Page 118 of The Flame and the Forsaken

Erran watched her strange behavior but said nothing. He’d come to respect her long silences... her sudden remembrances. He’d held her through her nightmares, and rarely asked about them, but was a most attentive listener when she chose to share. He gave her space to be whatever she needed to be, but he left room for her to return, and she always did. She always would.

“Walk with me?” she asked him.

“Walk withme,” he said, flicking a brief, conspiratorial glance at his father. “I have something to show you. Something I’ve been waiting...” He breathed out hard, laughing. “A long time to show you.”

Mariel narrowed her eyes, glancing back at Rylahn. “You know I don’t like surprises.”

Rylahn nodded at them both, giving the ink one final blow before rolling the vellum. “Be back before supper. It will be the last one before Sessaly is wed to the Law boy, and your mother will be cross if you miss it.”

Erran was preparedfor Mariel’s suspicion, but he could take it. It was better than ruining the surprise.

Until a few days ago, he hadn’t even been sure there wouldbea surprise, with how last minute everything had come together. He had Hamish and Samuel to thank for making it happen so fast. His father to thank for the final touch.

“Erran, just tell me. You know how I feel about things like this,” Mariel pleaded as he led her down the hill toward the wharf.

“I’ve spent months on this, and Iwillget my reaction,” he teased, tugging on her hand. She groaned and stumbled after him.

“Maybe I’ll deny you it for your insolence.”

“Maybe you won’t be able to, for all your awe and wonder.”

“You overestimate yourself, princeling.”

“And you underestimate me, outlaw.”

Mariel creased a sulking grin he wanted to kiss right off her face, but if he didn’t make the big reveal soon, she’d lose her good humor. He’d taken her the long way to the wharf to keep her from seeing the gift before he was ready, but her restlessness was palpable through her playfulness.

They emerged at the base of a cliff, which concealed anything to the east of them. He tried not to chuckle at Mariel’s attempts to figure out what she was supposed to be so in awe of, pleased with the knowledge she would neither discover it nor guess it until he was ready.

He gently pulled her onto a long pier. The tide was high and water lapped the pilings and splashed up through the boards, soaking their boots.

“I just don’t—” She staggered to a stop with a gasp. Both hands flew to her mouth to trap a whimper. “Erran.”

He’d been down to the pier early that morning to survey the final work, but now that she was with him, the real present was seeing the rebuiltMistwitch, anchored and bobbing at sea, throughhereyes.

Mariel’s hand stayed fixed to her mouth. Small sobs escaped through her fingers. Her head shook and shook, her eyes traveling back and forth between him and her rebuilt ship.

It had taken six trips to haul the wreckage from Feck-All Island to Port Worthing, where Samuel had overseen the work himself. They’d had to source some new wood and other parts, but Erran had been clear: it was not to be a replica, but the vessel herself. The same one Mariel had proudly earned besting men at their own games. As much as could be preserved, must be.

“How?” she squeaked.

“I’ll walk you through every detail later,” he said with promise. He pulled her against him and planted a kiss atop her head. “Shall we?”

Mariel eyed the rowboat tethered to a pylon. “Now?”

Erran turned toward the mainland. “Or we could go back...”

“Nay, nay,” she said quickly. A delightful smile split her reddened cheeks. “I want to see her.”

He helped her in and rowed her to the ship. When she tried to reach the ladder, he offered her a remembrance of the last time they’d boarded the ship and pinned her to his side instead, then took them both up.

“I have a confession to make,” she said. “Sometimes I think about you carting me up this ladder, and it’s all I can do to breathe.”

“Oh, aye? How about that day? Were you struggling to breathe in my presence then?” He hoisted her over the side and onto her feet.

“I was struggling not to kick you back into the sea.”

“How shortsighted would that have been for your fantasies?” He joined her on the deck, straightening his vest.

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