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"Good." She moves to Asharin's bedside and looks down at her. "When she is ready she will begin going to the shoreline. Eravic Vaelor has had the best healers from across the Thronelands deliver various treatments to his ship. One of them is an expert in poisons. He has created a treatment for her while they try to find the antidote. If it doesn’t work, they will try various remedies until they find one that works."

“So she’ll be with Vaelor alone while he gives her an unknown treatment?”

“Yes.”

"I don't like that."

"It is the only way."

"I'll attend."

She pauses. "You cannot attend."

"Then forget it."

"You would risk her life over your own pride?"

"Someone needs to make sure she is safe."

"Eravic Vaelor is as honorable as they come." She looks at him. "Even you know that. And he will not allow a feeder to hover while he works. It is an insult to his character."

She smiles. "Those are my terms."

He looks at her. There is something familiar in her face that he cannot place. He turns it over and finds nothing.

"Have we met before?"

She shrugs. "Maybe."

"Why do you want her as a companion? None of this makes sense."

She changes without warning. The teal bleeds out of her hair, her eyes, and what is left standing in its place is a woman with dark brown hair and softer eyes and a face that is quieter and older and real in a way Dali was not.

"I was her closest confidant when she came to Rathmor Palace," she says.

He stares. Then it hits him. "The servant. Mary. She mentioned you."

"Maridale," she corrects him. Her voice is different now. Lower. More careful.

Something feels off. He cannot name what. But Asharin is lying in that bed and her eyelashes have barely moved in weeks and he wants to see her gold eyes open and looking at him even if what is in them is fury.

He says yes.

The Sea

JUNIS

Two days passed without incident.

Junis preferred it that way.

Eravic had named him second mate several months ago, then left him in charge of the ship entirely two days ago when he split off onto another vessel with barely a word of explanation.

He did not need him to explain, just like he had not needed him to explain why he spent almost a year fighting undead in Tearsar. Junis understood all of it was for one person.

Asharin. Pain ran through him as he thought of when they received the news.

But then Eravic had behaved far calmer than he expected and rushed off with Dali in tow. It made Junis wonder if there was something they knew that he did not.