Page 157 of The Dark Lord’s Guide to Honeymooning (and Other Acts of Tyranny)

She smiled. “Let’s just say my magic is tied to his in ways that are difficult to explain. The hair thing is a side effect. Mostly harmless.”

“Mostly?”

“Well, it does mean I can’t hide it when he’s in a particularly foul mood. Bit inconvenient when trying to maintain an air of mystery.” She was deflecting with humor now, and we both knew it.

I opened my mouth to press further—because “tied to his magic” raised about a dozen new questions—but Nyx chose that moment to land on the deck with a thud that shook the entire ship. She’d been circling above us for the past hour, hunting seabirds. Judging by the feathers stuck to her snout, she’d been successful.

She burped a small cloud of smoke that smelled distinctly of roasted pelican.

Vex wrinkled her nose. “I’m glad Nyx is with us. It’ll make getting out of trouble really simple—she can simply roast anyone who stands in our way.”

Before I could respond, Captain Brecca called out again. “Best ready yourselves, ladies. We’ll be making anchor in that cove there—nice and hidden-like.”

The sun was painting the sky in shades of amber and rose by the time we made it ashore. Our landing party consisted of me, Vex, and a dozen shadow warriors that Kaz had bound to my command. They flickered in and out of visibility, perfect for stealth work.

“First target?” I asked.

Vex consulted the list Sebastian had helped compile. “Lady Elena Clearwater. Minor noble, age nineteen. Lives in the village of Coral Bay with her mother, stepfather—Lord and Lady Coralven—and younger half-siblings.”

“Any defenses?”

“Two family guards and a very aggressive rooster, according to our intelligence.”

I stared at her. “A rooster?”

“Apparently, it’s won several local fighting competitions against a barnacle-encrusted sea sprite. The notes are very specific about avoiding the rooster.”

“Sebastian?”

“Sebastian.”

We made our way through the tropical forest that bordered the beach. Everything here was so different from Solandris—bright birds instead of crows, fruit trees instead of oaks, the constant sound of waves instead of mountain wind. Even the magic felt different, lighter somehow, like champagne bubbles instead of wine.

Coral Bay turned out to be exactly what you’d expect from a fishing village that happened to have a minor noble family in residence. Neat little houses with thatched roofs, nets drying in the evening air, and the Coralven manor sitting slightly apart on a small hill. If you could call it a manor. It was more like a large house with delusions of grandeur.

“That’s it?” Vex sounded almost offended. “My closet is bigger than that.”

“Not everyone can live in a floating death fortress,” I reminded her. “Besides, it’s quaint.”

“It’s tragic. Look, they’ve painted shutters on the house instead of having actual shutters.”

We crept closer, shadow warriors fanning out to surround the property. Through a window, I could see the family gathered for dinner—Lord and Lady Coralven, Elena, and three younger children ranging from maybe ten to fourteen.

My stomach twisted. These weren’t soldiers or mages. They were just a family having dinner.

Auremar won’t be kind, I reminded myself. He’ll drain them dry and leave nothing but husks.

“Second thoughts?” Vex murmured.

“No.” I squared my shoulders. “But we’re taking them all.”

“All?”

“You think Auremar will stop at just Elena? If he can’t find her, he’ll take the siblings just to check if they have a trace of the bloodline too.” I made my decision. “We take the whole family. Kaz won’t mind.”

Vex’s smile was full of glee—I’d never seen such a look on her. “Now you’re thinking like a Dark Lady.”

I knocked politely on the front door.