Page 46 of The Lost Child

I was wrong.

I kept dry heaving, unable to stop.

“What? Canavar!”

Fuck, and now I’d woken Nerissa.

My chest and throat continued to spasm, muscles clenching and unclenching with no rhyme or reason. I didn’t even have any bile to heave up anymore, but that didn’t stop my body from trying.

Warm hands encircled my upper arms, and tugged my hair away from my face. For a moment I just hung there on my arms and knees, panting and trying to calm my seizing muscles. Together we shakily stood, and without saying anything, she led me out of the hut and down toward the beach. Each step brought more relief until we stood just at the edge of the water, the tide shy of touching the claws on my feet.

“Canavar,” Nerissa began, her voice full of pain.

I whipped my head to hers, wanting to know where it hurt, and how to make it better. I sniffed the top of her head, but she wrinkled her nose and gave a light swat to my chest.

“I’m fine, you great dolt. We need to talk, though.” Her eyes lifted to gaze across the ocean.

I was confused. I knew she didn’t want to leave. Had she changed her mind so quickly?

“You won’t be sick anymore if you go back, but that’s not a decision I can make for you,” she insisted, one hand finding mine and carefully entwining between my claws. “What should we do?”

I huffed. I didn’t like the witches, but I would stay wherever Nerissa was. I didn’t care how sick I was; I was not returning to my cave.

“Don’t want to go back,” I growled softly to her. Talking felt strange, but Nerissa needed to know. We couldn’t go back. I wouldn’t let the master chain me again. I wouldn’t let him hurt her again.

Nerissa threw her arms around my shoulders and my wings automatically surrounded her like a large blanket. I liked it.

“I know. I don’t want to go back either. But I can’t stand seeing you sick like this. What if it kills you?”

I huffed. “Better that way.”

She shot me a dirty look. “Don’t say that.”

An odd feeling bloomed in my chest, warm and soothing. I realized at that moment I would do anything for Nerissa, even return to the master.

We stared out at the ocean in silence. After a while, something came into view across the horizon from the east. White sails peeked out, one after the other. Thirty ships, possibly more, were heading south.

“An entire fleet with white sails,” Nerissa puzzled, her brows furrowing. Her face went white. “It’s the royal fleet! They’re heading towards the island! I know it!”

She shot to her feet, twisting her hair in her hands as she paced. “Shit, shit, shit. I need to warn them! They’ll all be slaughtered!”

I didn’t see what she was so upset about, but I stood as well, sticking my nose down in the crook of her neck and nuzzling. She stopped, and took a deep breath to calm herself.

“Right, got it.” She chuckled softly, then gave a sad sigh across the waters. “I can’t ask you to return. I won’t.”

I blinked at her.

“I have friends back there. I already got most of the others killed. I have to save who I can. You can stay here if you want; I’m sure I can get some sea witches to help me get back.”

I growled. Nerissa wasn’t going anywhere without me.

She gave me a sad smile, then seized me around my middle. I jerked, not understanding what she was doing. She squeezed me tightly, and I realized it wasn’t an attack.

Whatever she was doing, I liked it.

“Please, don’t come with me. Stay here where it’s safe.”

I ignored her and gave my wings a twitch, thinking they should be strong enough by now. I stretched them high over my head, blocking out the sun and shielding both of us from its view. Yes, I should be able to carry her back.

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