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CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

JAVIER

“ I t’s too suspicious,” Javier muttered.

“Be quiet,” Zahra whispered, clearly annoyed.

They’d been sneaking through the palace corridors far too long without being caught. Sure, they’d run into a few guards, but Jessalyn’s plan had worked perfectly: "Face the guards, powder, knock them out, they’ll fall unconscious." Every time, it worked. But too much luck kills luck, that was a pirate’s mindset. They’d even made it into the library, which was so massive it could’ve been the size of a city. Zahra moved forward, clutching Jessalyn’s instruction scroll. They had found one map and were now hunting for the second.

Javier was almost disappointed they hadn’t had to fight yet. Nothing had happened, just the most boring heist ever.

“There’s absolutely nothing here screaming, ‘Steal me, I lead to a magic sapphire!’” Javier mocked. They were already in the third section of the library, and what annoyed him most was that he hadn’t had a single drop of rum, despite the party happening downstairs. Unheard of for a pirate. Still, he pretended to be annoyed, but he just wanted to provoke Zahra and see her glare.

“You’re horribly annoying and way too loud,” Zahra snapped, inspecting statues, opening drawers, and rifling through books. They reached the end of the section, and Zahra paused, rereading Jessalyn’s instructions. The library was riddled with hidden rooms—earlier, pulling a chandelier had revealed the first map.

“All right, it says the last door is behind a painting called Prelude to Calamity,” Zahra murmured, glancing around.

“What’s it supposed to look like?” Javier asked, already moving toward the nearest wall.

They began inspecting paintings, shifting them aside to check for hidden doors.

“What I find suspicious,” Zahra muttered, “is how Jessalyn knows all this. Her instructions have been perfect so far… It’s like she has eyes in here. She always says, “The peacock sees everything.” Javier chuckled. “Yeah, she loves that line.” He yanked on furniture and bookshelves. “You don’t seem to like her much.”

“Believe me, there was a time I would’ve done anything for even a flicker of her attention,” Javier said, his voice tinged with bitterness. He had learned the hard way that peacocks were selfish creatures—beautiful, but only interested in themselves.

Zahra didn’t reply. Javier glanced over to see her staring at a painting, her eyes wide and glassy.

“I recognize that river…” Zahra whispered, tears welling in her eyes. “It’s the Asif Amellal—the White River. It was sacred to the Tulis. Our ancestors said the river carried whispers of blessings through its current.” Her voice trembled. Javier turned to the painting. It depicted a serene summer day: the river shimmered beneath a bright sky, children played by the banks, and women in white washed clothes along the shore. But on the horizon, Eldorian ships approached, their golden banners heralding ruin. In the distance, fires raged, creeping toward the women and children who had just noticed the invaders.

Javier froze. His breath caught as he glanced between the painting and Zahra, whose expression burned with raw emotion.

“They hid this to bury their shame,” he muttered.

“No. They feel no shame. They’re proud of it. Proud of the Prelude to Calamity,” Zahra said coldly.

Because The Hive was a place where light always shone and laughter always echoed, a gilded illusion, but it hid more secrets and sinners than the depths of hell. Within its royal halls, lived souls who had stained history’s pages with blood and tears.

Zahra’s gaze hardened, and she turned to Javier. “Prepare the powder.”

Without hesitation, Javier pulled out a cloth and sprinkled it with black powder. They covered their noses. Their eyes met briefly—a silent, shared resolve sparking between them.

Zahra pivoted sharply and turned the painting. A metallic click echoed, and it swung aside to reveal a hidden door, ancient and worn. Slowly, it creaked open.

A guard stood just beyond, his back to them.

Javier lunged, pressing the cloth hard over the man’s face. But this time, something was wrong. The guard resisted, thrashing with unexpected strength, toppling objects in a loud metallic crash.

“Why isn’t he going down?” Zahra whispered urgently.

“No idea!” Javier hissed, panic edging into his voice.

The guard struggled violently. Drenched in sweat, Javier gritted his teeth and slammed the man’s head against the wall—once, twice. The guard finally slumped, nearly unconscious. Without hesitation, Javier dragged the limp body into the dark room they had come from. Zahra swiftly shut the door behind them.

“If we don’t hurry, we’re dead,” Javier panted, breathless.

Zahra moved deeper into the room, her eyes scanning every surface. “The map is here. I can feel it—I don’t know how, but it’s calling to me. The words are singing, waiting to be heard... they want me to read them,” she whispered, stepping toward a large sculpture.

Javier followed, his brow furrowed.

Zahra stopped in front of a sculpture at the back of the room: a human heart carved from stone, pierced by a sword, with shadows over its petrified veins. She turned abruptly toward Javier. “Break it!” she ordered, her voice steady. “What?” Javier took a step back, caught off guard. “Break it. The map’s inside.”

Javier stepped forward, glancing nervously between Zahra and the sculpture. “If I smash it, it’s gonna make a hell of a noise. They’ll know we were here,” he whispered. “Trust me.”

Javier raised an eyebrow, a grin tugging at his lips. Without further hesitation, he gripped the sculpture. The stone was cold and heavy under his fingers. He lifted it above his head and brought it down violently against the floor. The sculpture shattered into pieces.

Zahra stepped back, momentarily surprised. Among the scattered debris lay a rolled-up parchment. She darted forward and grabbed it. “Well done. Now, we gotta go. Fast,” Javier urged.

Zahra nodded and quickly stashed the scroll in her satchel. But before they could move, a noise echoed from the other side of the door. “Shit… They heard us. They’re coming,” Javier muttered.

The pounding grew louder, heavy blows landing against the stone door as the guards tried to force their way in. Zahra frantically pulled out Jessalyn’s instruction scroll, her hands trembling. “Hurry up! What’s the escape plan?” Javier snapped, his eyes locked on the door, which began to shake under the relentless assault. “I… I don’t know! There’s nothing about an exit here! Maybe we have to retrace our steps, but they’re waiting for us behind the door!” Zahra answered, panic creeping into her voice.

Javier grabbed her shoulders, his gaze piercing. “I’ll get us out. Trust me, okay?”

He quickly scanned the room for another way out. Near a towering bookshelf, he spotted a stained-glass window. The sound of the lock being forced grew more urgent. Javier didn’t hesitate. He tore down a heavy curtain, wrapped it around his hand, and smashed it through the glass. The window shattered with a deafening crash, letting in a gust of wind and the distant melody playing in the palace.

Without missing a beat, Javier yanked on the large bookshelf, sending it toppling to the ground in a thunderous crash, blocking the doorway. “Jump!” he shouted, holding out his hand to Zahra. “No way! I’ll die if I jump!” she protested, her voice laced with panic.

Javier seized her wrist firmly, pulling her closer. “If we stay here, we’re dead. You wanna die here, little saint?”

Zahra stared at him for a moment, her throat tight with fear, before nodding reluctantly. Javier grabbed the curtain he’d fashioned into a makeshift rope and secured it tightly. In one swift motion, he wrapped an arm around Zahra’s waist. “Please don’t let go…” she murmured, barely audible.

Despite the tension, Javier managed a grin. “I’m a pirate, darling. I never let go of a treasure.”

Behind them, the door gave way with a loud crack as the guards burst in, rushing toward them. Without a second thought, Javier leapt into the void, dragging Zahra with him. The wind roared in their ears as they slid down the length of the curtain at speed. Zahra shut her eyes and screamed.

They landed hard on the ground below, the impact knocking the wind out of Javier. He groaned in pain, breathless, while Zahra, who had fallen on top of him. Brushing her hair out of her face, she glanced down at Javier. Their eyes met.

Still shaking from the adrenaline, Zahra suddenly burst into laughter, a nervous, uncontrollable laugh. She smacked Javier’s chest, and he started laughing too. “Yeah, being a criminal is rather fun,” he said, wincing as he struggled to stand.

Without wasting another second, they took off running, their footsteps echoing in the night, while the shouts of guards grew louder behind them.

Javier straightened up, breathing hard, while Zahra quickly grabbed her satchel. But they didn’t get a second to rest. Guards had appeared out of nowhere, their armor clinking furiously.

“This way!” Javier grabbed Zahra’s hand, locking their fingers together tightly. Without hesitation, they bolted through the gardens.

“Run, don’t look back!” Javier ordered in a rough, breathless voice.

They shoved their way past nobles still reveling, knocking over trays of food and drinks. Outraged cries from the guests mixed with the pounding footsteps of the approaching guards.

Ducking through a dense hedge, they emerged on the other side of the garden, where a line of carriages waited.

Lan stood by one of them, his expression a mix of panic and irritation. “Where the hell are the others?! You took forever! We should’ve been gone by now!” he shouted, eyes wide with worry.

Still trying to catch his breath, Javier glanced around nervously. “They’re not here yet? I thought we were the last ones!” He raked a trembling hand through his sweaty hair, muttering a curse under his breath. “Damn it, we need to get the hell out of here…”

Before he could say more, the sound of hurried footsteps drew their attention. Blade and Hezra appeared, sprinting towards them. Lan immediately fired off a question. “What happened? Why the delay?”

Bent over, gasping for air, Blade raised a finger, pointing accusingly at Hezra. “She… she started reading the nobles’ palms, telling fortunes! Told one lady she was gonna… lose all her hair! Now they’re looking everywhere for us!”

Zahra nodded briskly, opening her satchel for a split second. “We got the maps.”

“Perfect, let’s get out of here!” Blade said, regaining his breath and signaling for everyone to board the carriages.

“What about Irene?” Lan asked, his voice tight with worry.

Zahra turned to Blade and Hezra. “We thought she was with you…”

A tense silence fell over the group, broken only by the distant sound of guards shouting. Javier clenched his jaw. “Shit…” he said. Shaking his head, he made a quick decision. “Too bad. She’ll have to catch up. We’re leaving—now!”

“No way we’re leaving without her!” Hezra protested, her voice quivering with emotion.

Javier gave her a hard stare, his tone cold. “She can handle it. That’s exactly why I’m here—to make sure the rest of us get out.”

Ignoring further protests, he forced everyone into the carriages. Javier climbed up front next to Lan, while Blade took the reins of the second carriage.

“And if they follow us?” Javier asked, gripping the reins tightly.

Lan smirked, casting a glance back at the palace. “Don’t worry. I left… let’s just say, a few surprises to keep them busy.”

Raising a brow, Javier didn’t question further. He snapped the reins, and the horses took off at full speed. The carriages barreled down the winding path lined with lanterns and neatly trimmed hedges.

As they reached the entrance, a series of explosions erupted behind them. The ground shook violently beneath the wheels, sending shockwaves through the air.

Javier turned just in time to see clouds of colorful powder, blue, green, yellow, erupt into the night sky.

Panicked screams rang out from the palace as the trees trembled from the blast, and the massive windows shattered with a deafening crash, sending shards of glass sparkling into the night.

Javier’s eyes widened as he turned to Lan. Lan merely shrugged, a mischievous grin playing on his lips.

Javier let out a wild laugh, slapping Lan on the shoulder in exhilaration. Adrenaline coursed through his veins as the chaos unfolded behind them. The wind whipped against their faces, carrying away the sound of Javier’s elated laughter.

“Wooohooo!” he yelled, exhilarated, as the carriages sped into the night.