“What are you talking about?” My fists curled at my sides. “We had a deal.”
He whirled and threw out his arms. “And yet I don’t have my fucking pixie dust, do I?”
“You promised you’d help rescue my brothers.”
“Well, you didn’t deliver on your end, so I’m not delivering on mine.” He jabbed a finger toward his chest. “That’s what kind of pirate I am. What kind of man I am.”
“Bastian.” My voice was pleading now. I’d get on my knees and beg him if I had to. “Please.”
My words seemed to have no effect on him. “I’m not the good guy. Don’t you get it? I’m not the man you want me to be, and I never will be. I was using you, love. I just needed the fucking dust. I wasn’t going to help you rescue your brothers. I was going to get what I wanted and dump you at the next port.”
The air left my lungs like I’d just been punched. “You don’t mean that.”
“I do.” His jaw set in a hard line. “I’m leaving now. I’m going back to my ship, and you will never see me again. You’ll never see your brothers again. Go back to Apolis, become queen, and forget about all of it. Forget about me.”
My heart wrenched, but I refused to cry in front of him, to let him see the way his words were breaking me.
“You’re a coward,” I said.
He shook his head. “No. I’m worse.” He surged forward and ripped his necklace from my neck. “I’m a monster.”
“That’s enough.” Leoni stood behind Bastian, a sword of water aimed at his throat. “Leave. Now.”
“Gladly,” Bastian said.
An explosion rocked the sky above us, the ground shaking, leaves rattling in the hedges. The pirate lord threw his body over mine, and we tumbled to the ground. My back hit the hard stone, and I looked up to see fireworks exploding in the sky, brilliant colors popping and bursting, people cheering in the distance.
Driscoll grabbed Bastian and yanked him to his feet. “Get off of her!”
Bastian looked up, seeing the same fireworks everyone else did. Right. Fireworks. For the wedding couple. Oh, spirits below. I was ruining Liliath’s wedding.
“Just let him go,” I said to Driscoll, who listened.
Bastian straightened his jacket, gave me one last contemptuous glance, and stalked past everyone and out of the courtyard.
“Should I have him arrested?” Liliath asked.
I should’ve said yes. Instead I stayed silent and held back the tears that threatened to erupt. This was Liliath’s night, and I was not going to make it about me. “Let’s get back to your celebration.” I walked forward and linked my arm with hers.
“Gabrielle . . .” she started.
“Please,” I said quietly.
She gave me a soft smile. “Okay, let’s get back to my wedding, then.”
We walked toward the castle, and I looked behind me, watching as the pirate lord walked away, and out of my life, for good.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Istayed in my room for the next two days.
I didn’t want Bastian’s words to hurt so much, but they did.
The bastard.
So instead of emerging from my assigned room at Liliath’s castle, I hid away like a coward, ignoring all the knocking on my door, turning away servants and Driscoll and even Leoni.
So when a knock sounded at the door early that morning, I grabbed a fluffy pillow off my bed and hurled it toward the sound. “Go away, Driscoll. I don’t want to hear any more dirty limericks. They’re starting to get disturbing.”
