The responding voice was so quiet over the lap of the water, I doubted we’d heard one another. Still, I raised my arms, coaxingthe life in those bushes into a frenzy as I reached into them with my chaos magic.
It was enough. Slowly, then at the speed of a loping run, the roses grew into a briar, twisting together, rising higher and higher. The thorned bramble flattened into a bridge shape at my prompting, creating a path wide enough for one person to walk with relative ease.
The bridge shot forward, wavering until I was forced to anchor it into the bay, the salt hardening rather than destroying the vines. Buds formed on the sides of the bridge, black and blood red roses blooming in defiance of the salt spray.
The bridge shot towards the rail ofBlue Moon,wrapping the polished balustrade as the crew cried out in alarm. The quay turned into a wild, flowering bramble in the blink of an eye.
Chest heaving, I returned to the bench of the rowboat with a satisfied smile. “There’s one of my tricks,” I said to Jax.
“Remind me never to give you flowers,” he grumbled, as if he could not begrudge me the awe he was trying and failing to keep from his voice.
I glanced over my shoulder to find Marigold’s silhouette stooping as she hastily put on her shoes. The moment I saw her start to climb the briar bridge, I turned my attention back to the looming side ofBlue Moon.
“Take the other oars,” Jax ordered Safira, slowly easing himself from the bench toward me. “I don’t want Marigold getting to the ship before we do.”
Safira took her place wordlessly, guiding us the rest of the way to the ship in unison with Omar—but not before I ensured Marigold had made her way across.
Jax might not keep his promises, but as long as I was forced to travel with him, I would keep them for him.
Chapter fifteen
Jax
Icouldn’tsleep.Notonlybecause there was an unintended passenger on board—one who would sell out her lord for a few flimsy promises and some coin—but because something was bothering me.
And not my side, either. Sofie had indeed done a poor job of healing me, and returned to her bedding in a fluster when the wound wouldn’t close.
Strange. I would’ve thought someone like her would’ve been used to the sight of blood or an open wound. But I suppose if you used magic, you didn’t have to deal with such messiness.
Instead, Safira sang quietly to dull my pain while she stitched my side shut, Omar hovering and giving orders to Jovus for more boiled linens.
Cleaned and nicely stitched, I could no longer blame the wound for unsettling me.
I tried to tell myself it was all the excitement of the past night’s events, or the massive headache brewing along with the coming storm, or the fact that a rosy sunrise was turning the soft blue light of morning into a stormy crimson. Still, I could not sleep.
It was not lost on me that I was telling myself a lot of things of late, trying to convince myself the obvious was not true. Somewhere along our journey, I had begun to feel…differently about Sofie.
And that was the last thing I wanted. For while she was my best hope for safely recovering the treasure and breaking the curse, I had seen my hopes dashed so many times before.
And with it came the shattering of my heart. Not every time, of course. But this was how it started. First I saw my unfortunate bride in a different light, then began to respect her in a new way. And after that…
I couldn’t consider what came after that. It only led to heartache. Besides that, part of me believed that the sorceress who’d made the curse took extra delight in killing the brides I fell for.
A soft gasp escaped Sofie’s lips. I bolted from bed, fear gripping my heart and shortening my breaths. I was on my hands and knees at her bedside in a moment, shaking her roughly to wake her.
I couldn’t lose her in her sleep. That just wouldn’t be right. A mighty sorceress like her should die fighting.
Sofie’s eyes fluttered open. The moment they focused on me, confusion dented her pale brow. I couldn’t help myself. I reached out and smoothed away the line.
“I don’t have a fever,” she mumbled. I withdrew my hand quickly, hoping the red light peeking through the curtains wouldn’t reveal my embarrassment. “Why did you wake me?”
“You were restless. I thought something might be wrong.”
She pulled back her blanket. Sofie was in her drab traveling clothes again—almost a shame.
She had been so beautiful in that enchanted gown.
“I set the enchantment to expire two hours after dawn. Probably disturbed my sleep when it vanished.” She yawned loudly, not bothering to cover her mouth. “So youdoknow about the dreams.”
