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Chapter Nine: Bahira

Watching the sky slowly morph to bright pink and orange with the setting sun, I get ready to meet Tua on the deck. To say I have been avoiding going out because I don’t want to see King Kai again is only a partial truth. The full reason is because I am uneasy being here, and I recognize that I did not make the best impression with the shifters above when I assaulted their king.

My stomach twists in on itself.

With shaky legs, I clear my throat and walk to the door. It creaks loudly, making my shoulders rise towards my ears, and after stepping into the hallway, I freeze when a particularly strong round of nausea barrels into me. Leaning against the doorframe, I close my eyes and try to take deep breaths through my nose.

“The unshakable princess appears to be uneasy on the water.” Fuck me. His powerful voice fills the hallway and makes my stomach clench again in response.

My hand goes to my lips as I swallow roughly. “How do you know it isn’t just your presence that makes me feel sick?” I weakly retort as saliva starts to pool in my mouth. His chuckle skitters along my skin, making goosebumps rise in its wake.

“I make females feel many things when they are with me, but sickness has never been one of them,” he taunts.

That does get me to open my eyes as I stare at him incredulously. He leans on the door across the hall and down a little from mine, his large arms crossed over his chest. The black lines of his tattoo stand out in the golden light pouring from the flame gems. He’s changed, wearing a short-sleeved black tunic and dark green trousers that tuck into well-worn calf-high brown leather boots. He’s impossibly muscular—every single inch of him strains against the confines of his clothing. It isn’t until my eyes make their way back to his that I remember what he said.

“For both of our sakes, I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that.”

“You can try.”

My eyes narrow, and I’m about to tell him that I would prefer it if he jumped off the ship and into the churning waters below, when I’m forced to turn and sprint to the bathroom. His laughter follows me as the battle against keeping the food in my stomach is lost.

When I finally feel well enough to walk up the stairs and onto the deck, it’s mostly empty, only a few males at the helm talking—one of them had held my hands behind my back after I punched his king. Their eyes immediately shift to mine as I walk past them, a low growl dancing in the space between us. I keep walking, my shoulders rolled back and spine as straight as I can make it while the weight of their stares follows me across the deck.

My hands latch on to the rail on the edge of the ship to steady myself as I stare out over the vast water. Under the colors of the setting sun, the ocean takes on a teal hue.

“I was worried that perhaps you had gotten lost,” Tua jokes as he steps up to me, running a hand over his short hair. “It is a big ship, after all.”

I snort though the sound makes my raw throat feel worse. “Not lost. Just sick,” I scrape out.

“It can take a few days to feel comfortable on the sea.”

“And by then, we will already be on the island,” I counter, enjoying how the cool breeze coming off of the water feels on my clammy skin.

“Indeed.”

Although a comfortable silence settles between us, uncertainty twists within me at not knowing much about the kingdom I am going to. I have learned the basics from the records that had been kept by mages up until the Spell was put into place. Everything written after that time is either repeating what we already know or merely speculation. Relations were obviously strained when the Spell was cast during the war, but making it a death sentence to cross into another kingdom hadn’t done any favors with repairing them. Of course, mages are exempt from the effects of the Spell—a fact King Kai somehow knows. I wonder how hard it will be to pry from him how he found out. In any case, I need something— anything —that might help me feel like I am not so unprepared to step foot in a foreign land.

“I do have a question,” I say finally, looking at Tua. He moves and faces me, keeping one hand on the rail as the other goes to his hip. “What can you tell me about life on the shifter isle? Anything I should be aware of?” I watch Tua as he chews on the inside of his cheek, debating his answer.

“It is a beautiful island. I’m sure everyone thinks that of their own home, but ours truly feels like paradise. Most of the people are kind—helpful towards each other. There is unrest on the island though,” he says slowly. My brows furrow as I move a few strands of curly windblown hair out of the way.

“Kai—His Majesty—hasn’t been king long, and many are not happy that he was crowned as his father’s successor. There is a small but growing group who want to see another replace him as king.”

I study the king’s advisor—his tense shoulders and tight grip on the railing. Unrest in one’s own kingdom seems like it should be an impossibility in the wake of a post-war world. Maybe that is naive of me to think, especially coming from a kingdom where peace has always been something to strive towards—not actively hinder. Tua finally looks my way, his brows shooting up as he sees whatever look I’ve contorted my face into.

“You needn’t worry, Your Highness. You will be staying on the palace grounds where it is safe,” he says, mistaking my contemplation of the situation for fear.

“I’m not worried about my safety, Tua, though I appreciate the reassurance. I am just thinking about how different it will be to stay somewhere that isn’t happy with their appointed ruler.” And based on my—admittedly little—knowledge of the king so far, I’m not exactly sure I blame them. “And again, please call me Bahira.”

His smile grows wide, the sun-kissed skin around his eyes crinkling with the movement. “Yes. Something tells me you can take care of yourself, Your H—Bahira.”

I laugh, some of that pressure easing from my chest. When our voices dwindle, the only sound again is that of the ocean below, another thought unburies itself. “Who else knows that I am both princess and mage?” Tua looks at me, reading my face once more, and nods his head gently at the words I’m not saying: who else will know that mages can walk through the Spell?

“Only His Majesty and I know you are the mage princess. This is a bare bones crew, exactly what is needed to operate the ship, and I’ve handpicked them all because of their loyalty. So besides them and myself, only the king is aware that mages can pass through the Spell.”

“And how did His Majesty become aware of a secret such as that?” I ask, tilting my head to the side.

Tua blows out another long sigh, avoiding my eyes as he speaks. “I’m afraid that is something you’ll have to learn from King Kai himself.”

Great. “And the magical blight affecting your island?”

His lips twitch. “Better seen firsthand.”

I snort, turning to face the water again. “Okay, what about this: are you related to King Kai?”

Tua chuckles. “That I am. His father was my eldest brother.”

“And were you his advisor as well?” I ask as footsteps sound on the deck behind us.

“I was.” It’s all he says before he turns away and bows deeply.

“I told you not to do that,” the shifter king grumbles from behind me. I keep my gaze on the ocean in front of me as I smirk. Darkness has fallen fully now, the Spell shimmering under the silver light of the moon on the water’s surface as the waves crash up against the side of the ship. My stomach twists in protest again.

“My apologies, Your Majesty. If all is well, I think I’ll grab some dinner and retire for the evening,” Tua says.

I look over my shoulder to him, dipping my chin slightly. “Thank you for the conversation, Tua.”

“Of course, Bahira. Goodnight.”

I turn back to face the water, my hands gently gripping the railing as his footsteps fade away. My palm and wrists throb, reminding me that I need to keep the injuries hidden from the king standing silently behind me.

“Why are you lingering behind me like a ghost?” I swear the deck itself shakes as he takes a few steps until I can feel him looming nearer. “An annoyingly close ghost,” I grumble. He snorts but doesn’t answer me, and my frustration rises until I turn around and fold my arms over my chest, leaning my back against the railing. Even then, I still have to tilt my head back to meet his gaze. “If you’re going for an annoying and creepy ghost, well done. You’ve achieved it.”

“I’m wondering if perhaps staying silent is safer. Wouldn’t want to get punched again,” he drawls, lifting a dark brow. My eyes narrow, hands instinctively closing into fists before pain flares and I have to grit my teeth to hide my reaction. “I’m still unsure of what I did to have warranted such a hit in the first place.”

I scoff, my head jerking back with the movement. “You’re joking,” I reply flatly. When he continues to stare at me, I open my mouth to list all the reasons he was due that punch and honestly even another, when he takes a step closer. His hands brace the railing on either side of my body as he leans down to get on my eye level.

“I must admit, you hit much harder than I would have thought. It makes me think that you do in fact know how to use that spear you brought.” His eyes catch the scant moonlight above, his irises appearing to glow , and I’m unable to look away from him as I push myself farther back against the ship’s railing. The next inhale I take mixes his scent with the salty ocean air around us. My stomach tightens in response, and I’m positive that I have the seasickness to blame for that.

“You need to back up before you find out what it’s like to get hit on the other side of your jaw,” I grit out. Ignoring the slight breathiness to my voice, I observe said jaw, disappointment flaring when I note how his golden skin is unmarred.

The corner of his mouth tugs up while his eyes flick briefly to my hair. They linger there for a breath before they are back on mine. “You do not act like how I imagined a princess would.”

“Well, you act exactly as I imagined a male who is half beast would.” I attempt to straighten my spine and force him out of my space, but he is as immobile as the mast of the ship behind him. “ Move. ”

His powerful stare lingers another moment, both of us battling silently against one another before he finally pushes up from the railing and steps back. I have to temper the sigh of relief I want to draw in as I step around him and walk back to my cabin, my stomach still too upset to consider eating anything.

But I feel the heat of his gaze scorching my skin the entire way.