“One explosion means everything is going according to plan,” Yarrow had said. “Two explosions means I had to improvise.”
The distraction would draw Ignacio and his privateers to the stables, allowing Theo and Zander to find Ace. They would enter the central part of the building from the abandoned west wing, and Theo would pick the lock on Ace’s door while Zander kept watch or cleared a path of escape, depending on how effective the distraction was. Once they had Ace, they would find the tunnel entrance, which Cristian informed them was in the kitchens.
“No one should bother you, if they are even awake” he’d said. “No one is loyal enough to Ignacio to put themselves in harm’s way.”
As Zander looked out over the estate from his elevated vantage point, he ran through Cristian’s instructions once more in his head, trying to match the descriptions with reality. As he’d said, the central part of the building housed rooms that opened to the garden. The terracotta roof sheltered the tile walkways connecting the rooms and leading to each covered wing, as well as the stairs that led up on either side of the garden. Large columns surrounding the garden supported the overhanging roof. The garden itself was exposed to the sky, and even in the failing light, Zander could see it was overgrown.
The tether in his heart gave a small tug. He was close, so close.
Hold on, Ace, he thought. I’m here.
They watched until the darkness fell like a blanket, then they carefully retraced their steps to where the horses waited. They led the horses back to the semicircle of stones, and as Theo fed them carrots from their saddlebags, Zander helped Yarrow make a fire. Then the three of them sat around it, eating cold croquetas.
All there was left to do was wait. With just three of them against Sanz and his men, they would need to rely on surprise and confusion. A distraction was more effective against men who’d been shocked out of sleep, so they would wait until the hour was late before they made their move.
Theo finished his food and sighed contentedly, wiping his hands together to free them of crumbs. He looked at Yarrow and Zander, who were gazing silently and seriously into the fire, a pair of statues. In contrast, Theo could barely sit still. He repositioned himself a few times, first leaning back on his elbows, then hunched forward with his legs folded. He made little noises with his mouth. He drummed his hands on his knees. He tossed bits of grass into the fire, then poked at them with a stick as they burned. Finally, he shot to his feet and held his hand out to Yarrow.
Yarrow looked at him, an eyebrow raised.
“I can’t take the silence anymore,” Theo said. “I’ll die of boredom before we rescue Ace. Dance with me, my fortune.”
Yarrow smiled, but their expression was dubious. “You want me to dance with you?” they said. “Now?”
Theo’s smile widened, and he nodded.
“There is no music,” Yarrow observed.
In response, Theo reached down and took Yarrow’s hand in his, pulling them up gently. “Oh, there isn’t yet,” he said.
“Theo,” Yarrow groaned. “This is not the time for serenades.”
“I disagree, my heart,” Theo said, pulling Yarrow close to him and kissing them tenderly on the nose. “We are on the precipice of a great battle.”
Theo put his hand on Yarrow’s hip and turned them around gracefully. “We will march to war in mere hours, risking life and limb to save our friend, our captain.”
He carefully dipped Yarrow, and their left foot popped up gracefully as their head tilted back, a reluctant smile on their face. Theo gazed into their eyes. “And here I am, still in love with you. There has never been a better time for a serenade.”
He lifted Yarrow and they fell into an easy sway as Theo began to sing:
Yarrow, Yarrow
Won’t you come grow in my yard? Oh,
I won’t do you any harm, no
Come relieve me of my sorrow
Yarrow, Yarrow
In the mornings if you’d greet me
Promise that you’ll never leave me
I would love you so completely
Zander watched Theo and Yarrow dance beneath the glow of the nearly full moon above their heads. Theo’s rich voice filled the ring of stones around them, punctuated by Yarrow’s occasional laughter as Theo spun them in circles.
Zander’s anxiety was soothed by the tender sight. It felt familiar, like a piece of home. He’d seen them dance together on the sloop, but the sense of comfort he felt ran deeper, as if he’d been seeing Theo and Yarrow dance all his life. And indeed, if one took all the moments from the many lifetimes he had lived in which he saw some version of this dance, they would likely fill up a lifetime all on their own.
As he watched his friends, waiting for the predetermined hour, Zander thought about their final moments with Hugo and Cristian. Hugo had grasped him by the elbow, pulled him close, and given him a look that pierced his very soul.
“You go get her,” he’d said. “You tell her I love her. You keep her safe.” His voice softened. “And please, come visit. All of you.”
21
When Theo and Zander parted with Yarrow, the night was deep and still. They tethered their horses to a tree on the west side of the property, far enough from the storehouses they wouldn’t be noticed, but close enough for a fast getaway when Zander, Theo, and Ace emerged from the tunnel exit nearby.
Before they parted, Theo and Yarrow pressed their foreheads together, their hands on one another’s faces.
“Be safe, my love,” Yarrow whispered.
“I am never safe,” Theo answered. “But I will return to you whole.” He kissed them, and the three pirates parted ways.
Zander and Theo crept quickly and quietly toward the back of the house, where the door to the west wing stood unguarded. A tug at the handle showed it was locked, and Theo retrieved the pin he kept in his sleeve to make fast work of it. Upon hearing the satisfying click of the lock giving way, the two entered the abandoned west wing and closed the door behind them.
Inside was a foyer of sorts, decorated with lavish rugs and tapestries. The Sanz family crest, featuring the eagle that hailed The Valerian’s doom the morning Zander first spotted it, took up the wall in front of them. To their right was a door, and beyond it, the inner courtyard and its overgrown garden. To their left was a long hallway lined with closed doors. Faintly glowing oil lamps dotted the walls, illuminating more extravagant décor.
“If this wing is abandoned, why are the lamps lit?” Theo wondered aloud.
