“Imean, you’re a soldier on your mission and I want to help.”
“We’ll help. But have patience, I’m still figuring it out.”
“Figuring it out? I think what needs to be done is pretty obvious, shark-boy.”
“It’s not asobviousas you might expect. Don’t ask why, but I need you to think of me as if I were a mere human. No offence.”
“But you’renotnow, are you?” I dismissed, rolling my eyes. “And you’re acting weird. Acting as if you didn’t see it with your own eyes, how close the Phoenix came. As if there’s no rush—no risks. As if you’re not their only solution.” I thought about what Aegir had said, about Naar—the possibility of another attack.
“Oh, I am weighing said risks, Delia. The thing is, we don’t know if they’re willing to risk their lives again. We don’t even know if they want to be found,” Marshen said, his tone dubious.
“Alma made it sound like they wanted to.”
“Yes, but do they still? They’ve built homes here. I’d hate to force them, though I might.”
“It’s not safe here. What if the Phoenix decides to take a little perch on this island, hmm? I think they should be relocated to a safer place. I’m sure Silch would be better guarded.”
“Better guarded than a veiled land?”
“Yes. The Naaris wouldn’t stand a chance on the Land of Ice. So, imagine this: I’ll stay here, ask the craftsmen to build weapons—arrows, swords, axes, you know, just in case. In the meantime, you’ll swim—”
“Not swim…sail. Human, Delia. Think of me as human. I can’t go by myself,” he mumbled.
My head shook in confusion and I snapped, “Are you broken or something?”
Marshen’s nostrils twitched. “Blake’s coming. Don’t you dare say a word.”
“Hey! You went swimming without me,” Blake called out, breathless.
“Sorry, kid. For next time,” Marshen said, clapping Blake’s shoulder.
I paused by the crackling fire to warm my cupped hands before joining the others at the dinner table. The octopus stew smelled divine. It tasted as such, too. And I was getting accustomed to the ale’s bitterness. Its lingering metallic taste at the sides of my tongue started to grow on me.
“My gods, Alma, you have truly outdone yourself,” Marshen drawled. Blake rolled his eyes at Marshen’s borderline sensual tone.
“You’re welcome, darling.”
Marshen’s smirk deserved another eye roll. Blake again obliged.
“Alma?”
Her eyes lifted, meeting mine. “Yes, dear.”
“Marshen and I are trying to figure out a way out of here.” I neither wanted to alarm them with news about Naar possibly having their feathers ruffled nor fill them with Aegir’s empty promises. They’d been through enough already, but my words still came with a warning, “We worry about your safety here, especially with the Phoenix coming so close. Once we do, we wish to tell King Ryvar about you. I hope it’s still something you want. We understand you’ve built a new life here.” I had to ask. Marshen’s earlier doubts lingered in the back of my mind.
“We did build anewlife here, yes, but we’d very much like to return to the mainland,” Alma said.
But it wouldn’t be their Land they’d be returning to. It would be their freezing sister Land. I stared at Marshen for a while, his earlier words whispering in my mind.Sail.
I straightened my back and cleared my throat before asking, “Did anyone try to go through the Unnar Caves?”
Blake’s brows wrinkled. “Go through where?”
“The Unnar Caves,” I repeated.
“I haven’t heard of them. Where are they?” Blake asked.
“They’re hidden caves, somewhere along the coastline of Ramel. Legend says whoever goes through gets rewarded with a passage to Dunehaven.
