“Perspective can be a funny thing. We all lose it from time to time when the darkness crowds too close.”
Caelan glanced over his shoulder at Rayne, his eyebrows raised in skepticism. His advisor chuckled and his expression turned a little sheepish.
“I have lost my perspective in the past. But I’ve been lucky to have people in my life to remind me of the big picture.” His fingers squeezed again. “You have to trust us, Cael. The three of us will always have your best interests in mind.”
He nodded and stared at the sea, swallowing the reminder that what was best for Caelan and what was best for Thia might not be the same thing. His friends and confidantes needed to remember that, but he didn’t have the heart to say it.
At last, when they were an hour away from Hollowind, Drayce allowed him into his room so Caelan could at least get him feeling well enough to put him on his feet.
The port town of Hollowind was still more than a thousand miles away from Stormbreak and was absolutely tiny, reminding him a lot of Shallow Edge in Caspagir. A place that the world seemed to have forgotten. And if they were lucky, a town the Empire wouldn’t have noticed yet.
Grabbing their packs filled with supplies and their weapons, they boarded a smaller launch that left them at a beach a mile from Hollowind. Eno and Rayne were unwilling to have them call too much attention to themselves by docking in the tiny town. It was better to try to slip in without being noticed and then sneak out.
As it was, the captain had needed to avoid any sign of New Rosanthe warships the entire way to Erya. Prince Shey’s yacht had a stash of weapons on it, but not nearly enough firepower needed to take on anything they might encounter from the Empire. It had been yet another reason why they weren’t closer to Stormbreak.
It didn’t matter. They were on Erya soil again and one step closer to home. A restless energy filled Caelan, excited and fearful all at once. He didn’t want to sit still, didn’t want to hesitate for a moment. In a few days, they could be in Stormbreak, but what would they be returning to? Eno was still trying to get news from Tomas and Melita. Rayne was struggling to get any useful information from the few government officials he could reach while still protecting Caelan’s living status.
They trudged along the two-lane road toward Hollowind, stopping when they reached the outskirts. It appeared as if all the buildings had been carefully balanced on the side of a hill, leading to the ocean. One stiff breeze and they’d go sliding down into the waters, the entire town disappearing as if it had never existed.
There was a sort of dull dreariness to the place. Each structure was constructed of worn wood and covered in badly faded paint. The shingle roofs were either red or black, while the windows were nearly all covered as if the sun wasn’t welcome there.
“Gray place,” Drayce murmured quietly beside him.
Caelan flashed his friend a half smile. Drayce’s color had improved since he’d set foot on dry land, but they were both still exhausted. The plan was to find a car—any kind of car—that would take them to Stormbreak. It was still early in the day. If they took turns and drove through the night, they could get at least several hundred miles before needing to take an extended break. At best, they could make the outskirts of Stormbreak in three days. They could actually be in the twisting warrens and winding neighborhoods of Stonehaven on the fourth.
“How do you want to do this?” Eno asked, looking at Caelan and then Rayne.
“You should hit a local service station and secure a vehicle. The three of us will go find a diner to wait in,” Rayne declared. “We’ll order you something to go while we see what local gossip we can hear about Stormbreak and the Empire.”
It sounded like an excellent plan. A safe, logical plan.
Things didn’t work out that way at all.
Eno had peeled off in search of a service station while the rest of them wandered toward what seemed to be a busy shopping area with stores displaying fresh vegetables, fish, and bread. The street appeared to wind down the hill to the small harbor.
And standing in front of one of the shops with a stand of red apples were three Empire soldiers, heavily armed and harassing the shopkeeper.
Caelan froze, his eyes darting from the soldiers to the other people on the street. The citizens were quickly trying to put as much distance between themselves and the threat. No one looked particularly surprised by their presence. Was it simply because of what had happened in the capital, or was the Empire keeping soldiers stationed here?