Page 72 of Heart of the Summer Queen

“What about the red one?” I ask, pointing to it.

“That is Ruposley,” Belinda says, “the antidote to Irremisa. It will neutralize the effects, restoring the flow of magic through your veins.”

“And how soon do they take effect after ingesting?” Elaric asks.

“Both potions act immediately,” Belinda says with a smile, the wrinkles around her eyes deepening. She shifts her weight, leaning on her staff. “Now, before you both leave, perhaps I caninterest you in some bat wings? They just started cooking before you arrived...”

twenty-six

We leave shortly after I finish sampling Belinda’s fried bat wings. While I’m initially hesitant, the crispy meat looks far more appetizing than her previous frogspawn stew, with a flavor somewhere between beef and pork despite the tiny bones. I offer some to Elaric but he refuses. I suppose my appreciation of the witch’s food may be due to the lack of a proper meal since leaving the palace.

The witch’s hospitality even extends to inviting us to stay the night, but her hut has just one spare room and the thought of sharing a bed with Elaric fills me with dread, especially after last night. Besides, the swamp’s stench singes my nostrils, and sleeping under a witch’s roof is far from a wise idea. Though she’s been welcoming tonight, there’s no telling how her mood might change in the morning.

Thankfully, Elaric appears equally reluctant to stay overnight. Belinda shrugs as we take our leave, claiming she cares little either way, but ushers us out the door with clear annoyance. At least she doesn’t decide to drive us out with her vines, so we can’t have offended her too much.

Now far from Belinda’s woods, we sit inside Elaric’s carriage once more, gliding over countless towns and cities. Each hour I check our direction with the enchanted pendant, and Elaric adjusts our course accordingly.

Though the atmosphere remains tense, it’s a little less strained now since finding Isidore acts as distraction from our own affairs. Yet when I close my eyes, I still feel his lips on mine—hear his bitter words. The pain within has dulled from a piercing wound to a numb ache, but meeting his eyes causes a fresh stab. I avoid his gaze as much as I can.

Many hours later, we reach the sea.

I’ve visited the coast very few times in my life, and though the night shrouds much of the horizon, it remains a sight to behold. The steady sway of the waves is mesmerizing, dancing to a melody I can hardly hear from all the way up here in the carriage, and seeing no grass or trees or buildings for miles on end makes it appear like a world of its own.

Through the window, I see a small fishing town lying behind us, serving as the last trace of humanity before the unending waves beyond.

“Does the pendant still point ahead?” Elaric asks, slowing the carriage to a stop.

I pull the necklace over my head, untangling the curl which has snagged around it. Once freed, I pinch the chain between my thumb and index finger.

The pendant snaps up, pointing in almost the same direction as it did half an hour ago. Except now it veers ever so slightly right.

Elaric frowns at both it and the waves. “Isidore must dwell somewhere upon the sea.”

I nod, the scraps of lore I uncovered in the library returning to me. “When I was searching the library, I found a book whichmentioned Eruweth. It said long ago, she froze the kingdom, and it disappeared without a trace.”

“I was a boy when it happened. I suppose it must now drift the oceans like an iceberg, hidden somewhere upon the waves, and that is why no one has found it since.”

“Until us,” I say, pinching the necklace’s chain harder in my fingers.

“Until us,” Elaric repeats, tone firm with resolve. Meeting his eyes now causes no unbearable ache, just invigorating purpose.

Together, we will break this damned curse at long last.

“The question now is,” Elaric says, pulling me from my thoughts, “how we continue from here.”

I tilt my head, not following his implication. “What do you mean?”

“We could press on in the carriage,” he explains, “but relying on magic risks alerting Isidore before we even reach Eruweth’s shores.”

I hesitate. “Do you think she can already detect you from this distance?”

Elaric leans closer to the window, gazing into the dark horizon. “The kingdom is still beyond our sight, so it seems unlikely.”

I chew my lip, considering our options. “If we keep flying, it’s doubtful we’ll have anywhere to land except Eruweth. But then she would sense us even before you can suppress your magic. And we can’t swim all the way there.” I flick my eyes across his broad shoulders. “Though I suppose you might manage such a feat.”

A wry smile plays on his lips. “Not against the tide.”

“Ice floats,” I say. “Maybe you’d simply drift along.”

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