Sasha did not want to think that the Royal Circus had failed, but as the Soldiers took her from her cell and carried her out of a secret passage and into a carriage to be taken out of Belcourt, she thought that they may have failed to find a way to her.

She was hungry, she was parched. She was not taking care of her child. The only thing she could give it is hope that they would soon be safe and free. The Soldier sitting across from her in the carriage never took her eyes off her.

Looking out the window, she barely saw anything. They were traveling within the forest. This would be a perfect opportunity for the Circus to attack, but how could they? They did not know the path the carriage was taking, and if they did, they may fail to attack because there were over three dozens Soldiers traveling with the carriage. And God knew how many were hiding.

Sasha leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes. Wherever West was, she hoped he would forgive her for taking the choices she did. They were the only ones she knew she had a chance. But were her choices right? Had she been too confident of other people? Of men?

☙✾❧

West's hand were balled into a fist as the carriage rushed further north.

It would have been faster if they were on horseback, but Rider and Dior insisted that he was not in the best condition to do so. And that was why he was not with Dior either. There were Royals scattered everywhere in Sutherland who had less at stake and were more focused.

"We will get her, West," said Rider.

His friend's words could not give him enough assurance. The only thing that would ever give him that was when he had Sasha in his arms. "There are too many smaller ports around Sutherland, Rider."

"Yes," said his friend. "And we have men in every one."

West's jaw tightened. They were headed to the major port, and he was certain Belcourt would never use it. They were not bloody stupid.

"Dior?"

"He joined the port outside the forest."

"Darcy?"

"Darcy is with Dior."

West nodded. And then he bent forward, rubbing his hands on his face. And his shoulders shook.

He had always been proud of his self-control, of his cold and calm demeanor. But that was before he and Sasha had chosen this path. That was before Sasha. That was before their child.

He was furious and scared. Furious at himself for letting her do this. Furious that a friend betrayed him. And he was scared. Not for himself, but for her and the life she was trying to protect alone. God, what must she be thinking? Did she think he was dead? Was she hoping they could save her?

No, he knew Sasha would choose to live. She had always chosen life.

Rider was silent as West silently cried.

☙✾❧

It was night by the time they emerged out of the forest. The Soldier none-so-gently pulled the hood of the black cloak over Sasha's head before they exited the carriage. "Keep your head down," she ordered, then pushed Sasha down the path.

Sasha's hands were bound in front of her. A tear fell from her eye and she blinked the rest away, swallowing hard, determined to get through this. They would come, she thought. The port outside the forest was amongst the smaller ones they recognized on the map.

Ten or more Soldiers surrounded her. She would never survive if she escaped them. They were all armed. And there would be others hiding in the forest, their bows and arrows at the ready.

The port was not as busy as the one in the north, or the new one down south, which catered the larger ships to and out of Sutherland. This one was small, catering only ships that travelled within the kingdom. But unlike the others, I was almost empty. It was at the edge of the forest and not accessible. And night had fallen. Darkness was to Belcourt's advantage. And hopefully, it would also be for the Royals.

She was pushed down the path that led up to an unmarked schooner.

"I said, head down!" the Soldier shouted when Sasha looked up at the vessel that would take her to Sinhold. A hand slapped the back of her skull, forcing her to bend her neck. Her feet took her up the plank and into the schooner.

With no other passengers to wait for, the vessel took off as soon as everyone was onboard.

Sasha had never felt so alone and vulnerable. She was surrounded by Soldiers, women she once believed to be family.

The wind blew her hood off her face. Tresses of her filthy hair flew across her face.

As the Soldier led her to stand in the middle of the deck, Sasha caught a glimpse of the forest's silhouette they were leaving behind.

She wondered if it would be the last piece of Sutherland she would ever see.

☙✾❧

It was a painful journey for West. He was onboard a large ship that was cruising down south. The sun was just rising, coloring the sky with different shades of yellow.

"Thank you, gentlemen," said Vanessa Lyndon, a big smile on her lips.

Greene threw the woman a look. "I assume you got what you wanted," he asked the captain.

The woman took a lungful of air. "Yes, sir, I did!" she said, beaming widely, motioning her head behind her. West and Greene did not have to ask what or who she had in that ship. They just knew that they would have to deal with Aliya's family soon.

Lyndon placed her hands on her hips, looking at the horizon. "You think she's still alive?" she asked.

"She has to be," West replied.

"And you're certain she'll be down south?"

His jaw tightened. "No."

She sighed. "I told you, Blackwood, we should have just barged into that place. My men were ready."

West shook his head. "There are too many innocent people in Belcourt. Children and women who do not deserve the attack."

Lyndon turned to Greene. "I was actually thinking you men were afraid of a bunch of women hiding in the forest."

Greene scowled at Lyndon. "You don't know how these women fight, Lyndon."

Lyndon shrugged. "Then it's good we're at sea, eh?" She winked at Greene. "I got canons."

☙✾❧

Sasha felt a nudge at her back and she slowly woke up. It only took a second to realize where she was and remember why she was there. She was at the lower deck of the schooner and they had been traveling for days. It could have been five days, but she could not be sure because they had kept her in the dark. The only time she saw any hint of light was when the trapdoor was opened for one Soldier to deliver her food and water.

She may be uncertain of the days they had been traveling, but Sasha was sure of one thing. They were traveling south. Just as she had hoped.

"We're almost there," the Soldier standing above her said. "Get up."

Sasha slowly did, feeling weaker than the first day they took her onboard. She had thrown up a few times, but no one paid it any mind. They were on a boat, anyway.

With the last of her strength, Sasha followed the Soldier up the stairs, grabbing the railing of the stairs with her bound hands. The tides were harsh today. She nearly lost her balance once or twice, and when she emerged onto the upper deck, her jaw tightened.

It was too dark to see. There was not even a horizon in sight.

She looked around at the women standing nearby. There were at least a dozen on the deck. Surely, there were more somewhere. She looked for Gabrielle, but the woman was not around. There were familiar faces, but none of them she knew too well. The Soldier that led her upstairs pushed her forward. Another met her and caught her by the arm to drag her to the side of the deck, overlooking the cold ocean.

It was only then did Sasha realize how large the schooner was, reminding her of Belcourt's power, the one she dared defy.

The hand around her arm tightened, pulling her along the railings. Soldiers were watching closely while others worked on the sails. The lamps around the schooner were enough to provide the Soldiers enough light to do their tasks. And it was enough for Sasha to see what was before her and her heart dropped.

She was facing a plank that extended outward from the side of the schooner.

She looked around. She looked up. Even the sky was bare of stars. Were they near the island?

"Sinhold is an island, but it never belonged to Belcourt," the Soldier said beside her. "Are you surprised?" the voice sounded amused as blood drained down Sasha's face. The Soldier pointed at the plank. "This is Belcourt's Sinhold, Sasha."

☙✾❧

The schooner had stopped. The sails were down and the anchor was dropped.

And just as Ellise thought that the ladies would prepare for a short trip somewhere to deliver Sasha to her destination, she realized that they were nowhere near an island.

This was definitely unexpected.

No Sinhold.

They were dropping Sasha here. And these mad ladies anchored down to watch her die.

Ellise wasn't certain if it was the perfect time to intervene. The woman was making Sasha walk up the plank. Sasha may lose her balance and fall off now. If she did, then that would be quite unfortunate. But if she intervened now, she would expose herself and she would be the unfortunate one.

Because Dior was taking his bloody time!

The hood of her stolen green cloak flapped against her cheek, and she twitched her face against it. She rolled her eyes to the side where the water was now calm and black down below. No sign of Dior.

The Soldier behind Sasha ordered for her to climb up the plank. And furthermore to the tip of the plank.

Ellise sighed. The wind was strong and Sasha would not last long on the plank.

From a distance, she could see a hint of a light moving toward them. That must be Blackwood, but it was probably an hour away.

Then she heard a sound, and she at the opposite direction and found another light coming closer toward them, blinking three times, then once.

Her jaw clenched. It was about bloody time!

She immediately set in motion. Ellise left her guarding position at the side of the boat, just below the top deck, and rushed toward the nearest Soldier. As the woman turned to look at her, Ellise reached for her arm, pulled her down and sent the side of her left hand down the Soldier's nape. Then she stealthily jumped over woman's slumped form and proceeded further down the side of the schooner. She grabbed a gas lamp and hid behind a barrel. She took off her cloak, poured the contents of the lamp and threw the rest of the lamp over it until it caught fire. Then she retraced her path back to the side of the deck, jumping over the unconscious Soldier, and made her way above the top deck where the wheel was.

A Soldier whirled around and Ellise sent her dagger straight into the woman's abdomen before she could even shout. She pushed the Soldier away and reached for the captain who was just about to pull out her sword. "Too late," Ellise said, kicking the stabbed Soldier when she attempted to reach for her weapon. "Do not scream—" she ordered the captain, but someone else did. Someone from below had seen the approaching schooner. And someone had discovered the fire.

Ellise clucked her tongue and kicked the stabbed Soldier again to knock her unconscious. She would bleed to death soon. Then she kicked the nearest gas lamp, sending it down to the deck below, opposite the first fire she started.

Then she led the captain away from the wheel and down the deck.

She could hear feet running everywhere to where the fires were.

"No one bloody moves or I slice your captain's neck and no one goes home," Ellise said to the Soldiers who blocked their path. The Soldier behind Sasha grabbed her, pulling her toward her, holding a knife against Sasha's neck.

Ellise groaned. The captain was not moving as Ellise pressed her bloodied dagger against her skin, stepping forward and closer to where Sasha and the Soldier were.

"We can talk this out," she offered the Soldier. "You have one unconscious Soldier and another wounded one by the wheel. She'll die soon. Why don't you give me what I want so you can save your burning boat?"

"She is Belcourt's prisoner."

"We can just tell your High Priestess you did your job." She pulled the knife just a little to make the captain wince. "You give me that woman and I give you back your captain and you can sail away. If you stop the fire soon enough." She sensed a Soldier stealthily making her way toward her. "I said no one bloody moves!" she cried out, pulling the dagger back until the captain gritted in pain and blood dripped down her neck.

The Soldier tightened her arm around Sasha's neck, her face tight. This woman would never give them Sasha.

"Then we can wait," said Ellise, guiding the captain nearer, aware of the other Soldiers nearby. "Tell your Soldiers to put down their swords, woman," she said to the one holding Sasha. "Otherwise, the ship behind us would not hesitate to load their canons."

The Soldiers turned to the direction of the ship coming toward them. The woman holding Sasha took a second to do the same and when she turned her head back to face Ellise, she saw Ellise already hurtling toward her, sending herself, the Soldier, and Sasha over the plank.

Ellise's dagger dug into the Soldier's shoulder and before they hit the water, she let go of the woman. She took a lungful of air and prepared for impact. Under the water, she waited until she reached the calm before turning and swimming to where she thought Sasha was. She felt the Soldier hit the water nearby, but they had no time.

It was too dark, but she grabbed a hold of Sasha. "Relax!" she ordered the woman who was struggling to take in air, kicking her legs fast. "Relax!" But Sasha could not help it. Her hands were tied, her dress heavy, and her struggle to stay afloat was making it difficult for Ellise.

Ellise looked behind her. The fire at the side of the schooner was enough for her to see the Soldier swimming back to the schooner with her uninjured arm. Above them, the other Soldiers were running up and down the deck, some of them fighting the fires, the others probably grabbing their weapons. She looked to her left. Dior was not near enough.

"Urgh!" she shouted in frustration because it was too bloody dark and she was getting tired.

She turned to Sasha, and she knew what she had to do. Raising her fist, she knocked the woman unconscious. Guiding Sasha's chin close to her chest, Ellise wrapped her arm around her neck. She then guided Sasha closer to the side of the schooner.

She would not last long. She was a decent swimmer, but she was not used to swim while dragging another body with her.

Dior's schooner was making a fast approach. The Soldiers above had started firing arrows at the water. Blindly, of course, because the darkness was making it a challenge.

And then a Soldier fell off the side of the schooner. Someone from Dior's vessel was shooting.

Ellise then pushed away from the schooner and toward Dior's. While she swam with Sasha around her her arm, an arrow went past the right side of her neck.

Ah, whoever thought she still deserved to live must enjoy watching her suffer.

As Dior's schooner approached, someone threw down a rope and Ellise caught it with dear life. She tied herself and Sasha around the rope with the last of her remaining strength. A few more seconds in the water and she would have given up.

Men hauled her and Sasha up and into safety.

Ellise let go of Sasha and immediately, as soon as the rope was freed, two men grabbed the woman away. "She's breathing!" one of them said.

Ellise rolled to her back, catching her breath.

"Are you all right?" Dior's voice asked. Then she saw him kneel beside her. "Your neck is bleeding," he noted, reaching down to inspect the wound. It must have been from the arrow earlier. "It is not fatal," he told her, withdrawing his hand and standing up.

There were more gunshots from their end. Dior looked ahead. "They do not have guns."

"They must have been confident no one will rescue her," she said with a grunt before she rolled to her knees and looked up at him. "You're late."

His black hair blown by the wind, he directed his dark eyes down at her. His face was as blank as the night sky above them. "We were maintaining the distance we agreed on." He extended his hand, and she took it. He pulled her up, saying, "We did not expect them to drop her in the middle of the ocean." They watched the larger schooner before them struggle. "The fire is a good idea."

"Thank you."

The Soldiers were pulling their anchor out. And the sails, which had not caught fire as Ellise had hoped, were dropped. "Let them get away," she ordered.

"We should take them," Dior said.

She shook her head. "No, we let them get away." When he looked at her, she scoffed. "I am sorry, Dior, but you are no longer Royal Master."

He looked at Sasha who was still unconscious. "And it seems you are no longer Darcy."

"She is unconscious," she retorted. "I am still Darcy and I say we let the Soldiers go."

"Why?"

"Because the Royal Master said so." The Soldiers had stopped shooting their arrows. They were now focused on getting away. Ellise's hand went to her neck. She looked at the blood on the tip of her fingers and clucked her tongue. She turned and ordered, "Give me blankets, Dior. I'm bloody freezing."