Chapter 4
Fenmore grabs my shoulders, squealing, and pulls me into her. I flinch against her warm embrace, my sore body protesting the touch.
“Oh, shit. I’m so sorry. Did I hurt you?” She pulls back, her brows knitted in concern as she scans my body, as if checking for injuries.
I notice a stunning necklace hanging low on her chest. The dark green jewel dances in the candlelight, and I can’t help but be entranced by its beauty. The jewel seems to pulse, and I fight the urge to reach out and touch it. She notices my gaze and wraps her hand around the necklace, smiling.
“It was a gift from my mother,” she says. “She has one just like it.”
“It’s absolutely beautiful. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.” I smile back at her, still trying to get a read on her.
“Thank you,” she replies, tucking the stone into her blouse. “It’s so wonderful to meet you, Briar. I feel like I already know you, since Silas was always talking about you.”
Fenmore smiles again, and it’s a replica of Silas’s.
Silas flashes an uncomfortable glance at his sister for being so forward, and I nod, signaling that it’s fine. They look similar, yet different in a way. I can’t help but wonder if Fenmore takes after their mother or father.
I glance around her body and gaze directly at Silas.
“Talking about me, are you?” I joke.
“Fenmore knows more about me than I know myself, I’m afraid.” His eyes soften. “She knows about the dreams.”
I glance back at Fenmore, who’s smiling almost wider than her face allows, and she pumps her brows twice, making me laugh.
“It’s nice to meet you, Fenmore.” I bow to the Princess of Andorwood.
Who I had no idea existed until now.
“Oh goodness, never bow to me.” She waves her hands. “You are a queen, and news about the goings on in Daramveer has spread fast.” She continues to stand in front of me, smiling, as if there isn’t a care in the world. “Please, call me Fen.”
Silas steps forward. “Fen is in charge of the men you met earlier; however, she pretends otherwise. Fen can talk herself into or out of almost anything. You should have seen her as a child.”
“The last thing I want to do is take care of a group of assholes who don’t want to listen to me.” She winks in my direction. “Silas gave me that job so he doesn’t have to do it.”
Silas rolls his eyes. “Don’t listen to her. They are all afraid of her.”
I glance toward her shoulder, where a prominent scar snakes out from under her clothing. She catches my look and says, “Another unfortunate thing Silas and I share.”
She glances down toward the scar, and her lips tighten as memories seem to flood her mind like an unwelcome intruder.
She clears her throat, pulling herself out of her thoughts. “Although his are a bit more noticeable.”
“I think I’m handsome,” Silas jokes, scratching his temple.
“Oh, we all know you feel that way, brother,” she snaps back, rolling her eyes at his cocky response.
I chuckle, watching their exchange.
An ache burns in my chest, thinking of the silly moments I had with my brother growing up, and reality hits me once more that those days will never happen again. Silas grabs my hand, somehow understanding precisely what I’m thinking, like always. Maybe I do need the closure Maines wants to give me.
I shake the thought from my head. “Are we close to docking in Andorwood?”
“Yup,” Fen says, nodding. “We should be there in another hour or so. Don’t worry; your feet will be on solid ground soon.
That’s when the real fun begins.” She drags her hands through her hair before sighing.
“I’m going to check in with Warrick. Someone has to keep these men in line.
” She moves toward the door before turning back.
“Briar, I look forward to getting to know you more.”
She exits the room gracefully, and leaves me alone with Silas again.
“She’s…vibrant, isn’t she?” he asks, with a chuckle.
“She’s confident. It must be a Nastronde trait,” I say back.
“She’s strong, like you. We’ve been extremely close since we were young. She’s been the best person to go through this fucked-up life with.” Silas sits on the large chair, extending his arms behind his head. “I know you two will be thick as thieves in no time. Or, I hope.”
“You two are alike,” I say.
He raises his brows. “You can’t honestly say I’m that chipper.”
I laugh, joining him on the chair. “No, you aren’t exactly the chipper type.”
“Fen is always positive, but she has scars—scars deeper than mine, and not all visible.” He touches the scar on his brow. “I’d do anything for her, and she would do the same for me.”
My chest aches.
“I know that’s how you felt about Barlowe. I wish I could have met him.”
My chin drops to stare into his eyes. “It’s nice to see this side of you, Silas.”
“Is it?”
His gaze drops, and I squeeze his hand. “It’s okay to care for people. It doesn’t make you weak.”
His gaze shifts back to mine as he lifts my chin.
“But that’s where you are wrong, my love.
It can make you weak.” His gaze turns hard.
“Having people you openly care for can be used against you. I’ve spent years blocking out emotions, building walls to conceal my weaknesses.
Fenmore is the reason I went to Daramveer.
She told me to find you. I owe her everything. ”
“Will seeing your father change everything?” I ask. “Will this Silas disappear?”
I think back to the boat, the few fun nights we had that were calm and normal, and a pit grows in my stomach, knowing that won’t last.
“Things will be different once we dock. I have an image to uphold, but please know it’s not me. Things won’t change between us. You are mine, and I’m yours. They will see that.”
“Should I believe that?” I ask.
“Yes,” he replies. “Now, let’s go find Maines and Oak. We will be docking soon, and I want us to be together.” He stands, leading me toward the door.
Before we cross the threshold, he turns to kiss me, and I taste the dishonesty on his lips.
The ship’s deck is crowded—more so than we are used to.
I catch the look on Maines’s face as we approach, and she appears cautious—a heaviness hanging from her.
She and Oak stand with Warrick and Fenmore, closest to the boat's bow, watching the shoreline become more prominent with each lapping wave.
Silas holds tight to my hand as we move toward them, ignoring the looks we get with each thundering step.
Fen smiles as we join them. She points to a speck on the horizon that grows larger each second.
“That’s Andorwood,” Fen says loudly, over the crashing waves.
I notice Warrick move closer to her, and she immediately creates a casual distance by leaning over the ship's railing with a flirty smile, as if teasing him. I examine his strong face. Warrick’s cheekbones are prominent, yet his face is full, and it strikes me how large he truly is, especially next to Silas.
I scan the area for the other two men under Fenmore—Hux and Larkin—but don’t see them.
“Where are the others?” I ask, not particularly to anyone.
Warrick peels his gaze from Fenmore and responds, “As Hux oversees our land operations, he is likely somewhere near the quarterdeck, desperate to get off this ship. He’s known to get very seasick.”
Fen laughs to herself.
“And Larkin,” Warrick points high above us toward the crow’s nest, “is there. Per usual.”
I glance up to see the tall man with near white hair standing in a small lookout tower high above the deck.
“Would you like to go up there?” Silas asks, leaning in. “The view is quite amazing.”
I turn to him, a grin curling my lips. “Are you sure we won’t be bothering him?”
Warrick laughs at my response and says with an almost feline smile, “All Silas does is bother us.”
I cast a quick glance at Maines, and she returns a weary smile—letting me know she will be fine—before she moves closer to Oak. I watch Fen observe them for a moment.
Before I have time for another thought, Silas grabs my hand and shifts us to the lookout. We land with a soft thud, and the distance between us and the ground makes my head spin. My stomach flips, and I grab onto the railing as quickly as possible before Silas steadies me.
“You can’t possibly be afraid of heights,” Silas chuckles.
“I’m afraid of falling to my death.” I clench my eyes shut briefly before opening them once more to the blinding light around us.
Larkin remains unfazed, still studying the horizon, mumbling to himself.
“We thought you looked lonely, Larkin.” Silas turns to face him on the small platform, one that is very close to being cramped. “Figured we would bother you for a second for this view.”
“I’m making sure we dock in one piece after the storm that just blew through,” Larkin responds. “I wouldn’t want us to sink a second ship in less than a day.”
He grins this time, but only at Silas. A smile brighter than the sun catches my attention, and I take the opportunity to introduce myself, even though his hostility hangs in the air around me. Either I’ve done something to offend him, or he’s an asshole.
“It’s nice to meet you officially, Larkin.” I extend my hand, but it is met with emptiness.
I look at his face; it’s sun-kissed, with a few freckles scattered across his nose. His white hair sits just above his ears—it’s well-groomed—and sways gently in the breeze.
A memory flashes into my mind. Larkin—that name. I’ve heard it before, and the person I heard it from makes this meeting very interesting, so I smile broadly.
Larkin dips his head in my direction, refusing to make eye contact. “You too.”
My brows furrow at the exchange, but I keep my hand extended for him to take, not backing down from the diss.
Yeah, an asshole.
Silas notices the unfriendliness and clears his throat as my hand hangs in the empty air.
“Larkin,” Silas warns, and tilts his head. “Don’t be rude.”
Larkin bites the inside of his cheek, turning toward me. His stern face doesn’t show kindness or remorse as he shakes my hand firmly. “Apologies, Silas.”
I grip his hand, almost too hard, and grin sarcastically. His deep eyes lock onto mine, and a flash of shame causes the darkness in his eyes to flicker before disappearing as quickly as it had happened.
I still feel snubbed and somewhat embarrassed, so I pull my hand away from his and tilt my head.
What did I do to him?
I hesitantly brush it off and look over the railing of the crow’s nest. The vast world around us is captivating, and the way the blue sky meets the dark water on the horizon makes it seem as if the world goes on forever.
There’s no end in sight—just sky and water.
A thought flickers in my mind that I could sail away forever with Silas.
We could hide on the seas for the rest of our lives and pretend none of this is happening. But that thought quickly fades.
Silas places a hand on the small of my back while Larkin moves to the opposite side of the tower, giving us space, or perhaps to get away from me. I’m not sure.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Silas breathes, his mouth by my ear.
“It just seems to go on forever. I’ve never seen this much of the world at once,” I respond, completely in awe of the beauty around me.
Turning to the side, I see a piece of land nearby, and I can faintly make out the Kingdom of Andorwood.
Even though we are arriving with the sun still gracing us with its light, the kingdom is dark and quiet.
A tall, brooding structure sits farthest away; its jagged black towers pierce through the dense clouds, casting long, eerie shadows over the desolate town below.
The island itself seems to absorb the sun's glow as we sail closer. Andorwood appears as isolated as the tales have said, as if it has been forgotten by time itself. The flickering lights on shore are the only indication of life on the island, and a disturbing feeling runs up my spine. Magic oozes from the landmass, and I can’t tell if it’s from the people or something larger at play. But, I know it fills me with unease.
“Home, sweet home,” Silas says, breaking my intense stare.