KANE

Baltessa

Mid-Rainrise

Nothing good ever happened on birthdays.

Eighteen other birthdays hadn't proved any different. Kane's mother had tried her best, always waking him bright and early with a locked treasure box and a hunt around the Iron Jewel for the key she'd hidden. As a child, he'd pretended he was training for the Trials should his day ever come, and those moments were some of the brightest in his memories. No matter how many brilliant moments he'd had with his mother, his father's cloud was there to darken the day, which was why he hoped for nothing when the day rolled around each year.

But this year could be different, he thought to himself.

He stood in front of a full-length mirror, straightening the collar of his new black overcoat, an undeniable and unfamiliar feeling of hope taking root. It was his second birthday without his father and the first without his shadow looming over him. The golden threads on the embroidery of his overcoat glistened with the last bit of sunlight streaming into his room at the palace. The woven designs laced around the hems of the black coat, sprawling intricately across his chest and up to his shoulders, forming the shape of a skull over his heart.

He glanced at the black and gold mask resting on the small table next to the mirror. A masquerade—Flynn's idea, of course. A year ago, Kane wouldn't have been seen dead attending a ball like this, especially one arranged for his birthday, yet he'd had his wardrobe tailored specifically for tonight. What am I becoming?

When he reached for the mask, pain shot through his left shoulder, making his spine curl in on itself. His hand went to the spot where his chest met his shoulder. The pain was just as fresh as when he'd been stabbed by that half-soul nearly two moons ago. He'd ignored the wound for the most part—it was easy to since it rarely hurt—but now and then there were moments like this that had him stumbling into the mirror.

He leaned into the reflective glass with a grunt, propping himself with his right forearm as he came face to face with reality. Chest heaving, he gripped the collar of his white shirt with his other hand and yanked, popping buttons and sending them rattling to the floor. His gaze fell on the thick angry laceration, black as the sails of his ship. The wound had turned this color a week after he'd received it, but now as the pain continued, black veins stretched out and away from it, pulsing, spreading.

"Shit," Kane said through his teeth.

There was a knock at the door and Kane pushed himself away from the mirror, straightening his collar. He kicked at the loose buttons on the floor, sending them rolling under the table as the knocker let themselves in.

"There's the birthday chum!"

Kane turned to see Flynn and Arius strolling into the room. Flynn wore a soft blue suit with gold buttons. His undershirt was visible half-tucked, but his hair was pulled back neatly from his face for once. He wore a cream mask that reminded Kane a dessert fox. Arius stood behind him, dressed in pearl white from head to toe, aside from his mask that shimmered. A ridiculous white tricorne hat sat on his head, black feathers lining the entire brim.

"I didn't know we were supposed to wear costumes," Kane said to Arius, stepping away from the mirror and walking toward them. He clenched his hand into a fist at his side, trying to bury the pain at his shoulder.

Flynn laughed, and Arius leaned on the back of chair. "Hilarious, Blackwater," Arius said as Kane passed by him. "Do you think Lorelei will like my ensemble though?"

Kane stopped and turned to face Arius, his chest flaring with something other the subsiding pain.

"He was only joking," Flynn said, grabbing his best mate by both shoulders and giving him a light shake. "This fellow." A forced laugh. "Always with the digs." He elbowed Arius in the ribs and smiled sheepishly at Kane. "You meant Nara right?"

Arius shrugged. "Meh, we fizzled out. A mutual thing."

"Mutual," Kane scoffed. "Keep telling yourself that, Pavel." Kane turned back toward the door, ignoring Arius as he tried to defend himself.

The hallway was like most others around the palace, oak doors lining the walls, small golden sculptures sitting on pedestals. The pain from his wound was nearly gone and he rolled his shoulder to be rid of the tightness that was left behind. It always came and grew in flashes which made it easy to ignore, but time was a fickle thing and there would come a point where Kane wouldn't be able to hide it from everyone. Until then, nothing changed.

"How's that stab wound doing?" Flynn asked from Kane's left. They walked in a trio down the hall, the echo of their boots muted by the scarlet carpet stretching across the middle of the marbled floor.

"Healing," he replied, gaze forward, unwavering.

Arius pretended to sniff the air. "I smell a lie," he sang.

"Are you trying to get decked in the face tonight?" Flynn asked. "Don't push Blackwater. My jaw still tenses from that last time when he—"

"When you cheated at Aces?" Kane interrupted.

"When will you let that go, mate? I didn't cheat."

"He doesn't cheat," Arius repeated.

"He definitely cheated," Kane said as they turned the corner. "I was dealt a perfect hand."

Someone else bustled around the corner at the same time, nearly running into them. The man stumbled back and mumbled an apology. He stepped aside to go around the group of them but Kane stopped him.

"Where are you running off to in such a hurry?" Kane asked, hitching an eyebrow. He took note of the red mask the man wore, its outside edges curling up into points like the flame of a candle. A party-goer then. "The masquerade is down in the courtyard."

The man adjusted the mask that had gone crooked on his face. "Apologies," he said, avoiding eye contact with Kane. "The palace is so large, it's easy to get lost in it."

"Aye," Flynn agreed. "I got lost a couple times myself before I finally figured out the maze."

"I still get lost," Arius added in.

Kane looked closer at the stranger. He stood as tall as Kane and with his wide shoulders and the way his charcoal overcoat hugged his arms, Kane could tell he had the physique of someone who'd been trained. Since he'd been at sea, there were probably many recruits that he wouldn't know, but that didn't stop him from checking.

"Do I know you?" Kane asked, his eyes narrowing at the stranger. "I don't think I do."

"You don't," he replied. He glanced past the group of them like he had somewhere to get to, his eyes restless. "Sorry, but I've got to get going."

Quickly, the stranger brushed past them and hurried down the hall without another word, leaving the three of them behind.

Flynn turned around and yelled after him, "You're not even going to wish the birthday chum a merry evening?" But he received no reply.

Kane wondered about the masked stranger for a moment before he was whisked away by Flynn and Arius to the masquerade that he wasn't quite sure he was ready for.

#

The courtyard was full of party-goers by the time Kane and the two Sons of Anaphine arrived. Lanterns hung on ropes stringing from pillar to pillar, candles flickering on tables strewn across the area, guitars strumming to the tune a familiar shanty. The sun had hit its lowest point in the sky and stars were beginning to peek between the few clouds in the sky. Soon the moon would cast everything in a hazy glow. Whoever oversaw the preparations for the party had done so with special attention to detail. He'd have to find out who the planner was and thank them after.

Flynn made a disappointed sound. "I don't see Csilla anywhere, do you?"

His gaze traveled over the masked faces, trying to find someone familiar. A few glances turned in their direction before returning to their pint of ale or the deck of cards in their hands. He recognized Borne who was talking to a group of recruits. When Borne noticed Kane and the other two, he gave them a nod of acknowledgment, his beaded green mask shimmering in the light like an emerald.

Kane found Lockhart in a silver mask, and the Scarlet Twins, Serafina and Rosalina, in matching crimson ones. No Csilla. Nor Lorelei for that matter. Lorelei had told him she'd be there. He hoped this wouldn't be like all the other things she'd missed this week, like their nightly dinners with everyone else.

"Let's join a game of Aces while you wait," Arius told Flynn, slapping him on the back.

Flynn sighed. "Fine, I suppose so, but I'm not letting you win this time."

Arius laughed and hooked his arm over Flynn's shoulder, pulling him to the nearest table of card players. Kane figured he might as well join them to pass the time, but first, he needed an ale.

He made his way across the courtyard to an array of barrels where a man handed out mugs of ale. Kane motioned to the man and he poured Kane a mug from the spout screwed into the side of the barrel. Foam spilled over the mug, dripping onto the courtyard's stone. Kane brought the mug to his lips, taking a long swig of the ale, letting it run down his throat and warm his belly.

"Well, will you look what the tide washed in?" said a familiar silky voice from behind him.

Kane lowered his mug from his lips and slowly turned, recognizing the amber waves of hair that belonged to the voice. She wore a mauve dress that clung to her skin, scooping low in the front and woven with strands of silver. Her feline gaze watched him behind her rounded silver mask.

"Clarissa," he said, giving her a nod. He hadn't seen her in nearly a year, since the night King Rathborne had died and the Blood Bell had rang through the city.

"I'd heard you were back," she said, taking a step closer. "I'll admit I was a bit disappointed that you didn't call on me."

"Those days are over, Clarissa," Kane said, voice quiet.

A pout puckered her painted lips. "But they were such fun days."

Kane moved to step past her, but she stepped with him, in front of him, her nails tracing down his chest. "I'd rather not have this conversation again," he told her, lightly flicking her hand away from him. The relationship between them had been physical, nothing more, but it seemed she wasn't quite ready to let her flame die. His had flickered out a long time ago and had started to burn for someone new, different, brighter.

He hadn't even realized when it had happened until he asked himself the question. When did I start to burn for Lorelei? When she'd declared herself as his First Mate. When she'd breathed life back into his drowned lungs. When she'd died and come back to life in his arms. All of them and more.

Clarissa sighed and leaned toward him. "You're so tense. You're sure you don't need someone to take your mind off things?"

The doors to the northern entrance of the courtyard opened, a stream of light from the hall pouring into the space. Everyone turned in the direction of whoever was entering, a hush falling over them, even the guitars' strumming faltered.

Kane's eyes fell on Csilla first, who led the group through the doors. Her black curls were pulled back from her face, woven through the golden curves of the Bone Crown on her head. One brown, one silver eye assessed them from behind her gold mask. While most of the other women at the masquerade wore exquisitely tailored dresses, she wore a simple scarlet skirt that wrapped over the pants and boots she wore beneath.

Flynn appeared from nowhere at Kane's side. "Goddess help me, I'm a goner," he said with a sigh. "You've got to teach me how to be more stone-faced, like you. I mean, you're acting like you don't even see Lorelei. How do you do it, mate?"

"Lorelei?" Clarissa asked curiously.

Kane found her then, sliding out from behind Csilla. It wasn't the intricate patterns of lace on her dress or the golden headband she wore tucked into her soft curls that caught his breath. She was strikingly beautiful, but what really struck through his armor was the color she wore, matching the sails of the Iron Jewel, matching him. His palms went sweaty, his mouth dry. He gulped.

Clarissa's eyes were on him. "Oh," she said with realization. "I see."

As did he.

Party-goers parted a path for Queen Csilla, nodding their heads in respect as she passed by them. Lorelei followed closely behind, Nara at her side in a skirt similar to Csilla's, but was the navy of the sea deep and a matching mask sparkled with stars.

"Carry on," Csilla told them all with a wave of her hand. "Pretend I'm not here."

While everyone continued about their dancing or game of cards, a flash of red caught Kane's eye, but when he glanced to his left, it was gone. The masked stranger he'd ran into earlier fleeted through his mind and he tried to smother the feel of dread that crept up his spine.

Then Lorelei was there in front of him, her fingers at his wrist, pulling his roaming attention from the courtyard walls and straight to her. Her lips parted to say something, then they closed shut, her cheeks rosing under the edges of her black lace mask. He glanced down at her hands, noticing the small parcel she carried in one of them. Curiosity sparked in him like the same little boy searching a ship for his mother's hidden treasures.

A throat cleared and Kane looked to see Flynn and the rest of them looking at him and Lorelei.

"How often are we all together like this?" Flynn asked, breaking the silence. "This calls for a round of Aces!"

"Oh," Lorelei said. "I've never actually played before."

"Sit with me," Kane told her. "I'll teach you."