Kings and Thieves

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

The first thing Ari decided to do was to ask around among the villagers. Perhaps, with the right menacing expression and a fair amount of threats, they'd be afraid enough of him to tell Ari whatever he wanted. That usually worked.

Aveline hurried away first, seeming eager to get away from everyone else, and Eli took off after her. Ari rolled his eyes.

"Lyla," he barked, catching the blonde before she could scurry off towards the docks. "Take one of the crewmembers with you. Or Inez."

"Ari," Lyla groaned. "I don't need an escort."

"You're untrained, and this is an unfamiliar place," he pointed out.

"I don't care, Ari, I'm nineteen years old, and I can take a walk around the village by myself," Lyla insisted before flouncing off like a pouty child. Ari heaved an exaggerated exhale, scuffing his boot into the dirt.

"Would you like me to go with her, sir?" Henry piped up from beside him— always eager to please.

"No. I told you to lie low."

"The children are tired of being cooped up in the ship," the boy said meekly. "It's a small village-"

"Filled with anyone who could have stolen fourteen royals from under the noses of practically every monarchy in the Detache," Ari retorted. "I said what I said, Henry." His voice hardened, and Henry obediently slunk away.

Ari nodded at one of the crewmembers who was tying up the ship. "Follow Lyla."

He set off along the beach by himself, thoughtfully scrubbing at the back of his hair. The sun had heightened in the sky, heating Ari's exposed forearms and cheeks.  It was a good thing he didn't burn.

There was a fisherman standing at the edge of the dock. Shoving his hands in his pockets, Ari approached him. "Excuse me," he began, "I'm only visiting here, and I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions about the village?"

-

An hour later, the heat had only intensified, and Ari had practically questioned everyone on the beach. Nobody had seen anything suspicious. How was that even possible?

He took off his boots and waded a few feet offshore. The water was soft and refreshing, pooling around his toes and cooling his skin.

He bent down to scoop up a small rock and, after shifting it in his palms, threw it in the ocean. It landed in the water with a satisfying splash.

A bit of Ari's frustration unknotted itself in his chest, and he stooped to pick up another pebble. He couldn't stop thinking about what Jamie had said, about the royals. What if something truly horrible had happened to them?

Aveline had seemed confident enough of the contrary, but Ari wasn't so sure. He'd seen enough suffering in his short twenty-three years to assume the worst when it came to situations like this.

The royals were still alive, Ari was fairly positive. As to what state they were in, he couldn't say.

He kicked up a spray of water, chiding himself. What was he doing? It wasn't as if he was going to find them by sitting here.

Perhaps he was looking in the wrong place. Just over the hill there were a cluster of shabby-looking houses that looked significantly less nice than the ones in the village square. Ari started walking in that direction. Poorer people tended to be more forthcoming with talking to strangers.

As he neared the crest of the hill, he spotted a beach saloon at the top of the street. Perfect.

He shook the sand out of his boots and slipped them back on before entering the establishment. The bartender looked bored as he ran a dirty rag down the table. The place was relatively empty, but a brown-haired girl with a dark hood sat alone at the bar. Ari grinned.