Chapter Eighteen

Pudge’s wooden practice sword flew through the air when I jarred it loose with mine. It skidded, coming to rest at Honour’s feet.

“You need to move around, Pudge.” I wiped a bead of sweat from my forehead. “If you stand still, you’re making it too easy to disarm you.”

He glowered. “We’re on a ship. You may have your sea legs, but I don’t.”

He wasn’t making this easy.

“You asked for my help,” I reminded him. Honour tossed me Pudge’s practice sword, and I caught it midair. “Do you want to go again?”

Pudge muttered something under his breath but came to take his sword from my hand. He stood facing me, weapon raised. I maneuvered left, then twisted around to the right, and this time he brought his blade up to block.

“Good, now spread your legs farther apart and go on the offensive.” I let him get close enough to make the move, then countered him, sending his weapon to the deck once more.

“This is impossible,” Pudge said.

“Bet ya one day’s wages she’ll knock him on his arse,” one of the crew members said with a laugh.

Another one grinned, sticking his hand out. “Bet she lets him win one round.”

“He won’t get a hit in.” Barthe Dundry picked a piece of meat from his teeth. “He always fails during sparring practices at school.”

Pudge’s face scrunched up in anger.

“Don’t you guys have anything better to do?” I asked before he said or did something he might regret.

“Nope, not a thing.” Vane plopped down next to Barthe. Hag, he made my skin crawl.

Pudge retrieved his sword. He waited only a moment before lunging at me. Thezriel came up behind him, grabbing his arm.

“What are you doing?” Pudge jerked away.

“Attempting to help you,” Thezriel answered. “If you let me guide your arms, you’ll get a feel for the correct motions.”

“You don’t need to climb on my back to do it,” Pudge snapped.

“How about you take a break and just watch then,” I suggested. Why was he being so difficult tonight?

“No.” Pudge stood firm. “I’ll never get this right if I don’t work on it.”

“Then quit being so damn pig-headed and let us work with you.” My irritation hung in the air like a swarm of hungry gnats. I knew part of it had to do with the fact that it felt like our travels were taking us forever. Like we’d never reach Dorian in time. But it wasn’t like I could make the wind blow harder against the sails. Even with glamour magic, I couldn’t control the weather.

“I’m doing the best I can. This doesn’t come easy for me.” Pudge shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

“Do you think it came easy for me?” My eyes met his. “If you’re going to do this, then listen. You can’t stop fighting when you’re in the middle of battle. Your enemy’s not going to sit back and let you pick up your sword.” I knew I wasn’t kind, but I had to get through to him. This wasn’t a romp through Gob Hollow or a lame practice session on the school grounds.

“Why did you choose me, then?” He turned his back on me.

“Because you’re the only friend she has.” Vane laughed.

“Go to hell, Vane.” Pudge glowered at him.

He chuckled again. “Let’s go below deck,” he said to Barthe. “I can’t watch this catastrophe any longer.”

With a sigh, I sat my sword down on a barrel and moved next to him, waiting until Vane was out of earshot. “Because you’re my best friend. We’ve been through everything together.” I touched his arm. He shrugged my hand off. “Why don’t we eat some dinner, then come back and try again?”

“Fine.”

Thezriel gestured for me as Pudge headed below deck, his violet eyes meeting mine. “You might need to take another approach with him.”

I rested my head in my hands, rubbing my temples. “Got any suggestions?”

He chuckled. “We could make targets for him to strike. Maybe use a few barrels.”

“Yeah, but those are stationary. Don’t know of too many soldiers who are going to stand there and let the enemy hit them.”

“No, but we need to go back to the basics. When we trained, we started with the movements, the technique, getting comfortable holding the weapon.” Thezriel rolled one of the barrels to the center of the deck, then lined up two more farther back.

I felt like an arse for being so hard on Pudge. “See, this is why I’m not an instructor.”

“Come on. Let’s get some dinner. I’ll help you with the training when you’re ready.”

In the cabin, I nibbled a piece of herring, washing it down with lukewarm water.

Pudge watched me for a second, then said, “So you really think I’ll get the hang of this fighting stuff?”

“You better. The targets will be stationary this time around.”

His face lit up, then fell. “Wait, are you just doing this because I almost whacked you in the head?”

“No, I’m doing it because you need to get reacquainted with sword fighting.”

“Well, don’t go too easy on me.” Pudge swatted Grr away as he ambled closer to us.

“Sure, I’ll just tell the barrels to fight back.” I rolled my eyes.

Honour came into the cabin. “Thought I’d let you know that tomorrow we’ll be coming into harbor.”

Pudge shoved his plate to the side and stood. “That doesn’t give us much time to work on things.”

“No, it doesn’t,” Honour agreed. “But if anyone can teach you, it’s Ivy.”

“I’ll do my best.” I gave him a smile, then turned to Pudge after his brother left the room. “Hey, I’ve got something I need to do really quick. I’ll meet you up on the main deck in a few minutes,” I said.

“Where are you going?” Pudge stood, glancing down at me.

“For a quick stroll. I want to let my food settle,” I lied. The thing was, I needed to get my hands on the Hag’s Crest before we got off the ship. If we needed it to get Dorian back, there was no way I was leaving it behind. With most of the crew hunkering down for the rest of the night and Honour going back up to steer the ship, this would likely be my last chance to do it before we disembarked tomorrow.

Patting my side, I made sure Archer’s dagger was secured beneath my tunic. I reached down for my leather purse, then pulled the strap across my chest.

“Why do you need your purse?”

Shite. Pudge was asking so many questions. “I’ve got gold in here; I don’t want any of the arsehole crew to try and steal anything while I’m gone.”

Not wanting to answer another barrage of questions, I slipped out the door. The fading night sky was starting to show signs of light in the distance. Soon it’d be daylight, and daylight for goblins was physically draining. Another reason I needed to hurry, as Honour would likely have Thezriel or one of the others take over for him so he could rest.

Making my way across the deck, I slipped into the shadows until I came to a stop outside of Honour’s room. I sucked in a deep breath, trying to steady my pulse. Hand shaking, I gave a loud knock. What would I do if he was there? “Honour, are you in there?”

When no one answered, I twisted the handle and hurried inside. Glancing around, I found a small lantern and lit it with my magic, then dropped to my knees and searched under the bed, where I found the Hag’s Crest still sitting. Thank goodness it hadn’t been moved. Just as my fingers closed around it, I heard the door open behind me.

No! There was no time to hide. Panicked, I shoved the crest into my purse.

“Ivy, what are you doing?” Pudge said, pulling me out from under the bed by my leg.

“Pudge. For feck’s sake, you scared me.” My gaze met his, and he peered down to see the chain hanging out of the leather pouch.

“What is that?”

I wet my lips, then opened the top flap of the purse to show him.

His brown eyes widened, and he ran a hand through his hair. “Is that what I think it is?”

“Yes. I saw it in here the other day. You realize this is one of the items needed to get Dorian back?”

“Wait, but the goblins who came back said they didn’t have it—what is it doing here?”

“I don’t know. Barthe said that last he knew Dorian had it with him, which means someone took it off him either right before he was captured or during the kidnapping…”

“Vane?” Pudge muttered, his mouth twisting into a sneer.

“Maybe. I don’t know. But the question is, how did it end up under Honour’s bed? Did someone plant it? Or did he know it was there?”

Just then, I heard footsteps approaching the room. Oh Hag. We were in trouble. Pudge went still, worry lines furrowing his brow as we watched the door handle twist.

“Pudge, whatever you do, play along.” I grabbed tight to his tunic, pulling him against me. With my foot, I tripped him, causing him to fall onto the bed, right on top of me.

As if sensing what I planned, Pudge pressed his lips against mine. They were surprisingly soft and warm. His mouth tasted sweet, like elderberry wine. My hands slid up his chest until they wrapped around the back of his neck, and I drew him closer, fingers twisting into the hair at his nape. Heat raced through my veins, and all I could hear was the thrumming of my heart in my ears. My lips moved against his, deepening the kiss, until I thought I might lose myself all together.

He encircled me with his arms, his chest against mine, melding our bodies so close that I didn’t know where I began and he ended.

“What in Hag’s name are you two doing in my room?” Honour’s voice cut through my scrambled thoughts.

Pudge slowly pulled back, a dazed look on his face as he stared down at me. “Ivy,” he whispered.

“Pudge,” I answered, breathless. What more could I say? My body tingled from my toes to the tips of my ears. Tiny flutters took flight in my belly. Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I shifted my gaze to Honour. His eyes practically bulged out of his head, his mouth opened in a surprised O. “Um—Honour, please, please don’t say anything to anyone. If Father found out that Pudge and I—that we were found like this when I’m betrothed…”

Honour rubbed a hand across his face. “How long has this been going on? You two sneaking around?”

“A couple of months,” Pudge said, his hand clutching mine and giving it a squeeze.

“Damn it, Pudge, are you trying to get in trouble? If the king found out, or Archer, they’d have your head. I think you ought to stay in my room with me tonight. I’m not sure it’s a good idea for you two to be alone.”

“I— Yeah. That’s probably a good idea.” Pudge peered at me, and my insides stirred again.

There was no denying our connection now. I’d felt the heat between us. Had he?

For whatever reason, Honour never asked again why we were in his room in the first place, before it had obviously turned into an intimate kissing session. I hoped that Pudge could come up with a good enough excuse as I scurried back to our quarters, the Hag’s Crest hidden in my purse.

One thing was for sure: I’d think of Pudge long hours after this moment. My first kiss, although not how I expected it to happen, had been perfect. Even now, I still felt his lips against mine.

…

“Do you two have your packs?” Honour stood next to the rowboat, ready for us to board and be lowered into the water. The others were already loading in, their own supplies in hand.

“Right here.” I pointed over my shoulder. After a couple of weeks at sea, our journey was really starting. As soon as we left the ship, we’d march toward the Outer Realm. Meeting creatures and enemies we’d only read about. My chest tightened.

Just stay calm. I had trained for this moment, and now was the time to prove what I was made of.

Captain Bushwell glanced at me, raising his fist to his chest. He must’ve sensed my nervousness.

I nodded, taking a deep breath.

“Do we really have to ride on that?” Pudge’s eyes narrowed as he stared at the small boat we’d take to shore. He glanced over the railing. “The waves are a lot higher than the sides of it.”

Honour stared between us. “Try and at least pretend to be brave, eh?”

“Easy for you to say,” Pudge muttered.

Honour took my hand and helped me into the boat, followed by Grr. He proceeded to hand over a small wooden cage with two carrier pigeons in it. He hadn’t said anything about Pudge and me being in his room, thank goodness.

“Come on. We’ll be fine. It’s not that far.”

“If I become fish bait, I’m coming back to strangle all of you.”

At last, we hit the water. Honour and Thezriel unhooked the chains and began to paddle toward shore. We rode the waves up and down, the water choppy at best.

Honour rowed the boat, barely breaking a sweat as he fought the currents. I turned my attention back to the white caps and sea-foam.

This was it. We were off the boat and heading to the Outer Realm, the term goblins used to refer to anything beyond our lands. I had no idea what we’d face, but I knew we had to be prepared for anything. My stomach knotted; this trip across the sea had taken far too long. I knew we’d gone as fast as we could, but had it been quick enough? We had to make up time, even if it meant losing sleep.

As we maneuvered closer to the shore, Honour hopped over the edge, guiding us the rest of the way in by a rope. When the boat dragged along the sandy bottom, I grabbed my pack and stood on the seat. Honour reached in and hoisted me in his arms, carrying me to the beach.

“If you didn’t have to leave on the Mission, I’d toss your arse right into the water, like I used to do when you and Pudge were kids,” he whispered. “Remember when my father used to force me to take you two swimming?”

“Yeah, and you almost let us drown because you were too busy trying to get Betta Smithy to notice you.”

He chuckled. “Hey, I forgot about that.”

“I think she can walk on her own,” Pudge piped up.

“He’s right. I can handle it now,” I said, noticing we were in the shallows.

Gulls chirped and twittered overhead, diving down toward us as if expecting food.

Honour smiled, then set me down. “May take a few minutes to get your land legs back.”

My legs wobbled as if the ground moved beneath my feet. Pudge fell face-first in the sand and kissed the dirt.

“I’ve never been happier to see land in my life,” he said.

After a couple moments, Thezriel joined me, his tall form almost celestial against the moonlight. His damp dark hair stuck against his bronzed skin. “We’ll head out of town and make camp for the night. This is an elfin port city, but they’re not too keen on goblins.”

“Then why did we disembark here?” I followed him toward the docks.

“Because the main road to the Outer Realm is just beyond the woods.”

Honour helped Pudge to his feet and tugged him toward us. “We better get a move on if we want to get camp set up.”

“Everyone, fall in,” Captain Bushwell called out, directing the others.

We walked toward the tree line, and I spotted the houses and stores built high above in the trees. Rope bridges and ladders ran along the canopies, candles glittering against the dusky background. From above, the sound of wooden flutes tinkled on the wind, a haunting melody that gave me chills.

“Wow, this place.” Pudge walked, his head craned to stare at the structures as well.

“It’s astounding,” I said.

“Do you hear that?” he asked a second later.

“Yeah.”

“Kind of amazing seeing a different land for the first time, isn’t it?” Beaurick said, coming up alongside me.

“Yes, still trying to wrap my head around the fact we’re not in Gob Hollow any longer.”

A couple of hours of walking later, we came to a small clearing.

“We’ll camp here tonight,” Thezriel said. He and Honour dropped their packs to the ground. “That way there’ll only be a couple of hours to travel tomorrow.”

Pudge plopped down on a fallen tree, wiping sweat from his brow. “Hag, much more walking and I’m going to fall to my death.”

“I don’t think you’re going to die.” I rolled my eyes, setting my pack next to him.

Honour shook his head. “We need to get a campfire going.”

“I can get firewood if you want,” I offered, wanting to get a layout of our surroundings, just in case. Not that I thought we’d be attacked, but I needed to be prepared.

“Ivy and I will collect firewood if you two want to start preparing dinner.” Honour belted his sword at his waist.

Fingering the dagger at my side, I traipsed after him. The overgrowth snagged at my clothing, trees reaching out to catch hold of my hair as I moved farther into the woods. Moonlight filtered through the treetops, creating eerie bursts in the darkness.

Soon, we found an area with downed limbs, and Honour sauntered up beside me. For a moment, he just stood there staring down at me. He sighed. “Promise me you’ll look after Pudge out there.”

“I will.”

“Hag, I hate this, having to send the two of you off. What if something happens and you can’t find your way back? Shit. If the king didn’t have a delivery for me to make, I’d be there right alongside you.”

“I’ll be fine, big brother.” I rolled my eyes.

“I hope so. Just don’t let Pudge get you two killed,” he said. “Speaking of Pudge, you two need to be careful out there. You can’t be caught doing something like what I walked in on last night. I already talked to Pudge. I know you two like each other, but you’re promised to another goblin. A very important goblin at that.”

And there it was—the conversation I’d been expecting. “We won’t do it again,” I said.

Honour shook his head. “Sometimes you can’t help things from happening, no matter how hard you try. Just…don’t allow the others to see you two like that. If word gets back to Archer or the king, I don’t know what they’ll do.”

“I told you, it won’t happen again.”

Right then, Pudge came trudging into the clearing. “There you are. Thezriel wanted me to tell you that dinner is ready.”

“And you had to tell us right this second?” Honour said, taking a step back.

“Yes.” Pudge narrowed his eyes at his brother.

When Honour didn’t move, I hurried to Pudge’s side, carrying my stack of wood. He stopped me and took a few logs from me before we started walking again. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught his gaze. “What’s wrong?” I whispered.

“I swear, he acts like I’m totally worthless—a complete idiot.”

“He’s just worried, Pudge.”

“Yeah, but he never passes up a chance to talk down about me to you, either. Hag, I want to kick his arse sometimes just to prove to him I’m not some spoiled dragon sack.” Pudge glared over his shoulder.

“Not if I beat you to it,” I said. “Just so you know, he’s not really my type.”

“And what is your type?” Pudge said.

I glanced at him, then quickly looked away. Tingles ran from my toes to my scalp. “I don’t know. But I can say for sure, it’s not him.”

Pudge grinned at me but said nothing more.

When we reached camp, I unloaded my armful of wood, then plopped down next to Captain Bushwell, who I’d barely seen on the ship.

“You spent a lot of time below deck,” I said, peering over at him.

His gaze was trained on Vane, Barth, Cray, and a few others. “You have your Mission. I have mine,” he said in a low voice.

“Do you think they had something to do with Dorian’s capture?”

He drank a sip of water from his skin, then shot me a quick look. “Let’s just say there are a few things amiss. Things that don’t add up. But you let me worry about our Mission party, and you focus on getting the prince back.”

Should I tell him about the Hag’s Crest? My hand settled on top of my purse, patting it to make sure it was still hidden away. I trusted him with my life. He was my mentor, but could this information prove to be dangerous?

“Captain, th-there’s something I want to show you,” I whispered.

He shifted his glance in my direction. “Ivy, whatever it is you’re hiding in there, I don’t want to know. The less people who are aware of what you carry, the better.”

My mouth fell agape. “How did you know?”

He smiled. “Because you’ve been holding on to that bag since we left the ship like it was a small child needing protection.”

Damn, I hadn’t meant it to be so apparent. I moved my hand from it. “Someone here is lying to us.”

“I know. Like I said—you have your Mission, and I have mine.”

King Starshooter and Archer truly believed there were traitors amongst the council, that much was obvious. But the question was, how deep were those betrayals rooted? And would someone try to sabotage our rescue? Hag, I was glad Captain Bushwell was here, too.

I studied our party. Whom did I trust? Pudge, Beaurick, Perci, Captain Bushwell, and Honour. But the others, I wasn’t so sure.

Vane could be an arse, but was he capable of pulling off such an elaborate scheme as getting Dorian captured by humans? Unless the elder council members set it up…

Ugh. Too many possibilities. But like Captain Bushwell said, I needed to leave this part to him. And I had to focus on rescuing my brother.