She seems to feel the same.We touch each other slowly, soft as the morning sunlight. She traces the line of my jaw with a broken nail, and I barely wince when she scrapes over a cut I don’t remember receiving. I kiss every inch of her face, covering her in me so she remembers that she will never be
FinnMiralyn moves first. She crosses the room slowly and shuts Alden’s eyes. That’s the first time I realize how sore and shaking my knees are from a long night ended by standing at the foot of his bed, clutching one of the posts for support and watching Xandra’s stony face.Her lips part around a
***The rhythmic ebb and flow of my pain become almost soothing after hours of running. I know which parts of my stride stretch Hana’s careful stitches, which ones let them relax. The twins kick whenever we pause—often, because I want to be there, but I will not risk everything to do so—as if they a
Xandra“Alexander,” Father said across miles of mind-link, his voice thin with exhaustion or the unstable magic connecting us. “Alexander, Maris, my time has come.”I’m sure he knew that those words would send me running. They have. My whole body burns as I run, not as bad as it burned just riding o
Cheers go up from this ship, from other ships as the news spreads. Ingrid slips out of the crowd and waves at me, Elian by her side. Vedran nods once, sharply, like everything has been set to rights.A chant of “Luna Maris” echoes, and I realize that’s not quite the case. I turn away from the celebr
It’s a fucking miracle.But that miracle has to wait because Luna Maris vaults onto the deck with a small squadron of guards, led by Lieutenant Sime, which parts to reveal Zdenko in manacles.“What happened?” Luna Maris demands, scanning Xandra desperately.“Your nephew,” I reply sharply before cutt