Page 31 of A Wrecking of Salt and Fire

She picked up a cup of steaming liquid and breathed it in. It smelled like bergamot and jasmine and pepper. Katrin sat in the chair eating and drinking until her stomach was so full she thought she might be sick.

“You have a good dinner too?” Katrin asked the cat.

It leapt from the table onto her lap, butting its nose into her stomach. Again the cat began to purr, sitting back on its haunches, letting its tail whip side to side.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

Katrin picked the cat up and walked over to the bookshelf.

“What do you think we should read tonight?”

The cat meowed softly, trying to wiggle its way out of her arms and onto the bed.

“Not a fan of being picked up, are we?” Katrin let out a light laugh. “That’s fine, you can sit right here.” She placed it down by the pillows on the bed.

Katrin ran her finger along the spines of the books Ander left for her. They were all old novels of mythic romance and epics of war. She selected one, The Odyssey, since it looked to be the most read. The spine was worn and the pages yellowed with age. Inside the cover, in beautiful script, read

Ander,

May your life be filled with as many wonderful adventures and may you always find your way home.

All my love,

Chloe

Katrin traced the words over and over again. Someone waited for him at home. That pit in her stomach returned. Ander looked pained when he spoke of home, how he was not able to return. Here was proof, there was someone who wanted him to find his way back. Someone who needed him.

Confusion whirled in her mind and—was it guilt? For this man who took so many things from her already? It made no sense, why she should feel any sense of remorse or empathy toward this man who stripped her from her lands—except the little flutter in her heart seemed to say otherwise.

That was it. Tomorrow she would ask him again why she was really here. This time she would not take no for an answer.

The book opened with a man trapped on an island being seduced by a nymph who wanted to take him as her lover. Katrin began to read their story, the story of gods whose names were long forgotten in their world. The Olympi. At some point her eyes closed and she drifted off to sleep. The only sounds in the cabin were the creaking of the boat on the waves, the crackling of the lamp as the flame dimmed, the purring of the cat who slept next to her.

That night she dreamt. Truly dreamt. Not of nightmares, or horrors of her past, or present, but of a small island. One of whitewashed buildings, their doors painted a deep cerulean blue. Of flowers lining streets built of stone. Of crashing waves and a warm breeze along the shore. Of lovers hurrying off to small alleys to embrace each other. Of families sitting outside old and worn tavernas, with dancing and music and the smell of spices and sweets. Of beauty in the truest sense of the word. One she wished she could have seen.

In the middle of the night, Katrin awoke. The small white cat still curled next to her arm. Leftover food she could not finish still lingering on the table. There was no sign of Ander, but the book she read now lay shut on the night table by her bed.

Katrin slid her arms out from under the covers. Mykonos fluttered open her yellow eyes, stretching out her paws, her long tail vibrating as she yawned before making her way down to Katrin’s hip and curling up again.

Mykonos, named for one of the many sunk isles of the now named Mykandrian sea. An island of culture and chaos before the Olympi ruled and attacked the lands, slowly burning and bombing the smaller cities in the continent until only a handful survived. Named for her curiosity and playfulness, though Katrin would never speak her full name. Not outside the walls of this ship. Not when doing so could be a death sentence. But even though the Elliniká Glóssa was forbidden and feared, the name spoke to her and remained on her tongue when she woke from her dream. A good dream for once. And when she saw the slinky white haired cat, snoring in the night’s wind, Katrin knew. She would be her best companion. Her fiercest secret keeper. Her truest friend. At least for now. At least on this ship.

She looked down at Myko, scratching under her chin.

“You know, this very well may be the death of me.”

Katrin shut her eyes once more, trying to block out the thoughts of where she should be, what she should be doing right now. She could not change the situation she was in, at least not yet. Kohl and Ember would find a way to stop this, find a way to delay the Acknowledgment. To make certain that her place on the throne was waiting when she returned. Because it was when she returned, not if. That much she knew. She could feel the tug deep in her bones. The will and the want to return to her people. To fight. To stand up for them. To assure that peace would be there for them all during her reign.

It was out of her hands now. It was up to them. Katrin opened her eyes once more and sent a silent wish out toward her sister.

Chapter Nineteen

Kohl

Awhip of blonde hair turned and bolted away from Kohl. Ember never ran so fast, well ever. His mind was still foggy thanks to that stupid wine his father suggested he have. Technically his father suggested he give some to Katrin to calm her down, but it was all the same. He went over the questions Ember just asked him. My sister was not with you? When he told her no, it was as if Ember turned into a ghost before she took off toward the courtyard.

He started picking up his pace behind her, trying to keep up but his head was still pounding, nausea still creeping up in his gut.

“Ember! Ember, what’s going on?” Kohl yelled out after her, but she did not hear, or did not want to.

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