Kingdom's Vice Series: A Voyage of Vengeance ( #2 2015)

Chapter Twenty-Three

Duhamas and I stride along the sand. Uncle dispatched us the moment that conversation ended.
"I have a bad feeling about this," he says to me, his chin lowered to conceal the grimace that has since crawled onto his face, deepening his frown.

I smile as we approach, "The Light will not fail us," I remind him, "not now."

He smiles a little, "Perhaps."

The captain stands with her hands on her hips, her dreadlocks flowing in the wind. Her glass eyes see right through me, it seems. I'm terrified of her. I hide my clenched fists out of anyone else's sight. She will smell my fear, since she cannot see it.

"You are beautiful," she says suddenly and I am taken aback. Duhamas stands ready, his hand reaching for his scabbard. I seize his wrist.

"Don't."

She waves her hands in the air, gesturing. "I'm getting an aura," she explains, "I may not be able to see you with my own eyes, but I do see you."

A comforting thought.

"Enough talk," she cuts herself off and extends her hand. "Hand him over, as agreed."

I look to Alec. He nods and the gate behind us opens. An Allerian guard escorts Wayland out, keeping his dignity intact. All about the image. No wonder uncle didn't surrender: he didn't want to lose face with a Katanian pirate; not even a blind one.

"Idra a se ae Larkarh ae duna!" Duhamas hisses, or "I want to bury the Larkarh with my fist,"

I do not look to him. "Daeras, Duhamas." Peace. "Hammon las redonmah." We will have justice.

He lets out a angry puff of air and watches as the exchange takes place. Wayland passes from the Allerian guard to a black clad, cutlass wielding crew mate of de Susa's, a man missing a good few teeth. I'll wager she knocked them out of his mouth. Then, two figures stumble out of the hull, clothed in shadows. Duhamas's face lights up and I feel myself explode inside. I will see him again. Hoods cover their eyes. They stumble and fall to their knees.

"The agreement was for three." I speak up. "Where is the third?"

"Where is the child?" Duhamas adds in firmly.

The woman smiles and removes their hood to reveal faces I have never seen before. It's not them. "Here is your reward," she says.

I look to Alec one last time and I see it in his eyes. He has seen it. The treachery is unmistakable.

They have betrayed us! I scream inside, They have betrayed us!

"Garmadon! Garmadon!" he echoes me as he calls out to the others. "Fellorne!" he signals the assault. Arrows come whistling through the air, cutting through the wind. I take Duhamas's hand and the hull comes to meet us.