Gild (The Plated Prisoner 1)

I wish Midas were here.

The thought surges into me so violently that tears fill my eyes. I would give anything to see him right now. For him to swoop in, to rescue us, to protect me once more. Just like he saved me from those raiders all those years ago. My vagabond savior. My champion king.

But Midas isn’t here.

He’s not coming, because he has no idea I’m even in any trouble. And by the time he finds out, it’ll be too late. Far, far too late.

Chapter Thirty-Five

My hands twist in front of me, as tangled as the knots at my back.

This is a crossroads, forged on the deck of a pirate ship. I don’t know which fate is worse or which captors are more brutal.

Better the devil you know, but what happens when the devils are always new? Always strangers creeping up unexpectedly to snatch you away?

Short of Midas coming in to rescue me, I have no hope of escaping the pirates or the soldiers. And where would I go if I did? We’re in the middle of the frozen Barrens, miles of arctic waste all around. I could wander for days on my own, easily get lost in the white blanketed wind, or caught up in a blizzard and never find my way.

But maybe that would be better. Maybe it would be a blessing to fall into the snowbanks and never wake up. A gentler embrace than what these men have in mind, that’s for sure.

Despite not knowing which captor is worse, I do know that the thought of being split up from everyone I know fills me with panic. Even though the saddles don’t like me—some might even hate me—at least they’re a part of home. A reminder of safety.

A particularly large knot at my back makes my ribbon stab with pain, but I suppress my wince and keep at it as I stand on the deck. Alone. I’m going to be here, used by the captain, completely alone. If I can just get my ribbons undone, I might have a chance. Maybe just enough to buy me some time.

Near the middle of the ship, Captain Fane and the commander are deep in discussion, the commander once again wearing his black helmet.

They go back and forth for a while—negotiating it seems—until at last, the captain nods. A deal is struck. Just as a previous pact was made—one made between two kings.

Men making deals on the behalf of women never seems to go very well for the women.

I see the commander nod over his shoulder, and one of his soldiers walks forward holding a trunk. Captain Fane opens it, eyes glinting and mouth dropping wide at the overflowing coins inside.

He grins, his mouth curling in wicked gratification. “Well, you have yourself a deal.”

He starts to take the trunk, except the soldier doesn’t let go. Captain Fane shoots a look at the commander. “Problem?”

“I’ll take my purchases now.”

The captain nods. “Of course. Quarter will accompany you to the other two ships. You’ll find Midas’s men and horses there.”

The commander nods, and his soldier releases the trunk at last. The captain takes hold of it with a grunt, before quickly passing it off to two of his pirates to haul

off.

“Enjoy the rest of your night, Commander. Give your king my best,” the captain says with a tip of his hat.

“One moment, Fane.”

The captain stops, turns. The pirates carrying the loot pause. My wringing hands waver.

“The amount agreed upon is for all of Midas’s people,” the commander announces.

The captain blinks, brows pulling together in a frown. He’s confused for a split second, but I know. I know it a moment before the commander’s helmet-clad head turns in my direction, cutting through the people standing in front of me, as if he were aware I was standing here all along.

A gauntlet raises, a finger pointing at me. My heart freezes in the center of my chest. “That includes her.”

Captain Fane gapes as understanding crashes over him like an unforgiving wave. “No,” he begins with a sharp shake of his head, his black feather wavering on the top of his hat. “She isn’t for sale. Never was, because I’m keeping her. You bought all the others.”

Commander Rip’s hand lowers as he looks at the captain. Even from this distance, I can sense his displeasure. “I said all, Fane, and I meant it.” That rocky, jagged voice is as harsh as the Barrens’ cold. “Did you actually think I was giving you a trunk’s worth of gold just for some saddles, snow stallions, and half-dead soldiers?” A shake of his head. “No. Midas’s favored will be coming with us as well.”