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“Is there…”

“Enough air for the trip? Yes.”

“You could have told me…”

“That not only would you be on a ship, but you’d be under the water?” He’d quirked one eyebrow, and despite the situation, I’d smiled.

I would have been enveloped in dread from the moment I learned about our planned transportation until the moment it happened. Still, I’d given him my best hard stare. “We’re going to talk about your high-handed ways.”

He’d sent me a wicked grin.

If I thought too much about what it meant to travel beneath the waves—and what would happen if that strange ward somehow popped—I grew light-headed. But when I pushed those thoughts out of my mind…

It was…peaceful.

“Are you ready, wildcat?”

I glanced over my shoulder as Lorian stalked toward me. Would I always be endlessly fascinated by the sight of him doing simple things like walking?

My heart twisted. One day, these memories would be all I had of him. And I wanted them solidified in my mind for the rest of my life.

“Ready?” I asked.

“We’ll be emerging soon.”

Even knowing we would return on this ship, some part of me mourned that the trip was ending. The ship’s strange ward cast colors I’d never seen before into the waters surrounding us, the cool glow illuminating the underwater world. I never could have imagined just how much there was to see beneath the waves.

Vibrant, diverse marine life swam past us. Sleek fish with shimmering scales of gold and silver, majestic manta rays gliding effortlessly through the water, schools of tiny iridescent fish, no larger than one of my fingers.

But over the past three days, I’d occasionally glimpsed creatures of a more strange, magical nature. I’d never seen enough to understand what I’d caught sight of—they only seemed to appear in the corner of my eye—but I’d known they were there. Watching us.

With nothing else to do, we’d spent our time eating—Rythos had somehow ensured this ship was fully stocked with food. Of course Lorian and Galon had insisted we train for hours each morning, and when we were finally exhausted, we’d played King’s Web.

The biggest surprise? No longer did Asinia struggle to hide her thoughts. Now, she’d even beaten Marth.

My aunt was also good at the game. In her case, her expertise had come from years in the queen’s employ.

Fendrel was absolutely terrible at deception, but his sly, self-deprecating humor meant that he fit right in with the rest of us.

When we’d gotten tired of King’s Web, we’d told ludicrous stories and tasteless jokes. Rythos had been more than a little annoyed to learn Fendrel had snuck back on to the ship, but they’d spent hours drinking and reminiscing together. Fendrel had a limitless knowledge of drinking songs and other bawdy tunes—one of which had made Asinia laugh until wine dripped from her nose.

The ship began to rise. My heart pounded. I’d gotten used to the steady direction we’d been traveling and the occasional right turns to correct our course around the southern coast of the fae lands.

“Our bodies aren’t designed to stay beneath the water for long,” Lorian murmured in my ear. “The magic of this ship counteracts the pressure of the surrounding water.”

Asinia appeared on the dock, shooting me a wide-eyed look. I nodded back at her. Of all the incredible sights we’d both seen since we left our village, this had to be the most awe-inspiring.

The ship continued to shoot up from beneath the waves, water pouring from the surrounding dome. The rolling of the ship would have told me we were now above the waves if the dome hadn’t disappeared a moment later.

Fresh air swept across the ship, and I tilted my face up. A gull shrieked, the ship creaked, and everything seemed suddenly too loud. The sunlight cast a dazzling glint on the water, and the salty breeze ruffled my hair. Above us, Aquilus circled, swooping down to land on Lorian’s shoulder. He plucked the message from his hawk and handed it to me. “From Demos.”

I scanned it, decoding it as I read. They hadn’t yet located the hourglass. But… “Vicer convinced Tibris and Demos to help with a group of hybrids in Eprotha near the Gromalian border. They’re going to travel with them across the border to make sure they get there safely.”

I knew Demos well enough to know he would have preferred to keep looking for the hourglass, while Tibris would have insisted they escort the hybrids personally.

I was sure that argument had lasted for hours.

“Pris,” Asinia said, and her voice cracked.