“What was that?” Lou said. Her chest heaved in and out.

“Praise the gods, what happened?” Jebba asked looking up to the sky. “Zeus has spoken.”

Yea, sure, Zeus, I thought to myself, stifling an eye roll. I stepped into the center of the lane. “We have all lost people we have loved. Death is a part of life. But I give you my word, Lou had nothing to do with your family’s losses. I’d like to right these wrongs as best I can. I’ll have the king’s advisor compensate your stolen justice; your families will not want. Go to the palace tomorrow and ask for Edgar. Your pay will await you.”

Lou’s mouth hung open while the three conscious men, bloodied and bruised, bowed appreciatively. The father retrieved his wounded son while Jebba gathered Leon into his arms.

“Thank you,” Jebba whispered as he passed me. “For showing us mercy.”

I watched their sagging bodies wobble back and forth as they retreated up the hill, then turned to Lou. I found a red-faced harpy, a vein popping in her forehead as she jabbed her sword at me like an accusation. “Did you know what my father was doing with the men aboard The Freedom, the deal he made with the Siren Queen for safe passage?”

I didn’t miss the way she spat the words. I didn’t miss the way betrayal sounded in her tone. It threaded through my heart, the stitches pulling tight. I swallowed, then spoke the truth.

“Yes.”

Chapter fourteen

Lou

Rylander’s fingers raked back the tangled brown locks plastered to his face, casual as a clam, while I was coming apart, an octopus ripped limb from limb in the hands of a cruel child.

“And you kept it from me?” I screamed, high and whining and weak. Even my voice was coming undone. “You lied!”

His broad chest worked hard to catch a breath from the fight, but his face fought harder for composure as a strange flash of surprise pulled down on it. My own ribcage inflated with quick, shallow gulps of air. Only then did I notice the tear tickling my jaw. I rubbed it away with my knuckles, letting out a harsh cry of rage. I wouldn’t cry in front of this cocky scoundrel. I wouldn’t.

Rylander stalked forward until he stood a foot away. “I wanted to tell you. I did, but—”

“Codswallop!” I spat. “You wanted to keep me in the dark, keep me pliant.”

“Pliant?” Rylander scoffed.

“Just an emotional little maid who can’t handle a man’s world, a man’s choices.”

Rylander’s jaw popped. “So, I suppose I also wanted you to loathe me, too, to bargain for my head, just to keep you pliant? Pray tell, what about you is—”

“How could you?” I shrieked. When another sharp sob slipped through my teeth, I did my best to turn it into a snarl.