the betrayals spilling out in the throne room, Sora gathered us together with a plan. She wants to persuade the vicious Queen of Khitan—my aunt—to start a war with Yusan in order to force King Joon to leave Qali Palace again. That way we’d have a second opportunity to steal the crown and actually kill the king.

My father.

I have mixed feelings about this, but it’s not time to think about him—Sora is waiting. I get it together and nod. Then I throw on my red, fur-lined cloak over my dress and slip out of the door.

Sora gives me a small smile as we take the stairs. She’s the only one who seems to care that I double-crossed my father, that in the end I chose them .

I shiver as the cold wind whips around us when we step above deck. I squint at the daylight. Somehow, the sky is both gray and painfully bright. The East Sea rises in white caps and the deck is slick, but the fresh air feels nice after being cooped up in my cabin for so long. The waves have been rough for the last few days with the monsoon season starting any bell now. We’re lucky the rain has held off—otherwise, this voyage would’ve been worse.

I shake my head as I glance up at the heavy clouds. Hard to believe it could’ve been worse.

My gaze shifts to Mikail and Euyn on the bow of the sleek, wooden fleet ship. Mikail casually leans his tall, athletic frame on the railing, his teal eyes scanning the horizon. Euyn stands to his right, but farther away than normal. The prince’s beard is unkempt, and his lean figure has become a little gaunt, but they’re still two of the deadliest men I know.

I swallow hard and continue closer.

I spot Royo off to the side, brooding in a fur jacket. Gods, I missed him. His head is now covered in thick black hair that’s grown in since we met. My foolish heart flutters the moment he meets my eyes. It was torture to have him just a thin wall away. I want to run to him, but I shouldn’t for any number of reasons, the biggest being he might toss me overboard. And I can’t swim.

He pretends to not see me, but he sets his broad shoulders back as I walk closer. His hands ball into fists, the muscle in his jaw tightening. I look away, acting like his reaction doesn’t make my chest hurt. That’s when I notice Euyn and Mikail haven’t spoken a word to each other.

I guess it makes sense. After what we’ve all been through, we’re bound to be leery and angry, but now we have to work together. To be honest, though, I’m not sure we can manage a conversation, let alone start a war.

Sora glances at each of us and purses her lips, her face all resolve. “We have too much to lose to not come together. I understand no one wants to trust anyone again, but I refuse to give up on my sister. I refuse to let Tiyung rot in Idle Prison if he’s even still…”

She trails off and then shakes her head. She gathers a pained breath, her delicate hands running over her dress. My father had Tiyung thrown in Idle Prison, the dungeon under the palace lake. It’s impossible to say if Ty is still alive, and we all know it.

Sora raises her chin. Her hand trembles, and she hides it behind her back. “I refuse to die before I watch Count Seok beg for his life at my feet. I’m not exactly thrilled with you all, but we have to do this. King Joon thinks we are going to steal the ring, but we need to persuade Queen Quilimar to help us lure him out of Qali Palace. We need to kill him and finish the job by putting Euyn on the throne, or we’ll all die and better people than us will suffer.” She stares at each of us, driving home the point. “Our loved ones hang in the balance. If it can’t be trust, let vengeance bind us.”

I study her sincere expression, her determination. It must be exhausting to be Sora, to always be the better person. It’s so much easier to sink to the level of everybody else. But maybe the good naturally rises above like curds and whey.

“How do we know she isn’t still working for Joon?” Euyn vaguely gestures in my direction.

I bite my lip as my stomach twists. I’m now certain they’ve all considered killing me. Before it had just been a theory.

“Because she betrayed him in the end,” Sora says with a shrug. “And he sent her on a suicide mission.”

The urge to defend myself and, to some extent, my father rises inside me, but there’s no denying that he doesn’t care if I live or die. Yes, he promised to acknowledge me and make my mother his posthumous first queen, but promises are cheap to lying lips. He never cared about me, not once in nineteen years. Then again, I wasn’t too concerned with his safety and well-being, either.

A year ago, he swore he’d be the father I deserved, that he’d changed from the ruthless young man he had been. In hindsight, it was foolish to believe him, but I was so broken from losing my mother, so desperate to not be alone anymore, that when he poured honey in my ear, I drank it down. My mother had always said all we needed was Joon’s love, and I thought she was right. Poison can taste like candy when you’re starving. But while traveling to the capital on the mission to bring him these killers, I realized they cared more about me than he ever did. More than he ever will.

But that was all before they found out that I am Joon’s daughter. His only child.

“We need to get an audience with this queen, is that what we’re doing now?” Royo asks. His voice rumbles, and I strain toward the sound.

Mikail runs a hand through his wavy brown hair. “It’s easier said than done. Ever since Wei attempted to assassinate the King of Khitan fifteen years ago, no one has been allowed within a hundred feet of the throne. They call it the Rule of Distance. And we can’t exactly shout our treasonous intentions in front of the Khitanese court. There are always Yusanian diplomats and spies present.”

The deck falls silent other than the waves crashing against our bow and the call of gulls. I twist my now shoulder-length hair into a spiral. The birds signal we’re close to the northern realm of Khitan, and there’s a new wrinkle to an already knotted plan.

Sora taps her chin. “There has to be a way to get closer than one hundred feet. Euyn is her brother. And Aeri is…”

“A princess,” Royo grumbles.

He doesn’t mean it nicely.

“We’re both supposed to be dead,” Euyn says. “And my sister has no love for her bloodline. No one in my family does.” His brown eyes narrow on me even as he turns a little greener from the rough sea.

I let that shot land because he’s not wrong. My father ordered Euyn’s execution, my uncle tried to murder me, and I conspired to assassinate my father. I’ve heard that my aunt tried to kill my father more than once. It’s a bit of a Baejkin family mess. The more power a bloodline has, the more problems.

“Queen Quilimar must have an inner circle of some sort,” Sora urges. “No one can rule alone.”

“A captain of her palace guard, or ladies in waiting. Maybe generals?” I ask.

Mikail eyes me with disdain, and I shift my weight to be ready. This is not great. I might be able to get away from Euyn, especially since he doesn’t have his bow, but Mikail slaughters with a speed I’ve never seen. I have throwing knives hidden in compartments of my cloak, but that’s little comfort. I’d be dead a second after I released one.

I do have the amulet as a last resort. Without thinking about it, I place my hand by the neck of my dress. The Sands of Time of the Dragon Lord lies where it always is, hidden on a necklace under my clothes. I thought about using it to flee before we boarded the ship. I could’ve done it—frozen time again and disappeared. But I had nowhere to go, and more than that, I knew they’d fail without me. I can’t help but love them all. Even if they distinctly don’t care for me now.

“Vikal,” Euyn says, wiping his brow. “She is the general of the Khitanese armed forces. She must have Quilimar’s ear. I recall them being close.”

Mikail wavers. “They are, but if it were as simple as talking to a general, Joon wouldn’t have gone through the trouble of bringing us in. He chose us for this mission for a reason. What unique traits did he mean? What is the catch? We’re missing something crucial, but I can’t put my finger on it.”

Everyone turns to me. Royo pretends not to look, but he’s waiting for me to answer. The problem is: I have no idea.

“I really don’t know,” I say. They stare at me with various amounts of belief. “I wish I did. All he told me was that you were dangerous to the throne and he wanted you taken in alive with minimal casualties.”

It’s silent on the prow of this ship, the tension crackling. I wince. “Minimal casualties” was my father’s term, not mine, but it hangs in the air, sounding worse and worse as the seconds pass.

“Well, let’s think about it,” Euyn says. “Sora poisons. I shoot.” He pauses and stares at Mikail. “And you’re a spy. And a liar. And a manipulator. And a traitor.”

Mikail’s lips curl up into a fake smile. He just stares at his lover and slightly raises his eyebrows.

It’s super awkward.

The rest of us look anywhere other than at the two of them. I guess they haven’t spoken, either. I didn’t hear anyone else in Euyn’s room, but I’d assumed they made up. It doesn’t look like that happened, though. My chest tightens. The failed assassination attempt broke all of the bonds in our group—even the deepest ones.

A large wave crashes against the ship, rocking the vessel. We all look for something to steady ourselves. I grab at the thick rope hanging off the mast. I’d rather hang on to Royo, but he’s far away in every sense.

Once the sea calms, Sora’s lips part. She looks ready to try to smooth things over, but Mikail speaks first.

“We can discuss being secretive, if you like, but I’ll remind you that you’re not innocent,” he spits. “You weren’t exactly forthcoming about hunting Chul for sport.”

Euyn looks away, but Sora’s head snaps to his.

“Chul? Did you just say Chul?” she asks.

She’s breathing fast, and her eyes are locked on Euyn. The ocean is calmer after the last wave, but I’ve never seen her so intense. What is happening right now?

I glance at Royo and then Mikail, but they also seem thrown. Mikail’s teal eyes dart between Euyn and Sora; Royo’s brow furrows.

“I did…” Mikail begins, hesitant.

“Chul what?” she demands. Silence greets her. “Chul what, Euyn?”

“Sora…” he says softly. But he won’t look at her. He’s pursing his lips—whatever it is, he doesn’t want to tell her and that can’t be good.

“Was it Inigo, like the village? Was it Chul Inigo?” she asks.

Royo takes a step closer to her. I’m still not sure what’s going on, but she’s looking increasingly unhinged. Who in the world is Chul Inigo?

Euyn shakes his head. “Sora, I…”

“Were you hunting my father like a wild pig?” she shouts. “For your sick entertainment!”

Oh shit.

Euyn blanches as white as the sails, and that’s confirmation enough.

Everything around me slows down. If I didn’t know better, I would think I was gripping my time amulet. Mikail’s eyebrows rise in surprise. Royo’s jaw drops. But it’s Sora whose expressions change like lightning. Shock, humiliation, and something else I can’t name flit across her face before her beauty contorts in anger.

Sora lunges forward, but Mikail grabs her just as she’s about to reach Euyn’s neck. Royo rushes in to help, wrapping his muscular arms around her waist. They pull her back as she reaches out, her nails scraping the air. She’s desperate to get her hands on Euyn even if it’s just her fingertips.

I’ve seen her kill, but I’ve never seen her want to—it’s a fearsome sight.

Unable to reach him, Sora lets out a wail more desperate than anything I’ve ever heard. I shudder from head to toe at the pure animal sound. It’s fury and heart-wrenching grief, wrapped up in one.

“You should’ve died in exile!” she screams.

Royo and Mikail pull her away. Mikail looks over his shoulder at Euyn, complete disgust written on his face.

He didn’t know Chul was Sora’s father.

They half walk, half carry Sora toward the back of the ship as she wails in anguish. The crewmen rush around and pretend not to see anything, but everyone notices Sora.

It’s just Euyn and me at the front of the ship, and he stands with his back to me. His shoulders go rigid as his hands grip the railing. I brace myself, thinking he’s about to speak. But he leans forward and vomits hard.

We’re almost to the port. The Palace of the Sky King gleams through the mist at the top of Oligarch Mountain, and the harbor comes into view.

Good gods, we’re screwed.