Page 78 of Salt in the Seas
Emeris bit her lip and looked away.
“If your fears should come to pass, do you wish for me to tell her your secret?” Orra understood the weight of such a layered secret. How the knowledge could both free and completely undo someone.
“If the timing is right.” Emeris’ brow still furrowed.
“Only if the Sun wills it,” Orra promised. “Or not at all.”
The other woman’s features finally relaxed, and she reached over to squeeze Orra’s hand. “Thank you.”
A faint glow hovered in the room, likely not noticeable to Emeris’ half-light eyes, but Orra held her breath, basking in its presence. It reminded her of her days communing with worshipers in the Sungazers, guiding them to follow the Sun, helping them through problemslarge and small in a simple conversation, just like she’d done with Emeris now.
She blinked back tears, longing for what had once been but knowing it was beyond her reach. She squeezed Emeris’ hand back. “Thankyou,” she whispered.
CHAPTER 30
As they pulledinto Andel’s harbor, Aeliana’s jaw dropped. The city seemed to stretch on as far as she could see along the coast as well as inland. They passed ships at least three times the size ofTo the Deep and Back,with masts towering high above. Brightly colored homes dotted the cliffs, the structure surprisingly similar to the fortress in the Myndren Mountains. The cheerful view made her want to repaint the fortress, perhaps bring back its former glory as a Sungazer, if Orra’s stories of its origin could be believed.
She joined Gaeren at the helm, eager for a better view and curious how he’d maneuver the boat through such congested waters.
“You’re a natural sailor,” Gaeren said.
Aeliana laughed to hide how much that compliment pleased her. “What does it look like to be a natural?”
“Haven’t you noticed Holm has been stuck down in his room, sick as a dog?”
She grimaced. “Fair enough. I wonder if that doesn’t bode well for him when we find the starbridge and travel to Paelen’s waters.”
Gaeren shifted the wheel and called out instructions to the sailors, the change in direction making the wind ruffle his hair. He turned back to her, eyebrows raised. “Do you think it’s likely we’ll find it? The starbridge?”
Doubt niggled at the back of Aeliana’s mind, but she refused togive in to it. “We have to in order to save my mother, so we will.” She ran her hand over the smooth wooden rail separating her from the water. “It will be hard to leave the water for land again.”
“It always is,” Gaeren murmured.
Aeliana hadn’t expected to enjoy sailing as much as she did. At first, she’d been like a passenger, wandering aimlessly along the deck to enjoy the occasional spray of water from the ship’s edge. But as they’d progressed down the eastern coast of Vendaras, she’d found herself learning from the sailors. More than once, Iris had pointed out she was only able to climb the rigging because she’d finally given in to wearing trousers. It was true, but Aeliana wasn’t going to admit that to Iris.
“Despite being the capital, Elanesse is probably half the size of this city. This is a good place for you to practice pulling back on your access to memories. In crowds you’ll get flooded with glimpses that you have to push away, or they’ll overwhelm you.”
She grimaced, wishing her connection to Durriken hadn’t altered her magic. She still couldn’t heal as much and she hadn’t gotten the strength of her light shields back, and she found that she missed that part of her magic.
“It’s not all bad,” Gaeren said with a smile, misinterpreting her disappointment. “I always wanted to travel through Andel and lose myself in it, but I usually had an entourage that made it impossible not to be recognized. Probably kept me safer, but I would have preferred the anonymity.”
“Are you in danger coming here now?” Aeliana asked.
“Probably not? Larkos claims the southern Recreants aren’t concerned about me after hearing how I left, but I can’t help wondering if there could be a few rogue people who still don’t care for my bloodline.”
Aeliana shuddered. “It would be nice if we found the starbridge quickly, but with a city this size and an artifact being lost for so long, I doubt we can expect it.”
“I don’t have my hopes up either.” He scratched at his bond mark, drawing Aeliana’s attention.
“Is your bondmate bothered by the fact that you haven’t returned?”
Gaeren hesitated, making Aeliana wonder if her question was too personal, but then he shrugged. “Lenda and I have never been as close as we should be for bondmates. My sister actually wanted me to break our bond.”
Aeliana’s eyebrows rose. “Whatever for?”
“I’m starting to wonder if she wanted me to be free to leave again. It’s hard to tell when her advice changes on a whim depending on what visions she sees.”
“I suppose you’ll go back after all this. Continue on as throne warden.” She let her real question hang there, unspoken between them. Was there any chance he’d remain with the Recreants? She didn’t feel like she had a right to the answer, but she wanted it anyway.
