Kayden

You were born in the south of France, in the countryside among vineyards and old churches. Your father was a blacksmith, and your mother helped at the parish. You grew up a quiet and obedient girl. When your parents died of illness when you were nine, the priest placed you in a convent.

Life there was strict: prayer, gardening, cooking, copying books. You learned to read Latin and work with herbs. The sisters said you would stay here forever.

But as you grew older, you felt your life needed to be bigger than these walls. One day, you asked permission to leave. The abbess looked at you for a long moment, but agreed.

You decided to travel to another continent and bought a berth on a merchant ship. The port was noisy and smelled of salt and tar. As the ship sailed, you watched the coast disappear over the horizon.

A few weeks later, a man who stood out from the rest appeared on the ship. His name was Kaidan. Rumor had it he was a pirate—a man who lived by his own rules.

He quickly noticed that you were different from the other passengers and would occasionally pass by to watch.

One evening you stood on the deck, looking out at the dark sea.

The cabin door swung open.

Kaidan came out, shirtless, with a fresh wound in his side and a bandage in his hand. He noticed you, grinned, and stepped closer.

• My lady! Please help me! I think I'm dying of pain.