Page 92 of Of Glass and of Gold

“Coast is clear, I think,” she said.

We stepped onto the open deck. Half a dozen men lay on the ground, unmoving. Others stood around, casually perusing the elements of the ship. Smoke billowed into the sky, a sign that the fire arrows had been put out and we weren’t in danger of standing on kindling. Nicholas stood beside me, assessing as I was.

One of the camp members approached. “Is there anyone else on board?” he questioned, looking at the three of us.

“At least one below, knocked out. Second level down, there may be others,” Nicholas reported.

“Abilities? Weapons?”

“Wind,” Nicholas said.

The man whistled, summoning the rest of his crew to converge with him, heading to the deck below.

“This way.” I took Melody’s hand and led us to the back of the ship, where one of the camp members waited in the rowboat below, holding onto the ladder.

We left the camp members to deal with the ship and returned to land. After making our way back to the tents, I finally stopped, looking Melody over to make sure she was okay. I swiped her blonde locks out of her face, scanning for bruises or wounds.

“Nora, how on Myelle did you find me? And what is this getup you’re wearing?” She tugged on my hood.

I pulled it down, along with my mask. “It’s kind of a long story. Are you hungry? When was the last time you ate? Slept?”

She shook her head, her brow creasing. “I slept a bit in that cell. They tossed me a few scraps, but I’m strangely exhausted.”

“Did you overhear anything? Anything about their plans or destination?”

“No, all they spoke of was duties around the ship.”

I insisted she sit on my bed. “Can I get you anything?”

“Who are these people? How do you know them?” She rubbed at her throat. I collected a cup of water from the tent’s supply. She took it and guzzled the entire thing.

I answered during my refill, “This is a camp of refugees from Windguard. We’re at the northernmost border of Highcrest. We came here on horseback as soon as I found out you were missing.”

“Horseback? How was that?” she asked, probably recalling the one time we’d all taken a lesson after our parents wed.

“As painful as the last time.” I smirked, handing her the cup again.

She released a breathy laugh through her nose while taking another sip. When she swallowed, she asked, “We? The man in the matching outfit?”

I nodded, wanting to give her a little time to unwind from the ordeal before informing her that I’d been unknowingly running around the streets at night with the prince. “It was his horses that got us here. Speaking of which, that’s how I’ll take us back. Once the sun comes up, we’ll head home. It’s really rather a nice journey, maybe I’ll have time to enjoy it without worrying that you’re dead somewhere.”

We both snickered. “It’ll be nice to not worry about dying.”

“Nora.” Nicholas called through the other side of the tent.

“I’ll be right back.” I turned to Melody with a smile and placed a kiss on the top of her head, brushing my hand over her hair.

With my hood and mask securely back in place, I stepped outside.

“How is she?” he asked.

“She’s surprisingly…good.” I peered at the tent, as if I could see through to where my strong sister sat. “She needs a place to sleep tonight.” I knew he’d yield his cot, because that’s the type of person he was. A tinge of guilt nipped at me for it, though.

“Of course. I’ll find somewhere else to stay. Are you alright?” His voice was nearly a purr, and it made it hard to keep my distance.

“I’m not the one who got slammed against a wall by a magic attack.” I crossed my arms, cocking my hip to the side in question.

He chuckled, the sound soft and warm. “I’ve had worse,” he paused for a moment before continuing, “maybe.”

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