But we didn’t need to walk.
I didn’t give myself time to think about what I was about to do. I crossed the distance between us and grasped Casteel’s cheek. “Will yourself to the inner Rise.”
Confusion quickly faded into realization as the essence pulsed behind Casteel’s pupils. Then, a slow smile lifted the corner of his lips. “See you there.”
“Hold on,” I said, grabbing Kieran’s arm.
“What—?”
A rush of charged air stole his words as I pictured the inner Rise in my mind. Summoning the essence, I acted on pure instinct. Casteel hadn’t looked ready to vomit when I mentioned shadowstepping. Kieran had.
A single heartbeat.
That was how long it took before the wind swirling around us shifted and became laced with the much stronger scent of the sea. We were no longer standing on the balcony—
We were directly in front of an Atlantian guard.
“Holy shit,” the man gasped, his eyes flaring wide below the rim of his steel helmet.
“Sorry,” I said.
“What the fuck?” gasped Kieran, staggering back.
I spun and caught his arm before he fell off the battlement. He bent at the waist and clutched his knees.
“You’re the…you’re…” the guard stammered, his brown skin taking on a gray tone.
A shout of surprise came from our right. Another guard stumbled in mid-run as the air in front of him distorted. Casteel appeared in the blink of an eye. It was the strangest damn thing. The space was empty one moment and filled the next.
“Y-your Majesty.” The pale-skinned guard stiffened, his hazel eyes darting to where I stood. “Your Majesties.”
Both guards started to kneel.
“Please. That’s not necessary,” I said, still keeping a hand on Kieran while making a mental note to get a message to all the guards and soldiers, telling them to knock off the bowing thing. “Especially not now.”
They halted and stared at us with open mouths.
Casteel strode forward and glanced down at Kieran. “Are you okay?”
Kieran dragged in a lungful of air. “I don’t think I should’ve eaten that biscuit.” He slowly straightened and turned to me. “Don’teverdo that again.”
“Sorry?”
“You do not sound even remotely sorry.” He wiped a fine sheen of sweat from his forehead.
“Walking would’ve taken too long,” I reasoned. “And you’re fine. Still in one piece.”
“It feels like my stomach is still sitting on the balcony.”
Casteel snorted and turned to the two guards. “Can you tell us what is happening?”
“A ship went down in the bay, Your Majesty,” the guard I nearly shadowstepped on answered.
“That’s it?” Kieran asked, stretching his neck from side to side.
“That’s all we know,” the guard said.
“That can’t be it.” I turned toward the sea. “We all felt it. Can still feel it.”
