Page 103 of A Warrior's Heart

Fighting back tears, I threw Lorcan over my shoulder since he was still too weak, and we ran toward the river. Once in the water, we shifted into our merforms so we could move faster.

“Can you swim?” I asked the prince.

He nodded, too upset to speak.

Nereus held onto Shar as we moved with the current. The assassin had been too weak to transform, but Nereus carried him in his arms. The river took us to an outlet like Reif had said, and we headed toward the Crimson Night.

King James’ ship was nowhere in sight, which was fortunate for us. He must’ve dropped anchor on a different part of the island.

As we neared the ship, Kellan dropped the ladder, and we shifted back to our human forms and climbed aboard.

“We need to leave,” Lorcan told the captain. “As soon as possible.”

“King James found us,” Reif said, answering the unspoken question in Kellan’s eyes. “And he brought a whole damn army with him.”

Kellan nodded and rushed toward the mechanism that was attached to the anchor. Cain and Reif helped him turn it to lift the anchor, and then Alek climbed the mast to ready the sails. His brow was furrowed, probably because he tried to keep his concentration on the transfiguration spell he'd placed over Troy.

“It’s even more amazing than I thought it’d be,” Fletcher said, staring at the trident. “Look at those runes! Wow.” The red-headed bard then glanced around. “Where’s Troy?”

My breath caught in my throat.

“Take him to the physician’s quarters!” Eva shouted, following behind Ervin and Nereus as they carried Shar. She then glanced back at Cain. “You should come too and let me treat your wounds before infection sets in.”

There was no time to dwell on my heartache. I helped the others man the deck and get the ship in motion. We sailed toward the wall of fog. It would provide us coverage should the enemy reach the shore and see the ship.

“I never thought I’d be thankful for fog,” Kellan said from the helm. “At least now we know what’s on the other side.”

I couldn’t find that same gratitude. Not when the man I loved was in enemy hands. Each second the ship sailed was more distance put between us.

I walked up the stairs to the upper deck and looked behind us just as we entered the enclosure of fog. The land vanished, and I put my hands on the railing.

“Don’t make me strap you down,” Reif said, grabbing my arm. “I know what you’re thinking.”

“The prince is safe, as is the trident.” I yanked my arm free of his hold. “I can swim back to the island and rescue him.”

“That would be a suicide mission. You’re smarter than that.”

“So I’m supposed to leave him there?”

“Yes.” Reif pulled me in for a hug. When I fought his hold, his arms only tightened around me. “I feel your pain, brother. It’s like your heart’s been ripped from your chest. There’s no pain quite like it, and you’ve had to endure it twice in your lifetime.”

Angry tears burned behind my eyes. “Release me, Reif.”

“No.”

Troy’s ring was tight in my grip, and the crack in my heart widened. I recalled Troy’s gentle smiles and how he liked to tease me. The smell of his hair, the warmth of his touch, the musical sound of his laugh… every little thing about him I loved was seared into my memory.

“I have to go back,” I whispered, staring at the wall of white that blocked the island from my view. But I knew he was still there. Was he scared? In pain? “I swore I’d never let anything take him from me. I vowed to keep him safe.”

“You did all you could do.”

I shoved Reif away and grabbed the railing, prepared to jump overboard.

“Malik.”

I turned at Lorcan’s commanding tone. He stood at the top of the stairs, his cheeks tear-stained and his eyes rimmed with pink.

“I forbid you to leave this ship,” he said. “Troy sacrificed himself to save us all. Do not dishonor him by getting yourself killed.”