**long chapter for ya. enjoy.**

Chapter 40

Trees were bloody stupid.

This was the only thought that was floating around Ari's head as he slashed through another vine with his dagger.

This forest was hot, too. There were leaves everywhere. Why would anyone want to live here?

"You can just push them aside," pointed out Simon. He was watching Ari with something like fascination mingled with annoyance.

"No one asked you, weasel."

"It's just up ahead. I think," Jamie said uncertainly, batting aside a tree branch. Ari watched her tuck her hair behind her ear until she caught him looking at her.

They were trying to find their way in the Diviel forest, retracing their steps from their last visit. Last time, Ari had been too busy chasing down Tristran and Ben than to pay attention to where they were. At any moment now he was expecting one of the Hapsburg goons to materialize out of the woods and plug him in the head with one of their enormous guns.

"So," said Simon, clearing his throat. None of his bodyguards ever said anything outside of monosyllabic sentences, so Simon usually spoke for them. It was a bit odd, having the giants hulk around silently and stare at their feet, but Ari was starting to get used to it. Perhaps, when all of this was over, he'd ask Gerald to spar with him sometime.

Ha.

"I mean," Simon continued, and Ari realized he hadn't been listening. "When we do apprehend the kidnappers, what's going to happen?"

Ari stopped at that, facing Simon for a moment. "What do you think's going to happen?"

Idiot. Shaking his head, Ari re-focused on the twig-strewn path in front of him.

"I was just checking-"

"Wait." Eli butted in. Of course. Clearly alarmed, he hurried to catch up with Ari, his flaxen curls bobbing on his head. "You're not going to kill these people."

"Why not?" Scoffing, Ari caught Aveline's eye to share his scorn. She was frowning at Eli.

Eli's voice turned stern. "We should turn them over to the monarchy. Their rule dictates what happens to them, likely prison-"

"Our orders were to find Tristran and get rid of his captors. I think I can read between the lines well enough to know what that means."

"Ari's right," Simon chimed in. "Royals are tactful. If the Queen didn't specify, it's a discreet way of saying it's not her problem."

"Thank you, Simone."
"It's Simon."
"Whatever."

Eli stepped forward. "What do you want to do? Kill them? This is some of Jamie's family we're talking about."

"Jamie hates her family."
"You can't speak for her." Eli crossed his arms.

Ari's gaze reluctantly swung to Jamie. He was right, and he knew it. But he waited for her to disagree, to side with Eli just to spite him.

"They're not my family," she said quietly. Ari's shoulders relaxed.

"But don't you think we should... I don't know, not commit murder?" Eli persisted.

"We'll do what we have to," Aveline said finally. She sidled ahead to lead the way, signalling the conversation was over.

Thank goodness. Ari shouldered past Eli to catch up with her, ignoring the wary gazes he felt boring into his back.

Aveline acknowledged him with a tiny lift of her lips, and Ari felt himself relax.

They'd waited until just before sunset to crash the wedding; hoping to catch the Hapsburgs in the act, but Ari worried they were cutting it a bit close. The grove started to look familiar, and Ari pressed his heels into the soft earth as quietly as he could, rolling the rest of his sole down slowly.

Jamie nudged him a second later, and Ari looked up to see the Hapsburgs' hideout; exactly as they'd left it. Ari gestured for Simon and his men to wait, lifting his other finger to his lips, and crept forward.

The forest was hushed; even more so than last time, Ari thought. All that he heard from the tent was the breeze blowing gently through the quilts. Ari took another soundless step.

He lowered his head to the crack between the mound of fused fabric and twigs, but all he could see was an empty room.

Ari felt a deepening sense of déjà vu as he wildly scanned the area. Just last week, it had been bustling with people. Now, it was vacant. Rumpled fabrics on the ground, idle pieces of paper flickering in the breeze.

Ari pushed the quilt aside with one hand, confirming what he thought he'd imagined. The Hapsburgs were gone.

Beside him, Lyla gasped.

"Where are they?" Ari asked the deserted shelter. He got no response; the trees only seemed to curl further over him in pools of dark green; thick branches ominously spiraling into an endless green corridor.

"They're gone?!" Simon shouted. He jogged up to the group, confusion written in the lines on his face.

"But Ben said they'd be here," protested Lyla, barely maintaining her composure. "Did they know we were coming?"

"No. Wait." Jamie put her hand up. "How much time do we have until sunset?"

"An hour, give or take," Ari said roughly. "What is it?"

"I should have known." She pursed her lips. "They wouldn't marry the royals here. No; they'd want the ceremony to be as grand as possible. I think... I think they're at home."

Ari squinted at her. Something inside his stomach tightened when she didn't look away. He ignored it, as usual.

"Lead the way."

But Jamie only led them back to the ship, and, to Ari's surprise, wordlessly pointed towards a small island about a mile and a half offshore.
Eli shielded his hand over his eyes, squinting at the black smudge in the distance. "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure."

Ari inhaled. "Have Inez raise the sails."

Ari wasn't sure where Jamie was taking them, and he didn't ask. The voyage only took about twenty minutes; it wasn't long before they encroached upon their destination; a craggy piece of rock barely large enough to be called an island. It was deserted; as uneasily noiseless as the forest they had left. An old piece of parchment paper fluttered across the hardened pebbles in the beach.

They hopped off the boat, and Ari told Inez to stay back as they went ashore.

The somewhat intact ruins of an old building lay dead in the center of the land; streaks of brown and gray dubiously molded into what once must have been a lovely fortress. An abbey, perhaps; the style was graceful and ancient. Two decaying gargoyles kept tired watch over the wooden door.

So this was where the Hapsburgs had settled. Isolated from the rest of Diviel; where the buildings were shabby and falling apart and the roof shingles flapped gaily in the breeze.

Ari had seen worse, but it was clear enough that the Hapsburgs weren't exactly living in fine style. Nevertheless, the place looked like an old castle. Which, given what he knew about the Hapsburgs, didn't surprise Ari at all.

His companions were quiet as they observed the haunted citadel; and Ari did nothing to fill the silence. Eyes on the ground, listening for any sound out of the normal... it never took long for his instincts to kick in. Sometimes it felt like Ari had been on edge since he was a child. A constant state of alertness. Which was fine. He didn't want to turn it off; he wasn't even sure he knew how.

Ari's eyes swung back to the house. He'd seen enough pretty castle ruins to last a lifetime; but Jamie gazed up at the building like it was her own personal fall from grace.

"This is where you live?" Aveline prompted.

"Yes." Jamie scuffed her foot into the unforgiving rock of the earth. "They're in here. I'm sure of it."

Aveline didn't wait for permission. She jogged up to the side of the building, ignoring Ari's hiss of warning. She shifted her weight to her other hip; exposing the gleaming metal of a weapon at her waist as she peeked into the cloudy glass window.

"They're guarded. Two at the front," she reported. "Likely more in the hallway."

"Alright." Ari tried to think quickly as he faced the expectant group in front of him. "Remember the plan we discussed?"

Lyla dipped her chin. "Yes."

"Great." He made his way to the other side building, opposite from Aveline. "Forget it. We're improvising."

He was in luck. Improvising was Ari's forte.

Aveline caught his eye. "I've got this one. You take the left."

Ari smirked at her in response, clicking a bullet into the chamber of his revolver and sliding off the wall.

Aveline kicked the door open with Ari close behind; the wood creaking a complaint in her wake.

The inside of the building was just as gray and depleted as the exterior. The only light came from the windows, illuminating the dust on the marble floors.

Ari didn't have time to look around before he immediately came face-to-face with a shocked man with rumpled clothes. Before he could react, or point his gun at the intruder, Ari yanked the weapon downward and drove his elbow into his face, hard enough to knock him out cold.

One down. Ari glanced up as Aveline, across the room, plugged the other guard in the head with the butt of her pistol. Specks of loose stone sprinkled down from the ceiling as he fell to the floor with a heavy thud.

Two.

Everyone else filtered in through the entrance. Jamie scrambled ahead of them towards the narrow corridor and peered through the aperture.

"There's a lot of guests," she announced, craning her her neck to see into the small opening. "Aunt Marie?! Traitor. I always thought she was nice."

Simon shifted the bludgeon on his shoulder, re-centering the conversation. "Do you see the royals?"
"No."

"Is anyone armed?"

"None that I can see. But I'm sure they have weapons somewhere. Paranoid sons of bitches."

"Perhaps we'll just have to draw them out," said Simon.

Ari drew his head back. "What do you mean?"

"My men are the strongest fighters; better suited to hand-to-hand combat. You two strike me as better spies than anything," he nodded at Ari and Aveline, "and you need Jamie to lead you, so take your little crew and go on ahead. We'll distract them."

"Are you sure?"

"I wouldn't have said it if I wasn't sure, pirate."

"How do I know I can trust you?" The words spilled unbidden from Ari's lips. They didn't seem to surprise Simon, who held his ground.

"You don't."

Aveline's hand landed on his shoulder. "Ari, we have to go."

Ari hesitated once more before turning around. "Good luck," he threw over his shoulder at Simon before turning away.

Behind them, Ari could hear Simon instructing his men to make a lot of noise. Ari quickly scanned his companions to make sure they had everyone before following Jamie through the dark corridor.

"I don't think the wedding has started yet, which means they're keeping the royals in a separate room," she informed him, gathering her skirts into a loose fist. "We'll just have to find them first."

"So now you're talking to me again?" Ari murmured. He could practically hear Jamie rolling her eyes ahead of him.

"This really isn't the time, Ari."

"On the contrary-"

"Hey, what are you doing here?!" An unfamiliar voice bounced through the walls, and seconds later a woman in a short dress appeared in the corridor, holding a glass of something in her fingers. Her other hand was poised on her hips. "Jamie?!"

Jamie stepped forward before anyone could react. "Sorry, Mimi." There was a crumpling of fabric as she grasped the woman by the collar and landed a hard punch to her face. The woman stumbled, falling backwards into Lyla, who caught her in surprise.

"We'll have to hide her somewhere," said Jamie, shaking out her hand. Ari eyed her shrewdly, trying to disguise his admiration.

"That's quite an arm you've got there."

Jamie nudged her hair behind her ears and Aveline hurried to help Lyla drag the unconscious woman behind one of the endless stone passageways. Somewhere in the corridor Ari could hear angry shouts echoing across the building, coming from the foyer where they'd left Simon.

"They know we're here," he said. "We have to hurry."

Ari broke into a jog, grimacing as he tried to navigate his way through what seemed like a maze.

"Another reason a cat would be useful," he called to Aveline ahead of him. "To sense intruders?"

"You know I'm a dog person, Ari!"

"Are you joking? We can't keep a dog on the ship!"

Aveline twisted around to face them without shortening her strides. "Eli, what do you think?"

Ari shook his head. "Eli will just agree with whatever you say."

"Fine, then. Jamie?"

"Jamie will just disagree with whatever I say!"

"For good reason," Jamie threw in breathlessly.

"Lyla?"

Lyla's cheeks had smeared pink from the exercise. "Is this really a conversation we need to be having right now?!"

Jamie halted abruptly, and Ari nearly rammed into her before he stopped himself. In front of them, a large wooden door had been tacked neatly into the wall.

"Are they in here?" Lyla breathed.

"I hope so." Jamie sucked in a breath before pushing her shoulder into the frame.

Light streamed in from a small room filled with people Ari had never seen before.

They all were sitting on the floor and bound with ropes. A few of them tensed in surprise, their stances defensive, but Ari relaxed when his gaze landed on a familiar face.

"Ben!" Jamie cried, lunging towards the boy who was tied up against a small desk in the corner. Relief pooled on his face as he saw them.

"It's alright, they're with me," he said to the other inhabitants in the room before turning back to Jamie. "I was beginning to think you weren't coming."

Aveline hurried over to him, sliced the ropes around his wrist with a practiced yank and winked.

"Fashionably late, but..." she shrugged. "How could we miss a wedding?"

"Are these your cousins?" Ari questioned, inspecting the rest of the room. They looked to be the right age and wore the same brown fabrics as Ben. One of the girls, he realized with a gasp, was strikingly familiar.

"Ayka?!" Aveline saw her too; her mouth dropping open at the sight of the timid serving girl from the Tarrah.

Ben's head swiveled between them. "You know each other?"

Ayka let her chin fall to her chest. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth. But I tried to help! I even told Tristran and Ben that you were coming."

"So that's how he knew," Lyla said under her breath. She shook her head. "No, you helped us, Ayka. Tremendously."

Ayka beamed; the first smile Ari had seen since they'd first met her, months ago, though sometimes it seemed like much longer.

"Once everyone found out what was happening, we tried to escape..." Ben glowered, rubbing at the light red welts around his wrists. "They trapped us in here. Said we'll be thanking them soon. I highly doubt that, since they're making me marry a girl."

Despite the circumstances, Ari found himself stifling a surprised laugh. "Do you know where the royals are?"

Ben's face darkened. "No. They're keeping them separate. But I know they're all going to be in the assembly room. Soon."

"For the wedding," Lyla mumbled. Ben's gaze quickly travelled to the floor.

"They're going to be quite happy to see you, Jamie." His voice was bitter and thick with sarcasm. "Uncle told me he's saving Tristran for you. He seemed to think he was doing me a favor by, and I quote, 'keeping him in the family.'"

Jamie's fists curled into themselves. "That's not going to happen."

As if on cue, there came a pair of footsteps tromping down towards them. Ben froze, and Ari's hand automatically flew to his hilt.

"They're coming to get us ready. You have to hide," Ben hissed. "Ayka, put them behind the table!"

"Come with me." Ayka took Aveline and Lyla's hands and pulled them to a black desk against the wall. She gestured for Eli and Ari to follow. "Get down!"

"I'll stay with you," Jamie was telling Ben. Ari grasped her wrist before he could stop himself, tugging her back.

"It isn't safe for you," he insisted.

Jamie met his stare. "I'll be fine. They'll be happy I've returned; I should be enough of a distraction for you to find the royals."
Ari hesitated, tucking his bottom lip between his teeth as he considered her.

The doorknob jiggled as someone fiddled with it from the other side.

"Hurry!" Jamie urged.

"Be careful." Ari released her finally, feeling Ben's gaze on him as he forced himself to pull back. He flew behind the desk with the rest of his friends just as the door flew open.

"There you all are!" A female voice boomed cheerfully filled the empty space. Ari strained forward to watch through a tiny crack in the desk. One of the middle-aged women he remembered from the Hapsburgs' hideout stood in the doorway, confusion tightening her features. "Who untied you?"

"I did." Ari winced as Jamie stepped out from behind Ben.

"Jamie?" Ari was ready to leave his hiding place, but the woman clapped her hands together with excitement. "You've returned!"

"Yes, Auntie." Jamie's voice hardened. "Why did you lock all of the cousins in here?"

But Jamie's aunt wasn't listening; bouncing forward to circle her niece with eagerness. She scoured her with practiced eyes if checking for her measurements.

"And you're right on time, too. Good thing I saved your dress... oh, everyone is going to be so ecstatic! What an entrance you'll make with Prince Tristran."

Ari's gaze flickered automatically to Ben, who set his jaw, but said nothing.

"You didn't answer my question, Aunt." Ari could tell Jamie was trying to keep her calm, but her voice had lowered the way it always did when she was upset. "What is everyone doing?!"

Finally her aunt dropped her fluttering hands. "I know you've a lot to be caught up on," she said sympathetically, "but we've finally achieved our dream! You're going to marry a royal, and so will the rest of your cousins."

"Auntie, don't tell me our family kidnapped the missing royals." She was goading the woman for a direct admission, Ari realized. But her aunt's expression flipped almost slyly.

"We didn't, sweet," she said lightly. "Believe it or not; we're not the worst people out there."

Ari exchanged a quick glance with Aveline. A muscle feathered her jaw.
"But you, grandfather, everyone... you hired someone." Jamie's head tilted. "Didn't you?"

"That's not important." Her aunt's tone was stern. "What matters is that you're about to go into the most important day of your life. And once we get rid of the intruders in the foyer, we can start the ceremony..." she stopped short, eyes flashing green with realization. "I would hate to think that you had anything to do with that, Jamie."

"With what?" Jamie challenged.

"Nothing." Jamie's aunt straightened. "You'll have to come with me now. All of you. It's nearly time."

No one moved.

"I have guards in the hall," she snapped, and finally Jamie's cousins filed obediently towards the door. Ben clasped Jamie's hand in his and whispered something in her ear.

Jamie cast a helpless glance behind her, but did as her aunt commanded, and Ari could do nothing but watch as she and the rest of her cousins walked back out the door towards their uncertain fate.

**gahhh. honestly? this chapter felt very scattered to me. it's days like this that I have to remind myself that this book is a work in progress and that I can always improve!! That sounded super cheesy. Anyway, stay tuned bc next chapter exciting things are coming!!**