Chapter 22
Phoebe
The Lordof Water’s Ceremonial Ship
The ship lurches forward with a speed that steals my breath, the prow slicing clean through the waves as though the sea itself is carrying us.
Salt spray mists my face, but I know it isn’t the wind at work—it’s Kael.
His magic.
I feel it in every shudder of the hull, in the strange chorus that rises around us.
Shapes flash beneath the water.
A wall of gray fins, sleek shadows racing alongside us—sharks.
Then the mournful call of whales, deep and thunderous, thrums through my bones.
Otters leap and vanish again, a blur of teeth and fur.
Sea tigers ripple like striped lightning under the waves, their massive bodies keeping pace.
All of them are here, protecting me.
Because he asked them to.
Because Kael commanded it.
Tears sting my eyes, hot against the chill of the spray. I clutch the rail and whisper a prayer I don’t even know how to form.
Bring him back to me. Please, whatever powers are listening. Don’t let this be the end.
The air changes.
A shadow sweeps over the deck, blotting out the stars.
I look up, and my mouth falls open.
Dagan.
His wings stretch wide as the ship’s sails, black and glimmering, each beat spraying droplets of night across the sky.
He lands with the weight of a storm, his eyes burning like embers, his hair a wild tangle of shadow.
In all his glory, he is both terrifying and magnificent.
“Where is Kael?” he demands, voice deep enough to shake the boards beneath my feet.
My throat tightens, but I manage to answer. “He went to fight.”
Dagan’s gaze narrows. Then he nods once, sharp and certain, as if he already knew.
“So be it.” He softens—just barely—as his gaze settles on me.
“Be safe, milady.”
My fingers curl tighter around the rail. The words burst out before I can stop them.
