POV: Beth
I didn’t notice the betrayal at first.
The chamber still vibrated faintly from whatever ancient magic had rejected Alaric and accepted me. Dust settled in soft clouds, the air tasting of metal and old bones. Our torches flickered as though trying to decide whether to stay alive or surrender to the dark. Mira stood on one side of the altar with three of her crew at her back, blade drawn like she was posing for a portrait of sin. Alaric stood opposite with his sword angled at her throat, jaw clenched so hard the vein in his neck looked ready to burst. The rest of our crews hovered behind us, breath held, waiting.
One wrong word and everyone was ready to kill everyone.
“Drop the piece,” Alaric said, voice low enough to be a storm rumble. “You walk away alive.”
Mira smirked, eyes never leaving his. “Alive is such a boring condition. I prefer victorious.” She flicked a glance at me, slow and poisonous. “Tell me, little princess… what is power worth if you never dare to use it?”
I tightened my grip on the knife still slick with cave water. “Power means nothing if you steal like a coward.”
Her lips curled. “And yet I have what you came for.”
My heart stuttered. I didn’t even see her take it. One moment the map half lay on the altar between us—glowing faintly with runic light still responding to my touch—and the next it hung between Mira’s fingers like something won fairly instead of stolen.
Someone gasped behind me. Kaine muttered, “When the hell—”
A movement flickered at the edge of my sight. Too fast. Too casual. One of our crewmen—Torrin, the quiet one who barely spoke—shifted toward Mira. Their eyes met. His hand brushed her arm like lovers exchanging a secret.
Cold shot through my stomach.
“Torrin?” My voice cracked dangerously loud in the silence. “What did you just do?”
He didn’t even look ashamed. He smirked. “Captain promised gold. She promised more.”
Alaric’s sword jumped a hair deeper against Mira’s throat. “You snake.”
Mira clicked her tongue. “Don’t blame the boy. Loyalty is bought, not earned. You, of all men, should know that.”
Torrin stepped back toward her crew—ours no longer. The betrayal hit like a fist to my ribs. I should have noticed. The way he always watched Mira. The way his eyes flickered when the map revealed itself. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Rage rose inside me like boiling water.
“You used us,” I hissed. “You used me.”
Mira’s eyes glittered. “Of course. You opened the door for me, Saltblood.”
Saltblood.
Every time she used that word, something in me twitched—like a nerve exposed. Alaric heard it. I saw him register it even while holding a sword to her throat. His eyes flicked to me—quick, suspicious, almost fearful—and something in my chest twisted painfully.
Mira moved.
She kicked upward, heel slamming into Alaric’s wrist. His sword flew from his hand, clattering across stone. Before anyone could blink she slashed her knife across his shoulder. Blood burst out bright and shocking.
“ALARIC!” I shouted.
He staggered, more furious than hurt. Kaine lunged forward. The crews collided like two waves crashing in a storm.
And the world went red.
Steel rang on steel. Shouts echoed, torches scattered. Men slammed into one another, the chamber alive with violence. Torrin grabbed the map fragment and made for the exit. I lunged after him on instinct—not skill, not strategy, just raw desperation.
“You’re not taking that!” I screamed.
He whirled, blade up. I ducked, nearly falling, stone ripping my palms. He laughed like I was entertainment. I shoved upward with everything left in me, knife pointed stupidly forward. He dodged and elbowed me hard in the jaw. Bright pain exploded behind my eyes.
I collapsed to my knees.
“Beth!” Kaine roared somewhere behind me, struggling against two attackers.
The world swam. My hands shook. Mouth tasted like blood.
Move, Beth. Get up.
I pushed unsteadily to my feet. Torrin sprinted for the tunnel exit.
Mira was already there.
She turned only long enough to give me one last smile—slow, victorious, cruel. “Thank you for opening the door, princess. I’ll treasure your contribution.”
Then she tossed something at me.
A single black pearl.
It bounced once against stone and rolled to my boots like a mockery.
Before I could move, she and her stolen ally vanished into the tunnels. Her laugh echoed off the chamber walls like a ghost.
The fight died as quickly as it had started. Without her, the attackers fled. The remaining crew staggered, bleeding, panting, confused. A few went after them, but Kaine grabbed one by the collar and snarled, “Trap. They’ll have men outside.”
Alaric wiped blood from his arm, breathing hard. His eyes found me—and they burned.
“This is your fault.”
The words sliced deeper than any blade.
I stared at him, chest heaving. “My fault? She only came because of you.”
His jaw clenched. “You distracted me. You touched magic you don’t control. You let her take advantage of chaos.”
The crew stood silent, eyes flicking between us. Shame and fury twisted like twin knives.
“What was I supposed to do? Let her kill us? Let her take it without a fight?”
“You weren’t supposed to let her win,” he growled.
Something snapped inside me.
“You think I wanted this?” My voice shook—not with fear, but something sharper. “I’m trying. I’m doing everything I can. I’ve bled for this ship. I’ve fought for this crew. And all I ever hear from you is blame.”
His expression softened—for a second—but pride sealed it shut again. “Intentions don’t matter at sea. Results do.”
Tears stung, hot and humiliating. I swallowed them. I would not cry in front of him.
“You would’ve handled it perfectly, I suppose?” I spat. “Like when magic threw you across the room? Or when Mira sliced your arm open? Should I just sit quietly and let you pretend you’re untouchable?”
He stepped close. Too close. His voice dropped. “You think you’re ready to stand beside me as an equal? You’re not. Not yet.”
The words weren’t loud. That made them worse.
Kaine cleared his throat, uncomfortable. “We should go. Storm’s brewing topside—heavy one.”
Alaric tore his gaze from mine like it physically hurt. “Everyone out.”
No victory. No celebration. Only failure thick as smoke.
As we left the chamber, torches dimming behind us, I felt the weight of everything pressing on my ribs like a stone.
Mira escaped with the map.
A traitor walked among us.
And Alaric blamed me.
Storm clouds gathered outside. Fitting. The world matched my chest—dark, violent, ready to break.
I followed the crew back toward the ship without speaking to anyone. My hands shook. Not from fear.
From fury.
From humiliation.
From the realization that I was no longer just the princess dragged into pirate chaos—I was part of it.
And people were starting to see me as a threat.
As we reached the deck, lightning split the sky, lighting Alaric’s profile in stark silver. He didn’t look at me. Not once. But I felt his stare on my back like a bruise.
Maybe I failed.
But Mira hadn’t won forever.
I made a silent promise to the storm above:
I will take back what she stole.
No matter what it costs.