War (The True Reign Series) (2 page)

Darmik shook his head.
“Something’s wrong. I can feel it.”

“
There’s only one way to find out,” Mako said. Logistically, he couldn’t send his men to attack the ship. Besides himself, there were only six people. The probability of Emperion soldiers lying in wait, unseen, was too great for such a small band of rebels.

“
I’ll go,” Darmik offered.

Mako hesitated. He couldn
’t afford to lose Darmik—he was their best bet at rescuing Rema. However, if soldiers were indeed waiting, they most likely would not harm Darmik since he was a prince. Mako nodded. “If it’s safe for the rest of us, signal with your left hand.” Wasting no time, Darmik slid into the shadows, making his way toward the ship.

Mako whispered to Savenek
, “Go and tell the others to hold their positions back by the storefronts, but to be prepared.” The boy crept away.

Mako watched
Darmik approach the bottom of the ramp. Crouching low, he ascended with his sword drawn. When he reached the top, he ran and jumped over the railing, landing on the deck, disappearing from sight. No shouts rang out, no warning cries arose, and no sounds of fighting were heard.

A few moments later,
Savenek rejoined Mako. “Audek, Neco, Ellie, and Vesha are ready when you are.”

Mako nodded, watching the ship for any movement.

“Is something the matter?” Savenek asked.

“
No.”

“
You seem…tense,” Savenek commented.

“
Because I am. Now be quiet and keep your eyes open.”

Savenek sighed.
They sat side by side in silence, waiting.

Darmik
finally appeared at the bow of the ship, giving the all-clear signal.

“
Let’s go,” Savenek said. The two of them joined Darmik aboard the vessel.

“
They’re not here!” Darmik said, punching the mast.

“
Savenek,” Mako ordered, “go and check the marina’s log. See if another ship has recently left.” The boy hurried away.

On the pier, there was
hardly any activity since the majority of business was conducted during the daylight hours. A few sailors tended to a boat, while others slept just off the wharf.

“
There are two Emperion soldiers below deck. I knocked them out and tied them up,” Darmik said, pacing.

“
We can question them when they wake,” Mako said. Darmik’s eyes sliced over to him, seemingly aware of the mistake he’d made in rendering the men unconscious. “In the meantime, I’m going to ask the people on the pier if they’ve seen anything. Let’s go.” They descended the ramp. Mako was glad to be back on solid ground.

Savenek
ran up to them. “They left! The ledger states that a merchant vessel set sail an hour ago for Emperion.”

Darmik suddenly
shouted, “Get on the Emperion ship, now! We’re leaving!”

“
Calm down and think like a commander,” Mako scolded. “We need to talk about this.”

“
There’s nothing to discuss.” Darmik leaned in toward him. “Every minute we stand here arguing, adds to the distance growing between Rema and us. If we want to save her, we have to leave immediately.” His eyes shone with fury.

Mako understood Darmik
’s fear and frustration. Yet, in order to have a solid plan in place, they had to think and act rationally. “Why did Captain take a merchant boat instead of his own military vessel?”

“
The merchant ship was slated to leave in the morning,” Savenek said. “It was fully stocked and the crew nearby.”

“
What about the Emperion crew?” Mako asked. “Where are they if they’re not on board?”

“
The crew and soldiers are inland,” Darmik muttered. “They infiltrated the army at King’s City, a two-day’s ride from here.”

Since Captain
’s military ship wasn’t ready to sail, he chartered a regular merchant boat. Mako glanced at the Emperion ship docked nearby. “So we need supplies and a crew to sail that thing?”

Darmik nodded.

“Savenek—go find a crew for hire. Check the local taverns. Darmik—tell Neco and Ellie to acquire food and water. Have Audek and Vesha obtain any other provisions you deem necessary. Then I want you back here, out of sight. As soon as we have everything, you can set sail.”

“
What about you?” Darmik asked. “Aren’t you coming with us?”

“
No,” Mako said. “I can’t leave the rebel army. We need to go forward with our plans and prepare for battle. We’ll be ready when you get back from Emperion.”

The boys
took off running.

****

Mako handed the sailor a large burlap bag of coins.

“
This will only be enough to get them there,” the man said.

Glancing at the ship, Mako
watched Savenek sprint up the ramp, carrying a crate of food.

“
I understand,” Mako mumbled. He pulled out another bag of coins, handing it to the sailor.

The man took the
money and slipped it under his weathered jacket. “Once the food and water are loaded, we’ll set sail.” He turned and boarded the ship with his crew.

These sailors came highly recommended by the local tavern owner—a man who worked with Mako
’s men on more than one occasion. He promised that they were good, hardworking, and loyal sailors.

Savenek ran down the ramp, stopping before Mako.
“Everything’s on board.”

“
What about the items Darmik requested?”

Savenek rolled his eyes.
“It’s all there—the weapons, uniforms, everything.”

“
Good.” Mako didn’t know what else to say to Savenek. The boy was like a son to him and was the only family he had. This could very well be the last time he saw him.

“
Stop,” Savenek said, putting his hands on Mako’s shoulders. “I’ll be fine. You trained me to be a competent soldier.”

Mako nodded
. “Be careful. Emperion people are very different from us.”

“
Let’s go!” Darmik shouted over the ship’s railing.

“
We’ll be back with Rema, I promise.”

“
Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

Savenek smiled.
“I’ll return with Queen Amer. Then we’ll invade King’s City and retake the throne. I promise.” Excitement shone on the boy’s face. He spun around and sprinted up the ramp, joining the others. Mako hated having to place his trust in someone he once considered his enemy; nevertheless, Darmik had been to Emperion before. If anyone could sneak into the kingdom and rescue Rema, it was Darmik.

The sa
ils went up into the dark night, the fog slithering around them. Water slapped against the boat as it slowly moved away from the dock, disappearing into the thick, ocean mist.

Rema

Rema peeled her heavy eyelids open
, and everything swayed before her. Rolling onto her side, she vomited. When she moved to wipe her mouth, she discovered her wrists were tied together with thick rope.

Where
am I? What is going on?
The last thing she remembered was standing in her bedchamber, an arm snaking around her chest, while a cloth was placed over her mouth and nose. Then, everything went black.

She
pushed herself up, her arms shaking and head pounding. Sitting on the hard, wooden floor, it felt as if everything around her was moving. Vomit rose in the back of her throat. She took deep breaths, trying to calm her queasy stomach. Glancing around, it appeared she was in some sort of dark storage room. A few beams of light filtered in between the wood plank walls. Several crates of food, boxes, and barrels of water lined the walls. Rema tried to stand, but her ankles were also bound together, so she crawled to the corner farthest from where she had thrown up.

Leaning against a barrel, she
closed her eyes, waiting for the nausea to pass. Was she somewhere in the fortress? Who would have done this to her and why? Trying to focus on her surroundings, Rema felt as if she was moving up and down. Maybe it was a side effect from the toxin she had ingested.

She heard voices shout
above her. Several feet pounded on the wooden floor. All the floors in the castle were stone. The only wooden one was in the barn, and that was only one level. Cold fear prickled through her. Where was she?

M
ore yelling and feet stomping above, and then a loud groan as the floor shifted. Rema was thrown sideways, and a couple of the wooden boxes toppled down beside her. Pushing herself up, she crawled over to one of the crates and used it to pull herself into a standing position.

It definitely felt
as if the floor moved. Since her ankles were bound, she hopped toward the door. The wood groaned, and the floor shifted again. Rema lost her balance, falling to the ground. The door flew open, and light burst into the small room. A figure dressed in black walked toward her.

“
You’re finally awake,” said a male voice she didn’t recognize. The man towered above her. There was something about the way he spoke—it was foreign and unlike anything she’d ever heard before.

“
You’re the Emperion assassin,” she whispered, her heart pounding in her chest. The emperor probably knew she was the true heir to the Emperion throne and would stop at nothing to see her killed.

He crouched down, leaning toward her.
“I am,” he said, his voice soft and low. “Welcome aboard The Scorpion.”

Everything made sense—the vomiting, the feeling that the floor was moving, the food in the storeroom.
Rema was on a ship.

“
I’m taking you to Emperion. The emperor wants to
see
you beheaded.” He grabbed her arm, yanking Rema to her feet. “I can’t have you die before we get there.” He tossed her over his shoulder and exited the room.

Rem
a squinted against the bright sun as the assassin plopped her back onto her feet. Her fear vanished as she beheld the magnificent sight before her. Enormous, ivory sails vigorously flapped against the wind. The vessel cut through the ocean, which surrounded her in every direction. She hopped to the railing, looking over the side in amazement.

Rema wanted to scream with joy and hug someone—she
was on a boat, sailing across the ocean! Granted, she was going to be executed, but she’d faced that situation before and lived. It would do no good to dwell on the negative. Rema always wanted to see the world, and this might be her only chance to do so. Besides, an opportunity to escape could present itself.

“
Why are you smiling?” the assassin asked in his odd accent.

Now that she was outside, she could see her kidnapper. He
appeared to be in his early thirties and had a tall, stocky build, blond hair cut close to his head, and freckles covering his face. She’d never met anyone else who had blond hair like hers before.

His eyes narrowed, studying her. Rema glanced away, not answering him. She took a deep breath, smelling the cool, salty air. The sun warmed her skin.

The assassin grabbed her hands. Rema tried jerking them away, but his grip was too strong. His deft fingers untied the knot, and her bindings fell to the ground. He knelt and fumbled at the rope around her ankles.

The man stood before her.
“You do understand you’re going to be executed?”

“
Yes,” Rema said, gazing back out at the ocean. The water went on as far as she could see, in every direction.

“
Then why aren’t you crying?” he asked, puzzlement clear on his face.

She
laughed, and then looked at her captor. “I’m on a ship, sailing across the ocean.”
The ocean!
“I haven’t been on a boat before, nor have I ever left Greenwood Island.” She never imagined being on a ship could feel so liberating. The man shook his head. “Let me ask you a question,” Rema said. “Why did you undo my bindings?”