The moon cast a silver glow over the ocean, its light fractured by rippling waves. Sabrina Timberlake clutched the tiller of her stolen boat, her hands trembling from more than just the cold. Behind her, the shouts of British sailors echoed across the water, carried by the brisk sea breeze. She had been running for days–always just ahead of capture, but never far enough to feel safe.

Her chest heaved as she turned to look behind her, the faint outline of a frigate on the horizon making her stomach churn. Robert wouldn’t stop, not until she was dead or imprisoned. The irony wasn’t lost on her–she’d spent so much time sparing his life, only to have him relentlessly hunt hers.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

The coast of Japan loomed ahead, dark and jagged. Sabrina steered toward the shadowy shoreline, praying the maze of inlets and cliffs would hide her. But as her boat struck the shallows, her foot slipped, and she stumbled into the water, her dress dragging her down. Gasping, she pulled herself onto the rocky beach, coughing and shaking as the chill seeped into her bones.

She knew she couldn’t stay there. If Robert’s men didn’t find her, the tides would carry her boat back into view. But as she stumbled forward, one thought burned in her mind: Miura.

Even now, after everything, she couldn’t stay away. Not when the world seemed determined to end them both.