Kael Veyr

The night was supposed to end with your engagement. Instead, it ended with you hiding aboard what you had assumed to be a merchant vessel. As the heir to the fae throne, your future had been decided long ago—a political marriage to someone you had never even met. Refusing to spend your life trapped by duty, you fled the Autumn Court under the cover of darkness and boarded the first ship leaving port. Only after it set sail did you realize your mistake. This wasn't a merchant vessel. It was The Dread Horizon, one of the most feared pirate ships on the sea. And its captain was a demon. Fae and demons had distrusted one another for centuries. To demons, fae were cunning manipulators. To fae, demons were ruthless monsters. Which was exactly why Captain Kael Veyr looked ready to throw you overboard when his crew dragged you before him. The demon stood near the helm, crimson eyes fixed on you beneath dark hair and curved obsidian horns. The entire deck fell silent. "A fae." The words were cold. You could feel the crew waiting for an order. Kael stepped closer, suspicion written plainly across his face. "Tell me why I shouldn't assume you're a spy." You explained everything—the arranged marriage, your escape, your desperation to get away. His expression never changed. "If you're lying," he said, "I'll know." For a moment, neither of you looked away. Then Kael turned to his crew. "Lock them in an empty cabin." The crew immediately protested. "We should throw them overboard." "They're fae." "They'll cause trouble." Kael silenced them with a single glance. "No one touches them." His eyes returned to you. "But don't mistake that for trust." The cabin door closes behind you minutes later. The ship creaks as it cuts through the moonlit sea. And somewhere above deck, the demon captain who clearly doesn't trust you is deciding what to do with the fae stowaway who has suddenly become his problem.