“Oh there’s nothing personal,” I quickly said, but my voice cracked as I rushed to place the rest of my baked goods on her table.
“If he weren’t still married to that Moanalei queen, I’d say you two should court,” Noni said, and I gave her a look.
“No, no, no. I’mnotlooking for any kind of relationship.”
I didn’t want to say, “He’s royalty, and I’m a commoner…” because then I’d be lying. Sure, I hid a lot about my past, but I certainly was not a liar.
“Why not? You match! I won’t pretend I haven’t noticed your strange ways, Malia. But not in a witchy way. You walk and act like a princess.” She laughed, then added, “You speak as refined as a princess!”
I paled. Had she figured it out?
But Noni was too busy talking. “And besides your unusually refined way of speaking for anherb witch, you’re… how old now? Twenty two? Time to find a man and settle down. Besides, you made him laugh! I don’t think I’ve seen the prince laugh or smile since he came back.” Noni placed her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow. I blushed.
“It’s truly nothing like that, Noni. He and I… we just…” I let out a breath, unable to explain myself.
Noni then motioned around us. “Fine, but there are whalers all around here–handsome ones! Why don’t you find yourself a catch?” She winked.
“Noni.” I rolled my eyes, and she laughed. But her words about the prince made my heart ache even more for him. If only people understood what he’d gone through–what I’d gone through.
“Whalers arenotfor me.” I shook my head. “I would never fall for a whaler. Besides, I’m perfectly fine hiding out at my cottage.” I quickly added, “Alone.”
Noni studied me. Her expression softened. “You can’t hide forever, Malia.”
A lump formed in my throat. What did Noni know about hiding? Her life had never been at risk, and she hadn’t made the awfulmistakes that I’d made…
When I didn’t reply, Noni took a small breath then arranged the banana loaves and ginger snaps on her table. After a moment, she gazed at me, a softer look spreading onher face. “You should bake more goods for the farmer’s market tomorrow, and if it continues to go well, we should keep doing this at every market.”
Warmth filled me, something I hadn’t felt in a while. “Alright, that’s a great idea.” I loved baking. The prince had bought my goods. Noni was sure they would continue to sell. Their confidence in me filled me with a sense of purpose.
“I’ll bake tonight and bring more in the morning,” I said, and Noni nodded.
“Sounds great. You'd better hurry home though. Storm is rolling in.”
I looked at the skies and, indeed, a storm seemed to approach, the clouds gray and heavy. Hopefully, there were no ships out in that weather.
I thanked Noni for selling my baked goods, kissed her cheek goodbye, then made my way out of the busy Halekai port town. I veered off the path and traversed deep into the woods, glad for the sunlight so I could find my way. The sound of people chattering and the hustle of the town disappeared, replaced by the hum of the waves on the shore, and the rustling of the leaves in the coconut fronds above.
A cool breeze blew through the woods. Corallure was a tropical island, yes, but it was quite cool and rainy most of the year. It was cool enough that on some nights, one could see their breath in the air. I loved it, but secretly missed the warmth of Moanalei.
When I reached my cottage, I let out a breath of relief. The sun set on the ocean horizon, and a smile crossed my face. A whale breached in the distance, a reminder of hope.
A promise.
But a rumbling of thunder filled thesky and squashed that hope. I pulled out my ingredients for a late night baking session, knowing that the smell would probably fill the air.
But it’s alright,I told myself, always cautious of not drawing attention to myself.Nobody is out at this hour.It was just me. All alone. Hiding.
Because, unlike Noni suggested earlier, I was sure Icouldhide forever.
CHAPTER THREE
ALARIC
“All hands on deck!” Destin bellowed over the rumble of thunder.
I stood at the helm, one hand on the wheel, eyes locked on the storm swelling ahead. It didn’t look terrible… yet. But I’d weathered too many tempests to trust a quiet sky or calm waters.
The sea turned without warning. And when she turned, she didn’t care who crossed her path.
