Page 99 of A Curse of Salt

I wondered if she’d still call me brave if she knew everything I’d done.

‘You still could have told me,’ I pressed. ‘You know I would’ve done anything to protect Felicie.’

‘I know. And then you’d have gone and done something stupid. Like sacrificing yourself to a tyrant. Or falling in love with one.’

My heart stuttered in my chest. ‘What?’

‘Please,’ she sneered. ‘Any fool could’ve seen the way you looked at him.’

I flinched at the disgust in her tone. How could I ever make her understand who Sebastien really was? How all those stories of the Heartless King hid a man who’d torn out his own heart to save his people, whose body had shielded me from fire, carved me from it, brought me to life . . .

I wasn’t sure if I loved him. Didn’t know what that meant, to people like us. But I knew, given half a chance, I’d fight tooth and nail for that shred of happiness we’d dug out of the darkness.

I opened my mouth to explain, but I knew my words would be wasted. Bane’s presence sat heavy between us, woven like roots into the foundation of this bridge we’d just begun to build. It made me nervous, the fact that my sister had bargained with someone so vengeful, so broken, even if she’d planned to betray him all along.

‘Did anyone tell you Bane’s story?’ I asked. I thought of the burn marks I’d seen, wondering how much of him was scarred by what Oren had done. ‘Why he’s so determined to tear down a whole kingdom?’

Aberdeen drew her braid over one shoulder, fingers skimming down its ridges. ‘I heard it,’ she said. ‘It isn’t pretty.’

I offered a small smile. ‘You know those are my favourite stories.’

‘There was some deal between Bane’s father and the old king,’ Aberdeen began. ‘Your grandfather, I suppose. Bane was born into one of the high families, with five or six brothers. Perhaps they posed a threat of imbalance at court – I’m not sure. But when Oren succeeded, things soured between them. They say soldiers raided their estate in the dead of night. By the time the sun rose, everything they had was ash and all their sons were dead, save one. Bane was just four years old.’

That part, I knew. I shivered, remembering what Mors had said. Four years old, and they’d found him standing there, alone amongst the ruin. My heart ached for the little boy Bane had been when his world had turned to cinders around him.

The early morning light cast strange shadows over Aberdeen’s cheeks. ‘Bane’s been raiding Oren’s ships for years, taking gold and supplies, expanding his reach. He may only have a peasant army, but they’re fuelled by hunger.’

‘They won’t get that far on empty stomachs,’ I pointed out. ‘It takes more than rage to win a war.’

‘That’s exactly what I told Bane,’ she replied. ‘All men bleed the same. Even kings. I told him eliminating Oren would be easy enough, but sever a serpent’s head and its venom can still kill you. If he really wants a new world, he’ll need an army large enough to take this one down first. Pirates are the obvious choice.’

An icy dread slithered through me. When had we become these people? When had we learned to carry weapons and speak of serpents like we knew what it was to slay them?

‘Real pirates understand loyalty,’ I said. ‘Bane doesn’t. If we get to Whale Rock in time . . . I’ll kill him before I let him hurt anyone again.’

Aberdeen clicked her tongue, sceptical as ever. ‘Is it worth it?’ she asked. ‘All this? Do they really mean that much to you?’

I didn’t hesitate. ‘In every way.’

Aberdeen’s lips thinned. ‘Then you’d better not mess this up.’

She didn’t know how right she was.

I lifted my chin, feeling three hundred years of fate descending around my shoulders. ‘I won’t.’

The sun sat heavy on the horizon as a wedge of land came into view. Whale Rock lanced out from the sea, a stark grey outcrop crowned with long, ivory bones. The skeleton of a great beast lay at the island’s peak, ribs spread wide like jaws. As we coasted past, I saw the rubble of what looked like a village: crumbling stone structures that had been razed to the ground. Ashes. I shivered, not wanting to imagine what had happened there – what Sebastien and his crew had done.

A splotch of crimson bled through the fog. Anticipation buzzed in my chest as the scent of home curled around our ship, welcoming me.

‘Sails!’ called a voice from above.

Slowly, more masts emerged from the sea mist around us, their emerald sails topped by fluttering black flags. I cursed, a cold new wave of dread washing over me.

Bane.

There was blood on the breeze as the sounds of battle whispered across the water, a faint swell of salt and steel and war. Nine ships dotted the water around the Blood Rose, all dwarfed by her immense size, but I knew the crew onboard couldn’t hold out for long against the tide of their enemies.

I hurried to the port side, Aberdeen a step behind. Good, was all I could think. It isn’t over yet.

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