Page 119 of The Flame and the Forsaken

“There were no fantasies until later, I assure you.” Mariel tilted her head, looking up and around. Her smile grew with her slow inspection. “She looks the same but somehow different.”

“About two-thirds of her parts are original.” Erran guided her down the steps of the sterncastle and onto the main deck. “The sails were only torn. Augustine stitched those, with some direction from a shipwright. The rigging had to be completely replaced, and there were two massive holes in the hull. The wood must have been lost at sea, along with the rear mast, which I had rebuilt. Samuel oversaw most of the work, so it’s him you’ll want to dress down if anything is?—”

Mariel silenced him with a bawling kiss as she jumped into his arms. “Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.” She purred against his ear. “Thank you.”

“Aye, it was nothing, Mar,” he said, but there were tears in his eyes too. Every tear he had ever shed, for better or ill, had been for her.

“You must have started this right after I was imprisoned.” Her legs slid down his sides until she was standing again. She wiped her eyes and glanced around with another wondrous sweep.

“Not long after.”

“How did you keep this from your father?”

“Samuel had the work completed in Port Worthing.”

“But Rylahn clearly knowsnow.”

“Aye, and while he’s still not sold on a woman skipper, he agreed to give theMistwitcha permanent spot at port.” Erran nodded at the rigging. “Shall we take her out? The skies are calm. Sea is fair.”

Mariel’s grin brightened her entire face. “Will you show me how you...” She gesticulated her arms like she was playing a harp.

“Trim the sails?” He pulled a grin to the side of his mouth.

She nodded eagerly. “Aye. That.”

Erran laughed. “I’ll teach you anything you want to learn. She’s your ship. I’m just here for the ride.”

Mariel leaned against him. His arm circled her.

“Mariel, before we go...” Erran looked down at her. “We’ve rarely spoken about the child coming.”

“Oh. We haven’t, have we?”

“Are you happy about it?”

Mariel’s forehead scrunched. She aimed toward the sea. “Are you asking because you’re not?”

“Nay.” He reached for her face and took it into his palm. “I’ve always wanted a family. But I don’t know what your wants are.”

“I always wanted one too. I just didn’t ken one would ever be mine to have.” Her smile was at first sad but then, gradually, brightened her eyes as well. “Iamhappy. Or I will be, once she’s here, and I can stop worrying every little thing I do is hurting her.”

“It’s not. Mother would tell you, believe me.” Erran fused his brows. “She?”

“Oh, I don’t know.” Mariel shrugged. “Don’t look at me like that, Errandil. It’s just a feeling. I’ve no magic in me. My mother had some. They say it sometimes runs in families, but neither I nor Destin inherited any.”

“If our children ever do manifest magic,” Erran said solemnly, thinking of his own gift of intuition, “we’ll send them to the Sepulchre for proper training. The king is coming down hard on families who try to hide their magic.”

“I haven’t even met our child, and it breaks my heart to think of sending them away for so long.”

“Then don’t think of it until we must.” Erran wound his arms around her back and swept a kiss from her forehead down to her mouth. “I’m ready to instruct.”

Mariel backed away, affecting a sloppy salute. “I’m ready to learn.” An impertinent grin spread across her face. “But, ah, I ken we should stay in calm waters this time?”

“You certain? I know of this island...”

Mariel scowled. “Maybe we should leave the danger and excitement for others, now that we’re starting a family.”

“Danger, yes.” Erran snapped her close. “Excitement, never.”

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