The anticipation of heading to Rax has plugged in all the little holes inside my chest. Not only do I want to let loose and shed my melancholy, but I also want to meet Bronwen.
Antoni watches me through low-slung eyebrows. “You’re not at the revel, Fallon?”
“I’m a Rossi, remember?” I bite the inside of my cheek, not hard enough to draw blood, but hard enough for it to sting so it distracts me from the pain prickling my chest anew. “Our status is rather dismal these days.”
He still doesn’t shift aside to let me onto his boat.
“I’ll pay.” I plunge a hand into the pocket of my skirt.
“Fallon, please.” He clasps my forearm. “Your money’s no good on my boat.”
I suck in a breath and take a step back. “I understand. I—”
“You’ve understood something but clearly not what I was saying.” He holds out his palm.
I frown at it, then at him.
“I’d never take money from you, Fallon.” He says this so gently that his tone alone calms my stuttering heart. “Rossi women are always welcome aboard my boat.”
Swallowing, I place my hand atop his and allow him to lower me inside. As I settle by the bow, he unwinds the lines, and I catch hints of flexing biceps beneath a loose navy shirt that’s fresh off a laundry rack.
Although I don’t think he’d mind my perusal, I cast my gaze on the soldier barracks that are quiet tonight, most military personnel having been summoned to the palace to assist the royal guard. Still, a few uniformed men prowl the slender isle that fences off Rax from Tarelexo.
I’m glad for the darkness but do ponder how we’ll pass through the checkpoint. “I don’t have a pass.”
Antoni hops in beside me, leaving his friends to row.
“You don’t need one on my vessel.”
“How come?”
“I don’t only peddle fish.” I’m not sure what he means by this, and it must show on my face because he adds, “Secrets, Fallon.” He winks, while I wonder what sort of secrets he keeps and trades. “They make for wonderful currency.”
“So, they won’t even stop us?”
“No.”
Wisps of briny air quarrel with his locks. He presses them away, a smile growing on his chiseled face, deepening the cleft in his square chin. “I can’t believe Fallon Rossi is standing on my boat, headed into the swamplands.”
I return his grin, harnessing the strands of my own hair back.
“And eager about it. Did a sprite tinkle in your coffee this morning?”
I wrinkle my nose. “Yuck. Why would you even say that?”
“Their urine’s reputed to make Fae behave . . .wildly.”
“First off, that’s disgusting.” Albeit informative. How has Phoebus, who grew up with sprites waiting on him, not informed me of this? “Secondly, I brewed my own pot and own no sprite.”
A blue serpent emerges from underneath the boat, its ivory horn slicked in moonlight. It pays us no mind, merely swims away, causing Giana to release a muted shriek and wavelets to crash against the side of the boat. My footing falters.
Antoni snaps his arm around my waist as I slam into his side. “Let’s keep the swimming for the afterparty.”
I crane my neck to look up into his face. “Swimming? You swim?”
“My elementiswater.”
“True, but no one’s element is mareserpens.”
