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Prisca’s eyes lit up, and something in my chest unclenched. Even with everything between us, I’d do almost anything to see hope in her eyes.

“What are you saying?” she asked, her voice low.

“It’s possible that we can visit the hybrid camp first and my brother after.”

“How?”

“I have my suspicions about who owns that ship.” I nodded at the approaching warship. “And if I’m correct, we have room to negotiate. We would need to travel west through Gromalia to reach the hybrid camp. It will mean long days of travel on horseback. The hybrids who are still too weak to travel will need to stay on the ship and continue to Aranthon, where they can recover. Your aunt will also need to stay on this ship until you meet her in Aranthon.”

“Why would you do this?”

Because I was tired of seeing the shadows beneath her eyes. Tired of seeing my wildcat grow depressed and withdrawn. I wanted to see her smile just once, even if she would never again smile at me.

“I don’t think you’re ready for that conversation,” I said. “Do you?”

She swallowed. “What about your brother?”

I just raised an eyebrow. “Do you truly care about my relationship with my brother?”

She shook her head, her lips trembling as if she might smile. I watched her mouth hungrily, desperate for some hint that she was in there, beneath the depression that enveloped her like a blanket.

Her mouth firmed. “No,” she said, turning her gaze back to the warship.

I watched it approach, our crew standing ready.

My brother hadn’t specifically ordered me to travel directly to the fae capital. Oh, I knew he would be displeased. Knew he would find some way to punish me. But I had two reasons for taking this little trip.

First, I wanted Prisca separated from her aunt. I wanted her to make her own decisions, uninfluenced and unimpeded. I’d eavesdropped on some of their lessons, and Prisca’s clever mind had soaked up Telean’s history and information like a sponge. But her aunt had clear ideas about who and what she wanted Prisca to be.

I just wanted her to be mine.

That brought me to my second point.

I’d have unrestrained access to Prisca while we traveled completely alone. She’d beforcedto deal with me. Just like she’d had to when we’d traveled to the city. But most of that trip had involved either attempting to ignore her or attempting to get her to wield her magic.

In the castle, we’d both been consumed by our separate tasks. Any time spent together had been stolen.

This was my chance to learn about what Prisca enjoyed. The small things that made her happy. Her habits. How she relaxed.

In my darkest moments, when I missed her the most—even as she sat right next to me—I listed what Ididknow. And I wondered if those small details would be enough to carry me through the rest of my life.

I knew she loved valeo and that the sweet fruit reminded her of her father. Knew she liked to lounge in a hot bath until the water was cool and her skin wrinkled. I knew she was one of the most loyal people I’d ever met. I knew she was cunning and clever, and that she would do anything for the people she loved.

What would it be like to be counted among those people?

It wouldn’t happen. But if the coming weeks were the last we’d spend together, then I was going make them count.

CHAPTERTHREE

Within minutes, the warship was close enough that I could see the crew and the captain—a surprisingly small man, with his hand raised to shield his eyes from the sun.

Telean approached me. “I overheard your conversation,” she said. Grasping both of my hands in hers, she squeezed. “You need to be with your people. They need to see you.”

My stomach swam uneasily at the thought. But I didn’t want to do this alone. I could no longer trust Lorian, and I wanted to talk to the others before I saw either the fae king or the Gromalian king.

Right now, I was out of my depth. Ignorant. If I was going to help the hybrids, I couldn’t remain that way.

The warship drew even with our ship. A rope ladder was slung up over the side so they could board. My palms turned damp with sweat.