Page 43

Marin

My bare feet padded along the damp stone toward the bath house, the rush of water growing louder with each step. Sunlight gleamed off the white boulders lining the path, and fragrant flowers bloomed from the vines clinging to the rock.

The scenery was stunning, a brilliant tropical tapestry among the clouds, and yet, I noticed none of it. All I could focus on was Gavin’s unshakable presence at my side. He walked too close, sending my thoughts spinning back to last night. To the feel of his hands. The way he tasted.

Gavin was unlike any man I’d ever kissed. The way he savored every touch, never rushed as if nothing else mattered to him. He made me feel like I was the only woman who’d ever existed.

Which I knew was pure fantasy. And a whole lot of wishful thinking. I was in for a rude awakening.

It was a kiss.

A bloody good one, but still, just a kiss. We'd had a long climb, mixed with heightened emotions. Danger messes with your head. And you can't trust your heart when you think you might die.

Considering I might die at any point on this trip, I was in a spot of trouble .

And yes, he’d played me, manipulating the game in a way I found infuriating and irresistible. But I couldn’t get ahead of myself. I couldn’t assign feelings that might be all in my head.

I may have made it safely to another board on my imaginary rope bridge of Imminent Romantic Disaster, but the ones still in front of me were the most treacherous of them all, and likely to send me plummeting into a pit of heartbreak.

With snakes, because there are always snakes for some reason.

The path diverged in two directions in front of a grand pool brimming with crystal-clear water.

Elaborate stone fountains bubbled into the basin, and giant leaves as big as elephant ears arched over the surface.

A terrace lined with canopy-covered lounges overlooked a sea of clouds.

I wished we could just stay here. This place was paradise, and we were heading into a nightmare.

“I think the men’s pool is that way.” I pointed to the stone steps carved into the mountain.

“I know where it is. I’m just—”

“Hovering?”

“No,” he rumbled. “Escorting. There’s a difference. One is chivalrous, the other is… less so.”

“Still, after that hero worship, I see.”

Gavin had his shirt tossed over his shoulder, trousers slung low on his hips.

I folded my arms tightly in front of me, willing my traitorous hands to behave.

My eyes had already stormed the castle, and my mind was waving a white flag.

His chest was all muscle and sun-kissed skin.

How dare he look like a mountain I actually wanted to climb?

But the wretched man showed no mercy. Not a single shred of remorse.

He edged closer, dissolving the distance I so desperately needed. His rough hand cupped the side of my cheek.

“Hero worship is just the start, Mare.”

Where was a cutting remark when I needed one? Oh, right… They were all sizzling in a puddle at my feet.

I cleared my throat.

Twice.

But my voice still came out wrong. “Can you please go? You’re drawing unwanted attention.” I slanted my head toward the pool, where some of the female guests watched with complete rapture.

Not that I blamed them. The view from my angle was spectacular.

Gavin hesitated. His thumb coasted over my jaw, sending a shiver down my spine.

“All right. But first—” His eyes narrowed with suspicion. “You’re not planning to run the second I turn my back, are you?”

“That’s what you’re worried about? I have no intention of traipsing through a swampy, desolate bog all by myself.” I smirked, nudging him in the bicep with my finger. “In fact, I expect you to carry me.”

“You’re cute. Don’t tempt me with a good time.”

I shoved a towel into his chest, hard enough to make him stumble back a step. All it got me was a low, throaty laugh. The man was impossible. There was no taming him. So I did what I do best and left him standing by the edge of the pool.

Pulling my tunic over my head, I let it fall to my feet and dipped a toe into the water. The temperature was deliciously cool and refreshing. I arched my neck, savoring the morning sun against my skin and the warm, fragrant breeze.

Gavin still lingered. He scraped a hand over the scruff on his jaw, watching as I entered the pool. His gaze scorched along the thin linen wrap I’d knotted at my shoulder. I let my finger slide along the edge of the fabric.

Two can play, thief.

Muttering something under his breath, he finally trudged up the stone steps.

A woman with silver hair piled high on top of her head, soaked at the far end of the pool. She’d been watching us, her gaze following Gavin’s disappearing form before locking eyes with me. I gave her an awkward wave before sinking deeper into the water.

How embarrassing.

She probably assumed we were lovers. Little did she know that barely a week ago, I'd pressed a dagger to his throat before he outwitted me in a heist. Then I chained him to a rail and tried to run off. It wasn’t a timeless love story.

We were messy, dancing around each other, waiting to see which one would break first. And Gavin was worried I'd run again. Which, to be fair, made sense. I should already be planning my escape. But Gavin hadn’t given me a reason to run. Only reasons to stay.

And that, right there, was the whole problem.

Because even as a sigh of pleasure escaped my lips, and the restorative saltwater eased my aching muscles, it was only a fleeting relief.

With an uneasy glance, I peered at my legs through the rippling surface. Just what I feared. The shimmering scales were back. Stronger this time. Spreading. I moved my toes, but I could barely feel them.

A breath hitched in my throat as pressure constricted my ribs. Each inhale grew thinner, until it felt like the air was vanishing faster than I could take it in.

Last night, I’d blamed that same breathless feeling on the altitude, telling myself I’d acclimate. But I knew better.

Time was running out. My curse was progressing a little more every day.

How many days did I have left? I tried to count them, but they all blurred together.

Six, maybe seven? And we still had to find the shard and make it back down the vine.

It would be dangerously close. Maybe impossible as my symptoms worsened.

Which was why I couldn’t let myself fall any deeper for Gavin. Because if this thing between us was real, if I let myself believe it, and then failed, Saltgrave would feel like a pleasure cruise down an enchanted river.

See, not a love story. A tragedy.

The spasms passed, and my breaths slowly evened. I gazed over the cliff at the cloud line. Wisps of white drifted gently around the island in the sky like waves lapping a sandy beach.

My curse loomed beneath it all, waiting to drag me back.

And if I didn’t go?

I was dead.

The old woman swam closer, studying me between leafy fronds. Her gaze flicked to the sheen of scales on my legs before drifting upward, settling on my hair.

“My husband mentioned we had a pair of treasure hunters staying with us. I’ve seen all kinds, but it’s not often we get travelers with sea blood up here.”

I stiffened, but she said it so casually as if the shimmer of scales didn’t faze her at all, while it filled my stomach with dread. But I couldn't hide the truth. I was just glad Gavin wasn’t here to see them. I didn’t think he’d take my iridescent death clock too well .

My fingers curled around the length of blue hair near my temple. “I used to think mermaids and ocean magic were a myth.”

She chuckled and gave me a knowing look. “Ah, yes. There are so many myths, but most turn out to be real. People call this realm a myth until they climb the vine and see for themselves.”

I gestured to the cliffs and clouds around us. “Can you blame them? A floating island. A giant’s castle filled with treasure. The first time I heard of this place was around a campfire.”

“And yet, here you are.” She tilted her head back to catch the rays of the sun. “This place is very real, just like the merfolk, and your kind, the ones who are in between.”

I ran my fingers over my legs, tracing the faint shimmer. In between. Of the sea, and yet, not.

“The merfolk keep to themselves,” she continued, “but love has a way of breaking barriers and forging new family lines. How much do you know about your heritage?”

“Only enough to get me into trouble. I wish I’d known more. It might have made a difference.”

Her lips curled slightly. “Knowledge is power. But it’s never too late to learn. Do you know your role as someone who lives in between?”

“No. Just that a lot of people are counting on me.”

“I’m sure that’s true. You’re one of the keepers of the ocean’s magic.”

My pulse quickened. Not just a prisoner who’d failed her family and a kingdom.

“You’ve felt it, haven’t you? The pull of the sea? The energy in objects transformed by it?”

“Like sea glass? ”

“Possibly. If that’s what calls to you.”

A shiver rolled through me. “I don’t understand how any of it works. It feels like another curse.”

“It’s not a curse. The ones who can wield it are rare and very powerful. You’ll learn when the time is right.”

“I don’t have much time left.” I stared absently at the water lapping at the pool’s edge.

I’d always believed there was more to the sea glass than just a conduit of energy or a blessing on stolen treasure.

But I had no idea how else to wield it, and a week didn’t feel nearly long enough to figure it out.

I needed to find that shard.

“You’ve been here a long time, haven’t you?” I swirled my fingers through the water.

“Long enough to watch people make a fool of themselves chasing the same legend over and over. They never listen.”

“The castle?”

She nodded.

“How many have tried?”

“Too many to count. None have ever come back.” She tapped her fingers along the pool’s edge. “But they always stop here first, and I wish them good fortune and hope they find what they are seeking.”

“What do you know of the castle?”

She hummed thoughtfully. “They say it’s surrounded by a maze, suspended a hundred feet in the air. Something evil lurks inside. People whisper of the bones scattered through the twisting paths.”

My blood chilled. “What if someone survives the maze?”

“They must cross the Moat of Clouds before they face the giant. But you’ll need two tokens to cross, one for each of you.”

My pulse ticked up. “Where can we get them? ”

“They can be forged in the sky market and infused with the right magic. If you can afford them.”

“And the giant?”

The innkeeper lifted her brow. “A cursed creature with fists that crush boulders and teeth that devour human flesh.”

I made a face. “Sounds charming.”

“You can’t defeat the giant. No one can. But the treasure belongs to those who walk where others dare not.”

“That sounds like a riddle.”

The old woman laughed. “Actually, I’m pretty sure it’s just a myth. My advice? Bring a sword.”

I laughed with her. “Noted. I’ll bring two.”

The old woman narrowed her gaze at me. “Most people who come to the sky are either running from something or searching for something. But you’re doing both.”

“How did you know?”

She smiled wisely. “I can always tell. Unfortunately, there’s no easy path for someone torn in two directions.”

“Tell me about it,” I muttered. “I feel like I’m lost all the time.”

“Feeling lost isn’t the same thing as being lost.” She moved closer, water swirling around her shoulders. “You must know that young man you’re with, he looks at you like you’re his horizon. As if nothing else exists above or below.”

Heat prickled the back of my neck. “Do you think so? Sometimes I don’t know what to believe.”

“Back to belief again? What do you know about the horizon?”

“It’s an illusion,” I said without thinking. “You can chase it forever and never reach it.”

She nodded. “That might be true. But it also remains steadfast, never wavering. Those qualities are no illusion.”

I swallowed hard, gripping the stone ledge.

“You’re looking at it the wrong way,” she said gently. “The horizon isn’t something you’re meant to reach. It’s supposed to guide your heart home.”

Just like the stars.

Gavin’s whisper from the alcove filled my mind. Follow the stars home.

“And what if the home you built your life around isn’t what you thought it would be?”

“Then perhaps, it’s time to see where the horizon leads you.”