Page 69 of Untamed

My face pinched.

“I’m opening a blind portal. Hop in.” Minerva stepped in the space between Zichri and me, waved her hand in a wide circle, and spread her fingers. The air rippled around the two trunks, and they disappeared. “I’m guessing that means no more cargo.”

Hand in hand, Jaime and Laude jumped into the rippled space and vanished. A faint ai-yi-yi drifted from Laude, followed by a clunk. Though I heard a garbled version of Laude’s high-pitched voice, only hardwood and elegant gilded doors stood before my eyes.

I blinked several times, still unbelieving. Yes, we had just transported from the dining hall balcony to my guest suite and Laude had gone somewhere else. But this was still beyond imagination. Never had I met someone who could teleport or even talked of portals. I had seen the results of Minerva’s ability when she saved herself from a dousing, but seeing the portals and traveling through them myself was almost too much.

“Give me a minute.” Zichri hopped into the rippling air.

His strands of hair whisked back with the phantom breeze through the doorway. Minerva gnawed on her bottom lip, looking over her shoulder. What would Zichri’s brother do if he knew Zichri was here? What would he do to Cosme? Worry clawed in my stomach.

“Is Cosme in trouble?” I asked in a flat tone though every fiber of my being wanted to panic.

Minerva turned her head toward me and visibly swallowed. “Lucas is with him.”

“What does that mean?” The words came out harsher than I had intended.

Her shoulders seemed to cave. Of course, the trepidation in her demeanor turned my heart into a maraca. I glanced at my knuckles. My powers had escaped unbeknownst to me and with an efficiency that resurfaced fears about what could happen if I lost control.

“Lucas is like me, Princess.” She dashed a glance at my eyes, but returned her stare down the corridor, waiting for someone.

My ceremonia danced through my mind when I first met Lucas again after years. He’d had many oddities in his behavior similar to Minerva’s, but I’d assumed his nerves had more to do with him trying to woo me. Plenty of suitors tripped over themselves in an attempt to make the best impression possible. Cosme had made it clear that he wanted to match his friend with me too. Now, I wondered if Lucas’s oddities had more to do with his gift.

I craned my neck to block her view of the corridor, trying to regain her attention. “That can’t be. Lucas makes wards. That’s what my brother told me. I clearly—”

A hand grabbed my wrist, and I screamed loudly enough to wake the dead.

The undulating air enfolded my body, and I jerked forward to land on solid wood planks. To my left, a gangplank invited us into the assumed safety ofLa Lavia. The starry night stretched overhead in complete peace, while my heart tried to break free of my ribcage.

Zichri hugged me. “Sorry, I didn’t mean … I came back for you. Laude knocked into the trunks. We moved your luggage ontoLa Lavia.”

Minerva appeared from thin air and waved a hand over the space. The distorted air vanished. “Is Cosme with you?”

Zichri shook his head. “No, but I’m sure he’ll meet us here soon.”

She nodded and hugged herself, not making eye contact. Part of me wanted to get to know the girl. Another part of me chafed at Minerva’s docile presence that had somehow ensnared my brother in a way I had never seen before.

“Princess!” Laude shouted from somewhere on the deck. A shadowed figure waved wildly, bouncing up and down.

I waved back, assuming it was Laude. Another tall silhouette made its way down the gangplank. Judging by the calm gait and the way he tipped his head to the side, it was Ignacio.

“How bad is the situation?” Ignacio asked.

“I don’t think we’re caught but …”

“Don’t worry. I’ll listen in on what I can find out.” The man raced toward the palace and entered a back doorway.

“Get on board.” Laude called.

But I couldn’t force myself to move from the dock. A shock of cool wind swept across my face. Something sour twisted my gut.

Shadows approached from the palace. I held my breath.

The figures made their way onto the dock and into the lamplight where I recognized them as our Giddelian sailors. I exhaled. Zichri nudged me to the side as a dozen sailors hurried along the gangplank, complaining about the quick turnover. Confusion buzzed like gnats through the night air.

Energy sparked around my shoulders and shot to my fingertips. I curled my fingers, holding back the powers like a dam.

The stampede continued as a dozen more of our crew members readied to leave. The only faces missing were Cosme, Lucas, Ignacio, and Fermín. Eventually, Zichri, Minerva, and I stood by ourselves at the end of the dock. Torchlight cast anorange light over most of the planks of the dock and the path from the shore to the palace. In contrast, the mysterious new ship remained in deep shadow alongside the other galleons stationed there.

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