I’m at the bow, trying not to think about Logan’s lies and whatever Kieran did with his daggers, when Callie yanks me back into focus.
“That can’t be right,” she says from where she’s crouched by the helm, and the confusion in her tone makes my lungs tighten.
I push off from the railing and move closer. “What’s wrong?”
She holds up the compass, and the needle is spinning, like it’s given up on the concept of direction.
“What happened to it?” I reach for it, but she pulls it back, as if she’s afraid I might poison her.
“It was fine before we entered the strait.” She taps the glass like that’ll fix it.
“Let me see.” Logan appears beside us, and Callie hands the compass over without argument.
He studies the spinning needle, his brow furrowing.
Evie sits up, still leaning against Kieran, gray-faced and hollow-eyed. “It’s not broken. The magnetic fields in the Lost Islands just don’t always follow normal rules.”
“So we’re lost in the middle of a monster infested sea.” The words come out of my mouth before I can stop them.
Nobody corrects me.
“The Lost Islands are called that for a reason.” Evie coughs, winces, and keeps talking anyway. “The sea doesn’t want people to leave.”
“Great.” I laugh, and it sounds unhinged. “The ocean has feelings now, and those feelings aremurder.”
“I didn’t say it wants to kill,” Evie corrects me. “At least, not most of the time. It mainly just wants to keep us here.”
“So, it’s kidnapping. Really selling me on the upgrade.” Dread curls in my stomach as I gaze out at the endless gray.
Kieran shifts, helping Evie sit up straighter. “We need to take stock of our supplies. Evie, come below deck with me so you can rest and help me catalogue.”
She nods and lets him guide her to the hatch, already muttering about inventory systems.
I watch him carefully as he heads down.
Did anyone else see him telekinetically call the daggers back into his hands? Does he know thatIsaw him do it?
I want to ask him sooner rather than later, but that would involve being alone with Kieran Cross, and I’ve never been alone with Kieran Cross. I’d rather take my chances with another six-headed sea monster.
Callie moves to the helm, fiddling with the compass.
I turn back and stare at where the strait used to be. There’s just more gray water, stretching in every direction, like we didn’t almost become breakfast for a whirlpool and a multi-headed monster.
Anothermulti-headed monster.
The thought surfaces, and suddenly I’m not on this boat anymore. I’m back in that clearing during my initiation trial, the Hydra head coming down at me, ready to snap me in half.
Evie held off the Hydra with her heat shields. Nina aimed her fire at the monster with precision. Vera fought like a demon. Garrett ran his mouth, even while covered in monster blood.
And then, of course, Sam.
Just like that, I’m not on this boat anymore. I’m back in the Obsidian Caves, Sam’s fingers are slipping from mine, the hellhounds are between us, and he’s giving me that terrified look when he realizes I’m not going to reach him in time.
My lungs lock. The salt air turns to sulfur, copper, and the smell of a fire trick gone wrong. I can feel the obsidian floor under my knees, the sticky blood on my hands, can hear Francis screaming Elizabeth’s name, and can see the smoke rising from her chest where my bolt hit her.
Electricity hums beneath my skin like it’s remembering, too. But there are too many loops, each one layered on top of the other, and they converge and contract in my mind until I’m not totally sure what was real and what wasn’t.
“Jade,” Logan says, close to me, snapping me back into the present. “You have the look on your face that you get when you’re spiraling.”
