Page 64 of Fate of Echoes and Embers
“I don’t want to fall under your spell,” I said. “Not again.”
He sighed, as if torn. “Do you want me to release you?”
“No,” I said, being honest.
“Do you want me not to kiss you again?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Then it seems we are at an impasse. One which the Depths may very likely solve for us.” Marek’s wink matched his smile, and yet, there was something to his tone that told me he wasn’t entirely jesting.
“I suppose we are,” I admitted. “And perhaps, that is not such a bad thing?”
It was a lie, and I knew it. I was setting myself up for devastation, again. But when this was over, my days would be filled with wresting control of Hawthorne back from Draven and calming tensions with increasingly emboldened Gyorian reivers. I would take, if nothing else, these brief memories of a budding passion I knew nothing of before this journey.
“Not a bad thing at all,” he said, just before Marek lowered his head.
24
MAREK
She was a true sailor now.
As the sun began to rise, I alternated between watching our course as we approached the rocky cliffs of the Gyorian coast and watching my slumbering companion. Sailing well into the night together, after talking much like we had when I first came to Hawthorne Manor all those years ago, I’d encouraged Issa below deck. But with the turbulent waters, I couldn’t join her so she opted instead to rest “for a moment” against the ropes where she promptly fell asleep.
I’d considered waking her but couldn’t bring myself to do it. There was a comfort having her up here with me. How often had I sailed alone, never once wishing for a companion? After managing a crew as Navarch of the Tidebreaker Fleet, when not on mission for the crown, I preferred to be alone.
Until last eve.
“I fell asleep.”
“You did indeed,” I said, gesturing, as Issa rubbed her eyes, to have her join me at the wheel. “And just in time.”
“Oh my!”
I watched her expression change from sleepiness to pure wonder. It was like seeing the sun rise over the magnificent Gyorian cliffs for the first time.
“Spectacular, is it not?”
“When you said we were sailing into a stone city, I didn’t realize how serious you were.”
“Grimharbor is unlike any other port. Unlike most coastal settlements, it was built into the rock itself, its tunnels, terraces, and massive stone arches forming a unique infrastructure. It’s a crucial hub for Gyorian trade, particularly in minerals and gemstones. As you can see, its natural barriers make it difficult to approach undetected.”
“It will be safe, for us?”
“Safe enough. We’ll be going in through the Black Docks which are only accessible at this time of day. Oftentimes, we’re forced to anchor and wait for morn for entry.”
“What are the Black Docks?”
“I assume they’re named from the black-sand beaches, but it’s a tricky bit of winding inlet carved into the cliffs, favoring… discreet travelers looking to avoid unwanted attention.”
“Discreet travelers.” Issa chuckled. “You have more names for smugglers than a human with a Gyorian bounty on their head.”
“An apt analogy,” I said sardonically as Issa headed below deck. “Gather as many of your belongings as you can. I have little notion how long we’ll be docked here until Kael and Mev send word.”
Issa saluted me—more like a mock salute—as she disappeared from view. By the time she rejoined me,Tidechaserhad entered the inlet, towering cliffs rising on both sides. She was quiet, watching me, gasping more than once, until the docks came into view ahead.
“I thought we would surely crash into the mountains,” she said as I navigated the ship to dock. “Why didn’t you use magic?”
