Page 84 of A Wrecking of Salt and Fire

“It’s everything we need. I grabbed as many weapons as I could carry.” He scanned the area around them, making sure no one had seen them tuck away into the small reading room by the back entrance to the castle, before dropping the bag on the floor. A long sword, twin blades, a baldric filled with daggers, and a bow and arrow. “There are more soldiers coming up from the docks. I have a way to get us out, if you trust me. But we are going to need to fight our way there.”

Friend? Or Foe?

Ember’s emotions finally unfroze. Her brows furrowed together, her features softening. She placed one hand over the commander’s heart. “I’ll always trust you, Ajax. With my life.”

Katrin knew that the two of them could never be together. That it was against the laws of Alentus for the Prytan to marry, but it was a shame. She could see the way the commander and her sister looked at each other, with such unrequited longing. That look—it had been the same one Ander had given her at the masquerade.

“I have a ship in the harbor ready to take us. The crew aboard is aware of who they will be helping.” Katrin could have sworn Ajax smirked for a second at her. “I know neither of you have killed before, but you will need to. If we are going to make it to the ship, lives will be lost and I will not have it be either of yours.” Katrin only nodded, though her thoughts flashed to the night in Lesathos. A slit throat. The fog that had blanketed the scene.

Ajax nodded back. “Are you both ready? I need you to run as fast as you can to the docks and not look back. It is not a question of if we will be spotted, but when.”

Ajax slid the two twin swords into a holster on his back, handing the bow and arrow to Ember and the long sword to Katrin. She tightened her dagger around her thigh, sheathing the long sword on her back with its leather holster, looking at the former Commander and Prytan of the Spartanis. The Spartanis that had betrayed their people. The Spartanis that had fallen. “For Alentus.”

“For Alentus,” they both repeated.

Ajax peered into the hallway, checking both directions. “It’s clear.”

So they began to run. Down the steps to the back gates of the castle. Around the winding path to the rocky trail taking them down to the docks. When they left the cover of the trees lining the perimeter of the castle, Katrin saw them. The bands of soldiers wearing that dark black and silver symbol of the north. Twined snakes ensnared in each other. The brand her friends wore. The symbol of her captor.

She knew she should not do it. Not only would she bring attention to them as they escaped, but using that much power would burn her out. At least for a period of time. But Katrin lost control, forgetting everything Ander had taught her. As her palms began to glow. As she turned and sent starlit fire at the soldiers. For what those people had done to her—had done to all of them. For herself. For Ander. For Thalia. For Leighton. For Alentus. And when the fire reached them, the soldiers were reduced to ash.

Katrin was shaking, her breathing labored. Ten more people she could add to the list of lives she had taken and not regretted. A hand grabbed hers. “We need to go, Katrin,” her sister whispered. Now it was Ember who wished to drag her away from the trauma if necessary.

Like Katrin had expected, the flame drew the attention of more soldiers of the north. They began to descend the stairs toward them. So Ajax and Ember and Katrin took off once more. They were close, so close to reaching the docks. They would just need to make it over and down the last cliff walk. That was when she saw it, over the rocks, bobbing against the dock below. The Nostos. Their way out. She was not sure how The Nostos was whole. When she had seen the ship last it had been in flames, burning to ash over the Mykandrian Sea. Whoever made it possible, she was grateful.

They ran closer and closer to the shore, away from the soldiers of Harrenfort. Ajax had gotten them out, his hand never leaving her sister’s as they wove down the winding, crumbling cliffs. Katrin did not understand how he had known to find them. Had known the attack would be coming. How his spies had remained loyal even when most of the Spartanis had turned.

In the distance she could see Thalia fighting with the other members of The Nostos’ crew against a unit of northern soldiers. Men lay slaughtered and bloody on the docks as she noticed another familiar creature. Thalia’s psychí in her snowy mountain lion form, ripping limbs from the attackers, tossing them into the harbor below.

As the soldiers inched closer, Katrin drew her dagger from her thigh, the long sword from her back. She could hear a deep voice coming from the ship, ordering the archers aboard to send their arrows as a shield for the three of them approaching. Leighton. Giving them the only chance they might have to break through the lines of soldiers that were trying to regroup between the docks and the shores of Alentus.

Katrin’s powers may have been drained, but she would wield her blades until she fell. To save her sister, to try to save herself. Ember gave her a knowing look, grabbing her bow from her back and knocking an arrow.

“I’ll cover you from behind. There looks to be a break in the line to the left. Ajax you signal to the ship we need cover from the front. See if they can get that animal to make a path to the port side of the ship.” Katrin stared at her sister in awe, a similar look crossed the commander’s face. In only a few months her sister had grown into a fierce warrior. One without fear. One with passion and promise.

“On your order, Drakos.” Ajax turned and took off in front of them. He made some hand signal that Katrin was sure was one of the Spartanis, but maybe all warriors in the isles knew them.

As they approached the shoreline, closing in on the docks, some of the soldiers turned to face them. Ember began firing off arrow after arrow, hitting her mark each time, as Katrin began to fight through the line. “My queen, stay close!” Ajax screamed ahead of her, meeting every blade that came close with his own.

Katrin was almost at the ship when she heard a scream come from behind her and saw as a soldier sliced his sword across the back of her sister’s knees. Ember crumbled on contact. Her heart began to race even more. They were so close, she would not let her sister fall. Not today. Katrin began running toward her sister when a lithe hand grabbed her.

“Don’t worry, Katrin,” Thalia’s voice yelled over the fighting. A flash of white flew by her, aiming straight toward the soldier about to land his sword across Ember’s neck.

Fear grew in her sister’s eyes, not a fear of death, but of the creature barreling toward her, streaks of red lining its white fur. Ember held up her sword with the last bit of energy she had to block the soldier’s blade. But the animal was faster, its elongated teeth ripping into the man’s throat, claws digging into his leathers. When Mykonos landed, the soldier lay in tatters.

“We got her!” Katrin could hear Leighton now, as he and Ajax ran toward them, lifting Ember and racing back toward the plank that led up to The Nostos. “Come, Katrin, we need to get aboard now!”

The wind was strong, they could make it off the dock. The Hydra was fast, but The Nostos would have a head start. Where they would go she was not sure. They would not make it all the way back to Skiatha, not without stopping for supplies and they could not afford being hunted down in Lesathos or one of the other isles.

“Where is he? Where is Alexander?” Katrin pleaded as Leighton pulled each of them on board.

“Is he not with you?” Leighton asked.

“I’m sorry, Leighton. Alexander didn’t make it out. They took him to the dungeons. I couldn’t—I couldn’t save them both.” Ajax grabbed his shoulder.

Leighton. Ajax knew the nauarch?

“It’s ok, Jax, she was our priority.” Jax? Priority? “Man the sails! We need to be off this dock now! Archers, hold your stances, we need time!” Leighton shouted his orders to the crew as they began to push back off the dock, the navy sails unfurling from the two masts on the ship, catching the western wind that would lead them out of the cove.

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