Page 60 of A Kingdom of Broken Bonds

Luckily for me, I can scale walls.

It was surprisingly easy for Eli and me to escape the castle and move through the city. We still have several hours of darkness to cover our tracks, and our plain black cloaks help hide our identities in case we are spotted. Thankfully, we didn’t come across anyone, and we have reached our destination without any problems.

The docks are large and make up a huge part of the infrastructure of the city. The business it brings to the city is vital, and as such, they are busy at all times, even in the dead of night. The west dock is where the local boats are kept, that of small fishermen and pleasure vessels as opposed to the large ships that carry goods and creatures to other realms and continents across the sea. This means that at night, the west dock is far quieter.

The moon is covered by a thick blanket of clouds, perfect conditions for sneaking around. Squeezing Eli’s hand in encouragement, I check my hood is firmly in place and stride across the dock, following the instructions Ama gave us. Running only draws attention, but two figures walking with confidence is far less suspicious, so even though it feels wrong and exposing, I force myself to keep going.

The boats here are obviously used much less than ones on the other piers, with little to no care of the vessels. Green algae grows on the hulls, and dust and debris coat the windows. The farther we walk down the pier, the worse condition the boats seem to be in.

Right at the end of the pier and away from any of the other vessels is a boat that looks as though it’s about to crumble apart. Looking at the state of it, I am surprised that it is still afloat. Without Ama’s direction, I never would have known anyone stepped foot on that boat in years, let alone be living on it.

“Are you sure about this?” Eli asks quietly, resting his hand on the small of my back as we hide in the shadows of another boat.

This seems crazy, and I fully understand that and any of his misgivings. I only just met Ama, and she has led me to a secluded place away from my protection. However, my gut is telling me that I can trust her and that I need to be here. Explaining that to someone else is not easy though.

I let him see the surety of what we are about to do in my expression, sending him my feelings through our bond. “I do not know how to explain it, Eli, but I need you to trust me on this.”

I can only just make out the golden shimmering marks on his face, the ridge of his nose, and the slight upturn of his lips as he leans forward, pressing his forehead to mine.

“I always do, my heart.”

His whispered words patch that hole in my heart that Havoc created, helping build me back up by supporting me with every fibre of his being. The love he feels for me flutters in my chest like a butterfly, spreading its wings and gently moving through me, filling me with warmth.

I stroke his face lovingly, not needing to share any more words. What we feel is beyond the capability of being explained by words alone. Taking a deep breath, I turn back to the dilapidated boat and go over our plan. There is no sign of anyone on the vessel, but Ama assured me Harvey would be here.

We move over to the boat, my senses on high alert as I climb on board, using every scrap of vampire grace I possess to avoid making noise in the process. Although I might be supernaturally quiet, the boat seems to groan with every movement. There is no need for magical wards when your intruders announce themselves simply by placing their weight against the broken flooring.

The inside is just as broken as the rest of the boat, with upturned furniture and fabric and debris strewn across the floor. There is not a single sign of anyone living here. It looks as though the boat was ransacked and no one has been here in many years. Was Ama wrong? Did Harvey get attacked and have to move? Glancing over my shoulder with a frown, I clear my throat to ask Eli something when his eyes widen at something behind me. I turn back around and see a crooked figure.

Dropping into a defensive position, I take in the male before me. There must be a hidden door somewhere that he was hiding behind, as there is no way he was here with us the whole time. He is probably about my height, but it is difficult to tell with the way he stoops over. His clothes are worn and ragged, his brown hair curling around his slightly pointed ears. The fangs that peek through his lips identify him as a vampire, and as he lifts his dark eyes to meet mine, I see a cunning, clear mind. We do not move, waiting to see what the male will do next. The way he stands makes him seem far older than his smooth, wrinkle-free face suggests.

“Well, well, well… Look what has stumbled into my lair.”

The hair on my arms stands on end at the scratchy sound of his voice, rough from lack of use. His shrewd gaze narrows on us but settles on me. This male is sharp and intelligent, which is probably how he is able to survive in these conditions.

“Harvey, I presume?” I ask quietly.

The fact that I know his name and have come looking for him seems to have a negative effect on him, his posture changing. Rolling his shoulders back, he stands upright, coming to his full height and baring his teeth.

“Who the fuck is asking? How did you find me?”

I realise what is happening here. He’s afraid. He is hiding from something, someone, and if we were able to find him, then others could. I need to explain why we are here and how we found him, that his whereabouts are not common knowledge. Eli has moved closer, pressing against my back, and he growls quietly at the vampire, clearly not liking his behaviour.

“My name is Thea. I am from Trador—”

“Shit, you’re her, the vampire bride.” He cuts me off, looking horrified before his features settle into anger, his body swelling with rage. “Get off my boat. You’re going to bring the whole fucking king’s guard down on me!”

Panic races through me as I realise we might have to leave here empty-handed. Inadequacy, a feeling that I have been experiencing a lot lately, rears its ugly head, mocking me in the back of my mind. I cannot even get a fellow vampire to talk to me, yet I seem to believe that I can single-handedly solve the prophecy.

“No, please, hear me out! I am here with my mate, and the guards don’t know we are here,” I say in a rush, desperate for him to hear me before we are ejected from the boat. “My friend Ama sent me. She said you could help.”

“She did, did she? I am going to have to have words with that one.” His expression turns crude, yet he does not move forward to force us out. “Well, what do you want?”

I have to stop myself from smiling, as I do not think the vampire would take kindly to it, thinking I am mocking him.

“I need to know what is happening to the vampires in the city.”

“Ha,” he scoffs. “It is not just the city, girl. Vampires everywhere are turning feral, and there is nothing any of us can do to stop it—at least not now that the prince has fucked up our chances.”

---