He utters a few exhausted curses.

I’m still not done with him.

“You threatened to cut my hair. What manner of foul scum does that? How about if I cut off something you value, Draxen?”

He takes in a large gulp of air. Of course that threat would make him scream for help, but I can’t have that. One quick kick to the face and he’s out.

I get my knife out of my boot. What should I take from him? An ear? A finger? Something from down low?

I cringe at that thought. Too gross. Perhaps I should stick this in his heart and be done with it.

But Riden’s voice comes circulating in my ears again. Please don’t kill him.

I’ve never had a brother. I don’t know how I would feel toward him. Especially if he behaved like Draxen. I think I’d still kill him.

What do I care what Riden thinks? He’s the only one who gets hurt as a result. Draxen won’t feel a thing. The pirates under him can always find a new vessel to crew for. Most of them seem more loyal to Riden than they do their captain anyway. Lord Jeskor isn’t around to claim vengeance. But Riden might. I suppose he might even rally up the crew to join him.

I’m not afraid.

I get on my knees and find myself staring at the dagger.

It’s the dagger that Riden let me keep. He knows I have it. He’s known I’ve had it for a while. But he’s trusted me not to abuse it. It was a gift of protection from him. He took everything else I owned away from me, but he let me keep this one token out of good faith.

And he trusted me enough not to kill his brother?

What a fool.

I hover over Draxen’s chest, visualize the knife sinking in, imagine the resistance of the skin and innards, hear the sound of the knife sliding between the ribs.

But no matter how many ways I think about it, I can’t seem to make my hand advance downward.

As much as I try to be unaffected by Riden, for all I’m worth, I can’t seem to do the one simple act of killing his cruel brother.

I’ve killed hundreds of men. Why not this one?

Blasted Riden.

I try to make myself feel better by thinking it’s not worth the time to make the kill. Of course, I’ve wasted more than a minute, sitting here, thinking about it. But never mind that.

I need to get that map.

I need to find Riden.

Chapter 16

I CAUTIOUSLY PEEK MY head outside of Draxen’s quarters.

I can’t see anyone from where I stand, but it’s getting dark, so it’s hard to tell for sure. No one is needed for steering because we’re not moving at the moment. Draxen is biding his time, probably formulating some sort of plan for infiltrating my father’s keep if he hasn’t already. No matter what he has planned, he will not get far. My father will have scouts everywhere. They might have even spotted the ship already.

Over the last few days, we’ve passed by several small, empty islands. This area is dotted with them. My father has chosen one of the larger ones as the meeting point. We can’t be more than a few hours’ sail from it.

I reach the main deck and take another look around. There’s movement by the port side. A few more steps and it turns out to be Riden, preparing a boat.

“Did you kill him?” is the first thing he asks me.

“Surprisingly, no. You’re welcome.”

“Thank you. That means more to me than I can say.”

I shrug. “Is that supposed to be for me?” I ask, pointing to the boat he’s lowering into the water.

“Yes. I’ve ordered the crew to go belowdecks. You should have enough time to get to your father’s keep. The only thing more I ask is that you give us a head start before sending the pirate king after us.”

“If I were to send my father after you, it wouldn’t matter how much of a head start you had. The only reason you’re not all dead now is because he was never looking for you.”

Riden looks up from the rope in his hands. “What do you mean? Are you saying that—”

“My capture was all a ruse.”

The look he gives me is priceless. “But I thought you decided to make the most of your kidnapping by searching the ship once you’d arrived.”

“Afraid not. I planned to get kidnapped from the start. My father ordered it.”

Riden’s face is open confusion. “Why would the pirate king send out his only heir on such a dangerous mission?”

“Because I’m the only one he trusted to be successful. I have certain abilities that others do not.”

Riden releases his hold on the rope. The boat must have reached the water. “Are you using them now? Is that why I’m doing this? Helping you?”

“If I were, you would’ve given me the map already. Since you’re trying so hard to conceal it from me, you can rest assured you still have control over your mind.”

“Your eyes have changed,” he says, seemingly randomly.

“What?”

“They were blue when you first got here. Now they’re green.”

He’s awfully perceptive. My eyes are blue when I have the strength of the sea with me. Once it’s all gone, they shift back to green.

“My eyes are blue-green,” I say.

“No. They’ve definitely changed.” He leans against the railing, looking surprisingly unafraid. “What are you?”

“As if I’d tell you.”

“Are you a siren?”

I cringe at the word. It’s so strange to hear it coming from Riden’s lips. “Not exactly.”

“Your mother is a siren. That story. The rumor that your father is the only one to have bedded a siren and lived—it’s true.”

Is there any point in denying it? My father will be hunting down this ship shortly anyway. “Yes.”

“But why are you the way you are? Sirens depend on human men for their survival, but they produce more sirens. What makes you more human than sea creature?”

“That is an excellent question. You’re right: I’m not fully a siren, more half siren–half human. And there is something special surrounding my birth. I’ll tell you what it is if you tell me where you hid the map.”

“Tempting as that is, I can’t tell you that. Why don’t you get it over with and make me tell you?”

“It doesn’t work like that.”