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intentions he came here with, to forget that his brother was here, that his father was gone. But he hesitated—remembering that the blood of his victims also swam in that water. He shuddered.
     Larkin laughed a little. “I try to come here when I feel overwhelmed. I suppose tonight is one of those times. The sea is…calming, but after I am married I will come less often. My fiancé thinks I will be kidnapped by pirates.”
    Barren laughed. “Let me guess—the notorious Barren Reed will seek you out?”
    “Yes. William thinks Barren to be a coward and a nuisance and all he can talk about is his death…though he will do nothing to be accountable for it.”
    Barren did not respond.
    “You look a lot like William, you know.”
    Barren chuckled. “I am insulted, Lady. Me, favor William Reed?”
    “Yes…almost too much,” she said.
    Then something happened Barren did not expect. Larkin flung the lantern she held toward Barren. The pirate dodged the blow—moving back, his feet automatically taking up battle stance, and he withdrew a short blade from a hidden holster attached to his back—one couldn’t expect Barren to march among his enemies without weapons. From the folds of her scarf, Larkin withdrew a similar blade. She looked like a warrior, her eyes ablaze in the night.
    “You are either brave or foolish for coming here,” she said. “I haven’t yet figured out which one.”
    “And you are not what I expected.” Barren was still a little shaken and all his previous notions about the girl vanished.
    “What? You didn’t expect me to fight?”
    “Not so suddenly, no,” said Barren. “So you did recognize me in the courtyard. I wonder…why did you not expose me when you had the chance?”
    “It is not for me to be responsible for anyone’s death, even someone as foul as you,” Larkin’s hand tightened visibly on her blade, then she smiled. “Are you going to fight me?”
    “If that is your wish,” Barren replied. “But answer me one question—why William? Why a murderer? I know you do not love him, so why?”
    “You do not know me, sir,” she said evenly.
    “I do not need to know you to understand you. There are a lot of girls like you, and since you’re not marrying for money or power, you must be marrying to appease someone.”
    Larkin attacked, and it was like a dance, strong and graceful. Her blows made Barren’s teeth clench as metal struck metal. He recognized this fury; it was the way you fought when you hated someone.
    Either because they were both half-Elf or for some other reason entirely, she was completely in tune with his movements. If he stepped backward, forward, or side-stepped, he was met with her counter attack, and her strikes held a force that shocked him. He could kick himself. He had all the clues before him. She had recognized him from the moment their eyes had met, and when she stopped William from hitting him, she had done it to protect her fiancé, knowing Barren’s intentions, and yet he still let himself think she was harmless. He was stupid.
    “I think you only fight so viciously because you know I am right,” said Barren as he parried another blow.
    “How do you live with yourself?” She cried harshly. “Murdering all those people—do you feel that is right?”
    “Do you think your husband was right to murder my father?”
    “He. Is. Not. My. Husband!” Her words were punctuated by the strike of the sword against Barren’s. On the last word, Barren misdirected his blade. He felt a burning sensation down his arm and knew he was cut. He didn’t let her blow vex him; he didn’t have time. Her attacks seemed to grow stronger with every strike. Barren was getting angrier by the second—the men he encountered at sea hardly gave him this much of a battle. His blade nicked her fingers, and she dropped her sword. Barren moved quickly, grabbing her weapon and throwing it into the ocean.
    He turned to laugh at her, but Larkin had more surprises up her