Page 91 of Heart of the Summer Queen

Once covered up, I settle down onto the deck, resting my head on the folded blanket. I watch Elaric as he turns the wheel, the pendant clenched in his other hand.

My eyes drift shut, and now all of my concerns for Eruweth and Isidore seem so very far away compared to Elaric and the bliss of him upon my skin. The lull of the waves drags me into a deep slumber.

That night, I dream of the Crystal Palace, all the frost thawed and replaced by colorful mosaics and gilded ceilings. I dream of Elaric and me dancing at a grand ball held in honor of his birthday. Not a trace of worry lingers upon his features, though hundreds of nobles swarm around us, for we have long broken the curse and freed him from Isidore’s icy chains.

And my favorite part of all is watching as our two children tackle him over within the royal gardens, surrounded by vivid roses.

But the sweetness of these dreams doesn’t endure for long. Soon, I’m torn from their tranquility and dragged back onto the hard deck of our boat.

“Adara,” comes Elaric’s voice. He’s shaking my shoulder, banishing the remnants of sleep.

“What is it?” I ask, pushing myself upright and rubbing my eyes.

“Eruweth,” he breathes. “We’re here.”

thirty-two

An enormous mass of ice lies upon the horizon, its white surface a stark contrast to the dark waves surrounding it. The towering peaks glint like steel blades in the cold moonlight.

I cease breathing, overwhelmed by the sight looming ahead. I’m so fixated on the island that I barely feel the boat’s sway beneath my feet.

After enduring every trial thus far, we now stand before our final reckoning. Either we will emerge triumphant or perish here within these frozen wastes.

Elaric is as solemn and silent as I am for several minutes. Then he gestures toward the undulating sea before us, where great shards of ice float upon the black waves. “We need to slow our approach,” he says, wrenching me from my trance, “or else we risk colliding with those icebergs.”

I give a quick nod. “I’ll help you adjust the sails.”

He casts me a dubious look. “It would be wiser for you to keep watch. If we are approaching any icebergs, alert me at once so we may steer clear of them.”

Given the sobriety of our current situation, I swallow back my protest and take my position at the vessel’s bow, having no desire to meet my demise on the jagged ice.

Clutching the edge of the boat, I scan the waves for any sign of danger. We soon pass a lone iceberg, but it’s far away enough not to pose a threat. Though it appears deceptively small above the surface, I’m certain it plunges much deeper than one would think at first glance.

Minutes later, another emerges from the darkness, this time closer but not yet a cause for concern. Meanwhile, as we sail on, the island grows larger, reflecting more moonlight off its snow-covered surface. I avert my vision to avoid being blinded by the brightness.

The icebergs surrounding us steadily become more frequent and greater in size. I swallow back a spike of unease as we maneuver past a sinister looking one, and I have little doubt it’s even more formidable under the lapping waves.

When my focus returns to the churning sea ahead, I notice a huge iceberg lying there. Our current course is guaranteed to plow straight into its flanks. While a fair stretch of waves still separates us, we’ll need ample time and space to alter our direction without colliding into any of the others floating nearby.

I turn to warn Elaric of the obstacle ahead, but my words morph into a gasp as the boat violently lurches starboard.

The abrupt movement hurls me off balance, and I barely grab hold of the nearby rail in time to avoid crashing onto the deck. Splinters bite into my palm, but the adrenaline now rushing through my veins dulls the pain.

I quickly straighten, pulse hammering as I scan the surrounding waves for answers. While I took great care in tracking the icebergs, maybe we collided with a smaller one which I somehow missed?

How severely has the blow damaged our hull? I strain my ears for the telltale rush of water filling the lower compartments.

Hastily, Elaric finishes knotting his final adjustments to the mainsail’s rigging. “I will check the hold for any damage,” he calls, heading toward the hatch.

But before he’s made it even halfway across the deck, another force suddenly rocks our small vessel—this time from the left rather than the right. When I righten myself, I meet Elaric’s stony gaze, my stomach dipping. No iceberg could explain two hits from opposing directions.

It must be something else entirely . . .

We both hasten toward the edge of the boat and look down at the inky waters now whirring at a frenzied rhythm. I squint against the shadows and sea-spray.

A twisting form emerges—a serpentine figure thrashing just under the surface. Though the creature resembles an eel’s wiry shape, it’s colossal compared to those I faced in the lake.

“A sea serpent,” I choke.

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