CHAOS ERUPTED IN AN instant. The only person who didn't jump straight into action was Kit, pale and staring at his ex-lover's head like his eyes didn't know how to move. He looked like he might be sick, and Selene's suspicions were confirmed when Kit turned to the edge of the ship and hurled his guts out into the sea. She couldn't say she blamed him, her own stomach churned at the sight.

Kit was too shaken to do anything useful, and Selene didn't think the head would do anything but gross them out and traumatize everyone, so she picked it up by the hair and tossed it into the ocean.

"Rest easy, Léona," she whispered.

Connor and his men were getting close, and their presence was unmistakable. She could see a faint black cloud surrounding the ship, and she could smell the magic seeping into the air and attacking her nose. Her heart drummed in her chest as the crew scrambled to make it go faster, but the Bonny wasn't manned by dark magic like Connor's ship.

One inconvenient wave shoved the two ships together. Somehow Morgana got his hands on a bow, but his perfectly precise arrows shattered when they touched the Knights, a waste against their armor. That didn't discourage the faery, though. She could see gears turning in his head in his attempt to come up with a plan.

Selene had no plan. All she knew was that the Knights were jumping into the water and swimming for the Bonny, and she needed a weapon.

The crew was one step ahead of her. Quinn tossed her a sword, and Selene was swinging the moment the Knights crawled up the sides of the ship, rocking it as they scrambled onto the deck. Her sword was useless, all it did was give her defense. She picked up the lid of a barrel and used it as a shield, taking on several men with her best efforts.

It could've been a fair fight, the Knights were few compared to the many on the ship. But it would never be fair as long as the greatest warriors in the kingdom were using dark magic, trading their souls for power.

Selene was overpowered quicker than she was used to. She was on the ground, crawling backwards to take back her sword which had fallen to the ground, and particular Knight hovered over her and refused to leave, though he made no attempts to kill her.

"Conan, I'll fucking kill you," she hissed.

The voice that replied was familiar, but it wasn't her dreadful husband. "Shh, just play along."

Lord Herwerde. He was dripping in magic like everyone else, but Selene knew he had a strong will and an even stronger heart. If any of the Knights could resist the wickedness of the magic, it was him.

He raised his sword and swung it down, giving her enough warning to grab her weapon and roll away from his attack, returning to her feet. Herwerde continued to fight, and though he went easy, the others didn't. Selene struggled until a voice called out, and everyone paused.

"Drop your weapons, boys, we're only here to talk," Connor bellowed. The Knights obeyed, dropping their weapons and stepping away from the fight.

"What the hell are you doing on my ship?" Crane growled. There was a storm forming overhead, as angry and intimidating as the captain. "Who do you think you are?"

"'Who do I think I am?'" Connor mused. "I'm the bloody King, and you are harboring a few of my very wanted criminals."

"I'm a pirate, we're all wanted criminals. Try to take 'em, kid, I dare you." The captain was walking a dangerous line, provoking Connor, but he didn't seem the least bit afraid. "I made a deal with one of those faeries, to my detriment. I would like to fulfill that deal and I won't let you and your puppies stop me."

One particularly offended Knight swung his sword, but he was on the ground in a moment, neck turned further than a neck ought to be turned. Selene barely saw Crane do it, somehow he managed to kill one of the Knights in seconds.

She could see the fear on Connor's face, hear it in his voice. "Who the hell are you?"

Crane took a step forward, and Connor stepped back. "I'm Captain Argerion Crane and you're on my fucking ship. I'll kill them all of you don't get the hell out."

Beside her, Herwerde gripped Quinn, pulling her against his chest and pressing a blade to her throat. "Do it, then," the Lord bellowed. Crane didn't shift his gaze until he heard Quinn's fearful whimper.

"Don't you dare," he seethed.

Herwerde pressed the blade further. That set Crane off. As rain began to pour and the waves crashed and rocked the ship, the captain stormed for the Knights, knocking them down and throwing them overboard like they were nothing but village guards with stone weapons and not an ounce of magic on their side.

Selene was frozen as she watched, and she suddenly understood what Morgana meant. Crane was powerful, enough so that the Knights tried to retreat. Connor cried out to stop them, and though the men reluctantly obeyed, their hesitance was palpable.

"Stop it!" Connor growled. "We'll leave, I just came to deliver a message, stop!"

Crane only obeyed once Herwerde was on the ground and Quinn was freed, clutching the captain's arm in fear. "Fine. Say your thing and get the hell off my Bonny."

The ship went silent apart from the light storm and the splash of the waves.

Connor's eyes slid to Kit, who was sprawled on the ground with a split lip and a cut on his ear, clutching at his side.

"Brother."

"I'm not your brother."

"Then is Queen Keyondra not your mother?" Connor said, grinning at Kit's obvious distress.

The prince fixed him with a heated glare. "You keep her name out of your foul, unworthy mouth, Connor. You are the only mistake she's ever made."

He wasn't amused. "You're lucky you're sailing with the most terrifying man I've ever met, otherwise you and your friends would be dead."

"Did you have a message or are you going to keep trying and failing to be terrifying?" Kit lamely held up Excalibur. "You remember what happened last time I swung this at you? I'll do it again."

"You look concussed."

"And you look deceased."

Connor crushed Kit's sternum with his heel, forcing a wheeze from his lungs. "You will not win this, Kristofer. You will fail to find that stupid Grail, you will fail to be a hero once again, and we will never stop coming for you. Once we get our hands on you, you will never know peace."

Kit smiled despite the pain written on his face. "You came all this way just to threaten me?"

"My intention was to arrest you, actually, but this will do," Connor told him, shoving his foot harder. "Watch your back, Kit, and stay the hell out of my way."

He let Kit go, then, shoving him onto his side with his boot before he stepped away. "Come on, boys. We're done here."

When the men were gone again, Selene let out a breath of relief. The air wasn't so sharp anymore, no longer irritating her eyes and making her nose sore. It didn't get rid of the tension, though. Crane was staring at Kit, and Morgana was staring at Crane with murder on his mind.

"So you're a prince," the captain said.

Kit pushed himself to his feet, gripping the wall for support. "Not anymore, technically. I'm an outlaw, in case your memory is rusty."

"Right." His eyes turned to the sword in Kit's hand. "What's so special about that?"

"Nothing," he replied before Crane had the chance to stop talking. "It's only a sword. The craftsmanship is awful, too. He made it, that's why he's so weird about it."

"He's just weird," Crane muttered. "If you're going to be evil, at least have poise. Witless ass."

The conversation ended there, and the crew returned to the task of sailing towards the shore. To their luck, the waves pushed them the right way, and they came upon the South sooner than Selene expected. The Black Bonny docked at the port, and she never felt more relieved to see so much sand and red rock. Actually, Selene had never seen sand and red rock like this before in the first place.

It looked dead, dry. It would take some getting used to, but she was sure she'd find something beautiful about it... eventually.

As soon as she could, Selene escorted the others out of the ship. She wanted to leave, but Eurion couldn't seem to say goodbye to her friends.

"Are you sure it's safe?" Quinn asked the thief, eyes wide. "I mean, if you have that creep coming after you and you don't even know where it is, it can't be safe."

"I'll be okay, Quinn," Eurion insisted, giving her friend a smile. "This is the finest group of fighters I've ever met. It'll be alright."

Quinn wasn't satisfied, and she raised her chin. "I want to come with you."

"Absolutely not."

"Then that means it isn't safe," she grumbled. "You would let me come if you didn't think it would get me killed, I know you."

It was true. Normally, Eurion prioritized adventure and friendship above all else. Selene would've expected her to gleefully accept Quinn's offer, but the thief knew the stakes of the journey. It meant real danger if Eurion didn't say yes to a journey with friends, and Quinn knew that.

Quinn was tearful, but she resolved herself. "I better see you again, okay?"

"You will." Eurion kissed Quinn's forehead. "I promise this isn't the last of me."

She finally bid farewell, and they went on their way. Selene made sure to rush them in her attempt to avoid any confrontation with Crane. The captain hardly looked at them as they left, nursing a bottle of whiskey and staring at the floor like whatever was going on in his head was more important. She wanted to get the hell out while he was still brooding.

In the dark, Selene couldn't take in the full glory of the South, but she caught glimpses. Colorful linens added life to the clay buildings, and each building was carefully designed despite the low budget of the city. Lanterns illuminated rough stone paths and quiet stands where lively trades must've taken place in the day.

She felt out of place with her skin as pale as the moon, the most obvious outsider among them. Even Morgana could color his skin with glamour, but Selene had no choice but to look like a ghost among a hundred shades of skin, from sunkissed tans like Kit's to rich black tones like Giselle's. Avalon had a range of skin tones itself, but not nearly this much, not enough to make Selene look like she didn't belong there.

The only thing saving her from complete embarrassment was Giselle's eye for fashion. Her breastplate was hidden beneath colorful sashes, and the loose trousers allowed for free movement but made Selene feel less than protected. Her usual ponytail was decorated with braids and golden jewels, flashier than Selene liked, but it helped her blend in.

Kit had a strange look on his face as he came up on Selene's left, pulling at his thumb. "You saw him," he told her. "He just... took them out. He could've killed them all, I think."

"Yeah." Her voice was low and shaky at the thought.

"He asked Morgana about me," Kit said. "Morgana refused but... I guess he knows now anyways. And now I..."

"You're afraid," Selene said as he trailed off. "I know. So am I. But we just... have to move forward and be smart. I have every confidence that this quest will feel like hell."

Kit nodded. "Yeah. You're right." He went quiet for a moment, until he yawned and turned his head to Eurion. "I'm tired, do you have a place?"

The thief turned to look at him with a mischievous glow on her face, a stark contrast to the look she gave Quinn while saying her goodbyes earlier.

"It's the South, Kit," she told him, leading them to a small alley. "I always have a place."