The Spirit War(146)

“That’s Den the Warlord.”

“The traitor?” the captain said, squinting at the tiny boat. “Impossible. He’d be an old man by now if he’s still alive at all.”

“It has to be Den,” Nico said with absolute certainty. “He’s the only person whose soul could look like that.”

Josef had no idea what she meant, but he was too preoccupied to care. “Captain, turn us around. Den the Warlord killed five thousand men in one night when he defected. We can’t let him land.”

“No,” Nico said.

Josef looked at her in surprise, but Nico just clenched her fists.

“You’re the only one who can sink the palace ships,” she said. “And that’s the only thing keeping the fleet at bay. If you leave now, the fleet will cross the shallows before the tide and this whole mission is for nothing.”

“It won’t matter if Den’s already finished the job,” Josef growled. “Turn us around.”

“No,” Nico said again.

Josef jerked at the determination in her voice. “Nico…”

“You’re king now,” Nico went on. “Your duty is here.” She looked back at the shore. “I’ll stop Den.”

“Nico, no,” Josef said. “Den’s the highest bounty in Council history and maybe the best fighter in the world. I have to—”

“You can’t make it there fast enough,” Nico said, her voice firm. “I can. Or don’t you think I can win?”

Josef set his mouth in a stubborn line. “It’s not that I think you can’t win,” he said. “It’s what I think you’ll have to do to get there.”

“I already won my hardest fight,” she said, lifting her chin. “Stay and be king, Josef. It’s what you promised. Besides, it’s my turn to do something for you.”

Josef clenched the Heart’s hilt. “This isn’t some damn give-and-take, Nico. You don’t owe me this.”

“You’re right,” Nico said. “I don’t. It’s my choice to fight for you, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

Josef turned with a curse. “Fine,” he growled, running his free hand through his wet hair. “Just promise me you won’t do anything stupid.”

“I’ll do what I have to,” Nico said, sliding into the mast’s shadow. “Same as you.”

“Nico!” Josef’s arm shot out, but his fingers caught nothing but air. He was too late. She was gone.

The boat rocked as he lurched toward the shore, but he couldn’t see anything from this angle. He cursed again, louder this time, slamming the Heart’s pommel against the boat so hard they nearly tipped.

“Sire?” the captain said nervously when the worst of the boat’s rocking had passed. “Are we going back?”

Josef closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Nico was a survivor. If she decided to win, she would win. She would survive and come back to him, no matter what. Josef held that truth in his mind as tight as he held the Heart and he forced himself to let the anger, and the fear at its root, go. Slowly, the battle calm settled over his mind again. When he was sure he could trust himself, Josef straightened up and turned to face the captain.

“Our job hasn’t changed,” he said. “But we’re fighting on two fronts now. Nico will hold the beach, so it’s up to us to hold the water. Now bring us around, and let’s hit another ship.”

“Aye, sire,” the captain said. “Full speed!”

The men shouted to the other boats as the Oseran fleet shot forward. Josef stepped back onto the prow, Heart in his hand, but when he tried to clear his mind in preparation for the next strike, all he could see was Nico vanishing into the dark.

The Heart jerked angrily in his hands, and Josef pushed the vision away, pouring himself into the present as the runners raced toward their next target.





CHAPTER


21


Nico stepped out of the shadows and onto the small crescent of sand beneath the storm wall. Tesset was already there, standing with his boots in the surf as he watched the lone boat that was just now entering the bay’s mouth.

“You should not have come,” he said without looking. “This man is mine.”

“And this island is Josef’s,” Nico said, moving to stand beside him. “I have no interest in interrupting your fight, but I cannot let Den past this beach.”

Tesset laughed softly. “What did the swordsman do to deserve such devotion? Save your life?”

“Countless times,” Nico said. “But that’s not why.” She raised her arms, pushing back her hood. “He believed in me, even when there was nothing to believe in.”