Page 39 of A Spell of Bones and Madness
“Trust me. I could see it in his eyes when I first met him. The look he gave your mother, gave me when I said I would stop at nothing until you were back on his shores. He tried to hide it, act fierce—I mean, he is almost as terrifying a Grechi as my father after all—but it was the same look you give me when you talk about your sister. That is love. Pure, unfiltered love.”
Ander laughed, a small one at that, but a laugh nevertheless. “Yes, well, we will see.” He rubbed at the space above his heart, eyes squeezed shut. “I haven’t thought about returning home in years. Never thought it would be possible.”
“Because you did not think I would fall in love with you?”
“Is it so hard to believe that someone so broken wouldn’t think they deserve love?” His words were soft, yet intentionally chosen.
A pang hit straight through her chest. Had she not told him as much that day she leftThe Nostos?How wrong she was. Regret seared through her. “No—but I am broken too, yet you love me anyway.”
Opening his eyes, Ander flashed that smirk of his, fighting to smile through the pain. “So you admit it then? You love me.”
“Oh, I see. This was all a ruse to get me to say it out loud.” Katrin leaned in to brush a kiss on his lips. It was the first time she had done so since she found him in the dungeons, afraid even the smallest unneeded touch would hurt him.
Clashing of metal followed by angry screams instantly drew their attention away from their brief moment of peace.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” Farah yelled as the other piercing noise stopped. The princess flew across the deck, hands clenched in tight fists.
The southern princess stomped up to the foredeck and tendrils of black smoke singed the ground she walked over, leaving chars in the wood in her wake. She was too far away for Katrin to stop her. Katrin could only watch as Farah raged toward the two culprits of the raucous.
“Me!” Chloe yelled back. “And what exactly am I doing now that is so inconvenient for you?”
“Your arm was just crushed and you’re up here training like a gods-damned fool! And you,” Farah turned, pointing her finger at Leighton, jabbing it into his chest, “why are you encouraging this?”
Leighton could only shrug, a smug smile on his lips and Katrin couldn’t help the snicker that slipped from her mouth.
“He is not encouraging anything, Farah, I asked him. I was bored! It’s insufferable being aboard this ship for so long. Plus, I was only using my left arm.” Chloe rolled her eyes, sheathing her sword behind her back.
Katrin understood the young girl’s frustration. It had taken every ounce of her poise and about half of Ander’s bookshelf to keep her occupied.
“You know what’s insufferable? You! You think everything will be perfect and roses. No—you don’t think at all!” Now Farah was beside Chloe, so close to her their noses might touch, but then she turned and stormed back below deck, leaving another trail of black smoke in her wake.
Ander turned toward Katrin once more, his brows perked up. “What is going on with those two?” he asked.
“Only the Fates know,” Katrin chuckled.
“Oh no, you don’t get to do this. Please tell me something good? I miss Thalia’s gossip.”
Katrin missed her gossip too. And Mykonos.
“She is the best for secrets. Let me see,” Katrin tapped her finger to her lips. “Your sister has informed me that those romance books in your quarters are indeedyours, not one of the ladies’.”
“Ah, I see you’ve caught me,” Ander said, clutching his heart. “They are just so entertaining.”
“That they are.” Katrin winked.
It was only seconds of laughter, of peace, but itwas enough—at least for now.
The crew lingered on the deck, Ander was able to walk with Katrin and Chloe’s aid, spending this final day at sea staring aimlessly out across the water. Nearing the shore, Farah and Chloe stood on the deck, each peering through a scope to see if guards were posted to bring rafts to collect them. A cloud of blackness began to swirl on the deck.
“Farah! Behind you!” Leighton called from behind the wheel.
The princess whipped around and Katrin clenched Ander’s arm, but he only sighed and rolled his eyes. “It’s just my father. He always likes to make an entrance. Don’t you, Nikolaos?”
“Welcome home, son,” the king said, his hand clenched in a fist above his heart. “It is good to have you back.” A single tear dripped down the gruff and fearful god’s cheek. Rarely had Katrin known a god to cry, at least one as stoic and treacherous as the God of Sea and Shadow, but only relief and an unnerving warmth cascaded over Nikolaos.
“It is good to be back, even if just for a brief time.” Ander tried to push up from the barrel he sat on, legs shaking as Katrin caught him under one of his arms.
“Don’t move so fast, you’ll—” Katrin stumbled on the words. He’d hurt himself? How much more could this man hurt? A little fall was probably nothing on the scale of what he’d endured. She had hated when people treated her like such a delicate creature after she was taken, and yet that was exactly what she was doing.
