Thorne chuckled. “Habits are hard to break, I’m afraid.” Shuffling his feet, he glanced down at Mia, then at the table between us. He cleared his throat. “Are you…are you well?”
“Yes, very. Thank you,” I said. “And you?”
“Good. Yes, I’m—well, you know, as good as we can be.” He brandished a hand in the air. “With everything.”
I twisted my lips, shifting my gaze out to the approaching shoreline and back again. An uncomfortable silence wrapped around us as I ran my finger along the edge of the wooden table.
He stepped closer and lowered his voice. “Is this awkward for you too?”
I instantly let out a breath. “I thought it was just me.”
“It doesn’thaveto be like this.” He took another step toward me. “We were friends, yes? That doesn’t have to change.”
I nodded. “Yes. You’re right, we’re friends. Of course.” When I realized I was still nodding, I abruptly stopped. “I don’t even know if I’d go that far. You’re rather cocky, you know.”
His eyes sparkled back at me. “So I’ve been told. Alright, then. How about ‘allies’?”
“Perfect,” I said, voice breathless as he set his hand on the table next to mine. “Allies.”
I stared up at him, neither one of us willing to move. The air stretched taut between us, the rocking of the boat seeming to guide our limbs closer.
The captain called for the crew to prepare to anchor, snapping our attention back. Thorne took a step away. As he silently brushed by my side to leave, his little finger came out to curl around mine. A single heartbeat, and it was gone.
I closed my eyes and took in the sound of seagulls cawing overhead, the fresh air tinged with salt blowing through my hair and nostrils, and Mia’s soft fur rubbing against my legs.
Just one more regent family. This would all be over soon.
As the island’sshores were too shallow for the ship to dock at, we anchored out in the bay and took dinghy boats up to the sandy banks. The closer we got, the more vivid all the colors became. Bright pink and blue flowers dotted the leafy trees. Large, lush fruits hung from branches all across the shore—brown coconuts, orange mangoes, ripe bananas. Clouds like pillows hung over the very tops of the cliffs, opening to sloping green hills and crystal waterfalls.
A handful of men helped pull our little boats ashore, their feet splashing through the water as they hauled us in. Groups of islanders passed by with curious looks. Some waved and smiled at us, while others lingered with baskets or wheelbarrows before going off to their tasks. The pulse of island life washed over me as I sank into the white sands—the flapping of wings, rush of wind through trees, steady beat of feet on the earth. Mia tugged on her leash, eager to join them.
“Ah, Thorne, my friend! It’s good to see you!” a man with thick black locks hanging to his large waist called as he strode toward our line of boats. I looked to my left to see Thorne helping Marigold and his mother out of their dinghy, his tan face splitting into a grin when he saw the man.
“Daelan. Still getting up to trouble?” Thorne said by way of greeting as they clapped each other on the back.
“More so than you these days, I daresay,” Daelan remarked. “The last time I saw you, Iris was ready to pop.” His amber eyes fell to Marigold, who stood a few paces behind Thorne, holding a stuffed doll in her hand. “Is this…” He trailed off, eyes widening as he looked back at Thorne. “She looks just like her,” he said, his voice quieter.
A look passed between them, one that spoke of a deeper friendship. Thorne smiled softly and nodded, then turned to his daughter. “Marigold, I’d like you to meet Daelan Zeloria. He’s one of the regent lords of the Island Territory, just like I am back home.”
My lips parted.Thiswas the regent lord?
Daelan grimaced. “Please, Thorne. Do I look like alordto you?” At that, Marigold giggled, and Daelan got to his knees with a chuckle. The sand shifted beneath his hefty weight, his dark braids swinging and twirling with the colorful beads he wore around his neck over his exposed broad chest. “Hello there, Marigold. It’s nice to meet you.”
She gave him the most precious curtsy I’d ever seen, with her little blue dress skating the tips of the sand. “I like your necklace,” she said shyly.
“This old thing?” He fingered the red beads. “Here, you can have it, sweet girl,” he said, taking it off and draping it over her neck.
“Two minutes and you’re already wrapped around her finger. Pathetic,” Galen teased as he approached from our left. He looked stronger than he had in the early hours of the morning when I’d seen him.
Thorne scoffed. “You’re one to talk.”
“Oh, wait till Hector shows up. He’ll hand over the entire island to her,” Daelan countered, standing to give his king a bow before Galen patted him on the back.
“Who is Hector?” I blurted, and all eyes turned to me. I bit down on the inside of my cheek, feeling like I’d interrupted some private moment.
Daelan wiped his hands on his tan breeches, and sand flew off them with the movement. “Well, well, you must be theinfamous Veridian.” His eyes scanned mine, but it didn’t feel threatening. Merely curious. Observant.
“You can call me Clarissa.” Then I motioned to the dog dancing around our feet. “And this is Mia.” When I held out my hand, Daelan took it, a smile brightening across his dark features. His palm was callused, with gritty grains of sand rubbing against mine as he pulled away. A regent who wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty, it seemed.
