She moved aside and Roden filled the frame of my blurred vision. “I don’t think I ever could’ve killed you,” he said. “Not when it came down to it.”
“You couldn’t have told me that in the gardens?”
“I didn’t know it myself, not until the end. As proof of that, I let you win. I went easy on you the whole time.”
“Then I demand a rematch.” I smiled sleepily. “But not today.” In a whisper I added, “Where will you be when I’m ready?”
“At your side, Jaron, as captain of your guard.” My smile widened and I closed my eyes to return to sleep.
When Roden woke me it was light again. Serena was in her chair with a bowl of something that was steaming, but the thought of eating made my stomach turn.
“Are you hurting much?” Roden asked.
I squinted at him. “Is that a joke? How many pieces do you suppose my leg is in right now?”
He rolled his eyes. “I forgot what a baby you can be when you’re injured.”
I eyed a cup sitting beside my bed. If it wouldn’t have been so difficult, I’d have thrown it at him.
Roden sat beside me and smiled sympathetically. “There’s no one here who can fix that leg.”
“You should’ve thought of that before you broke it.”
“There was no need to fix the leg of a dead man.”
“Ah. How’s your leg where I stabbed you?”
“It hurts.”
“Good.” I closed my eyes again, wanting more sleep, but Roden shook my arm. I shrank from his touch and directed my attention to Serena. “Get me some aravac leaves, all you can find.”
When she left, Roden said, “They’ll help the pain but won’t fix your leg.”
“Prepare a cart to take us to Libeth,” I said. “A noble named Rulon Harlowe lives there. That’s where we’re going, if he’ll have me.”
“I don’t think you’re strong enough to travel. You don’t look so good.”
“I don’t feel so good. But I doubt I’m the most popular person here. My odds are better on the road to Libeth.”
“And what are you going to do about the pirates?”
“That’s your decision.” Then I remembered that Roden had given me the win. I was the pirate king now. “Send for that man, Erick.” I was still tired and my words were slurring. “Fink too. Bring them.”
Roden stood and immediately I fell back asleep. I awoke some time later when the door creaked open and Erick walked in, with Fink at his heels.
Erick shook his head in disbelief when he saw me. “I kept watching at the window, waiting to see your body fall. When I didn’t see it, I figured you’d fallen in another place. It never occurred to me you were still alive.”
Fink rushed forward but I held up a hand to stop him. Even that movement hurt. “If you touch me, I’ll have you hanged,” I warned. He probably wasn’t going to, but I was feeling particularly cautious.
“I heard you won the sword fight,” Erick said.
Above me, Roden gave a cough. I looked from his annoyed expression back to Erick. “That debate hasn’t been settled. But I am king here now.”
Roden managed a half smile at my words, then cursed under his breath.
Erick went on as if he hadn’t noticed. “To your credit, everyone’s talking about what you did. Nobody likes you, but they respect you.”
I nodded. That was good enough.