Page 24 of Cursebreaker

I shake my head. “He’s coming.”

“He’s in no state to travel—”

“He’ll be fine—”

“And what if he attacks someone—”

“I won’t let him—”

“You’ll be putting us all at risk—”

“I am your captain!” I stand, slamming my hand down on the desk, rattling the contents so fiercely a well of ink topples over the side, splattering black liquid all over my boots and spilling onto the floor. Instantly, I regret my outburst, but my nerves seem to buzz with unchecked energy, my heart pounding painfully against my sternum.

Gabriel frowns, stepping forward, kneeling as if to retrieve the empty well of ink from the floor, but I hold out a hand to stop him.

“Leave it,” I say, my voice shaking, just as my hands now shake. “I’m sorry—I—I don’t know what’s come over me—”

Gabriel straightens, placing his hands on my shoulders, prompting me to look him in the eye. I’m struck, as I often am, by the similarities between him and his brother—tanned olive skin, long dark eyelashes framing hazel eyes. “We chose you to be our captain,” he says quietly, steadily. “Not because you’re a princess—not because you’re the heir of Hildegarde—but because every member of this crew believes in your ability to see this mission through. They believe in you, Aster. I believe in you.”

“Why?” I whisper, my throat tight.

He squeezes my arms, his grip firm, yet gentle. “Because you never give up.” He adds, the ghost of a smirk touching his lips, “Even when you probably should.”

I didn’t realize how badly I needed to hear those words until he said them, and still… would he be saying any of this—would they choose me again, if I were honest with them about the voice I heard the night I almost jumped ship? And what if they knew about the way I almost lost control during battle? They’re afraid of Will.… Would they fear me, too?

Gabriel releases me, crosses his arms over his broad chest, and gives me that familiar, no-nonsense look I’ve come to know so well. “If you truly think it wise to bring him along, I will do whatever I must to ensure your safety—even if it means choosing your life over his.”

The weight of his words settles uncomfortably in my gut, but I nod. “I can’t do this without him,” I admit quietly, my throat dry. “He has to come with us.”

Gabriel presses his lips in a thin line, a tiny crease forming between his brows, but he inclines his head. “As you wish.”

A sash of coral light streaks the hazy, twilight sky as the Starchaser nears the abandoned docks, and the crumbling manor house comes into view—right where Gabriel said it would be.

The fog that had sheltered us from sight clears as we drop anchor, but when I look up, attempting to spot the raven I suspected to be Owen, I see only the first stars twinkling awake overhead.

“I don’t like splitting up,” Charlie says, his expression pinched.

We stand side by side at the helm, watching as the rest of the crew moors the ship. Charlie, Lewis, Eliza, Rook, and Diana agreed to stay behind while the rest of us go ashore, much to my brothers’ discontent.

“We can’t bring Titus with us,” I say. “And we can’t leave the Starchaser unattended.”

“I know,” Charlie says. “But I still don’t like it.” He glances at me sidelong, his features softening. “What happens if you don’t find her?”

I rest my hands on the hilts of my daggers, clenching and unclenching my fists. How do I tell him I’m more afraid of what happens if I do? After everything that’s happened… I’ve been outsmarted at every turn. Tricked. Manipulated. I set out to Castle Grim to find Morana, cure Will’s and my curse, and overthrow a kingdom—none of which I accomplished. Instead, Morana found me, and by the time she made herself known, it was too late. I was too late. And because I failed to see what was right in front of me, we lost Annie. Now finding Morana—forcing her to take her corporeal form—means that Annie must die.

I can’t tell Charlie the truth—that I’m terrified of what awaits me in the Burning Lands. That I’m not sure I’m capable of doing what must be done. That I’m afraid I’ll fail them all again.

Instead, I straighten my spine, lift my chin, and say, “I’ll find her, Charlie. I have to.”

A shrill whistle causes us both to turn, and my heart leaps into my throat, making it difficult to breathe.

Below, Gabriel emerges onto the main deck, followed by Will, his wrists still bound in chains of Elysian Iron. Will looks worse than he did last night, his skin somehow paler, the shadows wreathing his eyes darker.

He refuses to meet my gaze as I make my way to him, Charlie close at my heels.

“Aster—” he starts, his voice rough—raw from all the screaming.

“Take them off,” I tell Gabriel, flicking a glance at Will’s binds.