Free Pieces of Jade (Pirates of Orea) by Lani Woodland, Melonie Piper Page A

Wastelands?”
    She jerked her head. “It’s the only place safe for you.”
    “But the savages live there!” The Wastelands were inhabited by lost souls who had been forced to leave our kingdom, or worse, those who had willingly chosen a life of depravity over our laws. Our city was a haven from crime and immorality, because those who committed those vile acts were exiled from our fertile land or sentenced to death. I knew I too was awaiting my death but I wasn’t like the savages. “ The barrier was erected to protect the Emmías from them. I won’t be safe.”
    “You will be far safer there than in the kingdom.” Lady Meredith looked me straight in the eye. “Trust your instincts and follow my instructions, and you will survive. I have a man guarding the gate. He will open the barrier and let you out.”
    Once we reached the door leading out to the courtyard she stopped. “Through here,” she hissed . “ Now go!” Sweat broke out at the base of my skull. I paused, but she opened the heavy wooden door and pushed against my shoulder. “Go!”
    I took a hesitant step into the chilly night air. I turned to take one last look at her Ladyship, but she shut the door in my face. The stars shone brightly above me, and the air, so clean now that I was free of the stink of the prison, revived me. I looked around , both free and a fugitive, hoping I’d survive the night.

     
     
     
     
    Chapter 8
     
    I arrived at the invisible barrier, the boundary marked by a high hedge. Anyone attempting to breach the barrier would be fatally shocked—the hedge served as warning.
    Following along the hedge, I looked for an opening that would lead me to the Wastelands, unsure what it would look like. Would there be an actual door?
    With every step, I noticed the absence of my necklace, missing the quiet rhythm as it tapped against my chest, its weight around my neck. My legs trembled. Though it had been less than a day, the morning’s ceremony felt like a lifetime ago. So much had happened in that time. And James . . . I shuddered as I realized I’d loved James more than he’d ever loved me. Had he truly loved me, truly known me as I’d believed he had, he would never have questioned whether August’s death was an accident.
    James had betrayed me , and his disloyalty hit me like a cannonball to my chest, ripping out my heart and leaving a gaping hole of bubbling, blackened flesh, scarring me inside and out. My ordeal on the pirate ship had revealed James’s character for the first time, far more like his brother than I would have believed. Yes, I’d wielded the sword that had killed August, but I thought he knew my heart. I thought he knew me. That he thought me capable of murder made my insides weep and throb in hurt. His faith in me, that I’d thought a firm anchor, was no more solid than the tufts of a dandelion blown away by the first storm of the season. And while he was carried whichever way the wind blew, I was left alone, a solitary weed in a barren desert. I may have bruised his optimism, but he’d shattered my trust.
    Tears flowed down my cheeks. My sadness turned to anger and fury replaced the pain. I had thought my heart would crack with despair, but an iciness etched itself onto my heart instead. I would never cry for James again; I hated him for what he’d done, for his lack of faith in me. I hated him almost as much as I hated the pirate who had ruined everything.
    Ahead, a lone sentry dressed in the livery of the kingdom stood guard. The gravel crunched beneath my feet and he turned his head toward me. I stopped a few feet from him and we studied each other intently. He looked a year or two younger than I was, with curls of blonde hair, and his dark eyes swam with indecision; my skin prickled in fear.
    He shook his head and motioned for me to come near. “I’m sorry for my hesitation. This way, Emmía.” His voice cracked, but he set his shoulders as if steeling himself for what he was about to do. He