“What colour were their tails?”
Kit’s tail twitched. His shoulders tightened, and his crystalline blue eyes flicked up to meet Nick’s. Kit’s expression closed off as he straightened, body leaning away from Nick, even as his tail feathered against his thigh.
“They were too far,” Kit replied stiffly.
Nick stared at Kit, leaning against the table, shirtless, smelling of sweat and iron. Feeling more alone than when he’d first woken up on the ship.
Kit’s hands slid behind his back and clasped together, the water from the washcloth dripping onto the wooden floor as it was squeezed. He couldn’t meet Nick’s eyes. “There are no eyepieces, and the sun reflects off the ocean to create the illusion of different colours. It’s impossible to tell.”
Nick turned away from him, angry and hopeless.
“I don’t know,” burst suddenly from Kit. “Don’t make such an expression. Please. Blue, I think. And the other was the colour of a red sunset.”
“Pale blue?”
“Perhaps,” Kit said, but this time it wasn’t to stonewall Nick. He met his eyes; it was an honest reply.
“And copper?”
“Yes.”
Bee and Dew, Laurence’s friends and co-conspirators. Nick didn’t know them well since Adonis despised them and chased them away whenever they came near Connor, and a few weeks ago, they’d been banned from the house by Trevor after they aided Laurence’s attempt to try and cross through The Tear on nothing but a windsurf.
“You know them?”
Was denying that of any benefit to Nick? None that he could see. “Bee and Dew. They’re the ones that goaded Adonis into cracking hulls at Vi’s party,andthey convinced my little brother it would be a good idea to try to windsurf through The Tear.” Trevor must have genuinely believed that Laurence had learned his lesson and wouldn’t try anything so dangerous again, or else he’d still be grounded.
Nick dipped the washcloth into the basin, the water still hot enough to sting.
“I’m going to wash up,” Nick said. He gestured to the door.
“Mini is within hearing distance if the pain returns.” Kit hesitated in the doorway. His tail quivered unhappily in the air behind him. “I apologise for my behaviour.”
Nick didn’t look at Kit’s face; he watched that revealing tail. “What part? Threatening to physically harm me? Making me expose myself?” The black, lean limb curled tightly around Kit’s own leg. “Or are you apologising for all of it? Kidnapping me? Getting ready to hand me over to the council? You won’t even tell me why you took me. Are you sorry for that?”
Kit’s tail spoke of shame and guilt.
“Just get out.”
Nick was the prisoner. Kit could have got pissed off at the order and locked him up in the brig—and Nick had found the exact room that was meant for him during his explorations of the ship. It was dark and dank, sitting low in the deepest bellows of the ship. It was cold, with no sunlight or bathroom. Not a place he wanted to be.
Instead, Kit left without a word.
Chapter Fourteen
Nick lay on fresh sheets, listening. He heard cargo being moved in the halls, trunks scraping, bangs followed by curses, feet pattering constantly. Washed and fed, Nick finally convinced the niggling voice whispering that Connor had told the mermennotto find him to shut it. Connor wouldn’t particularly care about Nick’s disappearance, but he’d probably get a kick out of getting to play the hero for Laurence. As if Laurence didn’t idolise him enough already.
There was a light tap on the door.
Nick continued to stare at the boards above him. “What?”
Mini scuttled in. “Here to report.”
“Go ahead.” Yesterday, Nick had been told they suspected the coffee seeds were growing because they had to pour more water to keep the soil damp. Nick had hummed, then suggested that it had been hotter, and the water might have evaporated quicker because of the higher temperature. It had led to a lesson on evaporation.
“Desre summoned Kit.”
Nick jerked upright, a bolt of energy blasting through him. “What?When?” He was on his feet, but Mini was already shaking his head, blocking Nick from the doorway.
