Page 140 of The Ever King

This was my life.

Someone knocked on the door. Without invitation, Larsson stuck his head into the room. “Livia, I mean Queen.” He winked. “Some of the darkening has spread rather aggressively over the ridge near the Black Isles. The king is returning from the province of the House of Bones and will meet us on the way.”

The Black Isles were near the hidden coves of Lady Narza and her sea witches. Difficult waters to navigate, according to Erik, and in the center of treacherous seas. It must’ve meant the darkening was critical for Erik to attempt it so late in the day with high tides approaching.

“Right. I’ll leave a missive for Alek and Celine letting them know.”

I hurried to change into a simple linen dress and followed Larsson toward the docks. The Ever Crew sailed under Erik’s command, but all were skilled sailors, and whenever they returned to the royal city they often used their own vessels for short journeys to the various isles.

Larsson’s skiff was made of white laths like ivory and boasted large black sails.

“You did not wish to go to the House of Bones?” I asked, stepping over a broken board on the switchback steps leading to the docks.

“You know the king keeps his trusted few near his queen.” Larsson flashed his white teeth and took my hand, helping me over a lip onto the final staircase.

The wind whipped my hair around my face. I took in the abandoned sloops and skiffs around the docks. “Oddly empty today.”

“I think the people are uneasy about peace talks,” Larsson said. “They feel their world is about to change. I wouldn’t say they’re wrong.”

The Chasm would remain open. Our people would build new peace. Those were the things I hoped we saw in the coming days.

“Wait! Larsson.” Tait emerged from the upper steps, waving.

“We’ll be back soon enough, Heartwalker,” Larsson returned.

“Wait.” Tait took the steps two at a time with ease, lithe like his cousin. “Where are you going?”

“There’s a return of the darkening in the Black Isles,” I said. “We’re to meet the king there.”

Tait’s eyes narrowed. “Yes, I saw the missive. Tidecaller reached out to the king to ask if we were to meet him or remain at the palace. Trouble is the king had no idea what she was talking about.”

When Larsson’s grip tightened on my arm, my heart dropped.

“I wish you hadn’t done that, Heartwalker,” Larsson said, voice low. “I actually liked you.”

It happened in a single breath.

Larsson drew a blade. Tait reached for his, but a heartbeat too slow. Larsson rammed his knife deep into Tait’s belly. I screamed, but from the shadows of the docks two men lunged from behind and encircled my waist, dragging me toward the skiff.

Larsson ripped his knife from Tait’s stomach, watched him fall back, then wiped the blood over Tait’s dark hair.

“Sorry, mate,” Larsson said snidely. “Had to be done. I wouldn’t go around your father in the Otherworld. I think he might’ve figured out you knew Bloodsinger was going to kill him.”

Blood coated Tait’s chin. My pulse raged in my skull, muffling sound, but I knew I screamed his name. I pleaded with him to keep breathing. I screamed for Erik three times before one of the meaty brutes at my back stuffed my throat with a dirty cloth.

I thrashed and kicked and fought, but one of them was the same as three of me. My feet didn’t even touch the ground.

The man who held my waist tossed me onto the deck. I landed on a ridge on my hip. A shock of pain lanced up my side, but I scrambled away, spitting out the rancid cloth. Larsson shouted for the ship to set sail, then crossed the deck in three strides.

Before I could reel myself over the rail, he gripped my hair and yanked me back on deck.

“Bastard.” I clawed at his wrist, drawing blood.

He slapped me hard enough it felt like my jaw unhinged. After a pause, Larsson wiped the blood off his wrist and took hold of my hair again.

The carefree, kind man was gone, replaced by a sinister grin and dark eyes filled with hate.

“The power of the Ever.” He laughed with a new kind of viciousness and stroked my cheek. “Time for you to be of use to the true king, not my pathetic brother.”