Miranda fixed her hair and set off toward the docks, strolling at a leisurely pace until she found a ferryman at the far end of the port. She tossed him a coin, and without a word, he stepped off the boat.
She took his place, settling into the seat as the oars began to move on their own. The boat drifted into an enveloping mist, the world behind her fading into silence. It rowed for nearly an hour and a half before gently bumping against a frigate.
Once a warship of the Feysac Empire's imperial navy, it now belonged to the Vice Admiral of Secrets.
The Shadow Shark was Miranda's masterpiece, a constantly moving headquarters hidden away with the help of Beyonders.
"Captain, I'm glad you remembered we existed," the first mate, Janica Horns, said as she pulled Miranda on board.
"I was busy helping Sage."
"Busy playing housewife. That man will be your undoing."
Miranda frowned but dismissed the remark. Janica was one of the few people, aside from Sage, who was allowed to speak to her like that.
Janica Horns was a Sequence 7 Warlock of the Mystery Pryer pathway. Beyond being the First Mate, she was Miranda's right hand and most trusted confidant.
"The plan has changed, Janica. King Oyster fell first. Sage plans to eliminate Queen Bass next."
Janica frowned, though she was already aware of the situation. There were no secrets on this ship unless they were kept between the captain and herself.
The original plan devised by the two of them had been simple. Let the kings destroy themselves while fighting to monopolize the Bliss supply. It would have worked, if King Oyster hadn't involved Sage.
The Shadow Shark had always been the true supplier of Bliss to every major gang. Its quality was unrivaled, refined by Beyonders of the Mother pathway experimenting with opium poppies.
Their version of Bliss was odourless, colourless, and tasteless. It could be mixed into anything. More importantly, it was difficult to overdose on.
The only side effect was a sudden brain aneurysm.
One in fifty people had a chance.
As they walked across the deck, the crew naturally parted for them. No one dared listen. Those who heard something they shouldn't had only two choices: bind themselves to the ship for life, or die.
Miranda, or Shark, was the only non-beyonder to ever earn the title of Vice Admiral, a testament to her ruthlessness.
"We can still salvage the original plan," Janica said, but Miranda shook her head.
Miranda had originally intended to take over the crime machine of Bayam, using Sage as her proxy of violence and personal enforcer. However, he was dismantling the entire network for the thrill of it. This version of Sage was far more volatile than the calm, calculated man she knew.
The plan had to adapt to its key player.
"No. I'll guide him myself. For this to work, I have to trust him completely, and he has to trust me. If you trust me, you can trust him."
"Captain… Miranda, listen to yourself. He's a Beyonder of the Abyss. He will lose his conscience. He will lose his morals. He will become a devil that cares only about himself."
Miranda turned toward the ocean, her expression unreadable.
"That's a concern for the future."
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The warmth of the sun seeped into his skin, and the fragrance of wild thyme clung to his clothes as he ran through the garden. His brother chased after him, their laughter carried away by the crashing waves.
It was that day. The last day Zack played with him. The day he was given to his father.
The five-year-old Sage did not understand why his brother had to leave him behind.
"Without you," Zack's voice said, "I wouldn't have understood what it meant… to be a Guardian."
Soon, Sage found himself holding his father's calloused hands, as rough as his brother's.
"ZACK! ZACK, BRING ME WITH YOU!" he cried.
But not once did he turn.
Sage groaned as he woke, his mind heavy and agitated, not remembering when he had fallen asleep. Silk sheets draped over his body, and beside him lay Madam Red, her breathing uneven as she recovered.
Right. The Red Theatre.
He had come here for information, but one thing had led to another.
With a slight grimace, he reached toward the bedside for his pants.
"No smoking in my private chambers," Madam Red said. The sweat on her skin gleamed like beads of blood under the red-tinted light.
Sage paused, then put the cigarette away.
She shifted closer, her fingers tracing along the scars on his body. Scars he would never have had if Zack had turned around that day.
"You always refused me," she murmured, pressing a kiss to his neck. "Do you know what men would pay for this? What happened at sea?"
Sage didn't answer immediately.
Something had changed.
He had killed before, out of necessity, but the trail of bodies he left behind now was for himself. He couldn't remember their names or their faces, only that they had been obstacles he needed to remove.
And he found it fun.
"Maybe I finally opened my eyes to see how stupid I've been," Sage said as he got up. "Unfortunate for the other men. They aren't me."
Stupid to believe discipline and morals would get me far, he added silently.
"Bourdi, I know this is going to sound bad, but I need to see Queen Bass."
Madam Red frowned. Bourdi was her real name, and she allowed him to use it. Long before she became Madam Red, she had been sold to the Red Theatre by King Oyster. If not for Miranda's schemes and Sage's intervention, she would have remained a servant. Because of that, she held a soft spot for the two of them.
"I heard King Oyster is dead," she said, lighting the cigarette Sage had left behind.
"Is he?"
Sage smiled, knowing better than to admit anything. It didn't matter. Bourdi had always been more useful in other ways.
"Does Shark know about Jamie?" he asked.
To his surprise, she shook her head.
"Miranda may have planned most of the takeover, but if you hadn't shown up, if you hadn't killed the previous madam, I would have been killed or worse. And I only tell the information I'm asked for."
Sage let out a quiet breath of relief and leaned in to kiss her.
"You're truly a lifesaver."
Madam Red laughed, swatting him away. "I know. Listen, I can't arrange a meeting with Queen Bass, but she's hosting a dinner here in about a week."
Sage grinned.
"That's enough."
He leaned in again, teasing, "You're a gorgeous woman. I feel bad asking for more, but I know how to repay you."
She purred softly, but pushed him back. As much as she enjoyed his company, she still had a business to run.
"Queen Bass hates men," she said, her tone sharpening. "She will not hesitate to kill you. She might be willing to hear you out, but remember, she respects Miranda, not you. Stay within your limits. And as far as anyone knows, you just happened to be here."
Killing Queen Bass would put him in a difficult position, but Sage already knew he wasn't going to follow that advice.
"Understood. It's a lovely coincidence," he said, grabbing his clothes.
Madam Red patted his cheek as she got out of bed, her hips swaying in a quiet reminder of what awaited him if he didn't ruin things.
"Don't make me regret this, darling."
Sage smiled to himself as he left.
Unfortunately, she would.