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Bernard wandered off. She stood by the door, unsure of what to do and not in the mood to sit anywhere at that long table. She moved to a corner, eyeing some trays laid out that were probably for the staff. Sapphire took a piece of chocolate and popped it in her mouth.
“Hey, Saph.”
The familiar voice had her turning and smiling.
“Miko! Hi. I haven’t seen you in a while.”
Miko was older than Jacques and younger than Bernard, a servant who spent most of his time outside the castle than in it, tending to the garden and mostly paroling the island. She was pretty sure he was a shifter if the way he swam was any indication, but like the rest of the staff, he didn’t divulge any details. Still, he was as friendly as Belly and always seemed pleased to see her—and he was more willing than most to drop formalities, which was always a plus.
“I was busy running errands for the master and had to leave home for a few days. I earned this and it’s going to scar quite nicely.”
The tall, muscled man showed off his equally muscled forearm, where a purple bruise was fading and a crescent line was visible.
“Where did you get it from?”
“The errands,” he said, expertly dodging her inquiry. She bit back a smile.
“Right. But Miko, scars aren’t nice. They’re worrying.”
“They’re badges of honor and an indication that I survived. We all wear our scars proudly.”
Unbidden, her gaze strayed back to the table, eyeing the scars on Klaus’s cheeks. He wore them openly but never bragged about them, and she wondered if that badge of honor thing was why he didn’t let them heal normally. Her fingers itched to soothe.
When he laughed at something Emerald said and made her laugh in turn, the itch was slapped down. A bitter feeling gushed in her belly and she scowled.
“What’s wrong, Saph?”
Sapphire looked away and found Miko hovering over her. She waved his worry away.
“Nothing. I was just thinking about home, and how much I miss it.”
“Oh. I bet you can’t wait to go back to your home.”
The odd thing was that she hadn’t thought about Broom’s Isle since she left—unless she worried about the council’s opinion over Silver, which was no longer a problem. Pearl and Ruby had confirmed via a magical missive that the council had been soothed and would leave Silver alone, which meant her interference was no longer needed. When she returned, she would be thrust back into her old, comfortable life: making potions, hiding her weakness, and tiptoeing around the villagers while they decided if they wanted to befriend her or continue ostracizing her. She would watch over her sisters and their family cottage, where she had grown up and been responsible all her life.
Sapphire frowned, not finding it as comfortable anymore. Was that how it had been, just her watching over others? Behaving under society’s gaze? Potions were a hobby for herself, but would she even delve into it if she was already as naturally powerful as her siblings?
“Yeah,” she said, rattled. To stop thinking about it, she refocused on Miko. “Has this always been your home?”
“No. My home was underwater, but it’s gone now. Every inch got destroyed. Burned, if you can believe that.”
Trepidation sank in.
“Klaus?”
Miko gave her a confounded look. He shook his head. “A dragon, but not him. Not from Oslo. This dragon wanted our most ancient relic and the clan leader’s wife and daughters, but my leader refused to give any of them away. I swam to escape until my energy gave out. I was washed ashore here. Bernard found me and took me in. The master gave me a role. He also tried to find survivors, but there were none.”
She heard the pain, however fleeting. She struggled over the idea of Klaus saving anyone, but her resistance to it was proving futile as time went on.
“Who was the dragon?”
Miko shrugged. “I don’t remember. To be honest, I try not to think about it too much and just focus on the now. I just know I’ve been warned to always keep my guard because if that dragon finds me here…”
“Oh.”
Klaus’s enemy?
“Anyway, forget about that. I talk too much when I’m around you,” he said sheepishly. “But now that we’re on the topic of home…Saph?”
