Clearly, she doesn’t. Clearly, she thinks Izolda told Aodhan through their mind link to come and collect her. Although, I could be wrong.
“Is Lach still sleeping?” Naeva asks Elio once Ksenia has departed.
“He got back to the room two hours ago, reeking of perfume. Apparently, he and Ilya had a late night.” As though recalling Izolda’s desire for everyone to be in Voshna at four sharp, Elio reassures her that he tasked one of the staff to wake Lachlano so that he doesn’t miss the second Voshna-bound galleon.
Izolda muscles a smile onto her lips that doesn’t reach her eyes.
“Thank you,” she says softly. And then she stands. “Rendezvous on the esplanade in an hour, all right?”
I hate how thick her voice has become.
“We’ll be there!” Elio says with great enthusiasm.
Though she takes Aodhan’s hand, I don’t miss how her fingers tremble before she manages to spear them through his.
“Did your parents already have breakfast?” Elio asks me.
“Yes,” Taytah answers, her ebony stare coming to rest on me. “They had to head home.”
I’m not certain what ploy my mother used to get my father to leave, but I’m impressed she succeeded. Then again, it’s my mother, one of the most resourceful women I know.
“Did Dádhi leave as well?” Naeva asks.
“No.” Taytah still doesn’t look away from me. “He’ll be staying until the final event.”
Does she mean the gala or the murder of Alyona Korol?
When we climbonto the galleon an hour later, I’m almost surprised to find Konstantin by the railing with Aodhan, discussing something that appears serious.
The temptation to make myself invisible grips me with such ferocity that I lift my finger to my earring. But my grandfather arrives then, dropping one heavy arm around my shoulders and the other around Naeva’s.
Where I startle, Naeva grins and nips his jaw with a quick kiss.
“Guess what,Behach Batee?” He’s never pronounced the two words he plucked from two different tongues to create a name especially for me—Little Daughter—quite so forcibly.
“What,Jaytair?” I ask, using the name I composed for him out of Crow and Shabbin.
“I turned down the factory visit to spend myentireday with the two of you.”
Surprise, surprise.“I wasn’t aware you enjoyed shopping as fervently as Phoeppa.”
Naeva grins, aware, like I am, that her father isn’t joining us for the shopping.
“I cannot wait to see you model one of the cashmere onesies he’s unveiling today,” I add with a twinkle in my eye that grows brighter when his cheekbones color.
“Where’s Amma?” Naeva scans the deck that’s relatively uncrowded.
I’m guessing most guests had a late night and will board the next ferry.
“She’s touring the factory with Eponine. She’ll meet us later in the old town.”
“Isles, Naev!” Elio waves excitedly. “Come see!”
Sybille and Mattia’s son may have a few months on me, nevertheless he acts years’ younger, partly because he marvels at everything and partly because of his devastating timidity.
“No swimming!” Jaytair yells as Naeva and I cross the deck toward Elio.
Naeva gives her father a thumb’s up, then hooks my arm. When we’re halfway across the deck, she asks, “Do you think we’ll be like our parents someday?”
