Page 54 of Ballad of Sea and Sky

“Because males take them for granted,” I replied, sitting on the bed with my seal skins to watch him work. “That’s a handy trick.”

“Almost as good as pulling water out of thin air,” he joked, shooting me a wink and turning back to the pot. There was still something a little raw and uncertain in his face. Maybe he wasn’t as unaffected by our moment earlier as I had thought.

In a few minutes, steam began to fill the tiny hut, turning minty and medicinal as he dropped leaves into the boiling water.

“You should stay here and breathe this in for a bit,” he said, standing and brushing off his hands. He looked far too big for the space, his wings almost brushing the opposite walls, even while splinted. “Propping open the door a crack should let enough air in to feed the flame.”

He didn’t look at me as he crossed the space to the door. I noticed he had to duck a little to get under the lintel.

“Where are you going?” I called, making myself cough as I overextended my weakened lungs. Curse all the gods and the hand they dealt me.

Not you, Mother Sea, I mentally added. I felt the sea preen a bit at this attention, and my laugh turned into another cough.

Caspian returned, looking at me with a raised brow. He had a flattish plank of wood and our sharp abalone knife, and he crouched by the bed as he handed them to me. “I need a map to the water,” he explained, taking the shell and scratching a crude x into the wood. “Here is the hut,” he said, pointing with the shell, then handing it back to me. “Show me where to go.”

“I’ve…I’ve never made a map like this before,” I said hesitantly, trying to figure out how I might translate mysenseof the water into coherent directions. “I kind of just know where to go.”

“Try,” he commanded, tapping the wood. I looked up at him with a frown and saw longing and desperation in his face. It was gone so fast, I thought I might have imagined it. “Please, Marina.”

“You only use my real name when you want something, you insufferable seagull,” I grumbled, taking the shell and trying to mentally focus on my magic and my water sense.

Caspian’s laugh faded into the background as the water became clear to me, and it was like looking inward to find all of the water on the island waving at me, encouraging me to come closer. If I imagined where I stood to be the hut, could I map it?

I tried, occasionally closing my eyes to remap the water in my mind before drawing the directions on the wood. I could see vague shapes around the water that became shadowy trees or rocks if I focused, and after fifteen minutes the whole hut was steamy and I had finished the map.

Something flitted against my water sense, a shape darting from the stream into one of the pools and back down again. Water shouldn’tmovelike that, and this sense was so new to me that I couldn’t get a feel for what it was. Perhaps the thing that Caspian had felt watching us? It didn’tfeeldangerous though, so I decided to let it go and dropped my awareness.

I gave my head a shake, pushing the map into Caspian’s hands. “That’s the best I can do,” I said, my breath coming out in little wheezing gasps. I didn’t realize what a physical toll magic took on me when I wasn’t at full strength, but then, I rarely had a reason to draw on it at all before getting stranded on this island.

“Are you alright?” he asked, his eyes warm with concern again. “You sound worse.”

“You always know how to flatter me,” I joked, the teasing laugh becoming a cough. “The magic is taxing, that’s all.”

“Marina, I—” He paused, giving me a pained look as he struggled with some words that wouldn’t come. He shook his head, pursing his lips. “Try to rest. I’ll be back soon.”

“Caspian,” I croaked, grabbing his hand before he could turn again. He stilled, returning to his crouch and waiting expectantly. I studied his face, shadowed with exhaustion and the edge of pain, although he was clearly healing faster than I was, his wings still stiffly braced but not making him hiss every time he moved. When had his face become so familiar to me? Seas below, I was a fool and doomed for heartbreak. And I was betrothed. The icy reminder of that fact chilled my bones and stayed my hand. I let him go, sinking back onto the bed and curling up like I planned to sleep. “Be careful.”

He didn’t reply with words, leaning down and brushing his nose against mine, the move so gentle it was almost not even a touch. He opened his mouth, closed it, then walked out.

I spent a good long time trying to slow my heart rate and remind myself that I couldn’t have him, no matter what my cursed body seemed to want.

Chapter 20

Ittookagoodhalf hour for my pounding heart to slow enough that I could actually focus on the task at hand.

I had nearly kissed her again.

Skies above, how Zephyr would crow at me if she could see me acting like a lovestruck idiot while our lives were at risk.

She had seen it on the ship, even if I had refused to acknowledge it. The desire. It had admittedly been a long time since I’d been with anyone, and Marina was definitely not just anyone. But acting on the feeling wasn’t an option.

I gave myself a shake, finally able to focus on Marina’s directions. She had drawn a fairly clear map of the area, and I found myself once again impressed by her series of hidden talents. Summoning water, sensing water, drawing maps. Honestly, I’d be a fool not to hire her on my next voyage.

I cringed. She would not be coming with me on any more voyages. I’d offered to send her home, and she’d nearly wept tears of joy at the suggestion. Of course she wanted to go home. She’d earned as much, after everything I had put her through.

I was such a damned fool.

My focus should be on getting off this island and returning home. On my people who needed me to find a solution to the rationing and illness that plagued us each winter as our supplies dwindled and our magic weakened. I was going to need a new plan, and I suspected it would involve a great deal of violence.