Somewhere New
As the setting sun gave way to the first night of our journey across the sea, we all huddled inside the main cabin, save for a few crew members operating the ship.
I’d learned that there were two air elementals on board, one of which was Aerie, who took shifts pressing their air magic to the sails to propel us along faster than any natural wind would.
Every few hours, Aerie would take off in her vey form to scout the skies, often taking Noxie with her to roam.
“Overwhelmed?” The mortal man from the rescue sat down beside me at the main table and handed me a glass of red wine while others served themselves with food brought up from the galley below.
He was confirmation for me that the fae and mortals worked together in the rebellion. The thought made my spirits lift with the hope that outside of the Caedryn supporters, fae could live with mortals in peace.
This was the first time I’d seen him up close. His eyes were the darkest brown and he looked to be just older than my father with salt and pepper hair.
But it was the smile I noticed most. It was wide and genuine, crinkling the corners of his eyes.
“Yeah, I suppose I am,” I said.
“Kellan,” he said, extending a hand the way Kaelor had.
I took it and we shook.
“I’m honored to have you with us,” he continued. “Keryth always longed for the day the two of you would work side by side.”
I wasn’t sure how to feel about that. She’d expected me to join them one day but had never come home for me? It seemed like Kellan meant well, and while I was inclined to trust a mortal more than a fae at the moment, that wasn’t a discussion I was ready to have with anyone.
So I just nodded and gave him a tight-lipped smile. I looked around the table and listened to the conversations going on while I sipped my wine.
Kaelor told me that the glythyrs on the sides of the ship served two purposes: one, to bend the light around us so that we were near invisible from a distance (Kaelor was a light elemental, which was wildly cool); and two, to keep the wine barrel full no matter how much the crew drank.
“I still don’t understand how a glythyr works,” I said after my second glass of wine, feeling the beginnings of a buzz.
“Fae can trace symbols onto a surface and imbue it with their specific magic and then trigger it with their touch. The symbols act almost as instructions for what the magic should do when triggered,” said Kaelor, very matter-of-factly.
“Basically, lots of magic that does really powerful shit,” Aerie chimed in, cheeks already rosy from the alcohol, feet propped up on Bramick’s chair beside her.
“It requires a lot of magic, and fae that create them recklessly can use too much and leave themselves depleted and vulnerable.” Kaelor became very serious, as if he had known someone who had been reckless.
I realized how little I knew about being fae, but I supposed I would have to figure some of it out on my own once these cuffs came off.
“Well, cheers to Brom and Neek. May their souls be kicking ass and raising hell in the Vale,” said Bramick, seemingly out of nowhere.
Everyone raised their glasses and sullenly responded with a “cheers” and a nod.
“What happened to them?” I asked Kellan quietly.
“They didn’t make it out of the attack on the castle. They were good soldiers. One mortal, one fae”
My heart dropped. They’d died on the mission to rescue me.
“I know that look. Don’t you blame yourself. They knew the risks. They chose to go anyway.”
My stomach churned with wine and shame, no matter what Kellan said. And I’d bet just about anything that this was part of Drayce’s hatred toward me. Sometimes I’d catch him looking at me like he loathed me, but there were times I caught a look I couldn’t place—like…curiosity or fascination.
Most of the time, however, he didn’t look at me at all. Like now, sitting across the round table from me, staring at his barely touched wine and not saying much.
He was very broody.
The rest of the night passed with much lighter conversation and laughs amongst the crew, and I could tell they were all good friends. I laughed along and listened, mostly absorbing, growing more exhausted with each passing minute.
It was crazy to think I had woken up at dawn for my execution and accepted my death before the sun had even come up this morning. It still didn’t feel real. Maybe that was because of the shackles still around my wrists like cruel bracelets.
I let out a barely stifled yawn, and with that, Aerie barked at everyone that it was time to get to bed. She didn’t need to tell me twice. I hadn’t slept in a bed in months. I had been looking forward to this since I first walked into my new room aboard the Halcyon.
I sat down on the edge of the bed, taking off the shoes I was borrowing from Aerie, but before I could lie down, a soft knock came at the door.
Aerie opened it and then leaned against the frame with her arms crossed. “Need anything?”
I contemplated for a moment. I didn’t, but… “Can you tell me now why you guys came to save me? Drayce seems to despise me, and if he believes I’m on the crown’s side, then why would he risk his soldiers’ lives?”
Her face turned almost sad as she came in to sit next to me on the bed. “He doesn’t want to believe that. He just…doesn’t do emotions well. But he was the one who decided we had to get you out.”
Shocked was an understatement. “What? Why? Because of who my mom was to him?”
She sighed. “I really wish I could tell you everything, but it’s not my place to share. It’s…personal to him.”
“But Drayce even said he doesn’t trust me. I don’t understand.”
She gave a small chuckle with a knowing smile. “I think it’s interesting that you call him Drayce.”
“Well, he told me to. I asked him.”
“I know. That’s what’s interesting. He usually tells everyone to call him Dray.”
It took a moment for those words to sink in, and then she was walking away. She told me good night and closed the door behind her, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
I laid back, and gods, did it feel good. So soft and warm and springy compared to the stone floor of my cell.
Aerie’s words played over and over through my mind, leaving me still confused as to why, if he didn’t like me or trust me, he risked his soldiers’ lives…
even losing two of them to get to me. Why did he say he believes me a traitor to the rebellion, after he was the one who said they needed to save me?
And why, in the gods’ names, did he want me to call him Drayce when he has everyone else call him Dray?
I couldn’t figure him out. Drayce aside, I couldn’t help but smile as I drifted off into the first good sleep I’d had in a very long time.
* * *
The rest of the first week passed much the same as the first day at sea—lounging about the ship during the day, feeling useless while everyone else had jobs and duties, and drinking the unlimited wine with the crew at night.
I spent most of the daylight on the deck, thoroughly enjoying the fresh air I had been denied in Ashthorn.
We had food that was only marginally better than Halden’s, but it was much better than the slop I’d been fed in the dungeon.
Orrin, who was the other air elemental helping move the ship, and also the cook, insisted they needed to “put some meat on my bones” and gave me more food than anyone else at each meal.
Drayce gave a rare smile at that comment.
Thinking of Halden made me sad. He was a teenager dealing with death all around him, along with Nella’s loss, just as I had. While there was nothing I could have done to take him with me on a rescue I hadn’t known was coming, I still felt guilty that he was still in Ashthorn.
I’d have to get stronger and stage my own rescue mission. I’d do that for Nella.
On the eighth night—it was nice to actually know how much time was passing—I had a little more wine than usual and steeled the confidence to approach Drayce.
I’d been thinking so much about the conversation I’d had with Aerie.
If his reasons for rescuing me were personal to him, then it was time he told me himself, since no one else would.
At the end of the night, when everyone started heading off to bed, I stayed seated at the table.
“Drayce. Have a drink with me.”
I saw Aerie and Bramick exchange a not-so-subtle glance, but I didn’t care. If I were going to be part of the rebellion and part of this group, it was time we ironed this shit out.
He stared at me, expression unreadable, before he picked up each of our empty glasses and refilled them without a word as everyone else’s cabin doors closed with murmured good nights.
Keeping his eyes locked on mine, he handed me my glass, then set his down and took a seat, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms across his chest.
Guarded.
I hadn’t thought through what I was going to say yet, which was making me feel foolish, but the wine bolstered my confidence.
After a minute of silence and a long sip of wine, I realized he would not be the first to speak.
“So,” I said.
Super smooth start… He just watched me intently.
After I cleared my throat, I continued. “I was sorry to hear about your soldiers, Brom and Neek. I feel like it’s my fault they didn’t make it, and I feel so guilty. And I…I just wanted to apologize.” I hoped that honesty and sympathy might make him less guarded.
He leaned forward and placed his forearms on the table, continuing to assess me. I was feeling hot under his stare, heartbeat quickening. Gods, I was nervous.
“Thank you,” he finally said. “They were good soldiers.”
“Kellan said the same.”
“They’re all good soldiers, everyone on this ship.”
“They really seem like it.”
His face softened, but he remained quiet.