I spotted Tyler ahead with a few younger students from Combat 101. He met my gaze and dragged a finger across his throat.
“What is your problem, Tyler?” Benedict demanded.
Tyler ignored him, his gaze never leaving mine. “I hope Tamina makes your brain bleed, bitch.” He shoved his way toward the front of the line despite several protests.
He must know what had happened to his older sister, but the Damascuses were prohibited from speaking of my involvement. My father’s sacrifice had seen to that. Legally, the case was closed, and the culprit had been punished.
Icouldspeak of it, though, if I wanted to. Although I’d told Drayven the truth, I didn’t want to tell the Unwoven. Not yet, and maybe never.
We shuffled forward a couple of steps, and as if my thoughts had provoked it, Dori asked, “Is there something you’re not telling us? About you and Sterling? It’s just, the way he acted with you today…it felt a little too…personal.”
“There’s a lot I’m not telling you. We’re just not there yet.” They’d just have to speculate for now.
She nodded. “I can respect your candor. You’ll tell us someday, right?”
I looked her in the eye and lied. “Of course.”
Telling Drayven had felt natural. Maybe because he knew the kind of person Sterling was and had his own history with the Phage. But I wasn’t sure if I’d ever feel comfortable telling the Unwoven.
The boat that had just arrived filled up, and we’d reached the end of the dock, now first in line for the next ride, as the current boat pushed off back to sea, taking Tyler with it.
“The other boat is almost back,” Clary said.
“And there’s still a line behind us,” Dori muttered. “Entertainment is slim in Nightsbridge.”
Entertainment. She meant me. At least for tonight.
That was fine. They wanted a show, I’d make sure they got one, while humiliating Tamina in the process.
It would be a win-win.
I hoped.
* * *
Coral Isle earnedits name from the coral reef that surrounded the whole isle. It was a place for the land folk and seafolk to mingle. The tower here, once belonging to the Blackthornes, now served as a base for the Ocean Guard. But the main attraction was a place called the Devil Fish.
The Unwoven had filled me in on the details, and mentally replaying them on the boat ride helped me ignore the whispers and pointed looks from other passengers.
Thankfully, the boat had an engine, so it didn’t take long to reach the floating dock connected to the isle.
The sea on either side glowed pink and purple from the algae growing on the coral beneath the waves. I’d never seen anything so ethereal and beautiful, but the stunning sight did nothing to stem the tremor of anxiety building in my belly. Now that we were here, the enormity of what I was about to do hit me. I wasn’t worried about going up against Tamina. I was confident in combat, and I didn’t fear getting hurt. The factor that put me on edge was the thought of fighting for an audience. Being the center of attention wasn’t something I enjoyed.
Benedict offered me a hand to help me disembark, his gaze probing.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Fine. Just want to get this over with.”
He nodded. “Okay, we’ll forgo the tour and get you straight to the Devil Fish.”
The dock bobbed beneath our steps as we made our way across and onto the beach. We climbed a flight of steps that took us to a winding path that led to the center of the island.
Posts strung with flickering lanterns bordered a lively market square, dotted with stalls selling everything from shells and trinkets to gorgeously woven silk fabrics. Students milled about, browsing and chatting with vendors who had brightly colored hair spanning every color of the rainbow, hues shifting and shimmering in the lantern light. Their large, dark eyes and pale, poreless skin gave them an otherworldly air.
“Sea silk,” Clary said, noticing me eyeing a turquoise scarf. “It’s super resilient, and the dyes come from tiny flowers that bloom among the coral. I think they’re called poppysalts.”
The smell of smoked fish and barbecue drifted on the breeze, reminding me I’d missed supper, and my stomach growled in response.
