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“You were dead. I saw your body.” Her face contorted with pain. “I washed your body and prepared it.” Tears began sliding down her cheeks and she crossed her arms around herself as if she could protect herself from the memory.
“Sophie. It’s a bit harder to kill a once goddess than that.” Wren tried to lace her words with humor, but the horror Sophie’s words had instilled in her made it difficult. She was saved from having to force more false bravado by Sophie running the distance between them as the smaller woman wrapped her in a hug that brought warmth to Wren’s cold bones. She returned the hug and rested her head against Sophie’s landing nearly on top of it.
Sophie’s body shook, and Wren knew that in this woman, she had at least chosen well to give her love. She took one of her hands and held Sophie’s head to her own trying to offer her comfort.
Perhaps before, Wren might have shared in her friend’s tears, but this Wren felt farther away, not as easily swayed to tears. She lifted her gaze, feeling eyes on her. Kai was staring at her in much the same way Sophie had, disbelief and hope, but there was unmatched pain in his cerulean eyes that pierced her. She could see from looking at him that Wesley had succeeded in sending his hateful message to the Prince of Haradon. He had thought that he had been responsible for her death, but in this he was wrong. There was only one person responsible for her death and he would pay for his transgressions.
Wren gently untangled herself from Sophie, giving the other woman an encouraging smile before turning her gaze back to the prince. She wished she could take away his pain, but she could see the memories of the past few days were forever ingrained into his memory whether she stood before him or not.
Wren moved slowly, but sure of herself towards him. He stood still as if he were immobilized by some unforeseen force. She stood in front of the still prince and reached a hand up to his cheek. His eyes closed tight as if he were in pain.
“I carried your body.” The words were choked and his voice was hoarse.
“But I am here now,” she whispered, still holding her hand to his cheek.
He smelled of sweat and the sea as if he had not indulged in bathing for days. There was the making of a dark beard on him granting credence to her theory.
“How?” he whispered, his eyes finally opening to lock on hers.
“You.” She smiled and then nodded to where Sophie stood behind her. “And Sophie.” His brows furrowed as if he did not understand her.
“Remarkable,” came a voice she had only heard once before. She briefly glanced to where Maxon stood, staring at her with awe and what could only be described as scholarly interest. She returned her gaze to Kai whose pained eyes never looked away from hers. “We didn’t realize—I didn’t think it was possible. Three.”
Wren smiled at the man’s confused speech as he tried to process her presence. “I also had a little help from a god, if I am being honest.”
Kai’s hands came up to either side of her face and slowly ran down her arms.
She laughed. “I am real, Malaki,” She chided. A small smile finally appeared on his strained face before he pulled her against him, wrapping strong arms around her. She let herself melt into him, feeling grateful. Their relationship was still complicated, and after what Wesley had done to her, she knew it would be a barrier for them, but she would fight for what remained for them.
Chapter 40
Asitturnedout,rising from the dead caused one to have quite an appetite. Kai guided Wren down the steps to where they had come from and she noticed that he very rarely stopped touching her in some small way as if he were afraid she would disappear if he did. Sophie followed quickly behind them with Maxon in tow. They entered a small dining area where the smell of seafood greeted her eager stomach. Her appetite was momentarily forgotten when she spotted a tall woman with her bright red hair pulled back and a blue captain's uniform staring at her.
"So Lawrence has not lost his mind," she mused, a sarcastic expression bearing an otherwise beautiful face. Sophie was at Wren's other side in an instant linking her arm through hers. The captain merely nodded and said, "I suppose you have a story for us, Wren Blackwood."
Kai's hand on the small of her back tensed slightly. "She needs to eat, and she does not owe you any explanations, Captain Smollett."
She did not miss the command in his voice that he rarely wielded.
"As it were, she is now a very much alive passenger on my ship and I am loath to remind you, Your Highness, of the agreement we had about who carries the power on this ship." She said his title with mock sincerity, but her words were taut with authority.
Kai made a small irritated sound. "Very well, but you will allow her a few minutes of silence and time to eat."
Captain Smollett nodded her head slightly and gestured to the table filled with food. It was clear Wren's return to the living had interrupted their dinner. She ate the fresh fish placed in front of her greedily and drank three glasses of water before she finally looked up at the fiery-haired captain who studied her without restraint. Kai's reaction to the woman made her cautious in how much she wished to divulge in her presence.
There was something she needed to know and she knew it would hurt to say his name, but this was her reason for returning to the land of the living. "Where is Wesley?"
She heard the rage in Kai's breathing before she saw it, but it was Captain Smollett who answered. "On his way back to North Helm from what we gathered. We on the other hand are headed in the opposite direction towards Haradon." The captain's tone was matter of fact, but she could see her words angered Kai.
When Wren looked at him questioningly, still unsure of the dynamics in the room he growled out, "A mistake."
"Prince Malaki, I will not discuss with you further why it would be a mistake to engage a newly magically empowered man on the sea with a ship poorly prepared for battle. I believe I told you that should he succeed in his nefarious plot we would retreat."
Wren found that even though this woman clearly infuriated the prince next to her she liked her strong mind and business-like approach.
"I do not need reminding, Amelia." He glared at the other woman.
Captain Smollett, Amelia, merely looked at him and began eating the dinner in front of her.
