The Price She Paid: Shadow & Bone (Book 2)

Chapter 3: Captain Sturmhond.

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We found shelter in an unused tavern and hid out till nightfall. As soon as the sun fell we started moving, using the alleys and shadows to find out way back to the docks. Our trip hadn't been a total loss, Alina and Mal claimed they both had a vague idea of the Sea Whip's location. All we needed now was a ship.

We ducked down behind barrels, watching as fisherman milled about. The smell of fish was so strong, it made my nose crinkle.

"Only two ships in a harbor town? Something's not right," Mal whispered.

Mal was right, just this morning this harbor was filled with ships both big and small.

"Maybe Bohdan ordered them away?" Alina ventured.

"First army doesn't have jurisdiction here," I answered.

Alina ruffled through her bag and pulled something out.

"Perhaps the promise of twenty million Kruger each is good enough to buy access to the docks."

Alina unfolded the paper, showing us a copy of the poster, I had seen at the market.

"I just wish he was alive so I could punch that face again," Mal muttered.

I ignored the dull ache in my chest that occurred whenever anyone mentioned Aleksander.

"Yeah, well thanks to him the whole world sees Evelynn and I as traitorous villains."

I could feel just how much she hated that. It was the same feeling she had when she starred out at the Fold two weeks ago. A feeling of wrongness, of pain, guilt.

I remembered what the Ravken refugee had said. "They are no saints, they are just as bad as the Darkling."

"Yeah, well, they're wrong."

Mal took the poster from her and tore it half, as if it would prove his point.

Alina chuckled and I couldn't help but smile.

"Nice effort, but I'm sure they printed more than one."

Mal shrugged, flashing me his signature grin.

"Well, then, that's one at least."

"So, now what?" Alina questioned. "We've got all of Novyi Zem looking for us."

"Hang on." Mal looked over the barrels, studying the larger of the two ships. "That ship's not flying any flag. It's private."

I followed his gaze. He was right, no flag in site.

"That means they can be chartered," Alina concurred with a smile.

I slowly straightened up and stepped out from behind the barrels filled with dead fish. I waited for Bohden to appear, pistol in hand but no one moved.

I stepped out into the open, keeping my eye peeled for first army soldiers.

"I mean, isn't it a little suspicious that out of two boats, one is completely flagless and just sitting there waiting—."

I glanced back, trailing off as I saw Mal pull Alina in for a heated kiss. It lasted for a moment, and I felt a strange ache in my chest at the sight of them. Mal pulled back, pressing his forehead against hers.

"No chances left untaken," he breathed.

I thought of my first kiss with Aleksander. How he had appeared in the hallway outside of my room after dark, how disheveled and frantic he looked when I opened the door. One second, he was standing there and the next he was kissing me. Even know I could still remember what it felt like. He kissed me like I was air, and he was drowning. When he pulled away, he looked just as surprised as I had felt, as if he hadn't known he was going to kiss me until he had.