The cases of wine were stacked to conceal the contents, and then the crate was closed.
Nova trembled in my arms, and I moved her to a cot. We both sat, waiting for the magic to lift us off the ground and carry us off to our future.
Then I heard it, the low hum of an old folk song, just outside the crate. I smiled.
EIGHTEEN
FAOLAN
It was excruciating between us. I'd been an arse when she tried to talk to me before we left. I was trying to keep my distance, but all I did was seem rude and made her feel bad for approaching me. Now we were stuck together, and it was frankly painful.
We'd loaded the crates onto the boat and settled into the hold. They had rustled us up four hammocks, so there was that. But even in the privacy of my own hammock at night, I would not be able to escape the fact that I was swinging just inches from where she lay on the other side of some thin wood.
Why did I think we could do this?
I was going to drive myself fucking mad with all this time in my mind.
I was sick over what Alaric said about his brother, but I’d already known it to be true. One didn’t exist in the Twelve Kingdoms without hearing about the heir. He was the topic of much gossip, and things were so much worse than I’d even told them. They thought it was a death sentence that she was just my ryder.
Kol was still humming as I set about stringing up the hammocks and arranging things as best as I could in the tightspace. It was both sweet and irritating. I knew he was trying to soothe the princess while she had to remain contained, but Goddess, I just wanted to rip into something or someone to release the frustration I was carrying. It could not be Kol, I told myself. Then who? Nyx? Probably unwise. As if I wouldn’t be on the King's bad side already, I didn’t need to injure the general.
Instead, I headed back out to the deck to see if I could help with casting off. The crew appreciated my experience on ships and allowed me to take up some of the work. Anything to get this ship moving. Now that we were aboard, it felt even smaller than I feared, and I already wanted off. But it was ideal to get us away from this port and into safer lands. Who would suspect such an insignificant vessel of having any important cargo?
“Is there anything else I can assist with? I asked the small crew after helping release the dock lines.
“Ah, another strong male to help with the sails,” said the aged captain. “The Goddess has blessed us! You can assist your friend in hoisting if you will.”
“Gladly,” I said and found Nyx puzzling over ropes and rigging.
“Need some help?” I chuckled.
Nyx looked up and breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank the Goddess, someone who knows what they're doing.”
“I have my uses,” I said, taking over the chore before he tangled us into a ball that would require a blade and set back our departure.
“You were very useful during the attack,” he said meaningfully. “I don’t think I thanked you for coming back.”
I shrugged.
“You didn’t have a choice, did you?”
“There is always a choice,” I bit out, annoyed by his knowing look.
“Is it really a choice if the alternative is worse than death?”
“I won’t let it be that. I came back to ensure she is safely delivered to her heir, then I will fly off into the sunset and make peace with it.”
“Okay…” Nyx shook his head. “And how will you deal with her knowing you left her despite what she is to you?”
I faced him fully. “No one will tell her,” I said menacingly. “I’ll ask you to make certain of that in return for my assistance as guard.”
Nyx scoffed. “She won’t need to be told once that bond fully kicks in.”
“It’s not going to. I will keep my distance, and it won’t have a chance to develop. Just make sure no one tells her a damn thing, and it will be fine.”
He held up his hands in defeat at my harsh words.
Once the boat was in motion, Nyx informed the captain that we would be taking shifts guarding the wine. The captain looked insulted, but Nyx assured him that it was necessary because sun wine must stay at a particular temperature constantly to maintain its superior quality, and our magic was needed in the hold at all times to sustain it. I wasn’t sure where Nyx conjured this stuff up from at times, but he didn’t miss a beat, and the captain looked suitably satisfied. I was kind of in awe.
