Page 74 of Heir of Illusion

He attention shifts back to me, the lines of his face tense. “Darby’s been spotted.”

“Where?” Thorne and I ask at the same time, setting aside whatever strange tension was building between us.

Warrick pales and my body goes rigid, already anticipating that I won’t be pleased with his answer.

“The docks.”

Chapter

Twenty

“Search the ships again,” Remy orders his soldiers. “No one leaves this port until we find Darby.”

The wooden boards of the docks creak under our feet as soldiers run back and forth. Unlike yesterday, the sky is cloudless, and the hot sun beats down on us as we scan the crowds. Vendors and pedestrians are scattered around the fish market, glaring at the guards who rummage through their stalls. The streets nearby have been closed off, meaning no one is free to leave the area.

Water splashes against the ships anchored behind us as soldiers check each one. Their crews, who were forced to disembark their vessels, stand nearby glaring at us.

“How much longer will this take?” one of the sailors demands, his cheeks red and weather-beaten from his years at sea.

I understand their frustration. We’ve been out here for two hours, and there’s still no sign of Darby. When we arrived, Remy didn’t appear happy about the fact that Thorne was with me. He immediately ordered the reaper to help search the ships. Technically, the captain doesn’t have the authority to order him to do anything, but in a rare moment of civility, Thorne acquiesced without comment.

“Until we’re done,” Remy replies briskly, keeping his gaze on the crowd.

“My men and I have a schedule to keep,” the sailor insists as his companions cheer him on. “Who’s going to reimburse us if we miss our delivery window because of this?”

I head further down the dock while they continue arguing back and forth. Sweat dampens my brow as I scan the crowds, searching for someone who matches Darby’s description. A seed of apprehension blossoms in the pit of my stomach. We should have found him by now.

The hairs on the back of my neck rise, and I turn to find Thorne approaching. His gloves and long sleeves are out of place among the exposed forearms of the sailors. How is he wearing all of that in this sweltering heat? Images flash through my mind of what it would be like to see him unclothed.

“Are you alright?” Thorne asks.

I swallow thickly. “Hmm?”

He tilts his head, examining me with concern. “Your cheeks are flushed. Is the heat getting to you?”

“The heat?” My face flames even hotter. “Yes, that’s it. I’m fine, though.”

“Alright,” he says, clearly finding my behavior odd.

I use my hand to fan my face, trying to regain my composure. “Find anything on the ships?”

He shakes his head. “Just some mice.”

A shudder rolls through me as we make our way further down the docks.

“I promise, they are more scared of you than you are of them.”

“You underestimate my fear,” I mutter.

“Only because I’ve seen how fearless you truly are,” he counters.

I scowl. His words aren’t helping me cool down. My attention snags on a light-haired man standing a few yards away. I stiffen. From behind, his build matches Darby’s description, but when he turns around a few moments later, I get a glimpse of his face and realize he’s about two decades too old.

Instead of being relieved, my agitation only grows. Something isn’t right about this situation. My feet come to a halt in the middle of the walkway. I’m distantly aware of a sailor shouting as he nearly barrels into me, but one look from Thorne silences him.

Everything about this feels wrong. If Darby were here, we would have found some trace of him by now, and yet we’ve come up with nothing. Not even a witness who remembers crossing paths with him today…

Following my instincts, I sprint back the way we came. Without checking, I know Thorne is right behind me. The thought pushes me forward.

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