Page 416 of Kingdoms of Night

At the shoreline, Werian and Rhianne helped everyone into the skiffs that John and Eamon had brought from the ship while Isa’s mind twisted around what had happened when Viridi grew that cage around her.

Her fingers had turned to talons. Her skin had gone sparkling and odd…

She started to ask Viridi about it, but her mouth shut of its own accord. There was time enough to deal with that once they’d set sail. Surely, someone would know something helpful.

Thankfully, Werian seemed to have healed most of the injured crew, but he looked half dead himself.

“You’ve done too much, Prince Werian,” Isa said.

“He has,” Rhianne agreed.

Dark circles hung beneath Rhianne’s eyes as well, and she was favoring one leg as she crawled into the third skiff. They all needed time to heal.

Isa felt guilty for not being injured much at all. The only thing she’d suffered was a mild burn, and Werian had healed that completely.

“I’ll be fine, my lovely ladies,” Werian said. Isa could tell he was lying through his teeth. “Now, we must decide how to proceed.”

Isa looked toward the ship, where Nico was safely hidden. The thought of him being curled up with the crew there made everything else survivable. “Has anyone seen Seigneur Brune?”

“No,” Werian said, glancing back at the dragon before meeting her gaze. The dragon had apparently decided to remain with them. The poor creature was nearly as tired-looking as Werian. “What do you suggest we do?”

Isa frowned. “You’re asking me? You’re the royals who have fought in wars.”

“I’m still asking you, yes,” Werian said.

“Let’s get everyone aboard and then talk about what to do. Do you agree, Prince Viridi?”

Viridi was staring at the forest, his back to the sea.

Her heart broke. Before she knew what she was doing, she was linking her hand in his and pressing her cheek to his arm. “We will just talk on board. Maybe there is another way to solve this.”

Viridi nodded, and when Isa glanced at Rhianne and Werian, they gave her sympathetic looks.

Once all the dryad elves and sailors were on the skiffs, they rowed away from the island and toward the ship. The dragon pushed away from the sand and soared into the sky, his wounds healed by Werian.

Isa kept an eye on the Brunes’ ship. She saw a few figures moving about, but there was no way to know what they were up to.

At the ship, Eamon crawled out of their skiff first, then held the rope ladder steady as Isa scrambled up with Viridi close behind. On deck, sailors rushed here and there, rolling rope, talking over the compass box, and prepping the sails to hoist.

Viridi looked entirely miserable. “My lady,” he said, giving her a sad smile, “go, embrace your youngling and hold him tightly.”

She pressed a quick kiss to Viridi’s cheek, then hurried belowdecks. Her feet pounded down the salt-worn steps, the wood groaning like she weighed far more than she did. Blinking, she squinted in the dark quarters where the pale shapes of hammocks swung. Barrels lined the sides of the ship. The door to the bilge pump hung open, the bronze fittings catching the light of two lanterns hung from posts.

“Nico!”

The hammocks were empty.

The sweet scent of pipe smoke had Isa turning and hurrying beyond the stairs. A sailor was tying a barrel to a ring in the ship’s side.

“Who are you looking for, milady?” Another lantern swung slowly above his dark, curly hair.

“Nico. The young boy?” Her voice had gone thin and reedy.

“I haven’t seen him since you all went ashore for the fighting.”

A chill spread across Isa’s flesh like she’d leapt into a winter sea, then a coal of searing heat glowed deep inside her. Her fingers tingled and she fisted them tightly.

No. Not right now. She could not deal with whatever her body was doing right now.

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