“Can I?” Algar asks, trailing after him, limping.
“It’d be nice if you ask me what I want,” I interject.
But there’s no need for me to bother because Thane lifts a hand and flicks his wrist. The smile slips from Algar’s face as he loses his footing and lands on his side with a heavy thud. Zephra flies up, flapping her wings before she hits the ground. As she stares down at him, I swear the noise she makes is similar to a laugh.
“Must mean you want her, then.” Algar grunts, propping himself up on his elbows with the biggest shit-eating grin I’ve ever seen. My lips twist as I hold back a smile.
I watch as Algar struggles to stand. “Here, let me help you.” I grab his hand, and he rises, but not without hobbling to his left a bit.
“How sweet. I didn’t catch your name, princess,” he says, dusting himself off.
“I’m Zaira.”
“Zaira. Gorgeous name. Tell me, Zaira, what in Xaimur’s hells are you doing withthisxerven?” He jerks a thumb at Thane, who is approaching Pearl. I can’t help laughing at that remark.
“He’s, um…assisting me. On an important journey.”
“One that doesn’t concern you,” Thane tosses in. “Quinlocke, let’s go. The sooner we move, the better.”
As Thane ties our packs to Pearl’s saddle, Algar staggers toward him. “A journey where?” he asks, ignoring Thane’s impoliteness.
Thane shoots me a look of warning before focusing on Algar again.
“Elphar,” I answer.
Algar’s eyebrows dip as he looks between us. “The temple? InThe Shallows?”
“Yep,” I confirm. “That one.”
Algar stares at me incredulously, as if waiting for me to say something else. When I don’t, he limps toward Thane. “Have you lost your rocks or what? There’s no way you’re making it to Elphar.”
Thane unties and guides Pearl away from the tree. “Please indulge me as to why I can’t.”
“I can give you a million reasons, but a major one is that you’ll get killed before you can ever set foot on that bloody island.”
“Wait.” I frown, and Algar turns back, his plaits flying over his shoulder. “What island? What are you talking about?”
“Oh. Do you not know, princess? The Shallows separated from the mainlands four years ago. Some of the maps still show it connected to Thelanor, but it isn’t anymore, and if you ask me, that’s a good thing.”
“Oh,” I mumble, defeat settling in my gut.
“Most people who go there die.Literally,” Algar says.
“There’s something there that we need,” Thane informs him. “Doesn’t matter what you say, you can’t convince us to not go.”
There’s a long pause.
I put my attention on Algar, whose eyes lower to the ground, as if he’s thinking something through. Then he looks up and says, “Fine. I won’t try to stop you. But Iamcoming with you.” Algar puffs his chest. To enhance the theatrics, Zephra lands on his shoulder, and her pastel fur catches the sunlight as her ears twitch.
Thane looks his friend up and down as he pulls on a pair of gauntlets. “No, you’re not. You’ll only slow us down.”
“I beg your finest pardon? Just because I have a limp doesn’t mean I’m slow. You know what I can do.” In a flash, Algar disappears from my side just to appear again on the other side of Pearl.
I gasp when he waves at me.
“You can teleport,” I breathe.
Thane provides the slowest eye roll ever.
