“I also destroyed his ship, let it crash right into the jagged rocks of the northern cliffs. His pride and joy. It’s still there today. He had to flee Apolis on a rowboat. I thought destroying something he loved would make me feel better, but somehow, I just felt worse afterward.” She shrugged. “I was an idiot. I was weak.”
“No.” My voice was firm and hard. “None of this is your fault.”
She turned her brown eyes on me. “It is my fault. I didn’t see the warning signs. I told him too much, gave him more information than I should have. All because he was vulnerable with me. Told me a stupid secret about his fear of the water. What kind of pirate lord is afraid of the ocean?” She shook her head. “I thought he loved me. I was... I was planning on running away with him.”
“Oh, Gabrielle,” I said.
“My mother has been so heartbroken over losing her sons and her husband that she hasn’t been able to leave her chambers. My people are scared and confused. They want theirboys back, their husbands back. And I can’t do anything about it.” Her voice shook.
That didn’t sound like the Gabrielle I knew, the woman who never backed down to an injustice. She sounded so broken.
“Do you know what Sorrengard wants? Why they’re doing this?”
She shook her head. “I have no idea. We’re closest to them, of all the courts, and they have the easiest access to us, but... I don’t know how or why they’re choosing to attack now after all these years. We all assumed we’d defeated them so badly after they wiped out Shiraeth that they couldn’t recover. But somehow they’ve risen, and we should all be afraid.”
“They’ve been wreaking havoc in the fire court as well,” I said. “They planted a sorceress who’s cursed Princess Seraphina and taken over. And they have a hand in what happened in Elwen. The magic my stepmother used to usurp my father came from the shadow court.” My stomach clenched. “None of this can be a coincidence. They’re planning something. Something big.”
Gabrielle’s eyes widened. “And now they have an army of boys at their command. Strong boys who are young and can fight.”
And with the boys’ shadows in their possession, they had full control over them. Could use them in any way they wanted. The thought was terrifying.
A wave crashed against the shore, washing up and taking all the seaweed and algae with it. I stared at it until the water receded. “We have to reach out to Volaris and Fyriad.” The sky and frost courts. “Find out if Sorrengard has struck against them in any way.”
Gabrielle let out a shaky breath. “Thank you for listening to me, for not judging me. I closed down our borders because I was afraid of showing any weakness, afraid the other courts mightturn on us if they found out what happened. I don’t know if I’m ready to tell them the truth yet.”
I nodded. “I understand. I promise you I won’t reveal your secret to anyone, not until you’re ready. But we do have to face this, Gabrielle. Sorrengard is planning something, and we have to be ready. After I’ve taken back the earth court and restored some order, I promise I’ll do anything I can to help you find your brothers and your father.”
She shook her head sadly. “It’s hopeless. All I can do is move forward at this point.”
I sputtered. “You’re just giving up?”
That didn’t sound anything like the Gabrielle I knew.
Rain started to patter down around us.
“I’m doing what a good queen does,” she snapped. “I’m protecting the people I have left. I can’t send out more victims to Sorrengard so they can disappear and never be seen again.” She massaged her temples. “I’m sorry. I need to get back and check on my mother.”
“Of course,” I said.
She stood as rain drizzled around us. “Are you coming?”
My gaze strayed out to the distance, where I saw a figure swimming in the ocean. A muscled figure with blond hair that, at this point, I’d recognize anywhere.
“I’ll be back shortly. I just need some time to think.”
Gabrielle bit her lip as if trying to decide if it was a good idea to leave me here. Then she nodded. “Okay. I’ll see you later for dinner.”
I waited until she disappeared into the fog rolling in from the coastline, then turned and walked toward Penn.
Chapter Forty-Two
Istopped at the edge of an outcropping of rocks, looking down into the swell of waves as Penn moved his body. His back muscles rippled with each stroke, and he kept his head down, periodically raising it to get a breath of air. I stood mesmerized, unable to take my eyes from his magnificent form. The clouds darkened above, and rain pounded down harder, the rocks slick under my feet.
Penn lifted his head and his gaze caught on me. He swam closer until he faced me, droplets of water trailing down his face, hair slicked back.
“There you go, staring again,” he said.
He wasn’t wrong, but I was not about to admit that to him. “I just thought you’d like an update on my conversation with Gabrielle.”
