Before long, the Black Leviathan reached the coastal waters of Verelen.
I stood at the bow, gripping the railing as the fading sunlight bathed everything in golden hue, watching as land slowly emerged from the horizon. A knot of unease twisted in my chest, growing tighter the closer we drew.
Like a lamb stumbling straight into a wolf's den.
Where the game would begin.
"If you're scared, there's still time to run."
I turned slowly at the sound of the voice, only to freeze on the spot.
Xander strode toward the front of the ship, buttoning up his coat. I caught a glimpse of the tattoo stretching across his toned chest before it disappeared beneath the navy-blue uniform of a Verelen admiral.
Gone were the ragged pirate clothes, the messy hair. Now his blond strands were slicked back, revealing a high brow and the pale scar beneath his left eye, glowing faintly under the golden morning light.
