“The feeling was mutual.” Eira gave them both a final squeeze as they released each other. Her eyes met Cullen’s.
He simply stood there with a slight smile. His gaze had gone soft, almost shining. The sunset haloed his hair in gold and outlined his shoulders, as though he were woven by the magic of Lightspinning. He stood as tall and strong as she remembered him, perhaps even stronger, given the swell of his muscles against his shirt, no doubt from his labors on the ship.
The world faded away. The sound of the vessels cutting through the water, propelled by wind, vanished. They were alone on the boat, him and her.
I love you; I’ve always loved you,his words echoed to her. The last thing he’d said before he took a blade for her. Those words had never received a response. So much still left unsaid surrounding them.
“It’s good to see you, Eira,” he murmured.
“And you.” Eira nodded, trying to keep her voice level and steady.We should talk, she wanted to say. But she couldn’t pull him away right now. Plus, she wanted time with her other friends, also. And there was nowhere that even resembled the privacy she’d want for a discussion with Cullen.
Eira followed Alyss and Noelle back to where they’d been sitting—where Ducot, Varren, and Lavette were still. Cullen was a step behind. Eira was painfully aware that he had yet to touch her. He returned to his former spot between Alyss and Noelle.
“I take the fact that you’re not all confined to the hold as a good sign.” Eira sat and pulled her knees up, wrapping her arms around them as she dripped dry.
“We’re permitted out of the hold and have been given freedom along the boat, for the most part,” Noelle said.
“So long as we’re ‘good,’” Varren added. He sounded like he hadn’t been taking the warning from the pirates as seriously as he potentially should have been.
“Not good enough to remove these.” Noelle lifted her wrist and turned to Ducot. “I’m glaring at you.”
“I can feel it,” Ducot assured her. “At least some of you could have it removed.”
“I couldn’t!” Noelle lowered her hand as a fist, tapping it into her thigh in frustration.
“Unfortunately, fire is not very useful on boats. The opposite. And you’re all still on thin ice with our queen.” Ducot shifted closer to her, draping his arm around her shoulders. It was good to see that they had remained on positive terms.
Eira smiled and Noelle rolled her eyes at her. Though a faint dusky blush was barely visible on the russet hue of her skin.
Eira turned to Alyss. “I’ve heard you were helpful to the crew.”
She nodded. “They seemed surprised I could manipulate ropes so well. I told them it wasn’t very hard.”
“For an expert like you, maybe.” Eira nudged her shoulder against Alyss’s.
“By the way, thank you.” Alyss lifted the journal they’d procured in the market from the deck at her side—the same journal that Eira had grabbed when she’d gone back to Warich with Ducot.
“I told them how you insisted on getting their things,” Ducot said.
Eira released tension she’d been holding between her ribs since Adela hadn’t solidly said one way or another what had happened with the rest of the contents of Eira’s bag. Yet another gesture of kindness from the pirate queen. Adela really wasn’t living up to her bloodthirsty and heartless reputation when it came to them.
“It wasn’t much to do,” Eira said.
“Having my family’s rubies is priceless.” Noelle reached over to squeeze Eira’s forearm.
“Sorry I couldn’t get anything of yours,” Eira said to Lavette and Varren. “If I’d had more time…”
Lavette shook her head. “We understand. And your teammates have been generous enough to share some of their clothes with us.” She pulled at the hem of the cloak she was wearing. Eira recognized it as Alyss’s.
“We’re all stuck here together, might as well make the most of it.” Alyss smiled.
“Speaking of stuck.” Cullen met Eira’s eyes once more, pinning her with an expectant stare. “How haveyoubeen?”
“I’ve been all right.” They didn’t need to know about her time in the other ship’s hold, or about the scraps and initial cruelty. “Adela hasn’t hurt me. In fact, she’s going to help me get my magic back.”
“That’s excellent!” Alyss clapped her hands.
“What does she want in return?” Lavette’s skepticism was understandable. She was far too astute not to ask.
