Chapter 15

I wait for as long as I can, but the bird never comes. He's been scarce since Acker's arrival, but I leave a bowl of dried cheese and nuts anyway. It won't last more than a meal, but it's all I have to offer as goodbye. I climb back through my window and into my room for the last time.

Acker finishes refilling the waterskin, eyeing me as he stuffs it into my bag. Music drifts in on the wind, signaling the beginning of the ceremony.

Acker asks, "Now?"

I nod. But first…

I pull the first sketchbook from the stack by the bed and open it to the page I bookmarked earlier. It's the one numbered for age eleven, when I first began to keep my journals, and I lay it open on the mattress.

Then the next bookmarked journal, age twelve.

And thirteen.

I repeat the process until there's a blanket of drawings across the surface of my bed, all of the same image, the last being from this morning. Rolling hills of grass as far as the eye can see. The same hills and waist-high weeds I've dreamt of my entire life as an answer to why I left and where I'm going.

Home.

I feel more than see Acker's deep intake of breath.

Taking in one last look at the place I've found solace in most of my life, I open the door. The crossways are empty, but the sounds of congregating voices and instruments float up from below. It's dusk and the lanterns are alight along the way. A strong breeze whips errant strands of hair from my braid.

"Stay behind me," I instruct.

Not that there's any way to hide Acker's stature. He's at complete odds with the traditional Alaha features, dark hair instead of light, brown eyes instead of gray. The Kenta clothes he scrubbed and dried to a semblance of cleanliness don't help either.

We've taken all of two steps past Grenadine's when her raspy, ancient voice stops us dead in our tracks. "Where are you sneaking off to?" She's leaning against her open door, an all-knowing and delighted smile on her wrinkled lips.

I do my best to appear unfazed by her appearance, avoiding her question. "Why aren't you at the Matching Ceremony?"

"Eh." She waves a hand. "There's no good food this year, so what's the point?" Her eyes go to Acker then come back to me. "He's very handsome. I'd jump ship, too, if someone who looked like him took a liking to me."

Wary of saying anything to piss her off, I don't correct her, biting my tongue. Instead, I reach into my pocket and retrieve one of the smaller coins, then two more, and hold them out to her.

Her smile grows, stained teeth showing. "You've always known how to speak to my heart." She takes the three gold coins and winks at me. "I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep without you two bickering nonstop." And with that, she shuts the door in our faces.

Acker lifts a brow at me. "I told you to yell at me quieter."

We continue to the cross section, and I go first, hanging and dropping down onto the crosswalk of the story below. Acker follows close behind. We make it to the next story before we come across a group of people who are running late to the ceremony, and we lie on our stomachs so they don't see us when they pass below.

The sounds of the party are in full swing by the time we reach the third story. We're officially on borrowed time.

"We'll jump from here."

He eyes the choppy water below, probably remembering the swim through the swells of the storm during his escape.

"We'll climb onto the underbelly of the Main until we're closer." I motion for him to hand over the pack, which I secure around my waist. "Keep your legs and arms in line with your body. And point your toes."

He doesn't voice any trepidation if he has any, nodding in response to my instructions. I jump first and tread water when he leaps, a perfect student as he disappears into the water before reappearing again. We swim for the ladder and pull ourselves onto the cross beams below the Main.

The first time I crossed the underside of the Main, it took me hours, but I've figured out a method to step across the barnacles and moss-covered beams. We zigzag toward the boats, quiet as we concentrate on our steps.

"We're almost there," I tell him.

The wharf comes into view, the dock in the dead center of the Main and directly below the ceremony. I stop Acker with a hand and signal it's time to jump. The music and chatter cover the sound of our bodies hitting the water. Acker pulls himself onto the dock first, arm outstretched to lift me out. He's the first to leap onto the nearest fishing boat.

Untying my pack, I throw it to him and bend down to undo the dock line, hands shaking. The sound of lumbering feet and music is almost loud enough to block out the pounding of my heart.

I'm busy looking down when Acker calls my name—a warning I'm not able to heed quickly enough. Then hands are on me, the sharp edge of a sword at my neck.

Acker lifts his arms in surrender. "Easy," he says, eyes locked on the mammoth of a man behind me.

"Don't move." Chills skate down my spine at the realization that I'm in Dupre's hands. He instructs someone out of my view to go get Kai. "Onto the dock," he orders Acker.

Acker follows the instructions, hands remaining high for everyone to see, stepping over the side of the hull and onto the dock. Dupre takes a step back, forcing me onto my tiptoes to avoid the blade.

Acker's eyes focus on my exposed throat. "Easy," he repeats, a deeper warning in his tone.

Kai steps into view. "Or what?" Two guards follow along with him. He looks me over, disappointment and resignation in his gaze, tilting a chin at Dupre. "At ease."

Dupre lowers the sword, and I suck in a deep breath of relief.

It doesn't last long.

I can hear the power of his gift lacing the words when he says, "On your knees."

Acker lowers himself to one knee then the other, eyes raging against his calm movements. It's the first time I've seen Kai use his gift on anyone, and a newfound fear takes root inside me.

The two guards close in, placing shackles around Acker's wrists. All the while, his stare doesn't leave Kai, rage simmering under the surface.

With Acker momentarily taken care of, Kai runs his hands through his hair, stopping with his hands on his hips as he turns his attention toward me. Sorrow and anger flit across his face, like he's torn between the two. "Everything I've done to protect you."

"Protect me?" I choke out. "You're who I need protecting from."

He shakes his head. "You have no idea."

I all but snarl at him. "Enlighten me then."

His voice comes out low and cold, eyes despondent. "It was me or my father."

Stunned by his words, I stumble back into Dupre. Kai reaches out to help steady me, but I jerk away from his touch.

Irritation sparks in his eyes. "I could sense your magic reacting to mine in the dress shop."

"Why didn't you stop me then?"

"Because I was hoping I was wrong." He throws a hand up in defeat. "I never wanted you to find out like this."

I sneer. "Let's not pretend you ever had any intention of telling me."

"I did," he argues. "I didn't know when or how, but I knew a day would come when I'd have to be honest with you."

"Yet here we are."

He reaches for me again, stopping short when I tense. "Brynn," he pleads .

There's a long moment as I swallow past the sorrow in my throat, the urge to cry forcing me to keep my mouth shut.

When I don't respond, he says my name again. "Brynn."

"That's not her name."

All heads swivel to Acker, whose words were spoken with an eerie calmness. It's unsettling enough to give the men pause. But Acker's attention doesn't deviate from Kai, gaze hard and unyielding despite the compromised position he's in.

"You have no power here."

Acker smirks, arrogance growing. "I have more than you."

Kai doesn't take the bait, turning his back in dismissal, but there's a noticeable unease behind his eyes when he sets his sights back on me. "I only ever fed emotions back to you, emotions you were already feeling."

I shake my head. "Nothing you say can justify manipulating me for your own gain."

Kai's face becomes hardened, anger tinting his cheeks with indignation. "Why do you think I never bedded you?"

Humiliation burns through my veins, tingeing the unshed liquid in my eyes and the heat in my ears. I know at this moment he's no longer my friend, but it feels like a low blow. Too low.

"I wanted it to be your choice, without the influence of my magic. I wanted you…" He trails off, almost as if he doesn't want to admit what he's about to say. "I wanted you to love me when you gave yourself to me."

I don't need my magic to know he's being honest .

"That's the thing, Kai," I say, voice quiet for just him to hear. "I did love you. You were my best friend and you betrayed me."

It takes a few heartbeats, but his reaction morphs from agony to resignation. "I have a plan in motion, but I can't let you leave." Holding my gaze, Kai keeps his back to Acker when he says to the two guards, "Kill him."

I reach for Kai, but my legs are kicked out from behind me, and I land on my knees. One of the guards grabs Acker's hair, angling his head back to expose his throat while the other pulls a sword from his belt.

Acker's gaze slides to me, eyes hooded, neck tight from the unnatural angle his head is forced into. There's a breath of time where he holds my stare, almost as if he's wanting to convey something to me, something like…regret, maybe?

Then he moves.

Swinging the chains from his shackles over his head, he catches the guard behind him by the neck, twisting the metal into a strangulation device. He finishes him off within moments. The other guard lunges for him but stops mid-attack. The sword that was in his hand is now in Acker's, and he plunges it deep into the guard's chest. Stunned, the guard stumbles back, gargling on the blood filling his lungs.

Dupre regrips the sword against my neck as Acker's attention turns in my direction.

"You won't kill her." He's not the slightest bit winded as he stalks forward.

Kai unsheathes the sword on his hip. Acker has the audacity to smirk, not missing a beat as he kicks off a dock post, bringing down a fist right into Kai's face. The fight is over before it starts. Kai falls to the dock with a heavy thud.

Dupre pushes the blade to urge me into standing, using me as a last line of defense against Acker.

Picking up Kai's fallen sword, Acker tests its weight, inspecting the weapon in his hands. "Let the girl go and I'll consider not killing you."

I've heard less than five sentences from Wren's most trusted guard, but this is the first time I've heard him cuss. "Go fuck yourself."

Acker looks up from the blade. "I'm starting to think the Alaha are all inbred. It's the only explanation for your level of stupidity."

There's a surprising shake in Dupre's hands, and I hiss against the sting of the blade.

Acker goes stock-still, losing every stitch of humor.

"I'm not scared of you—"

In one singular motion, Acker spins and launches the sword like a javelin. I squeal, squeezing my eyes shut as the weapon hurtles toward me. The sound of metal cutting through flesh and bone reverberates in my ear. Blood sprays over the top of my head. The sword at my neck slowly slides away as Dupre's large body falls to the dock with a loud thump.

Acker grabs me by the shoulders. "Are you okay?"

I squint up at him. "Yeah."

Wiping the blood dripping into my face away with a palm, he rubs it against the leg of his pants. "I'm sorry."

I let out a deep breath, trying and failing to stop the shake in my hands. "We'll call it even."

He sputters on a choked laugh, a smile pulling at the side of his mouth…but then it's gone, deflecting the incoming blade in the nick of time. It misses the in tended mark, but Kai's still able to bury the blade halfway into Acker's side before ripping it free.

Blood blooms from the spot.

Kai jabs the blade again, but Acker stops it with embarrassing ease. He uses his other hand to grab Kai by the throat, an eerie calm settling over him as he takes the blade and points it at the hollow of Kai's throat.

"Don't kill him."

Kai's gaze swings to me, but I'm not looking at him.

I place a hand on Acker's shoulder. "Acker." It's the first time I've called him by his name, and he's slow to turn his head toward me, eyes void of any emotion when he meets my gaze. I swallow against my fear, knowing this is a big ask considering Kai just tried to kill him. "Please," I beg.

Taking in a deep breath, his eyes come back to life a little at a time before he pulls the sharp point away from Kai's neck. Kai's relief is short-lived when Acker jerks him close, wrapping his forearm around Kai's neck and cutting off his air. Kai fights, but Acker maintains his hold until Kai's face turns a nasty shade of red, then white, before his eyes fall closed. Acker drops Kai, letting his body hit the dock.

"Thank you," I tell him, but he isn't interested in my gratitude. He inspects Kai's dagger before lifting his shirt to pocket it in his waistband. I only get a glimpse of the fresh cut in his side before he covers it.

My heart finally slows to where the sound of music registers in my ears again. It seems the same happens for Acker because we both burst into motion.

I finish untying the boat from the dock and Acker retrieves the paddles, handing me one as we push off from the dock. A flurry of motion catches my eye, and I spot the guard with chains around his neck stumbling to his feet.

"I thought you killed him," I say to Acker, getting his attention.

The guard shoots us a murderous glare as he turns to the stairs leading to the Main. Standing, Acker slides the dagger into his hand. He adjusts his grip on the weapon then slings the dagger toward the guard. There's a discernible zip as it cuts through the air, followed by an abrupt smacking sound when it slices into the back of the guard's head.

Teetering on a middle step, he spins in place, giving us a view of the weapon that's projecting from an eye socket. He wobbles into a complete turn before falling down the remaining flight of stairs, landing face down.

Acker clicks his tongue against his teeth, stretching out his arm. "Aim is off."

I watch in astonished horror as the dagger dislodges itself from the dead guard and flies back toward Acker. He grunts when it smacks into his palm, as if the retrieval taxed him, and wipes the weapon on his pant leg.

Neither of us speak as we each grab our oars and begin to row the boat out from under the grove. The light of the Main highlights the surrounding water, and we work overtime to move into the shadows.

Music follows us for miles and miles as we row into the night.