Defend the Dawn (Defy the Night #2)(41)

A porter begins to swing the door open. “Your Highness—”

“Not yet.” I reach out and snap the door closed. My voice drops until it’s barely louder than a whisper, and I repeat the question. “Do you? Do you want me to wait?”

He inhales deeply—then coughs.

I frown.

He lifts a hand, then takes a slow breath. “I’m fine.”

I clench my jaw. I hate this.

“We have an opportunity to do something good, Cory,” he says. “Father was so well regarded.” He pauses. “I don’t want fear and anger to be my legacy. I want to be … better.”

He sounds … hopeful. I don’t remember the last time I heard my brother sound hopeful.

“I do too,” I say.

He nods, then extends a hand.

I reach out and clasp it. Harristan isn’t one for affection, but his grip is tight and sure. For one brief second, my throat tightens, and I’m not sure I’m going to be able to climb out of this carriage.

But then he blinks and lets go, then reaches out to ruffle my hair, ending with a light shove, the way he did when we were boys. I scoff and bat his hand away, then reach for the latch on the door.

“Corrick,” he says quietly, before my hand pulls the latch.

I turn. “What?”

He says nothing for a moment, and in that breath of silence, I feel the weight of his emotion.

“Come home safe, little brother.”

I give him a nod. “I promise. Be here when I get back.”

Then I open the door and slip into the falling rain alone.



Porters and footmen carry umbrellas, but the wind is such that I’ve got rain in my boots and down my collar by the time I make it to the line of guards who’ve assembled for my departure. I’m still tangled up with emotion about my brother, full of doubts and worries about the trip, and then Rocco informs me that Tessa is already on board with Kilbourne and Silas. “Captain Blakemore sought to get Miss Tessa out of the weather,” Rocco says.

I’ll bet he did.

“Excellent news,” I say flatly. I glance around at the guards standing at attention in the rain. “What about Lochlan?”

“On board as well,” he says. “He’ll be watched by Guardsman Silas until we determine he’s not a threat to you, Your Highness.”

“Well chosen,” I say, but I’m not entirely sure about that. Of all the guards Rocco could have chosen, I wouldn’t have considered Silas. He’s younger than I am, and I doubt he’s ever been charged with anything more important than babysitting empty carriages. He’s hardly been a member of the guard for six months. But his family owns a number of iron mines in Trader’s Landing, and they have a bustling shipping business.

Meaning this guard will know iron and steel—and will likely know ships as well. That will be an asset right up to the moment when I need an experienced guard.

I glance at the gangway, then pull my pocket watch free. Water droplets immediately speckle the face. Men and women are shouting orders on the deck, and the rain steadily beats down. I didn’t expect—or want—fanfare, but I did expect someone from the Dawn Chaser to escort us aboard.

Or maybe I’m just irritated because this means Tessa is on board with the captain, while I’m standing down here getting rain in my boots, and the king of Kandala is hiding in a darkened carriage, waiting for me to go.

The thought feels petulant, and I hate it. Surely they’re busy preparing to leave in this weather.

From above, a woman on deck shouts, “Captain! I think he’s down there now.”

I glance at Rocco. “Have I kept them waiting?”

He inhales to answer, but before he can, Captain Blakemore all but slides down the gangway, springing agilely off the end to land right in front of us.

“Your Highness,” he says a bit breathlessly. “The ship is ready to depart.” The ship’s sails snap in the wind, and he glances at the sky. “If you’d still like to outrun this storm, we shouldn’t wait much longer.”

“Do forgive us for the delay,” I say, but I’m pretty sure my eyes say, I’m about to push you off the dock.

That spark of challenge lights in his gaze. “Forgiven, Your Highness.”

His eyes say, Go ahead and try.

But he glances at Rocco, then steps back and extends a hand. “Shall we?”

My feet almost refuse to move. I don’t want to.

But of course I’m being foolish. I force myself to step onto the gangway. My heart gives a jolt when my foot meets the wood, the world seeming to tilt. I have to take a deep breath to clear my head. I’m leaving my brother.

Captain Blakemore steps onto the gangway just behind me. Rocco will follow us both. Somewhere at the top of this ramp is Tessa, whose presence fills me with warmth—but also Lochlan, who will surely be a problem at some point. We only have a small handful of guards, all of whom are outnumbered by the shadowed workers on the ship deck.

Harristan’s voice breaks through the sound of raindrops slamming the deck. “Captain.”

Captain Blakemore turns in surprise. So do I. A ripple of alarm runs through the guards waiting on the dock, and many of them shift to flank the king.

Harristan ignores them all and steps onto the gangway. Rocco quickly steps aside to yield passage. My brother strides right up to Rian, and there’s fire in his eyes.