“Mmm, yes?” I asked, my nose still buried in my book.
“I liked your first nightgown better.”
My head snapped back up, cheeks aflame, but he was already gone.
CHAPTER SIX
My day started like it usually did, with a run around the island. I didn’t always run the full perimeter, which took a full hour or more. I typically reserved my longer runs for when I had something I needed to process, or conversely, something I wanted to forget. Today, however, I found myself veering onto the path, intending to run a full loop. I had a lot to think about after last night.
Like how Corvin had been less than forthcoming about himself.Except for his opinion on my nightgown.I flushed pink in the face. He hadn’t exactly held back onthatmatter. It was nice though, I had to admit, sitting in the study and reading beside him.
I tried to quell that line of thought. I would do well to remember that his motivations for helping me were nebulous at best. Was I playing with fire where he was concerned? To which Midnight Sovereign had his father become indebted anyway? Kaylin? If so, she never mentioned it to me.
Kaylin’s mentor was a woman named Juniper, but she passed away before I was apprenticed. Her death had been a touchy subject, shrouded in tragedy, so I hadn’t pressed the topic. Nonetheless, I’d pieced together that Juniper was murdered, although I still didn’t know the exact circumstances of her death. A fate that explained why Kaylin was so adamant about me not leaving the safety of the island or traveling any farther than Dewwick Village. Always close enough to retreat to the island’s shores. Of course, some of that caution went out thewindow when she met Edwin and became pregnant with Adriel. She listened to her own advice less and less often.
I ran by my garden, admiring how large my pumpkins and squash had gotten this year. The rest of my morning would be spent harvesting more of my autumn crops and beginning to store them for winter consumption.I should also plant some extra flower bulbs.That way I would have lots of daffodils, hyacinths, and tulips blooming during the springtime.
When I passed by the hedged iron fence, I stopped to give the gate a good rattle, shaking it with both arms, but it refused to yield. “I have half a mind to trim you now that Kaylin is gone,” I menaced the hedges, which didn’t respond. “But I have a feeling the island wouldn’t approve, and I can’t bring myself to turn you into an eyesore by hacking away at something I may never be able to properly regrow. So I guess you’re safe for now.” I continued my run, purposefully skirting the cemetery so I didn’t have to look upon Kaylin’s grave.
After my run, I wandered through the cottage, thoughts turning toward my mentor once again as I paused at the doorway to her old room, stepping softly inside. Everything was just as Kaylin had left it. I hadn’t packed up any of her things. It wasn’t like I needed the space. Her knitting was still in her chair, wool and needles lying alongside a half-finished piece of clothing. A scarf. I’d picked up the hobby myself, but lacked the heart to finish the project she’d started, left abandoned since her death.
I leaned against her dresser, my elbow resting on its weathered wood, a gesture I had surely done a thousand times before. Only this time, my elbow hit something hard and metal, causing me to wince and gingerly hold my arm until the pain subsided. A silver jewelry box sat atop the dresser.Strange—I don’t remember Kaylin ever wearing any jewelry.Curious, Itook a closer look, attempting to pry open its lid before noticing it had a lock.
I grabbed the mystery key from my pocket. “I haven’t tried you in a while.” Anticipating disappointment, I pushed the key into the lock of the jewelry box. The lid swung open. “Yes!” I gasped, elated at my unexpected success, rapidly taking in the view.
A single necklace lay displayed within.
It resembled a crescent moon. An oval gemstone with a beautiful milky glow hung elegantly suspended from the tip of the silver arc-shaped pendant. Kaylin had certainly never worn it before; I would have remembered. The size of the necklace wasn’t discreet either; it was large enough to immediately draw attention.A moonstone?Unlike the milky-white stone inlaid into my boat, this one possessed a unique silver-blue sheen.
Almost of its own volition, my hand hovered over the jewelry box, inexplicably drawn to the necklace. Delicately, I undid its clasp, placing it over my head. It felt…right. As soon as the moonstone settled near my heart, a sense of contentment enveloped me. Like I had been naked before without the necklace, despite being fully dressed. Could it be the island wanted me to have it? Because I chose to pick up the key? There was no one else who could have placed the jewelry box in Kaylin’s room.
That night, as I looked outside, I laid a hand over the moonstone necklace, feeling extra connected to the soft, ethereal light of the moon glistening overhead. And when I went to sleep, still wearing the necklace, I dreamed in vivid detail. Flashes of images and faces that I did not recognize, impossible to fully make sense of—and much too quickly forgotten the next day. A black jaguar prowling the island, a magnificent set of midnight-black wings, and most haunting of all, a male voice, repeating the same cruel refrain over and over:You will regret this, Moira.
About a week after I planted them, the Green Man’s seeds began to sprout. They appeared to be growing into a sprawling vine, with dark green, heart-shaped leaves, vindicating my decision to plant them in front of the cottage, though I would need to construct a wooden trellis soon to direct their growth toward the wall. Likewise, my plan for how to obtain phoenix flame finally germinated.
If I wanted to find a phoenix, there was only one place worth visiting. The Kingdom of Sivell. Home to King Cazzon’s phoenix warriors, an elite group of fighters, adept at wielding magic—all thanks to their phoenix companions. Their expanding borders had been forged and then fortified with fire, making them one of the largest kingdoms in the realm. Historically, their expansion into Kothia stalled at the impassable Golstead Mountain Range, which now stood as the defining geographical barrier between their two kingdoms.
Tensions with Queen Elasha, who ruled the Kingdom of Kothia, were always on the verge of boiling over. Unsurprisingly, given the long history of bloody warfare between their two kingdoms. They both maintained large armies—always anticipating the possibility of war, always contesting their right to the land between them. Held sacred by the phoenixes for its Elder Grove: a stretch of elder trees comprising their most fertile breeding grounds. Held sacred by Kothia’s banshee warriors for the bones of their ancestors still buried within its soil. The present peace between them was somewhat unprecedented. I hoped it boded well for my plan. I had no desire to travel through an active war zone.
I had exactly one resource to offer in exchange for a phoenix’s fiery breath—money.
Fortuitously, the coinage of Sivell was imprinted with the outline of a phoenix. That was how I remembered which kingdom to visit in the first place. Better to go where I was sure to find a contingent of the magical creatures, rather than search for one in the wild. I’m sure there were probably some who flew free, but I didn’t know what they desired. Warriors, on the other hand, were likely to be interested in my coin. At least, I hoped so. My plan was simple: barter money in exchange for flame. I just needed to make it to their training fields to ask.
I briefly contemplated contacting King Cazzon. He was aware of my existence—he sent an official envoy to represent him at Kaylin’s funeral. On some level, he must recognize the validity of my position since he chose to express his formal regards over her death. It seemed more than audacious to ask him for any favors though. And I still wasn’t sure whether his envoy’s intentions had been entirely friendly.
No, best to keep to myself, to maintain a low profile. I wasn’t in any position to be making demands.
My boat drifted into the northeastern inlet, heading toward Sivell. This specific river flowed between the easternmost route to Adrasea and the northernmost route, leading out to Kothia. Traveling again filled me with pride.Soon I will have sailed into all five kingdoms.After this, the only ones to check off my list were the northern route and the western route to Uvrakar. I figured I could count Solaris already, having been born there, and having visited Dewwick Village too many times to count during my childhood. Of course, a few small villages were hardly the pinnacle of what the kingdom had to offer.
To truly experience the five kingdoms would take me much, much longer—a lifetime.Never too late to make up for lost time.I’d let myself be sequestered on the island for too long, but now I had the opportunity to trade boredom for adventure, and I intended to take it, no matter the cost.
For whatever reason, as I left the lake, the loss of the protective barrier didn’t hit me nearly as hard as on my first trip. Maybe because I was fully equipped—my moonstone necklace tucked under my tunic, my dagger stashed underneath my cloak, my satchel filled with a sizable amount of currency, my map canister slung across my back. I purposefully wore my hair over my ears in case they drew any unwanted attention. Unlike the other kingdoms, Sivell didn’t share a direct connection with the Fae courts.
What could stop me now?
I was more concerned about the risk of imprisonment than death. Some warrior accusing me of being a spy, tossing me in a prison cell for trespassing, and throwing away the key. Maybe I would worry less if I were officially the Midnight Sovereign, but the inauguration was still several moons away. Certainly, stepping through the gateway at the Winter Solstice would fortify my reputation with the rulers of the land. There might be other changes in store for me. The realm’s monarchs derived power from the inauguration ceremony. After renewing their vows to their people and to the land.
The Bunyip’s gaping maw danced suddenly before my eyes.I suppose you can’t predict everything.Might as well add the threat of death back to the list.Best not to focus on that now though,or I might just turn my small boat right back around.
