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Chapter Text

Arobynn was right! She thought to herself. That damned fool, why did he have to come back into her life after she left the Assassin’s Keep. She certainly paid him more than a lifetime's wages to get her and Sam out of there. Couldn’t he just let it rest? But after his unwelcome visit to her apartment, she couldn’t stop thinking about what he said. How he thought she didn’t trust Sam because she hadn’t revealed her full identity. She hoped there would be a day that Arobynn was no longer puppeteering her whole life but maybe he was right this time. She was going to have to tell Sam the truth about herself. The dark and twisted path that led her to be Adarlan’s Assassin. It’s not that she didn’t trust him, it’s that she didn’t want to burden him with the truth. Gods, the things people would do to torture that information out of him. But when would she find the time to tell him, they were supposed to take down Jayne and Farran tomorrow. The two largest crime lords in Rifthold, Arobynn didn’t even think it was possible.

Celaena was lounging on the velvet couch in her new apartment, lost in her thoughts. The warehouse apartment did not quite measure up to the extravagance of the Keep, but it was worth it to be out of Arobynn’s clutches. Sam was at the table poring over the city map, brow furrowed, plotting their take down of Jayne and Farran.

“Celaena!”, Sam whispered, attempting to break the spell of whatever trance she was in. She jolted back to the present moment. She had to tell him now before fear took her over. If the mission didn’t go well tomorrow. If they were captured, she needed him to know what he risked. And if the mission went well, he deserved to know that they would be in at least some form of hiding for the rest of their lives. She had lived so many years in secrecy it was time to finally speak her truth.

“Sam, you deserve to know the real me, the me that I have kept a secret for the past seven years,” Celaena said as she set down her tea. She fussed with the edge of her shirt pulling at a stray string. She was hoping this would feel easier, but the twisting in her stomach said otherwise.

Sam barely glanced up from his maps, “What could you possibly tell me that I don’t already know? Do you think I didn’t see you pocket my favorite dagger three years ago? You can come clean now, but I already sent you the bill”, he gave her a wink.

“Sam, really.” She gave an exasperated sigh, “if we are actually going to go after Jayne and Farran, I need you to know this. This changes everything”

He put down his maps and turned towards her, picking up on the seriousness of her tone.

“I already know you. I know everything about you. From the moment Arobynn brought you to the keep, I’ve watched you. The way that you slurp your soup, the way that you throw your daggers on the floor after a tough training practice. Celaena, there is not anything else you could tell me that would turn me away” Sam wrapped his hands around hers.

Sam meant it. He had been studying her since the day she was brought to the keep. While they had fought endlessly, he had always held on to hope that things would change one day. He couldn’t believe that he woke up with her curled up next to him each day, her golden hair in a tangle on the pillow.

“It’s more than that. This changes everything, Sam.” Celeana pleaded. The twisting in her stomach had formed a lead knot. She wondered again if this was the right time. Maybe they should just do the kills, take the gold, and run away together. Maybe they could just lead a normal life. But that isn’t a decision she got to make, she wasn’t just a normal woman. She was the only hope for the people of Terrasen. She would not turn her back on her promises to her people.

“You are Adarlan’s Assassin, you are a walking target. Even when we leave Rifthold, people will know who you are. I have chosen to be with you and know the associated risks” Sam said calmly but sternly. He was sure of his choice, there was truly nothing that could change this.

Celaena took a deep breath. Here was one more person being pulled into her story. One more soul that could be taken just by knowing her first name. But it was Sam, if she was going to commit to Sam– and God’s was she ready to commit to Sam– he needed to know her full self.

“My name is not Celaena Sardothien. I never was meant to be a trained assassin.”

“None of us were.” breathed Sam, the muscles in his jaw tensing. He would never forgive Arobynn. There was no reason innocent children should have had to sell their lives to take out the country’s infamous villains. Each and every one of them had been used. Celaena was not telling him anything he didn’t know.

“I am Aelin Galathynius, Princess of Terrasen. My parents were murdered along with my people. Arobynn found me and raised me” Celaena said, no longer fumbling with her shirt. She had her chin up, looking directly at Sam. She refused to hide. As the words tumbled out of her, her vision for the future crystallized.

Sam was speechless. He always knew there was something different about her. He heard the rumors of the missing princess. The princess that set fire to an entire library. Everyone had assumed she was dead. Of course, that predator had taken her for himself. No wonder Arobynn couldn’t let go of her.

Sam took a deep breath before he began “I cannot believe he has kept you in hiding for all of these years,” he paused, “The Celaena I know–” He stopped himself, “The Aelin I know, does not deserve to be hidden away from the world anymore. You are the strongest, fastest, most stubborn person I know. You shouldn’t be running out Rifthold killing off the city’s muck. You can be so much more.” He moved closer to her on the couch, speaking quicker as if everything was beginning to make sense to him “That is why you couldn’t bear to see the slaves captive. Why you risked everything to set them free. I have said that I am with you through everything, and I meant it. I, Sam Cortland, am at your service Aelin Galathynius, I will follow you to the ends of the earth.

Celaena’s eyes filled with tears. This was not the outcome she had expected, but it was more than she could have hoped. She grabbed his face between her hands and kissed him. She had truly found her match in Sam. He was right, she was wasting time in Rifthold. Her people were suffering in Terrasen. They had been suffering at the hands of the King for the past 7 years. She was finally in a position to do something about it. She kissed him again.

“You’re right,” she said softly, “it is time. I am free of Arobynn, I have paid my debts. It is time that I reclaim my throne. It is time that my people are free.”

Chapter Text

Sam and Celaena sat across from each other at the warped wooden table in the apartment. Celaena picked at the beef stew in front of her, fishing out a carrot with her spoon. The fire in the fireplace dying down slowly, neither of them having the physical or mental energy to do anything about it. The past five hours had been tedious to say the least. They took turns laying out a plan while the other one picked the plan apart, finding each flaw and revealing the impossible stuckness of their situation.

Sam had already agreed to take on killing Jayne and Farran. This wasn’t a deal from which they could walk away. The Assassin’s Guild was set in their ways. Once a deal was created, the assassin had no choice but to complete the deal or die trying. Sam knew this when he made the deal, this one last mission had been worth the risk to him at the time. But that was before. Now that an entire country’s freedom was on the line, the risk wasn’t worth it.

“I need some air” Celaena muttered as she stood and grabbed her cloak off of the hook by the door. Sam nodded, acknowledging her without stopping her.

Celaena walked through the back alleys of her sleazy new neighborhood. Avoiding the puddles of unidentifiable liquid scattered throughout the cobblestone streets, ensuring that her hood was pulled enough to conceal her features. She moved briskly past The Vaults, not wanting to attract any attention from that wretched place.

She knew in her gut what needed to happen next, she just was not ready to say it. She knew that as soon as she told Sam what the plan was, he would jump into action. She wanted to soak in one last hour of peace before all hell broke loose. She meandered through the familiar streets, past the shops and bakeries that she frequented, past the parks and waterways. She had lived in Rifthold almost as long as she had been in Terrasen. As much as she hated this place, it was in a twisted way her home. She settled onto a bench on the outskirts of her favorite park and closed her eyes. She took three deep breaths, allowing herself to take in the salty smell of the Avery one last time. She opened her eyes, determination filling her body. In one swift motion, she stood up and headed back to the apartment.

Sam pulled her into an embrace as soon as she entered the apartment. He pushed her hair out of her face and kissed her on the forehead. She made sure to file this moment into her memory just like she had at the park bench. These last few months of being in the apartment had felt so ordinary, normal, boring even. She took for granted these simple moments. She pulled back from the embrace and looked into Sam’s deep brown eyes.

“I have our plan”, Celaena said, “We have to abandon the deal. All the gold in the world will not free my people. If I am dead, my people have no hope. We have to get out of here on the first boat out.”

“I know. I should have never accepted that mission. While you were gone I arranged our shipment out. In 30 minutes a cargo ship heading north can smuggle us to Terrasen. We will leave and never look back.”

They looked at each other saying nothing for a while, a mixture of fear and relief hung in the air.

“Thank you”, Celaena broke the silence in a whisper and gestured for them to begin preparations.

There was no time to pack up the apartment. She threw three of her favorite books into her satchel and stuffed the rest to the brim with as many weapons as she could hold. Sam slowed as he thumbed through a well-worn envelope filled with photos and letters. The envelope was all he had left of his family. The photos were bent and tattered around the edges, the images barely visible. His favorite photo was a landscape, sepia-tone image picturing his mother, father, and two brothers. His mother’s kind eyes and gentle smile shown through as if she was right there with him, as if she had never died at the hands of the King.

He jammed the papers back into the folder, pushing the memories to a dark, dusty corner of his soul. This was not the time to reminisce. He busied himself with packing the spider-silk suits from the master tinkerer and the remainder of his weapons. These next few years wouldn’t be easy, they certainly wouldn’t need their daily comforts of life. The next few years would be about survival.

As the sun rose, Sam and Celaena snuck through the back alleys to get to the shipyard. Their passage was on a cargo ship, hidden in the captain’s quarters. Sam was able to cash in a favor that was owed to him to set up this passage. As they reached the dock, a young man was stationed out front of a worn out ship. The ship looked like it had barely survived the last passage of the seas. The hull was pockmarked with various holes as if pirates had recently tried to overtake the ship. Celeana was still taking in the outside of the ship when the young man approached them.

“You must be the new shiphands. Take your items and immediately get settled in your quarters. We sail in four minutes” he said roughly.

Though the man appeared young from a distance, his worn skin and gravelly voice was evidence of his hard life on the sea. He ushered them back onto the ship and pointed them towards their quarters.

Sam took in the dilapidated state of the interior of the ship, somehow worse than the exterior. The rudimentary patch jobs looked as if they were barely holding the ship together. He mentally cataloged each repair that was needed, not that he would have any time to do them while hidden away.

Captain Romalo appeared in the doorway of the captain’s quarters, gesturing for them to enter quickly before she shut the door behind her. The quarters were cramped, hardly large enough for the full sized bed and over-flowing trunk.

“Welcome aboard,” the captain said without a hint of a smile. Celaena wondered how Sam had arranged this and if they were even welcome here. Over the years they both accumulated their fair share of enemies. Celaena surveyed the room for any warning signs of ambush, finding nothing.

“Thank you for your service Captain Romalo. The gold is already being transferred to your account, I think you’ll find the amount most satisfactory,” Sam said with a small bow. Celaena raised her eyebrows. She had never seen this level of formality from Sam. She was not even sure where the gold came from or if it was being transferred. In the rush to get out of Rifthold, many details had been left unsaid.

“Don’t thank me yet. You haven’t seen your room yet,” the captain said matter-of-factly, “After the King cracked down on magic, the sea patrol has been more strict than ever. There are multiple check-points on our journey. You will be sequestered to a secret chamber for most of the time. I can’t risk my crew getting involved.”

The captain stepped up onto the trunk, lifting a panel in the ceiling. As she did, dust surrounded them in a cloud. Coughing and muttering, the captain pointed to the space.

“You will stay up here. You will not leave this space unless I open the door and let you out. Do not open the door for any reason. I will bring by food and water each day. There is a small basin in the corner for washing up. It is the best I can do on short notice.”

“Understood, thank you Captain Romalo,” Celaena said, genuinely meaning her gratitude. The captain risked death or worse, being sent to Endovier, if she was found smuggling people away from Rifthold.

The captain left, shutting the door behind her. Sam and Celaena crawled up into their new space. The space was barely large enough for the 2 of them. On the floor was a pallet of blankets, wide enough to accommodate one average sized person but it would have to do. At the foot of the make-shift bed was the wash basin as the captain had promised. Celaena looked for escape points and found none, other than the entrance. She felt uneasy knowing that they would be helpless and unable to gather information for the next week during the passage. She would have to convince herself that this would be the only way.

“I look forward to our stay in this five-star accommodation, my love” Sam said with a sly smile. Celaena elbowed him gently.

“I never thought our first vacation would be quite so luxurious. I just wish we had something to do” Celeana whispered back with a wink.

“I think we can find a few things…” Sam said eyeing the bed playfully.

Chapter Text

‘I guess I will just do it myself’, Captain Romalo huffed under her breath for the hundredth time this morning. She walked on on the deck as the sun rose slowly. The horizon was filling with vibrant oranges, pinks, and reds, a stark contrast to the drabness of her ship these days. She meant to repair the ship one day, it just felt so out of reach. Right now it was most important for her to help people get out of Adarlan. The more people she took out of Adarlan, the less space she had for actual goods, and the more careful she had to be hiring deckhands, which meant she was barely breaking even on each passage across the ocean.

She hired a skeleton crew. The less people she had around the better. There were so many repairs to be done on the ship but she didn’t have the crew to tackle it. She couldn’t help but feel the shame creep up as she surveyed the status of her once glorious ship. The paint was a whisper of its once bold green color. The deck was rotting and filled with holes you had to dodge to get around. The mast was leaning at an odd angle, flying a tattered faded flag. The ship looked about the same way that she felt: running on empty.

Just like many others, her parents were killed when the king banned magic. She can still hear the crackling of the fires that were set in her village. The screams of her neighbors as they burned alive inside of their home. If it wasn’t for her older brother, she would have died that night too. Sometimes she wishes that she had. She held onto hope during the first year or so after the slaughtering. She believed that some other kingdom would swoop in and put the king in his place. Gods, she was so naive. By the time the second year came around, she came to her senses.

Over the past five years she made at least 100 voyages per year. She took as many refugees as she could, which admittedly wasn’t many given the size of her ship. She hid refugees in every pocket of the ship she could. She spent her days juggling captaining a ship, ordering her deckhands around strategically so that she could tend to the refugees without them seeing her, and then actually caring for the refugees. She certainly did not have time for extra menial tasks but here she was, yet again doing the work of a deckhand.

Her work was becoming more dangerous with each passing month. While in Rifthold she stopped at the Vaults. Over a game of cards and a few beers, she heard tales of pirates attacking ships suspected to be carrying Adarlan’s people. This wasn’t the first time she heard these types of stories, but it didn’t change the uneasy feeling in her stomach.

She began her daily rounds to the hideaway zones. She brought each refugee bread and an orange, it was all she could scrounge up today. She stood guard while allowing them to briefly take a bathroom break and stretch their legs. On this voyage she had only about five refugees. Any more than that felt too risky given the rumors of increased pirate activity.

She rolled her eyes as she entered her own captain’s quarters. The two love birds hidden above her were hardly discrete last night. Her pillow shoved over her ears did little to muffle the moaning last night. She hated to admit that she’d felt a pang of jealousy for her own girlfriend back home. She knocked on the door to their compartment and opened it.

“Good morning Romeo and Juliet,” She said as she handed them their meal for the day. Celaena blushed and pulled the blankets up over her bare shoulders. Sam gave her an apologetic smile. He figured they may as well make the most of their time given they were not allowed to leave the compartment unless instructed.

“Well hello there Captain,” Sam said as he sat up and took the breakfast items from her extended hands, “my friend and I–” he paused as the captain gave an exaggerated cough, “my friend and I were wondering if we could spend some time in the bridge today picking your brain. We would be happy to assist on deck now that we are away from Rifthold.”

“That won’t be necessary and furthermore is incredibly risky. I cannot have word getting around to my deckhands that there unannounced passengers on my ship. You are just going to have to follow my orders and stop asking questions.” With that, Captain Romalo shut the door behind her and walked out of the room.

Celaena sat up and wrestled her shirt on over her head. She took in the sweetness of the orange as she quickly peeled off the skin in one smooth motion. She regretted not bringing extra food. She didn’t realize they would be prisoners on board. She knew it wouldn’t be a luxury cruise, but she at least needed to get out of their little cubby from time to time.

“We are sitting ducks up here, defenseless. She won’t even give me enough time out of this room to scope out the exits. We don’t even know her well enough to know that she hasn’t set us up. I need OUT of here!” Celaena said sternly.

“Listen, she can be trusted. She has a reputation for smuggling. I know this is not ideal but it is only 3 more days at sea. Let’s just lay low for now. Plus, who would even try to take on Celaena Sardothian and Sam Cortland at sea? We would have them headless in less than 30 seconds.” Sam said half-joking. But he was right. Between the two of them, they had more training than any of Adarlan’s soldiers. They had trained with the best of the best while with Arobynn.

“I am so glad that you trust her,” Celaena loaded on the sarcasm thick, “I will be taking matters into my own hands. When the deckhands go down to the galley for lunch, I am going to do recon work. You are welcome to sit here and fuse yourself to the blankets, or you can come with me and make yourself useful.”

While they waited for the next mealtime, they snuggled up and dreamed about the future. Sam rested his head on Celaena’s chest while she played with his hair. She breathed in his earthy scent. They chose not to dream about the near future, but instead focused on the distant future. The future that held peace and hope. A future where they could dream about having children and getting to grow old together. Celaena never thought she would be in a position to think about the future in this way. She imagined she would die under the watchful eye of Arobynn, maybe even at his hands.

Sam rolled over and positioned himself on top of Celaena, pinning her to the mound of blankets that they called a bed. “You know, I never expected to be sharing a bed with you. Just 3 months ago you were hurling insults AND daggers my way. I thought you were going to be the literal death of me”

“Oh, I dreamed about it every night,” Celaena laughed as she remembered how much she loathed Sam. She could not stand the way he existed in the keep. He was always questioning her and trying to interfere with her work. It wasn’t until recently that she learned how much he cared for her.

“Well, while you were dreaming about killing me, I was dreaming about this,” He began kissing at her collarbones, working his way further down her chest. She arched her back, pressing herself into him. She began unbuttoning his shirt, exposing his muscled chest. She breathed him in. Suddenly, she felt his entire body tense. He paused, unnervingly still. He put his fingers to his lips motioning for her to be silent. And then it hit.

There was a deafening explosion followed by the sounds of shouting. They heard steps running down the hall and orders being shouted from Captain Romalo. Celaena and Sam immediately and wordlessly grabbed their weapons and descended into the captain’s quarters. Celaena cursed Sam for not letting her scout the ship earlier. They would be going into whatever this was completely unprepared and unaware. Hell, she didn’t even know if this was a ship worth defending or who she would be defending them against. Dark, inky smoke curled through the cracks in the door into the quarters. Celaena covered her face with her forearm to avoid breathing in the smoke and pushed open the door. She ran right into a panicked Captain Romalo.

“I need all hands on deck. Everyone grab your weapons. We are under attack.” Captain Romalo barreled down the hall, banging on doors and handing out swords.

Celaena kissed Sam on the cheek and followed after the captain. Sam took a deep, steadying breath and followed suit.

Chapter Text

Ch 4: Pirates

Captain Romalo would love to admit that she expected this attack, but unfortunately this was not the night she thought it would happen. For the last five years, she had been diligent about reviewing the risk factors before taking on stowaways. She truly thought today was low risk. Frankly, Rifthold was too busy with it’s own slew of demons, why would they send guards out this direction on a day like today? She shoved the confusion and questioning into a quiet corner of her brain and screwed the lid shut on it. She would logic her way through this problem later. She had a ship to protect.

As she brought herself back to the present moment, she saw Celaena scurry ahead to survey the deck. Sam was not far behind. If she hadn’t seen them, she wouldn’t have even known they were there. They both moved effortlessly and silently as if floating down the hall. Romalo was nothing like that. She’d really had never been inconspicuous. Even when playing hide and seek as a kid everyone taunted her for being the noisiest hider. She again had to snap herself back into the present moment. She slowed her steps, adjusted her grip on her rapier and took 3 long deep breaths before stepping out onto the aft deck.

Blimey! They were everywhere. There were at least a dozen of them engaged in sword fights with the crew members. Two over by the railing, engaged with her favorite Deckhand Aromas. He could handle himself. Over to their right was Bellamy fending off one slender intruder with bright red tresses down her back. Bellamy was not new to combat, but Romalo could not watch. She did not have to watch to know how dire it was. She could hear their agonizing screams to each other for back up. Each plea was met with no return. Everyone needed back up right now, and there were too many of them. Each intruder was fully clad in black from head to toe. Their faces almost fully covered in cloth, disguising their appearance. Odd choice in the middle of the day at sea. These weren’t soldiers from Rifthold, she was sure of that. It was a damn shame, these intruders were far stronger fighters.

“Work from aft to stern, keep them from entering into the hull”, Romalo urged over the fighting. Celaena and Sam nodded in understanding and took off. Romalo watched as Celaena leapt to Bellamy’s side, swung her legs right into the backs of the intruders knees and knocked her square on her back. She unsheathed her dagger and sliced across the intruder’s neck as if it was nothing before sashaying over to the next squabble. A thick puddle of red blood and a gaping Bellamy were left in her wake.

“Who the hell did Sam bring on board?” Romalo swore under her breath as she made her own move towards Aromas and his new threesome. Romalo took the hilt of her rapier and knocked the first intruder across the face. He surveyed her face as he wiped the dripping blood away from his lips. The sun, now overhead, glinted off of his blade. He reached down and pulled two fresh daggers out of his boots. He charged towards her blades slashing left and right. Romalo dodged each of the frantic attempts. At his next lunge, she ducked down low aiming her dagger at his mid thigh. He howled in pain, collapsing on to the deck. She grabbed the hilt, gave it a good twist and yanked hard. From the spurting fountain of red, she was sure she’d hit the femoral artery. He didn’t have long and she wouldn’t waste anymore time on him.

Across the deck, Sam was had an intruder pinned up against the side of the ship. He had his dagger pressed up against the intruder’s chin, and a second dagger at the ready below his sternum.
“Who sent you?” He growled.
“You know exactly who, Sam Cortland” the Man spit back. The vitriol in his voice unmasked. Then Sam saw it, ten more ships barreling towards them.

They were fucked.

Chapter Text

”Romalo, how fast can we raise sails and be out of here?” Sam yelled over his shoulder. His daggers keeping the intruder immobilized for now.

“Wind is below 5 knots, we aren’t going anywhere. We would have to pull out the oars. We need all hands on deck” She quickly assessed the scene with swift turn of her head, “That isn’t going to happen.”

In the first five minutes that they were on deck, three beloved deck hands were killed. The intruders moved through them as if their lives didn’t matter. As if Fenrick didn’t have a new baby at home and five other mouths to feed. As if Arthur didn’t have a fiancée at home who promised him a new hand knitted sweater upon his arrival. And Mavis, oh sweet Mavis, her mother won’t know what to do without her. Romalo forced herself to, yet again, send her grief into that space in the back of her mind and seal it shut. Gods there was so much shoved into that space.

“Something’s gotta give, there is an entire fleet headed our way” Sam shouted.

How the entire fleet was sails up, moving as if there wasn’t a practical wind drought today, Romalo wasn’t sure but they needed a way out or they were all dead.

Celaena was holding off four intruders right by the galley. It was clear this wasn’t their first time working in a team. As two swung towards her head, the other two swung at her knees. In one smooth motion, she rolled backwards and landed on her feet. This gave her another two feet of room between her and the intruders and about five extra seconds. She unsheathed two daggers, grabbed them by their tip and launched them. The dark metal spun through the air, one landing to the right of one of their sternums, the other jammed itself into the wood of deck. She dove forward and ripped the dagger out of the deck, lest it be used against her by the enemy. With only one dagger hitting it’s mark, there were three intruders left.

Celaena stood there, all of five foot seven. The three intruders were at least six inches taller than her and with large muscular builds. Their features were still concealed by the black cloth, making it hard to piece together who sent these attackers and even harder to discern between the three of them. They crept closer towards her, positioning themselves into a semi-circle. They may be incredibly strong, but she was wicked fast.

“Come here, ol’ girl. We won’t let it hurt for too long” Crooned one of men. She rolled her eyes. The taunting was trite. She preferred her skills to speak for her.

She moved towards the intruder to her right. Knocking his sword out of his hands, she gave it a swift kick sending it into the ocean. It hit the water with a small splash before sinking down below. His eyes widened, coming to the realization that he didn’t have any other weapons. Celaena took her dagger and plunged it into his chest, again giving it a twist to ensure a quick death. The two remaining intruders stood on either side of her. One of them grabbed her long ponytail and wrapped it around his hand, yanking her head back. The other one grabbed her arms, pulling them behind her back. She could feel the seering pain of her hair being pulled from her scalp. Celaena kicked and thrashed as the men pulled harder to immobilize her. Looking across the deck, she saw Sam and Romalo in combat together against a group of six intruders. She couldn’t risk pulling Sam’s attention away. She continued scanning the deck for anyway out.

The sinking feeling in her stomach grew as she realized how the deck crew was faring. They were clearly not a well trained fighting crew and more so a ragtag team that Romalo had cobbled together. Unfornately, leaving all but two of her team dead.

’Unhand me!!’ She choked out.

‘That is not going to happen. We have orders to take you with us’ The bigger one hissed at her. He began to bind her hands behind her back.

For the first time, she began to feel hopeless. She never lost. Well, she’d had setback before but always figured her way out of it. But she had the support of Arobyn back then. He would send a part of his team to come help her out or he would throw money someone’s way to get her out of trouble. She certainly had the scars to prove that he made her pay for it after, but at least she was alive.

Suddenly, there was a rippling and then a ‘whoosh’ as the sails filled with wind. The ship launched forward, throwing the cronies off balance. She looked up at Romalo who appeared equally puzzled but ready to jump into action. She watched as Romalo grabbed the helm with one hand and continued to fend off the intruders with the other.

Standing in front of the sails was the most beautiful woman Celaena had ever seen. She had long black hair, flowing down to her waist in bouncy curls. She wore a lilac cotton dress that whipped around in the wind. The woman had her lean arms extended towards the sails… as if she had magic…