Mathilda eases off the bed, placing Tane’s hand down with a tender softness that makes my chest ache. My eyes burn, and she turns to look at me.
“If you think I’m bad, you should’ve seen Lachlan with you.”
I bite back a smile. “Was he bad?”
“The absolute worst. I had to fight tooth and nail just to stand next to you sometimes. He was a mess,” she smiles sadly, “that’s the first time I’ve ever seen him cry.”
I couldn’t imagine what he must have felt, seeing me that way. That close to death. I couldn’t even stomach thinking about him ever being that injured. A shiver shudders through me, and Mathilda steps closer, enveloping me in her arms.
“I’m going to miss you,” she whispers. “Come home quickly.”
I squeeze her back tightly. “Not as much as I’m going to miss you.” A tear slips down my cheek. “Write to me often, okay?”
“I promise.”
Salty sea air kisses my face as the wind surges from off the water. My toes flex in my boots as I stand at the edge of the dock. The desire to jump in tugs at me. I tuck my wings in close to my body to keep them from catching the wind. I desperately want to dive in and leave the world behind. The ocean whispers my name with each splash of the waves against the dock. The reverberation of boots on the planks pulls me from my daydreams, and I glance over my shoulder to see Lachlan carrying two large packs.
“Were ye thinking about diving in?”
“You know me too well,” I reply, facing the sea again.
The sun sinks in the sky, and I’m jealous that it appears to slip into the water. A larger wave batters against the dock as if it’s reaching for me. Water sprays droplets that darken the bleached wood at my feet.
“Aye. Come on, Key, get in the boat.”
The last time I was in this boat, we were slipping into the capital to face off with Odessa and Julius. Now I’m getting back in the boat to track down their poisonous rocks and bring magic back to our land. I stroke the curving arch of the bow as thoughts of that night whirl through me. Elowen’s face flashes across my mind. Heaving a sigh, I vanish my wings and drop into the boat. It rocks slightly under my feet as I make my way to the bench that stretches the width of the hull.
I wish I could undo everything they did.
“The wind is in our favor, and we can use the sail this time.” Lachlan smiles at me while patting the towering mast. But I don’t return his enthusiasm.
His smile falters. “What’s the matter?”
“I’m just tired,” I lie.
Well,partiallylie.
I am tired, but the stress of the last few days weighs heavily on me. Am I making the right decision? Should I be gallivanting off to the other islands to destroy crystals? Is that what my mom would have done? Or Gran?
“Ye can sleep on the way again,” he suggests. “Although if ye sleep the whole time, ye might miss seeing the sea dragons.” He unties the boat and kicks us away from the dock.
My head whips to him as his words interrupt my brooding. “Sea dragons?”
“They’re rare to see, but Evander swears he’s seen them when he’s sailed between the islands. They tend to like Scota the best.” He works with a skilled hand, pulling the ties to hoist the sail into place without opening it before grabbing an oar and settling down to row us further away from the docks.
I roll my eyes as understanding dawns; he’s obviously teasing me.
“Fine. Wake me up if you see any.”
I stretch out on the hulland pull a pack under my head. I hear the clatter of the oar against the hull before Lachlan walks with steady steps over to the other pack and pulls a black pelt out before draping it over my body. I smile to myself and snuggle into its softness, letting the lapping waves and the gentle pitching of the boat lull me to sleep.
Shades of violet cloud my vision before a brisk wind blows the curtains out of my way. I’m standing on the edge of a wrought-iron balcony overlooking a sparkling silver sea on the outside of an onyx stone wall. As far as the eye can see is the shimmering ocean.
I don’t know this place, but it feels like home.
Gulls cry in the distance, and waves slam against the stone wall. Before a scream ruptures the serenity. My eyes search frantically for the cause of the scream, and then I see it. Like a black swarm in the distance, monstrous boats with black sails breach the horizon. A horn blasts and several more echo it before giant bonfires erupt in the guard towers along the wall.
A warning for the incoming invasion. Noise from behind me has me whirling around to see a very tall man running by the door. There’s a flash of hair as black as night, and features that are eerily familiar. The ground begins trembling underneath my feet, and I look down to see black, scale-like leathers.
