Page 112 of Of the Stars and Sea

“It is.” I nod, knowing he can see me.

He gives my hand another squeeze before I sit back up and wipe the wet from my eyes.

We go quiet again as he starts to propel us forward. “Is that why you’re so fearsome in your protection of me?” I ask after a few moments. “Because of what happened to your parents?”

Part of me wishes I could see his face right now. That I could note the small tells that his jaw and brows give away anytime we speak. But there is something that makes us braver in the darkness. It gives us a place to hide as the truth comes to light.

“Maybe in part. But for all the terrible things I’ve done in the name of losing them, it would mean nothing compared to the wrath I would unleash upon this world if any harm comes to you. And I do not wish to be that, Rowenya. I do not wish to unveil that side of myself.”

Everything makes sense now. His battle with granting me the freedoms I desire to make my own choices—even if they put me in harm’s way—and doing his best to protect me from the evil of this world.

I haven’t made it easy on him.

Regret sours my stomach as I realize just how important my life means to him and all the moments he’s been forced to show the world that version of himself as he has fought to protect the innocent.

Grayson Tyde. The most fearsome pirate to ever exist.

For all the power it grants him, it’s a title that he would relinquish, as long as those he cares for are safe.

“Grayson—”

“Turn around, Little Pearl,” he interrupts, and I shift on the bench to look behind me.

An audible gasp leaves my throat when my eyes set upon the most wondrous thing I’ve ever beheld. Ahead of us is a glimmering cavern filled with pure starlight. It’s as though the heavens kissed the earth in this one sacred place, and deemed no one worthy of its significance—hiding its beauty away deep in the Solise Mountains.

Grayson propels us forward and I look over the side of the longboat to see that even the water shimmers like thousands of stars painted in the midnight sky.

“How?” I turn around to see Grayson smiling broadly at me.

“There.” He points behind me to a far corner of the cavern where a single stream of light beams through a hole in the ceiling. The ray bounces off a large white crystal, peppered with flecks of black. Acting as a mirror, it illuminates the rest of the cavern in twinkling starlight.

“I’ve never seen anything like this before,” I whisper, in awe. Leaning over the side of the boat, I trail my fingers along the water’s edge again, but this time it looks as if I’m sweeping my hand across the heavens.

Turning, I see Grayson taking in the beautiful space with a serene smile on his face and I feel a sense of gratitude wash over me. No one else gets to see him like this. Without a fraction of that stone mask in place. He’s justhim. And he’s even more beautiful than the starlit walls around us.

His gaze drops down to meet mine. “What?” He tilts his head to the side and smiles wider.

I shake my head and grin back. “I was just thinking about how thankful I am for this moment . . . even with the uncertainty that lies ahead.”

He answers with a look that sends a jolt of warmth straight to my center and I know he feels the same.

I turn back around and take in the final stretch of the cavern, feeling an absence settle in my chest as we near the end and findourselves in front of another small tunnel that leads us further into the mountain. At least this one is a little taller than the first. I don’t have to crouch quite as low.

“We’re almost there,” Grayson says once we’re in total darkness again.

“How do you know?”

“Feel that draft? Coming from in front of us?”

I still for a moment and focus. Then, I feel it. There’s a slight shift in the air and a gentle breeze catches the ends of my hair, sending whispering touches along my neck.

“Yes,” I finally say. “I feel it.”

“There’s a bend up ahead, so if you hear a scraping noise it’s just me using the paddle to direct us around it.”

I huff. “Thanks for the advanced notice. It’s honestly terrible not having the ability to see in the dark. You should consider yourself quite lucky.”

“Oh I do, Little Pearl,” he whispers right next to my ear before planting a kiss on my cheek. “Very much so.”