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“Why do you ask?” She swallowed hard. She wanted to tell him but was afraid of what he might think knowing she shared a connection with the Black Mage—the reason for the curse on the land. It was bad enough the pale ones were drawn to her. Now this? Now he called to her, infected her dreams?

“Because you were breathing fast, and I heard your heart racing.” He placed his palm flat against her chest. “It still is.”

Why did he have to call her out? He couldn’t even feel her emotions anymore and he still knew. She smiled and kissed his cheek. “I think you’re trying to find excuses to touch my chest.”

He chuckled and gave her breast a squeeze. “They are my favorite.”

“I did have a nightmare but it’s nothing. Just a strange dream.”

“If you need to talk, you can tell me. Sometimes the nightmares, the death, all the blood and screams of war,” he paused to swallow. “It’s heavy.”

Her heart felt the weight of that statement. And he would know more than most. “Thank you,” she said quietly, and debated on telling him the truth. Thane would understand, wouldn’t he? Then her stomach growled loudly, and he chuckled.

“Make sure you get something to eat before we go.” He kissed her briefly and made his way over to Phantom.

She would tell him later; it was probably nothing anyway and he had enough to worry about. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Evalyn standing on the shoreline with her shawl draped over her shoulders and a scowl directed at the steam rising out of the metal tea mug in her hand. What was she upset about? Layala knew Aunt Evalyn well enough to know even if she was cordial to Thane, she didn’t like him. They’d spent most of Layala’s life despising the Athayel family. She could only imagine what it would be like watching her adopted daughter in love with the enemy. Sometime soon, she and Aunt Evalyn would get into it over Thane, but that would have to wait, for now.

Most of the others were up packing their belongings or sipping from canteens staring out at the lake. The island they were supposed to sail to looked like nothing more than a dark blot on the horizon.

“What happened to your eye?” Evalyn asked Gunner. “I apologize if it’s rude to ask but I’ve wondered since I met you.”

Gunner touched his eyepatch and then grew a smile. “Oh, it’s not rude. I was fighting a massive pale one. He was in a small village, trying to eat some children.” He stood and gestured above his head by at least a foot. “At least seven feet tall. He knocked me to the ground and his mace caught my eye, but I shoved my sword right through his middle. Killed the bastard dead.”

“Very brave of you.”

He stared down at the dying fire and his smile dropped. He glanced between Aunt Evalyn and Layala. “Actually, it happened when I was a boy. The fire I stoked popped and shot an ember into my eye. Nothing so brave.”

Aunt Evalyn licked her lips. “It’s brave to tell the truth when you don’t want to.”

He smiled at that.

A waft of cinnamon and freshly-baked bread wafted to Layala’s nose. She turned to find Tifapine dragging a sack along behind her, leaving a trail in the sand. Always good for a snack, that one. She grinned at Layala and lugged it in front of her. “I found a community of gnomes nearby. They gave me so many goodies.” Tif tugged open her bag and plucked out a thick roll sprinkled with cinnamon and blueberries. They were smaller than the average elf or human baked goods, but when she took a bite, she decided gnome food was better. The savory sweet taste was like water to a desert, and she closed her eyes and relished in the taste.

“Thank you, Tif.”

Her little lady’s maid chomped into her chosen delight and with a full mouth said, “So I was talking to the gnomes, you know, like I do, and they said they gave me this food because I wouldn’t survive the trip to the island. A little bit morbid if you ask me. Absolutely zero encouragement. Wonder what’s out there?”

Layala swallowed down her food. Siegfried said there were rumors that creatures lived in the water that could be dangerous, but she didn’t know details. They’d dealt with pale ones, dragons, and enemy elves. They could handle whatever it was. “We’ll be fine, like always.”

She shrugged, tearing off another piece. “They said people who go out there, don’t come back. They get lost to the waters around the island. I can’t swim, so if the boat goes down, you better grab me, or I’ll sink like a rock straight to the bottom.”

“The boat won’t go down. Stop worrying. You have the best warriors in Palenor to protect you too.”

“I don’t doubt it but maybe we should let Varlett take the stone from Brunard and then steal it from her.”

Layala shook her head. “That would be more difficult than taking it from Brunard. She almost killed Thane. And what if she hides it? I don’t think she even wants it for herself. She just doesn’t want us to have it.” Then the stone would be lost once more and what hope did they have of finding out how Layala was connected to the Black Mage or destroying the enemy then?

Tif rocked back and forth from heel to toe, tapping a finger against her lips. “Good point. Alls I’m saying is the trip to the island might be worse than the dragon lady. Gnomes don’t give food away easily. They didn’t even want anything in return, which is unusual.” She put her hands out as if they were balancing scales. “Sharp teeth and poisonous talons, possibly being eaten,” she grimaced, tipping to one side more. “Eesh, maybe I’d rather drown.”

* * *

The horses’hooves clicked loudly on the wooden docks of this small fishing town. They’d all been restless and jumpy since they entered the streets which was uncommon for such well-trained animals. There were only about six buildings and a few scattered farms in the distance. One of the white-painted buildings looked like an inn which must be where most of the fishermen ate. There were more boats than establishments. She counted twenty-one bobbing in the lake, of various sizes and crews. The Ravens who’d left earlier were gathered near the center of the docks. Thane pulled Phantom behind him as Layala rode. She patted the black horse’s neck and glanced back at Tif poking her head out of the bag.

“People don’t come back,” she whispered, and started chewing on one of her nails.

“We’ll be fine, Tif,” Layala assured.

They approached their group. Many of them dipped their heads toward Thane. Fennan folded his arms. “No one is willing to take us.”