These Gilded Seas

Chapter Forty: Secrets Revealed

The frenzy of activity continues as we shuffle down the dim hallway.

"What in the world happened, Ari?" Amaia asks, voice tight with concern and curiosity. "Master Ursus never showed up for breakfast, and then someone showed up in the yard, half-dead and claiming you were being kidnapped. And the storm in the garden!" She takes a breath and pushes open the infirmary door. "We could hear the screaming all the way up here. I was worried sick."

"I'm fine," I lie, hissing in pain as we lay Finn down on the nearest bed. Josef shuffles to the side and plops down in a chair. "I was attacked."

"Where?" she squawks.

While I formulate an answer that won't get me in trouble, I look around the room. All but one of the beds are unoccupied. Across from Finn's bed, a still, but breathing, lump with a mountain of curly brown hair rests. Sam. My body relaxes.

"In Lykke," I finally say.

"What were you doing in the city?!"

I grimace. "I told you I needed the day off, and then Josef said William was supposed to baby-sit me, and—" I stop talking abruptly as pain shoots through my ribs. It takes a world of concentration not to collapse into a heap on the floor. "It doesn't matter. I went into the city, and that's where I was attacked. They took me into the garden, down a path I'd never seen before." A thought hits me. "We need to send some men down to retrieve the... bodies."

Amaia nods and glances over at Josef. He nods. "I'll take care of it." With another grunt, he rises from his chair, straightens his filthy uniform, and leaves the room. His wife turns back to me.

"Now, why were you attacked?"

"It's... complicated."

I don't know how much I can tell her, especially when I don't know what happened to Zula. Is it safe to let her know where I'm from? Will I put her in harm's way if I reveal who Master Ursus really is? Can I trust Amaia not to throw me to the wolves the moment she learns the truth of why I came?

The answer to that last question couldn't be clearer.

Of course I can trust her.

Amaia brings a chair over, and I fall into it, fighting the urge to crawl into bed beside my best friend. I'm exhausted, weak, and sore. Nothing sounds better than closing my eyes and sleeping for the rest of the day.

But Finn's here, and he needs me. Plus, I have to warn Eero.

"Where's the prince?" I ask as Amaia brings me a cup of clean water.

"I have no idea," she says, leaving me to fuss over Finn. A blonde maid emerges from an adjoining room carrying a bowl of water and some clean towels. It takes me a second to realize it's Britta. She sets the stuff down and gets to work cleaning Finn's face. I start to tell her to be careful, but then I notice how gentle she's being.

"Who is he, Ari?" Amaia asks.

My eyes never leave Finn. I take a shaky breath and force the water cup to my mouth. The swallow I take sends a fresh wave of pain down my stomach, but I refuse to let her know I'm injured. That would only distract her from Finn, and he needs her attention more than I do. Even if I really, really want it.

"His name's Finnor, but everyone calls him Finn. He's..." The words get caught in my throat. "He's my best friend."

And look where it got him.

Amaia and Britta shift Finn to remove the ruined uniform shirt, wash the remainder of his body, and wrap him in clean blankets. "And he came to visit you?" Amaia asks. "But the two of you were randomly attacked?"