Kieran nodded.“Dunno—maybe.Lila didn’t know anything about the Hilt.Her only advice was to try to find the village witch.Apparently, she lives on the other side of the lake and hasn’t come to town since the lake started killing people.Everyone assumes she had something to do with it.”
“Any word on whether the village witch is dangerous?”Delilah asked.
Kieran shrugged.“Lila said she was much loved before the curse.Now no one gets close to her cottage.So…I guess we won’t know until we go.”
Delilah raised her eyebrows.“Is that your plan?To go see her?”
Kieran paused.Once again, leadership had been foisted upon him, and he very much didn’t enjoy it.He felt himself moving to ask Delilah her opinion, but really, wasn’t that exactly what Ash would expect him to do?Just go with the flow and hope someone else figured it out for him?
Kieran pursed his lips.If I want to get him back, I have to start taking control of my life.
Finally, Kieran nodded.“Yeah.First thing tomorrow, let’s allhead over there.If we’re going to find the Hilt, we have to figure out what’s going on with the lake first.And who knows, maybe she’s really nice outside of the whole cursing-lakes thing.”
Delilah and Briar exchanged a doubtful look, but neither tried to argue.Finally, they nodded.
Hopefully,Kieran thought,I’m not leading us into a trap.
Later that evening, after Delilah and Briar had gone to bed, Kieran headed to the upper deck and stared out across the airfield.
He sighed, leaning against the banister at the front of the ship.He looked out toward the Lake of Whispers with its teethlike rocky edges.At this time of night, it was little more than a shadow in the distance, taunting him.
Ever since his conversation with Delilah and Briar, he’d felt that he was on the verge of a panic attack.In his life, he’d made exactly one big decision on his own: stealing the aeroship from his father and running away from the Pelumbra estate to try to break his curse.The only way he’d managed it was because of sheer desperation: If he’d stayed, he’d be dead.
Since then, he’d been perfectly happy to let others take control.Leadership was something that simply did not mesh with his brain—he hated making mistakes, hated being seen as a failure.Pelumbras were raised to be perfect.They were strong, bold, capable leaders who valued logic over emotion.
So, in summary: everything Kieran wasn’t.
He let his forehead press against the tops of his forearms where he leaned on the banister.I have to be better.Stronger.Less likely to cry and throw up at the slightest inconvenience.
He lifted his eyes just enough to look up at the stars.At least it was a clear night, so his view wasn’t bad.The moon hung heavy above him, a waning gibbous.I’m so out of my depth.
“Needed some air?”
Kieran let out an inelegant shriek as he whipped around to find Sebastian standing behind him.He clapped a hand over his chest, trying to catch his breath.Sebastian just wordlessly looked at him, his expression even.
“You scared me,” Kieran said, trying to smooth his coat.Absently, his hand went to his hair to make sure none of his curls had decided to stick straight up.“Sorry, um—back already?Did you…have a nice time?”
Sebastian huffed out a small laugh.“I got what I needed.”
“From one of those sisters?”he blurted out.Thankfully, it came out sounding like pure curiosity instead of an accusation.Kieran was just so surprised—he hadn’t taken Sebastian for the type to have casual relationships with women at small-town pubs.
Sebastian nodded.“Yes, Lila.Nice girl.I suspect she’ll have quite a hangover tomorrow.”
Kieran’s nose wrinkled.“She did drink a lot.Likely too much to be sleeping with anyone, don’t you think?”
“I— What?No, no, I wasn’t talking about intimacy,” Sebastian said, dropping the word so casually that Kieran had to pause to process what he’d actually said.“I would never.”
“Wait, what were you talking about, then?”
Sebastian fluttered his fingers, but otherwise didn’t react.“I was asking her for more information about the lake.I thought it might help us tomorrow.”
Kieran immediately paled.“Oh.Oh, goodness, I’m so sorry—I shouldn’t have just assumed.I guess I noticed how you seemed to have a connection and thought—”
“It’s okay, really.”Sebastian held up a hand to stop him.“You’re just trying to look out for people.It’s a commendable trait.”While Kieran groaned and let his head fall back to the banister, Sebastian added, “I’m glad my performance was convincing, though.”
“Performance?”Kieran lifted his head just a bit.“You mean…you weren’t attracted to her?But—you seemed so…”
“Earnest?Charming?”Sebastian shrugged.“I try, even if it doesn’t come naturally.”
