Page 128 of Skalterra By Nightmare
“How did you die last night, then?” Orla asked, finally relinquishing my hand back to me.
“There were too many Nightmares,” I lied. “I’m not sure which of them got me. When it happened, it happened quick.”
I dared to raise my eyes back to Galahad. Ciarán had insisted Galahad wouldn’t have been able to tell I’d been stolen by a rival nocturmancer, but Galahad’s narrowed eyes and tight scowl did little to reassure me.
“I should’ve stayed back so I could fight alongside you.” Orla squeezed my hand. “Wren, I’m sorry.”
“You only have one life as well, my niece,” Ferrin sighed. The boat wobbled as he fell heavy into the bench at the bow. “You at least volunteered for this. Just-Wren was forced here. By us.”
“It’s a bit late for that,” Galahad grunted. “Miss Warrender has made it this far. She need only survive a little longer.”
Ciarán stayed silent in my head as we traveled. I tried to keep my eyes down, vaguely registering trees and cliffs on either bank, but doing my best not to focus on any landmarks that might offer hints to Ciarán. When we finally pulled ashore on a rocky bank, I was able to catch a moment alone as I walked into waist high grasses under the guise of keeping guard while the others set up camp.
“I don’t know if you’re there,” I said into the darkness, “but if you are, I want you to know, the next time I see you, I will kill you.”
For a moment, the only response was the wind whispering through the grass, but then a silky purr rasped at the back of my head.
“Is that a promise, Blue?”
I closed my eyes. I wouldn’t let him see where we were.
“Yes.”
“Is that what the funny hand gesture meant? The one you made after you jumped.”
I opened my eyes to glare at the toes of my boots.
“The middle finger? Yes. It was absolutely a promise to kill you.”
“I see. I thought it might have been some sort of Keldorian curse you put on me, but this is considerably more manageable and less frightening. I’ll see you soon, Blue.”
His voice melted into the sound of whispering grasses, and I stood a moment alone in the dark before Orla called my name and I retreated back to camp.
The next few days passed in a blur of more interview prep, selling ceramic chickens, and magical nighttime landscapes that I did my best to not look at. We continued to travel by boat for the next two nights, and the first waterside village marked our passage from the Wisting Wilds into the Royal Shogunate.
The buildings were reminiscent of those I’d seen in the Japan travel guide Mom had bought a few years prior before canceling a trip she was supposed to take with writer friends. She’d told me she was worried about the flight, but I’d always suspected she’d been more worried about leaving me behind.
Most of the homes along the river were simple lodgings, made of wood and tatami and illuminated by stone lanterns that lit the underside of red maple leaves. The fancier buildings sported multiple floors with pointed rooftops and sloping eaves.
On the third night of traveling by river, Ferrin sold the boat to a fisherman, and we continued farther north on foot. The passing evenings remained peaceful and unhindered by Grimguards. The mountains ahead loomed higher with every mile, and the scars on my hand stopped worrying me.
Ciarán stayed silent in my head, even when I addressed him directly. I would’ve liked to think something had happened to him, but I could still feel the magick tether between us, even if I refused to draw any Skal from it.
In Keel Watch Harbor, meanwhile, Liam seemed to grow more agitated the closer we crept towards Riley’s memorial. His usual smile became more strained everyday. Gams gave him several days off, but he still brought us bagels every morning and would return to spend my lunch break answering my questions about Von Leer and helping me prepare for my next interview.
He at least laughed when I finally told him how horribly the first one had gone. I’d started to miss the sound of that laugh, so I took to looking for other things that made him smile.
The biggest guffaw came when I stuck a paper mustache and monocle to Jonquil one morning to surprise Liam when he brought breakfast. I thought the cat looked too much like Tamora with the monocle on, but Liam was so delighted that he picked up an extra shift right there, even if it was just to take pictures of Jonquil on his phone between customers.
He stuck around for dinner with me and Gams, but didn’t say much. Luckily, Gams had plenty to say about how she was certain Sarah had been cheating at their game nights but had no way to prove it. When Gams left for another night of trying to catch Sarah hiding cards up her sleeves, Liam made himself comfy on the couch.
“I’m headed to bed,” I said. “Are you okay?”
He stood up and pulled me into his chest. I hugged him back, since this embrace was more for his benefit than mine, and his fingers contracted against the folds of my shirt.
“He was supposed to be back by now,” he whispered into my hair.
“I know.”
