Chapter 189
Lynette's POV
I sat on the edge of the bed, my mind racing through everything we'd learned tonight. The communication blackout. Belser's careful orchestration. The modified guards with their empty eyes.
"Belser cut the signal to trap everyone here?" I asked, though I already knew the answer was more complicated than that.
Kael stood by the window, his back to me. "If he just wanted to trap us, there are easier ways."
I watched his reflection in the dark glass. His shoulders were tense, his jaw tight.
"Then what does he want?"
He turned to face me. "Power. Control. He wants everyone on this ship to pick a side."
I thought about the demonstration. The auction. The way Belser had presented the modified guards like they were products instead of people.
"So the banquet, the arena fight, the technology showcase..." I said slowly. "It's all about dragging people in. Making them complicit."
"Exactly." Kael's voice was heavy. "Once the factions on this ship accept the modification technology, they become accomplices. They can't expose Belser without exposing themselves."
He looked at me, and something in his expression made my chest tighten.
"I've had a bad feeling about this since we boarded," he said quietly.
The admission surprised me. Kael wasn't the type to share his doubts.
"We'll figure it out," I said, though I wasn't sure I believed it.
He crossed the room and stopped in front of me. Close enough that I had to tilt my head back to meet his eyes.
"No matter what happens," he said, his voice low and serious, "I'll protect you."
The words hit me harder than they should have. I wanted to say I didn't need protection. That I'd survived twenty years in the north without anyone looking out for me. That I was strong enough to handle this on my own.
But what came out was: "...Thank you."
Kael's hand lifted, like he was going to touch my hair. Then he stopped himself. His fingers curled into a fist and dropped back to his side.
"Get some rest," he said softly.
I nodded, not trusting my voice.
He was protecting me. Not because he had to. Not because I was weak. But because he wanted to.
And I didn't know how to feel about that.
---
Kael moved back to the couch. I stayed on the bed. The room fell quiet except for the distant sound of the ocean.
I thought I'd lie awake all night, replaying his words. I'll protect you. The way he'd looked at me when he said it.
But exhaustion pulled at me. My body was heavy. My mind was tired.
The crisis was real. The danger was real.
But right now, in this moment, Kael was here. And somehow that made me feel safe.
My last thought before sleep took me was simple: At least tonight, I'm not alone.
---
I woke to darkness.
For a moment, I didn't know where I was. Then the gentle rocking of the ship reminded me. The yacht. Belser. The modified guards.
I turned my head and looked at the clock on the wall: 4:07 AM.
I sat up slowly. The silk nightgown whispered against my skin. The room was quiet.
Too quiet.
I looked at the couch. Empty.
My heart kicked in my chest. Where was Kael?
I stood and padded across the carpet on bare feet. The floor was cold. I checked the bathroom first. Nothing. The door to his connecting room was closed.
Then I heard it. A faint sound from the balcony.
I moved toward the glass door. My pulse picked up. What was he doing out there at four in the morning?
---
I pushed the balcony door open.
The sea wind hit me immediately, cool and sharp. It carried the scent of salt and something else.
Smoke.
Kael stood at the railing, his back to me. His shoulders jerked when he heard the door. He turned, and I caught him mid-motion—hand moving fast, crushing something against the railing.
A cigarette.
The smoke still curled up from where he'd just put it out. The wind scattered it into the dark.
"You're awake," he said. His voice was carefully neutral, but his face gave him away.
He looked embarrassed.
I stared at the faint ash still clinging to his fingers. "You were smoking."
"I..." He cleared his throat. "Sometimes. Just occasionally."
I'd never seen him like this. Flustered. Caught off guard.
It was kind of endearing.
"Occasionally," I repeated.
"It's not a habit," he said quickly. "I just... when I'm stressed, sometimes I—" He stopped. Ran his hand through his hair. "This isn't helping my case, is it?"
I couldn't help it. The corner of my mouth twitched.
"You're smiling," he said, sounding surprised.
"I'm not."
"You are."
I pressed my lips together, trying to kill the expression. But it was too late. He'd seen it.
Kael leaned back against the railing, and some of the tension left his shoulders. "I thought you'd be asleep for a few more hours."
"I woke up. You weren't there."
The words came out before I could stop them. They sounded too vulnerable. Too much like I'd missed him.
His expression shifted. Softened.
"I didn't want to wake you," he said quietly. "I was just thinking."
"About?"
"Tomorrow. What Belser's planning. Whether Drake will get our signal in time." He paused. "You."
My breath caught.
"Me?"
He looked at me for a long moment. The wind pulled at his shirt. The ocean stretched out black and endless behind him.
"I keep thinking," he said slowly, "about what could have happened tonight. In that hallway. If that assassin had been faster. If I hadn't—"
"But you were," I interrupted. "And I'm fine."
"This time."
The weight in his voice made my chest ache.
I stepped closer. Close enough to see the faint shadows under his eyes. The tension still lingering in his jaw.
"You can't protect me from everything," I said.
"I know."
"I can take care of myself."
"I know that too." His voice was rough. "But it doesn't stop me from wanting to try."
We stood there, the wind between us, neither of us moving.
I should have gone back inside. Should have put distance between us before this conversation went somewhere I wasn't ready for.
But I didn't.
"Come inside," I said finally. "It's cold out here."
He nodded. Pushed off the railing.
As he passed me, I caught the faint scent of smoke still clinging to him. Mixed with his usual cedar and something darker.
It shouldn't have affected me.
But it did.