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I gripped Tait’s hands and pulled his arms tighter around me. All I wanted was the horrors of the Far Seas to end.

Warm sunlight kissed my cheeks. My lashes fluttered against the dawn.

Somewhere in the haze of wakefulness and sleep, I heard a rough voice bark, “Go on. Send word. Remember to ask for Poppy. Need her somethin’ awful.”

Water splashed, the cold spray brushing over my skin, stirring me out of the last remnants of a haggard sleep. My neck ached from remaining in a cramped position the whole of the night. Gentle water lapped against the side of the rowboat. The air was…familiar.

My eyes snapped open.

Rich cerulean seas stretched as far as the horizon. Cheerful shrieks of fowl overhead stirred my blood, and the glimmer of colorful fins diving and cresting through the tides as a school of merfolk swam away brought the sting of tears to my eyes.

A merwoman dove away from the rowboat and sped toward distant white peaks.

All gods, the Ever.

We were home.

35

The Illusionist

We’d crossed into the Ever Seas near a small, remote isle off the shores of the Ice Fjords. The Tower tavern was near enough I could already smell the days-old ale and too many paper smokes.

At the Tower we could send word to the Royal City, to Erik and Livia. I could send a missive to my folk. Gods, how my mother and father would be losing their heads at the notion of me missing.

At the Tower, we could, at last, be free.

Docks were stuffed with sloops and schooners, two masted ships, and even more than one longship.

Nightseer called out to a dockman asleep against a post, legs outstretched. The man startled and lifted his woolen cap off his eyes. An old smoke balanced between his teeth. Slowly, the docker tossed a rope to tie us off.

I aided in lifting Seableeder. The man’s skin was made of fire, but his teeth clacked as though he’d frosted over.

“Nixie was meant to send word to Blister Poppy,” Swordeater insisted. “She’ll be expecting ’im.”

Ah. So that was the reason for the merwoman earlier. I smiled. Merfolk loved gossip. The Ever Seas would soon know we had returned.

When Nightseer attempted to stride past the docker, the man held a hand against his chest. “Oi. What you thinkin’? Cost be two pieces—”

“Shut it, you sod,” snapped Nightseer. “Take a look at who you be dockin’. Gods, man. Lest you want us to be telling the king you kept an earth fae royal and his damn blood from entering the Tower, go on and tell us we owe two pieces.”

For the first time, the dockman took us in—me, attempting to help Seableeder stand, Tait on his other side glaring at the dockman, and the two other men baring their teeth like they were exhausted enough to slit the man’s throat, all to find a bed swifter.

“Pardon, lass.” The dockman dipped his chin. “Did not recognize you, but the rest of you can piss off. You look like you were swallowed by a dying whale only to be spat back out. Didn’t recognize a one of ye.”

Commotion at the head of the docks stopped Nightseer from slaughtering the man. A throng of people raced forward for the water’s edge. In the lead was Blister Poppy, a sharp-tongued boneweaver who cared more for folk than she let on.

But behind her was…

“Sander!” My voice broke.

Sander Eriksson had been in the Ever Seas when our ship went down. It should not be a surprise to see the face of the alver prince, but I nearly crumbled with relief.

“Mir!” Sander’s verdant eyes were glossy black, whites and all, a sign his mesmer magic was lost to deep emotion.

The alver king and his sons could never truly hide their hearts when their mesmer revealed their worries, anger, and fears through the pitch-black of their eyes.

Once Seableeder was surrounded by Blister Poppy and a few men from the Tower, I released him and sprinted for my friend. In the next breath, I had my arms around Sander’s neck, nearly choking him.