His heart skipped a beat, and he forgot to breathe as that realization hit like a sucker punch to the solar plexus. It wasn’t the right time to bring it up; it would be far too distracting. But he damn well would, when he returned.
A trip to Selwas suddenly wasn’t sounding so horrific. He could pick up his mother’s ring and speak with his sister, all while fulfilling his mission. It would take some cajoling, sure, but Solaelia would accept the earldom, he was sure of it.Thenhe could return to Domos and propose to his fucking queen—his perfect, delightful, strong, brave, beautiful George.
“Are you all right?”
He blinked. “Of course, why?”
“You’re looking at me so strangely.”
“I was just thinking about how much I love you.” He pecked her on the forehead and wrapped her in a tight embrace as he tried to plan for his plan. “Georgie, I can’t forget you. Ican’t.”
“You won’t. It’s temporary.”
His heart raced. She didn’t understand. Hecouldn’tforget her. If he did, he’d forget his personal mission. Reaching for reasons, he blurted another truth, a plea, “What about the feelings? Where will they go? I don’t want to lose them. I don’t want them plaguing me, untethered—a love I can’t place. Please, Georgie. I can’t do it.”
Her dark eyes glossed over as he peered into them, and he saw the moment she changed her mind, the inner corners of hereyes flexing then relaxing. “All right,” she whispered, pressing another kiss to his lips. “You can remember loving someone in Nowosmont—a woman you want to get back to. You just can’t know it’s me.”
“I’ll be in love with a ghost.”
“Temporarily,” she said firmly. “The moment you’re back, we’ll fix it.”
“We have to go,” Wynnie called through the door. “If we miss the first run to Nowosmont, the whole plan goes out the window.”
George swallowed loudly and nodded softly. They shared one final kiss, then left the room.
“Whatshouldwehaveforprandium?” Wynnie asked, wriggling her fingers in Isahn’s shaggy hair.
“Honestly, I wouldn’t mind fish. Oysters, maybe, if you have them? I’m getting sick of meat,” Dunstan answered from the opposite side, where he had his long arm slung around Isahn’s back to rest on Wynnie’s shoulder.
Isahn was certainly secure between the two of them.
Though they discussed the mundane, the trio gave off a decidedly suggestive air with their body language. Isahn, miraged by Wynnie to appear as an aide, couldn’t join their titillating conversation. He couldn’t speak at all without a sound mage present to disguise his accent. So, he let Wynnie and Dunstan hash out the details ofprandiumwhile he observed the few early morning passengers aboard theactuaria.
A boy with his mother, or maybe she was a caregiver, stood opposite their small group. They stared out at the lake, the child pointing animatedly at Hepikoru as it grew distant. At the bow,a weathered middle-aged man, likely a legionary who’d aged far swifter than the years he’d lived, looked around through tired eyes before turning to face the waves. Those were all the passengers on the first ferry of the day, and Isahn couldn’t say he was particularly surprised. The sun was barely up.
“Let’s turn toward the water now, my lovelies.” Wynnie raised her voice on the endearment as she trailed a finger down Isahn’s chest and around to grip his bum. “Sorry,” she whispered.
With her hand on his arse and Dunstan’s on his upper back, Isahn was spun to face the lake. He’d have turned voluntarily, but understood they needed to put on a show. Wynnie’s warm palm, discreetly housing the cold token, came to rest upon his forearm. He was relieved she was done fondling his rear.
“Try to look more nervous, like you’re about to lose all of your memories, and be less perturbed by Wynnie.” Dunstan’s voice was a hush, nearly swallowed by the rushing of water against the hull of the boat.
That shouldn’t be difficult, he wanted to say. Instead, he watched the older fellow push off the railing and saunter toward their trio as they entered the misty realm of the veil. The strange fog billowed around them, encompassing the smallactuaria. Soon they’d be through, with Hepikoru gone and a bloody mountain standing in its place. It wasn’t difficult to look “more nervous,” he’d be having his memory wiped, voluntarily.Temporarily, Isahn tacked on to soften the blow.
He stared into the fog, searching for the fathomless water below.
Dunstan’s large palm and his token slapped down on Isahn’s right arm before Wynnie lifted her hand away. The action would hopefully appear innocuous to any onlooker, ideally conveying that there was no coin on his person, he was merely an aide about to lose all knowledge of Hepikoru.
The middle-aged likely-legionary continued past them, heading for the stern. The veil pushed its strange, oppressive silence out over the ship, and Isahn could hear the footsteps of the mother and son as they wandered around the perimeter of the deck, hugging the railing. The boat was almost to the other side. The fog would soon lift, he’d feel a tug on his gut, and the sounds of nature would return, like when he went in.
Wynnie and Dunstan did another token swap: Dunstan shifted over a step, breaking contact with him to lean his forearms against the railing while Wynnie gave Isahn’s arm a faint squeeze. The coin pressed into his skin beneath her palm as the world began to lighten slightly and sunlight crept through the magical haze.
“Almost th—”
Dunstan was cut off by the woman in the mother-son duo bumping him on the backside as she walked past.
“Sorry,” she muttered gruffly.
At his mother’s back, the child was thrown off kilter and reached out for support, grabbing hold of Isahn’s tunic. He yanked with far more force than a child should possess, and Isahn was pulled from the railing, flailing free of Wynnie’s grip.
