“I can almost see the silver in these eyes.” Baldur chuckled cruelly, then crumbled one of the missives in my face. “To me, you are as disloyal as the blood crafter. Gods, what might’ve been accomplished by now if you had not been such a coward and accepted your fate.”

I tried to wrench free of his grip, but the captain merely tightened his hold until I was certain my teeth would slice through my cheeks.

Only when Ashwood clapped his hands did Baldur release me. The Sentry wore a look of dark anger and moved his fingers swiftly, sharply. I did not need to hear his voice to sense the fury in his tone.

Baldur yanked me to my feet. His lips dragged over my ear, his breath hot on my skin. “Seems our Sentry does not care for me damaging your face. By the by, he wonders if you took note of his message. Something about a liar?”

Kael coughed, his shoulders rising in rough breaths, the truth of it a cruel lash.

Ashwood knew me. He’d been sent ahead of the guard to sniff me out like a hound on the hunt.

Like a blow to the back of the head, I understood—the Stav were here for me, not to secure borders for a royal wedding.

Jarl Jakobson knew it; his unease was clear. He’d planned to sell me to Stonegate, and now because of his offering, his blood son was at risk of the blade for keeping my secrets.

Tears stung when I let my trembling gaze fall on the jarl. His jaw pulsed and the coward did not have the spine to meet my glare.

I clenched my jaw and looked back to the captain. “You are mistaken about me. I am merely a servant.”

“No.” Baldur dragged one callused fingertip down the curve of my cheek. “You’re so much more. The time is long gone for you to submit your craft to Stonegate.”

“I’ve no craft to submit.”

Baldur laughed softly, a touch of venom buried in the sound. “This is how you desire our meet to go? Fine.”

With the snap of the captain’s fingers, Stav Guard moved like a storm rolling over the shore—fierce and unstoppable. In mere heartbeats, three guards had blades leveled at Kael.

“No!” I made a move to rush to their sides but a nearby Stav Guard gripped my wrist.

Kael paid little mind to the blade at his throat and looked at me. “No tears for me. We’ll meet in Salur, where there are no farewells.”

The sob burned in my chest, pain waiting to break free.