I slam the book onto the table, driving my point home. The pages bare their own history, after all. “An unkind word?” I glare at Wren. “Sour feelings between leaders?” I glance at Preacher. “Mistrust and prejudice?” I consider Josh beneath us. Can he hear my words through the floorboards? “One man from the Third tried to wipe out an entire race because he didn’t ‘like’ them.” Em would snort if she saw me doing air quotes right now. She’d be validated too.
That’s enough excitement for one day. After shoving the book into my pack, I pull the drawstring tight, sling the bag over one shoulder. “The Fairy Queen has known the darkness of hatred for so long, she’s forgotten how it feels to be in the presence of light. What happened with Tiernan only fueled a fire that had been burning for ages.”
I make a beeline for the door, adrenaline fueling me to get going already. “Pain is something you get used to after a certain passage of time. In a way, it becomes its own kind of comfort. Because pain is familiar.”
The Void pulses in my chest, my speech my own unfortunate reality. Newfound loathing for Tiernan sparks. Will I ever cease despising him for killing my adoptive mother? The man is dead. The only person my hatred affects is me. Even now, the Void feeds on it, every negative emotion energizing the darkness. Then I imagine Em’s smile, sense the change as my animosity recedes. Not much longer. We’ll be together again soon. “Sometimes heartbreak is easier to bear than healing.”
Tide’s nostrils flare. “He’s not wrong. The desire for revenge can consume you.” He works his jaw. “Pain keeps the past alive while healing forces you to move on. And letting go . . . it just isn’t that simple.”
Ebony shuffles to his side and touches his shoulder. I almost expect him to shrug her off. Instead, he makes eye contact. The growing intensity between them reminds me of my connection with Em.
And then I sense it, the shift in the atmosphere that has me backing away from the door. In all the rush I failed to stop and see the details that needed attending. We can’t put this off another minute.
I drop my pack and act as the leader I’ve somehow become. The room watches in silent wonder as I cross to the chief cook of my wrecked ship and place two fingers to my lips. Tide’s deep-blue Fourth Reflection Guardian tattoo stands out against a tan background. “Greatest However Is Water” rides on a strip of waves ringing his bicep. I touch my fingers there. “May your mother drift upon the tranquil waters.”
“May she ever ride the waves.” His response to my condolence is the tradition of his people. A salute to a life well lived.
Ebony follows suit, then Khloe. One by one we pay tribute, empathizing with his grief. When we discovered Tide yesterday, gagged and bound in a hollowed space beneath the kitchen floor, I could tell something was different about him. Originally, when he didn’t join us on our journey to the Fifth, we assumed he decided to remain behind with his people.
If only that were true. It would’ve made things much less complicated.
“My mother has been murdered.” Tide pulled me aside as I headed for my sparring match with Preacher. “That spineless son of a squall down in the cellar choked her in her sleep. He didn’t even try to hide it. Bragged about it all the way here.” The news raced across his rushed speech.
“I’m not one for revenge,” Tide shared. “My mother would not have wanted it. I will honor her memory by being the better man, but I do expect justice to be served here.”
“And it will be. Trust me.”
Tide has kept his word and hasn’t stepped within two fathoms of the Shadowalker. Still, I see it in his eyes. He’s watching, waiting, wondering what will be done about the man who killed Countess Ambrose.
What will be done, indeed.
The news that David is a murderer only solidified that he is, in fact, a follower of darkness. Another reason to remain with my crew. Makai is aware of the situation, but he has his own troubles to attend to. Staying keeps me and the Void in check, yes, but if I can prevent Tide from doing something he’d regret too? The decision will be well worth it.
Was this not David’s folly, after all? Taking matters into his own hands? Hands he claimed were incapable of such horrific acts?
I shoulder my pack once more. Man, Em’s mom is wise. I’ll have to remember to thank her for stopping me from following the same path as my brother. David requires a constant eye. At this point, is he even capable of being saved?
It’s what Em would desire. She wouldn’t want to be rescued. She’d tell me to choose the others over her. Even so, I’m going to pour everything I have into doing both. By choosing them, I am choosing her. Who better to find her than a group of those she loves? She saved us all. Time to return the favor.
A length of silence passes before I place my hand on the doorknob for the third time today. I wait for a signal Tide’s ready, then say, “I don’t need to remind everyone how vital it is we find the Verity’s vessel. Let’s hope Dahlia and Flint have news when we join them at the compound. Without Em—Eliyana—we have no hope of accomplishing anything. The Garden of Epoch and Fountain of Time can’t be approached without her. Only the purest of souls are permitted access. She’s our ticket in, our guarantee—”
“There are no guarantees.”
Ebony’s blurt stops me from exiting. Her determination drives through me. All right, I’ll hear what she has to say. I make a motion for her to continue.
“It’s not just the Verity’s vessel we need. If we desire to rid the Reflections of the Void, we must first understand it. And we can’t do that with a mere tale.” She gestures toward my book bag. “Words will only take us so far. It’s how we choose to act upon our knowledge that makes all the difference. We need to find out hands-on what’s really going on inside my mother’s head. Which is why I’m suggesting we break off into three groups instead of two.”
What’s she getting at?
“One to find El. Another to hide Elizabeth and Evan. And a third to find the nearest Fairy Fountain and get inside the queen’s head.” Her unblinking stare is hard to meet. Looks like we have another leader on our hands.
“Does anyone disagree with Miss Archer’s plan?” I scan the room.
No one protests. Not even Wren.
Wow. That’s new. “Tide and Stormy, you two go with Ebony to the nearest Fountain. Tide, you mentioned David brought you through that route?”
My chief cook nods. “That’s right.” His smile leads me to believe he and Ebony have already discussed this. They weren’t looking for my permission here. If I’d said this was a bad idea, they’d probably still have gone.
“Very well,” I say. “I agree it wouldn’t hurt—”
“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Hands on her hips, Khloe steps from behind Ebony. When did Em’s sister start rubbing off on her so much?
This ought to be good. “Such as?” I know where she’s going with this, and the answer is no, absolutely not.
Eye roll exaggerated for all to see, Khloe says, “Um, I’m going to the Fairy Fountain too.” She shrugs. “They might need me.”
Ebony laughs. “She’s not wrong. Have you seen what she can do? She can adapt to any climate, and don’t even get me started on her projection abilities.”
“Come on, Cap.” Tide uses his nickname for me from our time at sea. “Let Khlo live up to her potential. You can’t protect her forever.”