Deelah cursed. She stood on four paws at the edge of the forest. The Prince"s scent left her a trail. She merely needed to follow it then, she"d have him in her hands. Her claws dug on the soil. Her lips trembled, exposing her fangs.
It would be so easy.
Go back and inform the other that she lost him.
The mission hadn"t been authorized by her or their captain. Tylen technically wasn"t their responsibility. He had been there when she rejected the mission. He knew her terms. He knew their affiliation had ended.
Who was she to stop him from making his own path?
He didn"t belong under her charge.
Still, the white tiger growled.
If she didn"t bring him back, Maia would be devastated. The guilt would eat the redhead up. The same would happen to her if she witnessed it. The Pirate Queen took a step forward. She repeated over and over again that she only did this for Maia.
Her legs broke into a sprint.
They led her deeper in the forest.
===
Raz sent Cleon on lookout duty. She took Maia on the roof of the first floor of the pub. They say on the edge, Raz"s foot dangling. Her other leg was bent upwards and her arm rested on its knee. Beside her, Maia sat crossed-legged.
She twiddled with her thumbs and stared at the other building in front of them. Her ponytail swayed under a breeze. Her eyes had been clean from tears but they still swelled. Her nose would sniff from time to time. The clog in it bothered her.
The cool air welcomed the two of them in comfort. The sergeant had her head tilted up to the moon, its shine like a soothing blanket. She had been here when Tylen escaped. Her thoughts muddled with what to do next. The distraction caused her to slip again.
Even if Cleon wasn"t as experienced as her, she believed he"d do a better job at being the lookout for the time being.
A popping sound left Raz"s lips, "Well, this didn"t really turn out how I thought it would."
It wasn"t like the sergeant didn"t think about the consequences. The worst outcome had been Deelah"s command—going back to the ship. Let the Captain deal with Tylen and his request. They couldn"t just take him aboard the first time. The ship"s location and existence, at all, needed to be kept secret. They"d need to wait for the Captain"s permission.
At the same time, they couldn"t sit idle.
It would have been a matter of time before someone noticed the switch.
It wouldn"t take long for the Nocti to locate them either.
They needed to keep moving.
In the end, Raz resolved to wait for the crew to come for them instead.
"Did you really think after the Nocti appeared, we wouldn"t be dragged back?" Maia said in one breath. She blew on her fringes, leaking out her frustration. She had Tylen in her grasp and he slipped right through her fingers.
"I did." Her leader replied with a sigh, "What I didn"t expect was the Prince"s move."
The redhead shook her head. She pressed an elbow against her thigh, lifting a hand up and burying her face behind its palm, "Maybe we should just kidnap him—along with Hayden."
"I don"t think Teralyn would take that lightly." Raz chuckled, ruffling Maia"s bangs.
She swatted it away immediately and straightened her posture. Her amber eyes squinted at nothing. Rubbing her chin, she said, "Well, we already have Celios on our backs. It wouldn"t make much of a difference."
The sergeant snorted. She stared at the redhead in amus.e.m.e.nt, "That"s because Celios is more discreet. Teralyn would be different."
Maia looked back at her, skepticism evident in her face, "Their Crown Prince? Missing? I don"t think they"d openly announce it."
"Maybe not but they"d dispatch every knight possible." Raz pushed her forehead with two fingers, "Celios has something to hide. That"s why they wouldn"t do something like that."
The redhead pouted. When Raz continued to smile, she rolled her eyes. She lifted up her knees and hugged them, her ankles still crossed. Her voice came out soft as a whisper, "But, at least, they"d be much safer with us."
Maia"s gaze swept around them. It landed on a spot she lingered on for a while. The silhouette was tiny but she recognized it. Sadness weighed on her shoulders. The color in her eyes dulled down.
The sergeant peeked from the corner of her eye. She noticed the redhead"s demeanor and followed her line of sight. It didn"t take long for Raz to figure it out. She raised her eyebrows upon realizing it. She exhaled sharply through her nose.
This night might turn out to be a long one.
===
The soles of Tylen"s boots tapped against the stone pavement. A white horse walked with him, the reins in his hand. He kicked every pebble that came his way. After a long run, wind blowing on his face, he pulled the horse to a stop. His mind went to his best friend.
He asked himself, "What would Hayden say?"
Alone in the middle of a forest, his knight wouldn"t hesitate to slice him. The Prince winced at the thought. Hayden"s menacing face scared him even if his best friend wasn"t around. He stirred the horse back to town. He couldn"t tell which path he took so he ended up in another part of town.
A few locals helped him find the pub.
If Maia wouldn"t give him some answers, maybe Raz would. Then, maybe Cleon. Maybe even Deelah. He had to try before making a decision. He had to hear them out first. His impulse would only get him into more trouble.
He led the horse to the stables and paid the keeper.
Then, his feet drove him towards the backdoor where he escaped. He stopped in front of it and pressed his lips together. The pirates would have noticed his missing presence by now. It might be a better idea to use the front entrance. That way, if anyone stayed behind, he"d be spotted easily.
Tylen pa.s.sed through the alleyway. A few residents loitered near it, smoking their cigars. He covered his nose and mouth with a hand. He had never been a fan—neither was his mother. These days it only reminded her of his deceased father.
After pa.s.sing them by, a voice floated from above.
The Prince pressed himself against the wall. He glanced upwards, spotting a boot a meter away from him. He scowled. It seemed like a peculiar place to talk. Were they looking for him from there?
"Do you miss the palace?"
Maia blinked out of her daze. She hadn"t noticed her lack of attention. Blood rushed to her cheeks. Since she had been caught, there was no use to pretending. She gulped down the lump in her throat.
"Am I really that obvious?"
Raz chuckled humorlessly.
Silence engulfed them. The sergeant left the redhead to her thoughts. It was only natural for her to think about the Sol Palace—especially now that they were here. On the other hand, as her leader, Raz had been worried if it would trigger the nightmares.
"It has changed a lot." Maia thought out loud, her voice barely audible.
"It has?" Raz raised an eyebrow, squinting at the small silhouette in the horizon. What kind of laser vision did her companion have?
The sergeant felt a nudge to her side. The redhead dug her elbow before she shook her head, "Not physically. Its ambiance."
"Ambiance?"
Maia rolled her eyes, "Do I have to explain everything? I mean, it feels different. That place gave me so many memories. Before, it made me happy despite criticisms. Sometimes I"d catch Alkas glaring in the middle of a role play from behind her history book."
"And now?" Raz gazed at her side profile. The moon light illuminated the redhead"s features. Her amber eyes glowed against her fair skin. Her apple red hair contrasted her complexion, making her more pale.
"Now... " Maia mumbled, her eyes drooped on the sides again, "How did things turn out this way?"
A small whimper rumbled in her chest. Several emotions ate her insides. She didn"t know which to listen to first. Both sets of fingers clawed her scalp. Now, her head screamed at her from all sides.
"You"re worried about the Prince." Raz declared. She had heard about Maia almost breaking down. Cleon didn"t have the best narrative skills but she got the gist of it. Until that moment, she hadn"t known how much it disturb the redhead.
"He has a right to know." Maia sobbed, a tear trickled down her cheek, "I don"t know how long I can keep this up."
The sergeant reached out and pulled the redhead to her side. She nuzzled her nose on Maia"s hair. Tightening her hold, she said, "No matter what happens, I swore to protect you and I will. You"ve always seen me as your knight in shining armor. Might not be bad to keep that in mind."
"Thank you, Raz, but what are we gonna do about Tylen?"
Raz raised her head, shaking it left to right. She should have known Maia would be more worried about him. She pressed her lips together and considered their options. They were already in knee deep trouble. The best they could do was keep it at the same level.
"How about this?" The sergeant began to say, "When Deelah takes him back, we can ask the Captain to let him into some of our ship"s secrets."
The redhead lifted her head, a crease between her eyebrows, "What if he comes back willingly? Will we still do that?"
Raz looked up, biting her inner cheek, "I said that because you were worried about him trusting us. If he reaches out to us first, it might not be necessary. It is dangerous to speak of it."
The Prince, in question, inched away from his spot. He couldn"t hear everything but he heard enough. His body began to tremble. Thousands of questions exploded in his head. Only one stood out differently from among them.
His intention from when he stepped into town had been answered.
If he asked them now, they wouldn"t tell him anything. If he said he overhead them, they would probably just tell him to pay it much attention. But… but how could he? The pirates seemed to know more than he initially thought. And Maia…
Maia knew the most of it.
How could she ask him to believe in them?
All this time, she seemed to understand him the best. He fell short on various occasions but she still supported him. Now… Now, what had those been for?
His mirror images of her and Raz shattered before him. Pain rippled around his head. He clutched it. Were they actually helping? Or were they leading him on? Did they want to create a mockery out of him?
They clearly knew something…
… what should he do now?
A silent cry escaped his lips.
He called out Hayden"s name. He longed for his best friend, his chest squeezing. It labored his breathing. What would be the right thing to do? How would he even know they spoke the truth if he asked?
Just how many lies and deceit could he take?