PORTSTEAD - THREE DAYS LATER
"I hate this city already," I muttered, watching a pickpocket try to steal from Lily for the third time in ten minutes.
She grabbed his wrist without looking, twisted, and sent him running. "Slums taught me well."
We'd ridden hard from Frost Keep—me, Lily, and six of Valeria's best guards. Kieran had split off east toward the Duke territories. Watching him ride away had felt WRONG, like removing a shield I hadn't realized I was carrying.
But we had a job. Convince the Merchant Guilds to fund a rebellion against a freshly-crowned King.
No pressure.
Portstead was MASSIVE—a coastal trade city that made the capital look provincial. Ships from a dozen nations. Markets selling everything from silks to poisons. And MONEY. So much money you could smell it.
Also crime. The crime was very visible.
"The Guildmaster's estate is ahead," Captain Rowan—our guard leader—said quietly. "Remember, these people worship PROFIT. Appeal to their greed or don't bother talking."
"Comforting," I said.
The estate was obscene. Golden gates. Marble fountains. Servants everywhere. This was what happened when trade routes and corruption met.
A butler—ancient, disapproving—met us at the door.
"Lady Seraphina Nightingale and... companion." He looked at Lily like she was dirt. "The Guildmaster will see you. Briefly. He's a busy man."
We were led through corridors DRIPPING with wealth. Paintings worth fortunes. Sculptures. Gold leaf on EVERYTHING.
The Guildmaster's office was somehow MORE excessive.
And the man himself?
Guildmaster Cornelius Vex was EXACTLY what I'd expect. Sixties, bald, dripping in jewelry, eyes that calculated profit before you finished speaking.
"Lady Seraphina!" His smile was ALL teeth. "The fugitive! I'm honored! Please, sit, sit!"
We sat.
"Wine? No? Shame." He poured himself a glass. "So. You're here because you need MONEY. Lots of it. For a rebellion against our new King. Am I close?"
Straight to the point. I could work with that.
"Close enough," I said. "We're offering you an opportunity."
"Oh, I LOVE opportunities. Especially profitable ones." He leaned forward. "What's the pitch?"
I pulled out documents—copies from the ledger. "The Temple has monopolized southern trade routes for six years. Tax exemptions. Exclusive contracts. They've been choking your profits."
His eyes sharpened. "I'm listening."
"We break the Temple. You get EVERYTHING. Every trade route they control. Every exemption they've stolen. Full merchant control of southern commerce." I slid the documents across. "Worth approximately two million gold annually."
He whistled, scanning the papers. "That's... substantial."
"In exchange, you fund our rebellion. Fifty thousand gold. Immediate. And political support when we march on the capital."
Cornelius sat back, swirling his wine. "Tempting. Very tempting. Just one tiny problem."
"Which is?"
"You're FUGITIVES with a 50,000 gold bounty. Theodore's KING now. The Temple has armies. And you—" He gestured at us. "—are two women, a ledger, and a HOPE that Duchess Valeria's northern army can actually win a war."
"We can win—"
"Maybe. MAYBE. But I'm a businessman, Lady Seraphina. I don't bet on MAYBE." He stood, walked to the window overlooking the harbor. "Here's MY counter-offer. You give me the ledger. I'll pay you 5,000 gold for it. You disappear, I sell the information to the highest bidder—probably Theodore—and everyone wins. Except you, obviously."
"That's betrayal—"
"That's BUSINESS." He turned back, smiling. "Unless you have something BETTER to offer than a risky rebellion?"
I looked at Lily. She looked terrified.
We had nothing. The ledger was our only leverage and he wanted to BUY it from under us.
Think. THINK. What would make a merchant take a risk?
Then it hit me.
"What if I told you Theodore plans to nationalize the merchant guilds after his coronation?"
Cornelius froze. "What?"
"It's in the ledger. Page forty-seven. Royal decree, already drafted. Gives the Crown control of ALL major trade. You'd become employees of the state." I stood. "The Temple gets dismantled. But so do you. Theodore wants TOTAL control."
His face went pale. "Show me."
Lily flipped to the page. There it was—a draft decree, signed by the High Priestess and Theodore.
**ROYAL TRADE REFORMATION ACT**
Cornelius read it. Then read it again.
"That BASTARD," he breathed. "He's planning to gut us. Take everything we've built—"
"Unless we stop him first," I interrupted. "Help us. Fund the rebellion. And when we win, YOU control southern trade. Not the Temple. Not the Crown. YOU."
He stared at the document, jaw working.
"Fifty thousand gold," he said finally. "For THAT, I want more than trade routes."
"Name it."
"When you win—IF you win—I want a seat on the new King's council. Official position. Guildmaster becomes a TITLED position with political power."
"Done."
"And exclusive contracts for all northern-southern trade through Portstead."
"Done."
"And a PARDON for certain... questionable business practices my guild may have engaged in."
I smiled. "How questionable?"
"Smuggling. Tax evasion. Occasional piracy."
"...Done."
He extended his hand. "Then we have a deal, Lady Seraphina. The Merchant Guilds support your rebellion."
I shook it, trying not to show my relief.
"The gold will be ready tomorrow," Cornelius said. "Along with supplies, ships if you need them, and a list of contacts in other cities." He smiled. "Welcome to the ugly side of revolution. It's all bribes and backroom deals from here."
"I'm learning that."
As we left, Lily whispered, "Did we just ally with CRIMINALS?"
"We allied with MERCHANTS. There's a difference."
"Is there though?"
"Probably not."
---
**THAT NIGHT - PORTSTEAD INN**
I couldn't sleep.
We'd secured funding. That was HUGE. But Kieran was out there alone. And we were still fugitives with bounties.
A knock at the window made me jump.
I grabbed the dagger Kieran had given me, moved to the curtain—
A face appeared. Dark hair. Obsidian eyes.
KIERAN.
I yanked open the window. "What are you DOING here?! You're supposed to be with the Eastern Dukes—"
"Change of plans." He climbed through, bleeding from a gash on his arm. "We need to leave. NOW."
"What happened?!"
"Assassins. Twenty of them. Hit my group on the eastern road." He grabbed my travel pack, started shoving things in. "They knew EXACTLY where I'd be. Someone leaked our plans."
My blood ran cold. "Valeria?"
"No. Someone in HER camp." He wrapped his arm quickly. "The Eastern Dukes are compromised. Theodore has spies everywhere. We can't trust ANYONE."
Lily burst through the connecting door. "I heard voices—KIERAN?!"
"Get packed. Five minutes. We're leaving Portstead."
"But the gold—"
"I'll arrange a dead drop with Cornelius. We can't stay in one place." He looked at me seriously. "Your father's coming. I saw his banners two days behind me. He's HUNTING us personally."
The time-looping psychopath. Of course.
"Where do we go?" I asked.
"West. Across the sea to the Free Cities. Regroup, plan, come back with mercenary armies—"
"NO." I grabbed his arm. "We don't RUN. We END this."
"Seraphina—"
"My father loops through time. Theodore's King. The Temple wants us dead. RUNNING just delays the inevitable." I met his eyes. "We need to force a confrontation. Now. Before they consolidate power."
"That's suicide—"
"So is running forever!" I grabbed the ledger. "We have PROOF. We have Merchant backing. Valeria's army. What we DON'T have is TIME."
Kieran stared at me. "You want to march on the capital. NOW."
"I want to EXPOSE them. Publicly. Force Theodore to answer for the conspiracy in front of the ENTIRE kingdom." I started pacing. "The coronation was rushed. People are confused. If we strike NOW, while everything's chaos—"
"It's insane."
"It's our only chance."
He was quiet for a long moment. Then laughed—that slightly unhinged sound I was getting used to.
"You really are different from the other timelines. They would NEVER suggest this."
"Is that a yes?"
"It's a 'you're completely insane but I'm too far gone to say no.'" He grabbed my hand. "If we do this—if we actually march on the capital with what we have—a lot of people die. Maybe us included."
"I know."
"And you're okay with that?"
I thought about the original Seraphina. About the execution I was supposed to have. About dying to a CHANDELIER in my old life.
"I'd rather die fighting than running," I said finally.
Kieran's expression shifted—something raw and desperate. "Seraphina, I need to tell you something—"
A CRASH from downstairs.
Shouting. Steel on steel.
"ASSASSINS!" Captain Rowan's voice. "PROTECT THE LADY!"
"MOVE!" Kieran shoved us toward the window.
The door EXPLODED inward. Three figures in black, weapons drawn—
Kieran's sword was already moving. One down. Two—
A blade slashed toward me—
I STABBED with my dagger. Felt it connect. Warm blood on my hands.
The assassin fell.
I stared at the body. At the blood.
I'd just killed someone.
"NO TIME!" Kieran grabbed me, literally THREW me out the window.
I hit the roof below, rolled, Lily landing beside me.
More assassins poured out of the inn. The street was FULL of them.
"HOW MANY?!" I shouted.
"TOO MANY!" Kieran landed beside us. "RUN!"
We RAN across rooftops—again, because apparently this was my LIFE now.
Behind us, assassins gave chase. Ahead, the harbor loomed.
"THE SHIPS!" Lily pointed.
We jumped down—three-story drop into a haystack because OF COURSE there was a conveniently placed haystack—and sprinted for the docks.
Captain Rowan and our guards were fighting a desperate rearguard. Half were down already.
"THE LADY!" Rowan shouted. "GET HER ON A SHIP—"
An arrow took him in the throat.
He fell.
"NO!" I screamed.
Kieran dragged me forward. "HE DIED SO YOU COULD LIVE! DON'T WASTE IT!"
We reached a ship—small, fast, crew already casting off.
"WAIT!" Lily shouted. "PLEASE—"
A sailor grabbed us, hauled us aboard. "You the fugitives?"
"YES—"
"Cornelius sent word. Said get you out." He shoved us below deck as the ship pulled away. "Stay DOWN. Don't come up till I say."
Through the porthole, I watched Portstead burn.
Watched our guards die.
Watched assassins fill the docks, searching.
"How many people just died for us?" I whispered.
"Six guards. Maybe more." Kieran slumped against the wall, bleeding from multiple cuts. "This is war, Seraphina. People die. It's going to get worse."
Lily was crying silently in the corner.
I felt numb. Empty.
I'd killed someone tonight. Watched allies die. Nearly died myself.
And we were no closer to stopping Theodore.
"We need a new plan," I said quietly.
"We need an ARMY," Kieran corrected. "A real one. Not just Valeria's northern forces."
"Where do we get an army?"
He looked at me seriously. "The Silver Masks. Valeria's sister. The assassin guild."
"They'll want payment—"
"I know what they want." His expression went dark. "And you're not going to like it."
"What?"
"ME. They've wanted to recruit me for years. Master swordsman, Duke's resources, four lifetimes of combat experience." He met my eyes. "I join them. Permanently. And they fight for us."
"NO." The word came out instantly. "That's—you can't—"
"It's the only way. The Silver Masks have THREE THOUSAND trained assassins. Best fighters in the world. With them, we can actually WIN."
"At the cost of YOUR FREEDOM—"
"I've died three times watching you get killed. I've looped through FOUR lifetimes. Freedom's overrated." He smiled tiredly. "Let me do this."
"Kieran—"
"I'm doing it anyway. You can't stop me." He stood. "The ship's heading west to the Free Cities. Silver Mask headquarters is there. Two days' sail."
He left before I could argue.
Lily looked at me. "He's going to sacrifice himself. For you."
"I KNOW."
"And you're going to let him?"
"I don't know how to STOP him!" I slammed my fist against the wall. "He's been saving me for FOUR TIMELINES. I don't even know why!"
"Because he loves you, idiot."
I froze. "Valeria told you?"
"Didn't have to. It's OBVIOUS." Lily wiped her tears. "The way he looks at you. The way he'd burn the world down to keep you safe. He's been in love with you since timeline THREE."
"That doesn't mean—"
"It means EVERYTHING." She stood. "You want to stop him from sacrificing himself? Give him a REASON. Something worth living for that isn't just 'keeping Seraphina alive.'"
She left me alone with that.
The ship rocked on dark waters.
Two days to the Free Cities.
Two days to figure out how to save Kieran from himself.
Two days to plan how to overthrow a King.
I pulled out the ledger, started reading by lamplight.
Somewhere in these pages was the key. The final piece that would bring everything crashing down.
I just had to find it before we all died.
---
**TWO DAYS LATER - FREE CITIES**
The Silver Mask headquarters was NOT what I expected.
No dark alleys. No secret hideout.
It was a MANSION. Marble. Gold. Right in the middle of the richest district.
"Assassins with STYLE," Lily muttered.
We were escorted inside by silent guards—all wearing ornate silver masks.
The woman waiting for us was STUNNING. Mid-twenties, black hair, violet eyes like mine, wearing an evening gown that cost more than a ship.
And she smiled at Kieran like a cat spotting cream.
"Baby brother. It's been TOO long."
I froze. "Baby brother?!"
Kieran sighed. "Seraphina, Lily—meet my OLDER sister. Kassandra Valerius. Guildmaster of the Silver Masks."
His SISTER ran the assassin guild.
"You didn't mention you had a SISTER!" I hissed.
"It never came up!"
Kassandra laughed—musical, dangerous. "Oh, I like her already. She's MUCH better than the trash you usually associate with." Her eyes raked over me. "So YOU'RE the girl my baby brother's been obsessed with for four timelines."
"He TOLD you about the loops?!"
"Honey, I've been looping TOO. Six times now." She walked around me like I was merchandise. "Every timeline, Kieran begs me to help save you. Every timeline, I refuse. You always die anyway."
My blood ran cold. "Then why—"
"Because THIS time is different." She stopped in front of me. "This time, you're not a lovesick fool chasing a Prince. You're a FIGHTER. And fighters? I can work with."
She snapped her fingers.
A contract appeared—held by a masked servant.
"Here's the deal. The Silver Masks join your rebellion. Three thousand assassins. Best in the world. We help you kill a King."
"In exchange for?" I asked carefully.
"Kieran joins us. Permanently. Becomes my second-in-command." Her smile was sharp. "And YOU give me something too."
"What?"
She leaned close, whispered: "When you win—and you WILL win with our help—you make ME the next Queen."
The room went silent.
"You want the THRONE?!" I breathed.
"Why not? Theodore's proven Kings are easy to make with the right propaganda. You've got a Saintess—" She gestured at Lily. "—I've got royal blood through my mother's side. We put on a SHOW. I become Queen. You get your revenge. Everyone wins."
"Except Kieran, who becomes your SLAVE—"
"PARTNER. Big difference." She looked at her brother. "What do you say, baby brother? Ready to finally join the family business?"
Kieran's expression was unreadable. "If it saves her, yes."
"NO!" I stepped between them. "I'm not letting you sacrifice yourself for—"
"You don't get a CHOICE," Kieran said quietly. "This is happening."
"The HELL it is—"
Kassandra clapped her hands. "Oh, this is ADORABLE. But we don't have time for lover's quarrels." She pulled out another document. "There's more. Your father—Duke Nightingale—has arrived in Portstead. He's killed Guildmaster Cornelius and seized the merchant gold."
My stomach dropped. "What?!"
"Happened this morning. Cornelius refused to give up your location. Your father tortured him for six hours, then executed him publicly." Her eyes were cold. "The Merchant Guilds are FURIOUS. They want blood."
"This is—this is my fault—"
"This is WAR," Kassandra corrected. "People die. Get used to it."
She spread a map on the table.
"Here's the NEW plan. We have two weeks before Theodore's official coronation ceremony—the public one. THAT'S when we strike. In front of the ENTIRE kingdom. We expose everything."
"How?" Lily asked.
Kassandra smiled. "We kidnap the High Priestess. Make HER confess. Publicly. Every crime. Every lie. Every conspiracy."
It was brutal. Ruthless. Perfect.
"I'm in," I said.
"Of course you are." Kassandra extended her hand. "Welcome to the REAL rebellion, Lady Seraphina. The one that doesn't play nice."
I shook it.
And signed a deal with the devil herself.
Two weeks to kidnap a High Priestess.
Two weeks to expose a King.
Two weeks to either save the kingdom...
Or burn it to ash trying.
END OF CHAPTER 6
Next: Chapter 7 - The Kidnapping (That Goes Horribly Wrong)
Stealing a High Priestess from the most fortified Temple in the kingdom? Easy. Doing it without getting everyone killed? Impossible. But Sera's done impossible before. Usually by setting things on fire. This time might be no different.