“Conner’s death was always your desire, not ours,” Devlin said. “We agreed to kill him so he wouldn’t accidentally expose your connection to us, but our interest is with Jaron. What about him?”
Gregor nodded. “I tried to send him to the southern border where you’d have easy access to him, but against my wishes he returned to Drylliad. However, he’s all but barricaded himself inside his quarters. He’s afraid and paranoid and weak, but it won’t be long before he recovers and tries to regain control. The pirates have wanted Jaron for years, and there is no better time to take him than now. Upon my return home, the regents will select me as the steward of Carthya. I’ll have total command of our armies and will grant you safe passage. This agreement will cement the friendship between us.”
Erick looked at me. “I think we’ll have that Carthyan treasure of yours soon, but not in the way we planned.”
“No,” I muttered. “This wasn’t my plan either.” I was glad that Gregor remained unaware of Tobias impersonating me in the castle, but based upon his invitation to the pirates just now, there was no cause for celebration.
Devlin and Agor stood together, privately discussing what Gregor had said. Fink remained motionless on his knees but he wisely kept calm. Imogen stood alone near the center of the group, obviously terrified but trying not to show it. In a show of arrogance, Gregor arched his neck as he waited for their verdict. It appeared that he had failed to recognize Mystic. He’d captured them in the darkness. Perhaps it hadn’t occurred to him to check the horse more carefully since then.
After a few minutes, Devlin pointed to Fink and Imogen. “We’ll deal with these two first. Under pirate law, there’s no official violation we can accuse them of, but their leaving cannot go unpunished either. Take them to the jail until we figure out what to do.”
“But there was a crime,” Gregor said. “By this girl.”
Even from my hiding place, I heard Devlin’s impatient sigh. “What is it?”
Gregor pulled a pocket watch from his coat. Harlowe’s pocket watch. “She was hiding this in her skirt. It’s a man’s watch, so she must have stolen it.”
Erick patted his pockets. Until now, in all the commotion he hadn’t thought about it being missing. He darted up from his position and ran into the courtyard. “That’s mine!”
“When did you last have it?” Agor asked.
“Last night. I put it under my cot before bed.”
“The girl couldn’t have gotten there to steal it, but Fink slept nearby.” Agor looked at the two of them. “One of you had better confess, and save your companion from your punishment.”
Fink and Imogen looked at each other, eyes wide with horror. But it was Imogen who spoke. “I took the watch. Fink didn’t even know I had it.”
“Move the boy aside,” Devlin said. “We have some business with the girl.” He walked closer to her, and she seemed to shrink in his shadow. “According to pirate code, we never touch the girls in our service. But if one of them conducts a crime against us, her punishment is no less severe. Bring me a whip!”
Gregor stepped forward. “Let me take her instead. We can use her as insurance against Jaron fighting back. He will hand over all of Carthya to protect her. I can guarantee that.”
A whip was passed to Devlin. He ran his hands along the cable and said, “Our punishment first. Then you may have her for whatever purpose you desire. First and foremost, my pirates must be taught that we do not steal from one another! Turn the girl around.”
“She didn’t steal that watch.” All eyes went to me as I stepped into the courtyard, slightly out of breath from hurrying so fast. “I did.”
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.”