The Runaway King (The Ascendance Series, Book 2)

In any other circumstance, there would have been a certain amount of comedy associated with my entrance. Although the rest of the pirates only saw Sage walking forward, Gregor actually stumbled back in shock. It’s too bad he didn’t trip and injure himself.

My sword was in my hand, and I held it ready as I looked at Devlin. “Did you hear me? That pocket watch was my crime. For that matter, so was their running away. I made them leave last night. If you raise that whip against her, I promise to strike you down before it has a second to fly.”

Devlin grinned. “You took the pocket watch because you’re a thief, but I thought we had agreed you’re no swordsman, Sage.”

By now, Gregor had recovered. “Sage? Devlin, forgive my accusation, but you are a fool. Don’t you know who this is?”

Devlin didn’t appear to forgive the accusation. With a sneer on his face, he folded his arms and said, “Enlighten me.”

Gregor looked at me and frowned. “He can perform the Avenian accent as well as his own Carthyan tongue. And although he has the reputation for being able to steal the white off of snow if he chooses to, this boy is far from being a mere thief. Devlin, you are facing the boy who has haunted the pirates for the past four years. This is Jaron, the lost prince of Carthya.”

Again, the comedic value of this moment could not be denied, except that no one, not even I, was laughing. But Devlin nearly dropped the whip and his mouth hung open in total disbelief. Because of the sword in my hand, nobody advanced on me yet, nor would they until Devlin ordered them to.

Near the front of the crowd of pirates, Erick was shaking his head. I truly regretted having misled him into bringing me here, largely because he was in great danger now. Next to him, a red-faced Agor appeared to already be plotting his death.

Or I could be wrong. It was more likely that Agor was thinking about my death, at least as his first priority. Erick would be next.

“Is this true?” Devlin asked me. “You’re Prince Jaron?”

“King Jaron, actually. News must travel slower amongst the illiterate.” I glared at Gregor with every inch of disdain I felt. “Shouldn’t you be groveling to me or bowing or something?”

Gregor smiled. “I think before I have the chance, you will already be dead.”

“Ah. So much for all your toasts to my long life.”

“Take comfort in knowing you’ll join the rest of your family soon.” Then Gregor furrowed his dark brows. “If you’re here, who’s back at the castle?”

I cocked my head. “Tell me your secrets and I’ll tell you mine.” My attention returned to Devlin. “Anything that happens now is between you and me. Fink and Imogen are distractions. Release them.”

“And then what?” Devlin asked.

“Then the pirates surrender to me and I leave in peace.” I tilted my head toward Gregor. “In exchange, you can have him.”

“But that would deny me the greatest unfinished job the pirates have had in our history,” Devlin said. “Some of us have never gotten over the disappointment of failing to kill you.”

“There are several people who share your same disappointment,” I said. “Frankly, I don’t think it’s fair that you get to kill me when there were others who wanted to do it first.”

Devlin barked out a bitter laugh. “Lock the kid in that room above the beach. We don’t need him here. And take Gregor to the jail.”

“What?” Gregor snarled and began to withdraw his sword, but four pirates were beside him before he had the chance.

“Until this moment, all we had was the chance to kill Jaron.” Devlin’s tone was equally nasty. “But now we have him, and the steward of Carthya too.” He nodded at some of his men. “Take them away.”

Pirates grabbed Fink and yanked him to his feet. Several more surrounded Gregor, disarmed him, and led them both away. Gregor’s strange combination of threats and pleas for mercy could be heard for some distance. It wasn’t his finest moment.

Next, Devlin cocked his head at Imogen. “We have no need of Gregor to get what we want from Carthya. Because we have her.”

I moved closer to Imogen, blocking her body with mine. “Lock her in the room with Fink. Anything you want from her you can get from me.”

Devlin smiled at me. “Actually, I think the opposite is true. Anything I want from you, I can get by using her.” He raised a hand to his men. “You know what to do.”

Like bees to a hive, pirates swarmed me. I struck where I could, and gave out a fair share of wounds, but I took a few too. Even Erick was working with them, but although I had the chance to give him a hit, I turned elsewhere. It didn’t matter where I fought, because there were pirates advancing from every direction, and the fight was over far too quickly. They got my sword, which someone used to club me in the back and send me to the ground. Once I was down, they pulled my arms behind me and tied them, then dropped both Imogen and me at Devlin’s feet.

I pressed the side of my body against hers in a lame attempt to offer some comfort. But she knew how few options remained. There was little comfort for that.

“Valiant effort, young king, but you must have known you never had a chance against us. So you came here promising to reveal the location of the Carthyan treasury, and you will. Frankly, I was skeptical of that promise at first, but I should have been more trusting. Obviously, you know exactly where it is. Show me.”

Agor already had the map of Carthya spread on the ground beside me. Then he arched an eyebrow, waiting to see what I’d do.

I ignored the map and said nothing. Devlin was clearly enjoying hearing himself speak, so I didn’t think he really expected me to add to the conversation. Especially because I wasn’t inclined to do anything he wanted.

Devlin began pacing a line in front of us and spoke for all his pirates to hear, “I knew that someday we’d play a role in the downfall of Carthya, but I had thought it would unfold under orders from the king of Avenia. That changes now. By the end of this day there will be no Jaron. I will be king of Carthya.”

“You wouldn’t want to be king of my country,” I said.

“Why is that?”

“Well, you’re rather fat. I doubt you’d fit onto my throne.”

He laughed. “I appreciate your concern, but it will do until a new throne can be made for me. Now, if I’m not mistaken, there’s a young princess in Carthya who is obligated to marry whoever wears the crown. I hear she’s very pretty.”

“And you’re very ugly,” I said. “Have mercy on your children. Even the princess’s beauty won’t compensate for you.”

“That’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

“Then what now?” I cocked my head, the only defiance I could offer from this position. “Because you should know that I will never give up my country, and certainly not to a pig like you.”

“And next you’ll say that I’ll have to kill you to do it, right?” Devlin grinned. “Let me save you the words. I have no intention of killing you . . . yet. Jaron, you will give me the location of that cave, and you will give up the throne, or I will kill that girl kneeling beside you.”

At the nod of his head, two pirates lifted Imogen to her feet. She screamed in terror and looked back at me.

I tried to stand but pirates were on either side of me, clamping me down. “You are still bound by your code,” I yelled. “She’s committed no crime. You can’t touch her!”

“She lied to me when she came,” he said. “That negates the code. Prepare her.”

I continued to struggle. “You are the ultimate coward. Deal with me, Devlin. Not her!”

“Gregor was right,” Devlin said, looping the whip again. “You’d do anything for this girl.”

Pirates tied each of Imogen’s hands on opposite ends of a wide board they had lowered from a tree. Slots were carved into each end for her wrists. They’d prevent her from moving too much as they whipped her.

By this time I had worked a hand free of the ropes behind my back. I stretched out a foot to trip a pirate behind me and rose up to hit another in the jaw. I ducked the attempt of a third man to grab me and tried for his sword. But before I could reach it, several more pirates had me again. One punched me in the back, forcing the air from my lungs. Before I could recover, another two got my arms pinched behind me.

“Devlin, I challenge you.” I still gasped for air and my voice was dry and hoarse. “I challenge you as king of the pirates.”

Devlin shook his head. “You have no right to a challenge. You lied to me to come here.”

Technically, I hadn’t lied, but this was no time for the fine points of that debate. I pulled one arm free long enough to reveal the pirate branding. “Whatever I did to get here, I am a pirate. I have every right to challenge you, and you are obligated by the code to answer it.”

“All right,” Devlin said, finally lowering his whip. “Give this boy-king his sword. I accept your challenge. Prepare to die.”