Page 152 of Cursed Crowns

61

Wren

Wren paced the upper deck of Alarik’s warship, trying to soothe the rattle of her nerves. Soldiers watched her in the mist, their chins tipped to the pallid sky. Though there were no beasts prowling about up here, every inch of the king’s vessel was under armed protection.

It was not that which unsettled Wren. She couldn’t quite fathom the strange prickling inside herself. The rush of desire she had felt at Tor’s touch had curdled into something sharp and thorny. It felt a lot like guilt.

“What’s got into you?” said Celeste. “An hour ago, you thought this was a great idea.”

“Helping Ansel is a good idea,” said Wren. “Not to mention it will go a long way to establishing good relations with Gevra.”

“Then why are you acting all... twitchy?”

“I’m not acting twitchy.”

Celeste snorted. “Who are you trying to fool? Me or you?”

“Wren?” said Tor, returning from belowdecks. “Can we talk?”

“Mystery solved,” said Celeste with a wry grin. “Don’t let me keep you.”

Wren tugged her hood up to hide the sudden flush in her cheeks.

Celeste’s chuckle echoed after Wren as she fell into step with Tor. Under the watchful gaze of his fellow soldiers, he kept his hands by his side, but as they ambled toward the back of the ship, he pressed closer, letting his arm brush against hers.

“Why did you come back up?” she said.

“Anika wanted it to be a private moment,” said Tor in a pained voice. “And your sister seemed more than capable of taking care of herself.” He paused, glancing at her. “How are you?”

“I don’t know,” said Wren honestly. “It’s all been such a whirlwind.” She blinked away the sudden flash of her blizzard kiss with Alarik. “The battle at Anadawn took its toll on all of us. It’s been weeks and yet I still dream of it. And losing Banba...” She trailed off.

“I’m sorry, Wren. I heard about what happened when I returned from Carrig. I wish I could have been there.”

Wren looked up at him, struck by the sympathy in his eyes. She was glad Tor hadn’t been there to face her unhinged ancestor or witness her reckless kiss with Alarik. She couldn’t even bear to imagine it. “How are things back on Carrig?”

“Carrig was unrelenting.” His sigh was heavy. “We’ve corralled most of the beasts, but there’s a strangeness to them, even now. It’s as if they’re aware of something that we are not. Like a storm brewing over the horizon.”

Wren had a bad feeling she knew what that storm was. Or rather who. “And there’s been no sign of Oonagh since her wrecking spree back at Grinstad?”

Tor shook his head, but his expression was grim. “The king’s scouts continue to scour the country. The entire kingdom is on edge. No one more so than Alarik.”

Wren didn’t want to talk about Alarik, to eventhinkabout Alarik. How he had held her in the eye of the blizzard, devouring her kiss and her pain along with it. It set her mind spinning, and filled her with a guilt so fierce, she half considered chucking herself overboard, if only to outswim it.

They reached the back of the ship, the mist falling like a veil around them, until it felt like they were the only two people on the entire Sunless Sea.

“Wren.” Tor turned toward her. “You’re trembling.”

Wren didn’t realize she was shaking until he lifted her hands to his lips and pressed a kiss against her fingers. She squeezed her eyes shut. “I don’t deserve your kindness.”

Tor chuckled softly. “Don’t you always take what you want?”

“I’m serious, Tor.” She stepped away from him, her back flush against the ship’s railings. “I’ve made so many mistakes. I’ve done stupid things. I’vehurtpeople.”

“To survive.”

Wren shook her head. “Sometimes when I look in the mirror, I don’t even know who I am anymore.”

Tor held her gaze, his voice unerringly sure. “I know you, Wren.”

---