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“It’s time to wake up now, my lady,” Farah said with a flash of ire.
That’s right, I thought. We had to be up early this morning. We were leaving for Odessia.
I scrambled out of the bed and looked around. Judging by the light, it was mid-morning. How long had I slept? “What time is—”
“It’s late. Breakfast is over. I packed while you kept on sleeping,” she bit out, her arms crossed.
“Oh gods, I’m sorry.” I bit my lip to keep from laughing at her expression. For someone so young, she could rival any old woman with that grumpiness of hers.
She gave me a droll stare. “Get dressed. You’ll have to forgo the bath. There’s a plate of food on the vanity. You’ll eat while I do something with that white nest of yours.”
This time I did laugh.
Once dressed, combed, and fed, I kissed her cheek. “I’ll miss you, you spitfire.”
Her eyes softened. “I guess I’ll miss you too, my lady. You be careful and try not to get yourself killed. Or worse.”
“What’s worse than getting killed?” I asked, amused.
“There are no limits on worst case scenarios.” She looked at me sagely. “Now, hurry. The Chieftain is waiting downstairs.” And with that, she helped me into my cloak, then pushed me out the door. I hurriedly went down the hall and to the landing.
Lucius stood at the foot of the stairs and smiled up at me. “Come on, sweet lady. We need to head out.”
My boots thumped down the stairs, and I greeted him with a kiss. “Sorry I slept so late. Is Ander ready?”
“He is. He’s on the ship already.” He looked me over, took a deep breath, and grabbed my hand. “Are you ready? For this new adventure, I mean. I know it’s something you didn’t plan, but we’ll return, I promise. Just not for a while.” The way he was looking at me, unsure and eager, made my heart flutter. His concern always came out of nowhere. There was still so much I had to learn about him.
“Where you go, I go, Lucius,” I told him sincerely.
Those silver eyes danced, almost darkening with a trace of lust, and judging by his scent, that trace was confirmed.
“I like that.” He touched my cheek. “Finally, I’ll have you all to myself, no interruptions.” He kissed my forehead. “Let’s go board the Freedom, my queen.”
For an instant I froze. Just a terrible coincidence, him saying that, I thought. I swallowed down the unease as we made our way out of the manor and headed to the docks.
The wintry wind beat at my cheeks. I thought over all that had happened between now and the last time I had set foot on the Freedom. At that time, I had no idea what lay ahead. I’d been in love with two very different men, men who I’d been so afraid of committing myself to. I had been fully prepared to take tonics for the rest of my life if it meant that I would have a chance at living as a free woman, choosing who my heart and body wanted, not letting the Omega in me choose for me. And of course, seeing my first glance of this untamed land of fog and verdant forest had been like staring into the void—unknown and much too deep to trust falling blindingly into.
And now? It turned out that Ordelpho was a home my soul never knew it wanted. I would truly miss it.
Yes, I was still in love with Demos and Fadon, and I still wanted the freedom of choice. But the biggest change of all, I thought as my boots clapped across the deck of the Freedom, was the man beside me, who held my hand, and what he’d come to mean to me. A wild man from a wild land. A man my body knew like my own. A man whose past I knew nothing about.
So my mission on this journey was to get to know Lucius better. No longer would I have to worry about heats or claimings or potential mates. It was finally going to be a voyage I could enjoy.
The deck was crowded with people. I searched the many faces and spotted Neil and Ander. With a squeeze, I let Lucius know I’d catch up with him later before relinquishing his hand. I walked over to the lovers, feeling tears already threatening to fall from my eyes.
Neil took one look at my face and pulled me into a hug.
“Oh gods, I’m going to miss you,” I said, hugging him tightly. He smelled like mint and fresh grass, and I buried my face into his shoulder. I’d never in a million years thought Cornelius would be considered one of my best friends. That was exactly what he was. How funny life was.
“Ah, sweetheart. The time will pass quickly, I imagine.” He hugged me back just as hard until he grabbed my hands and pulled away so he could meet my eyes. “I will miss you, too, my lady. My mornings will never be the same.”
“Ha!” I laughed and cried at the same time. “You hate lugging me around everywhere, Neil. Now you’ll be able to get more work done without me asking you fifty-thousand questions.”
His rosy cheeks lifted as he grinned. “Nonsense. I love being told I’m an old boot when it comes to ingenuity.” He kissed my cheek. “I wish you joy, my dear. You deserve it.”
“And you do as well. I promise to return Ander to you as soon as we get to Odessia.”
We all said our final goodbyes—Ander touching Neil’s cheek in a very heated moment that left me embarrassed at the raw emotion between them—and then, with a smaller sendoff below, drums beating, horn calling, the anchor was drawn up and we set off, leaving the harbor and heading south.
