Total pages in book: 146
Estimated words: 137226 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137226 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
“It’s fresh water,” he says, following my gaze. “You must be thirsty.”
“Where are you taking me?” I repeat.
“That depends on if you feel like being a good girl or not,” he says.
I’m really glaring at him now. He’s dressed in the same armor as before except the black salve has been mostly wiped away from his eyes, making them look rimmed in coal, the golden amber of them glowing in contrast. His hair is thick and dark, pushed off his face in waves. I would have called him handsome, if only he hadn’t kidnapped me.
“I’ve never been a good girl and I’m not about to start with you,” I tell him.
He laughs, though there’s an edge to it. “I’m afraid I’m starting to already regret this plan of mine.” He gets to his feet and walks over. Instinctively I press until my back is against a wooden barrel.
He peers down, looming over me. “I asked you to make a choice, but you never gave me the answer I wanted. We’re a quarter of the way across the White Sea, heading into the port of Menheimr. We’ll be there in another two days, as long as the wind holds up and the waves obey. But I can make the captain turn this ship around to Esland. Sail right into the capital. Drop you off with the Black Guard. You and your dog.”
I don’t say anything for a moment, and I drop my gaze from the smug gleam in his golden eyes that tells me I’m screwed no matter which choice I take.
And obviously I want to take the choice that lets me live. I just want to do it on my terms.
I stare down at my armor and suddenly feel overwhelmed by the tight, damp leather, like I’ve been ensnared in it. Trapped. I flex my fingers.
“How long was I out for?” I ask.
“Enough for me to get you onboard. Maybe a couple of hours.”
“And Lemi? Where is he?”
He jerks his chin up. “On deck. Having a great time with all the fish the crew is pulling up. Haven’t seen him disappear once.”
At least there’s that, I think.
“Tell you what,” Andor says, crouching down in front of me. “You can continue to be stubborn, or you can take a chance, makes no difference to me. I just need to know if you’re choosing me…or death.”
“I’ll take my chances with death, thank you,” I tell him.
Then slam my boot forward right into his groin.
He lets out a yelp and topples over to the side, and then I’m up on my feet and running past him. I push past barrels and mounds of knotted rope and run up to the next deck, which is filled with cabins and the galley. I hear Andor yelling something from below and I know I don’t have enough time. I run into the galley and grab the closest knife, then scamper up the rest of the stairs to the top deck.
Outside the wind is sharp and cold, stinging my face, and a low fog is building in the distance, hovering above the dusky blue surf. The ship is probably a hundred and fifty feet long with clean, empty decks, and there are two large masts, the mainsails fluttering in the wind, and a handful of crew members. One is at the helm, one at the bow (whom I recognize as the lying son of a bitch who gave me the boat ride to the Midlands, though there’s no time to dwell on the betrayal yet), and two at the side of the ship, fishing overboard. At their feet lies Lemi, who hops up when he sees me and lets out a bark, tongue lolling to the side.
“Lemi!” I cry out happily as he bounds toward me, though now I’ve attracted the attention of the crew.
“Andor let you loose already?” the man at the wheel, an older, chubby fellow with pale skin and ruddy cheeks, says to me from up on the aft deck.
“No.” Andor’s voice rings out. I pat Lemi with one hand while my other brandishes the stolen knife, just as Andor comes up from the deck below, still looking pained. Good. I hope he can never use his dick again. “She escaped.”
Andor looks at me, eyes sparking as he pauses at the top of the stairs. “And here I thought my temper was bad. That was a cheap shot.”
“You deserved that and worse,” I snap at him. “You’re the one who nearly strangled me to death.”
“Well, you forced my hand, sweetheart. I didn’t have many options.”
“Yes, you do. Let us go,” I say. “Now.” I hold out the knife and watch as the other men stare at me with interest.
“Hey, that’s my knife,” a man with a scarred face growls. I’m guessing he’s the cook.
But he doesn’t move. None of the crew seems like they’re about to advance on me, but I can’t drop my guard. It’s obvious Andor isn’t about to let me go, and there’s five of them and one of me. I’m honestly not sure how I’m going to get out of this. I can’t see any land nearby, and Andor said we were a quarter of the way across the White Sea. I have no idea what the geography is like in this part of the world. There might be islands just out of sight, close enough that Lemi would tow me there. I could steal their rowboat…