“She’s a girl. She won’t get caught.”
“What sort of dumbass assumption is that?”
Mattia’s hand falls from his hair and settles at his side.
“You really think Dargento would hesitate for a second to punish a female, Mattia? Not to mention that Sybille is Fallon’s best friend. All of Luce knows it. She’ll be thefirstperson he’ll look at. Which is why Syb won’t be on this boat. You and Riccio, either.” Antoni’s blue eyes finally settle on mine, full of shadows that have nothing to do with the ambient light. “I’ll take her across.”
I want to protest, but what other option do I have?
“We’ll leave at dusk tonight.”
My heart bangs. “I need to leave now,” I whisper.
“You just told me the king won’t act upon Dargento’s idea until he returns.”
“I know but—but I cannot go home. I got in a fight with Nonna about seeking out her mother-in-law.” Oh, how the lies roll off my tongue, ringing with such truths I may start to believe them.
“You can stay with me,” Sybille offers. “Besides, you could do with some sleep.”
I have no doubt I look as frazzled as I feel.
She slides her hand through the crook of my arm. “So we meet here at nightfall?”
“Nowe. Just Fallon. And ask Giana to prepare her for transport. She’ll know what to do.”
Gods, what sort of illicit operations are these two running in Rax?
Syb opens the door.
Before she can tug me out, Antoni nods at me. “I want a minute with Fallon.” When neither Mattia nor Sybille make any move to leave, he adds, “Alone.”
I nibble on my lower lip, expecting he’s about to ask me to grovel or to apologize for falling back into Dante’s arms a heartbeat after I left his, since I imagine he knows. After all, I kissed the prince under the scalding sun for all of Luce to see.
Once the door shuts behind the two others, he asks, “If you really think your great-grandmother can help, I’ll take you straight to Tarespagia.”
I lick my lower lip. “That’s days at sea. Even if you hid me, it’ll be too much of a risk.”
“You can’t honestly be planning to walk all the way there?”
“I’m going to get a horse.”
“It’ll still take you over a week to reach the other side of the mainland.”
“I’m aware.”
“But you’d prefer that to a few days on my boat?” There’s a tinge of hurt in his tone, and I’m not sure what it’s about until he says, “If you’re worried I’m going to ask you to put out, I won’t.”
“I know you’d never take advantage of me, Antoni.”
“So why won’t you take me up on my offer?”
“Because I won’t. I can’t. Insisting won’t alter my answer.”
“I’m not scared of the commander.”
I remember the feeling I got when we’d attended the party, of the familiarity between my four fellow outcasts and the humans. Now it all makes sense. “I imagine as much, considering your Racoccin activities.”Whatever they may be . . .
The air leaving our lungs and the waves lapping at the hull become the only sound in the cabin for an interminable stretch of time.
