“Bet you could, Del,” I say. “As long as you promise to come back and relay all the tales of your adventures to your poor, boring brother.”
“I don’t think your life will ever be boring, Day.”
I knock her lightly on the chin. “Not if I can help it.”
Delphia’s gaze flits across the ship to where Farron and Nori are curled together under a tartan blanket, looking at the young princess’s notebook. “Adventuring wouldn’t be that much fun on my own, though.”
“I happen to believe those Autumn royals aren’t too bad for company.”
Color darkens her cheeks, and she swipes a glare at me. “Nori knows a lot about plants. I would have eaten, like, twelve poisonous things already if she weren’t around.”
“Well, we wouldn’t want that.” I laugh, pulling her to my side.
She settles against me, and I reach around her to pet the Pegasus.
“You know,” Delphia says after a while, “they’d say our plan tomorrow is crazy.”
I don’t need her to tell me who they are. Mother, our fathers, Damocles, and Decimus.
“They’d never approve of it,” I agree.
“But I think,” she whispers, “they’d be proud of us.”
My gaze shifts over the edge of the ship, to Hadria far below, washed in the light of the setting sun. “I think so too, Del, and tomorrow, when we save our people, we will feel their blades beside us.”
CHAPTER 105
Rosalina
Icreak open the door to the captain’s quarters to find Dayton. He stands by the bed, looking around the room. Though it’s made of dark wood and metal forgings, the bedsheets black, with only the dim glow lamps to light the room, Dayton’s presence feels warm as the sun itself.
He wears a tight black shirt and pants: the same attire as me. It’s what the Queen’s Army wear under their armor, and the only clean clothing we have aboard the ship. His hair is damp, and a trail of steam still drifts out of the private privy attached to this room. My own hair has just started to dry from the shower I took below deck. It’s certainly not as luxurious as the privies in Spring or at Castletree, but anything is better than the gladiator bunks.
“Blossom.” He smiles as I enter and click the door shut behind me. “Everything all right?”
I wrap my arms around him, leaning into his embrace. “Now it is.”
We’d spoken until our lungs gave out in the meeting; there are no more words that need to be said, no other plans to be laid. Now, I just want to bask in his warmth. No matter what happens tomorrow, I want to have tonight.
“Hey, no being sad. We’re on the edge of battle. In Summer, these kinds of evenings are a time of celebration.”
“Trust me, every night with you is a celebration.” I offer him a smile.
“Of course it is.” Ever since he broke his curse, there’s a spark of the old Dayton back, one I haven’t seen in months. That charismatic poise I saw in the hot springs when we first met. Butthis time, it’s tempered with something else: a strength and confidence that’s brand new.
I run my hand down the skin visible between the deep V of his shirt. “Hey, Dayton, have you had a chance to talk with Farron since we came aboard?”
“A little, though I hope to rectify that soon.”
“Do you think he’s … okay?”
Dayton raises an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t know.” I chew on my bottom lip, trying to find the words. “It’s hard to explain. It’s just when I first saw him, I felt … something different.”
“He’s probably just worn out from spending so much time with Caspian. But the three of us are together again. Ez, too, and soon enough, you’ll be back in the arms of that frosty bastard, Kel. It’s going to be okay, Rosie. Everything’s going to be okay.”
I close my eyes, wanting beyond hope to believe him.
