Page 165 of Salt in the Seas
Velden studied her closely enough that she squirmed under his gaze. “He made sure you were a sure bet. Don’t you remember what Sylmar promised when we first met?” Velden asked. “About teaching you to get rid of your magic?”
She nodded even though it felt so long ago.
“He can’t do that any more than I can teach you how to excrete water.” Velden held out his slimy webbed hands, letting the water flow over like a burbling spring.
The admission should have made her angry. Somewhere deep down, the words struck a painful chord, but another part of her felt sad for the man aged beyond his years as he carried weight he couldn’t get rid of.
“So he lied to make sure I’d stay?”
“He might seem like the cranky rule-follower, but he’s more likely to cross lines than anyone here if he thinks it’s for the right reason. Youstayed, so he would say that had been the right choice. He values the outcome more than the motive or method. He trusts himself to make things happen more than he trusts the Sun.”
“My mother would say the Sun can still use our shortcomings for a greater good.”
“And Cyrus would say it’s the Stars.” He grinned, and she smiled with him even though it was no longer true. “The point is Sylmar didn’t have information that could help me.”
“So now you ask the sailors,” she said, bringing the conversation back around to what had started her prying.
Velden nodded. “Sailors can be a seedy and yet loyal bunch. But they are also some of the worst gossips around. Almost every single one of them has heard of the green-eyed goddess. Even Gaeren claims he sought her out once thinking she might be you.”
“Me,” Aeliana said in surprise. Her gaze swung to the shoreline even though she could no longer make out individuals, let alone the prince who’d long ago left the docks.
“He’s followed every lead imaginable for the last seven years, ever since he was gifted this ship. If you hadn’t been on the other side of the barrier, he would have found you long ago between his determination and resources. You had no chance at hiding.”
“I wasn’t hiding.” She closed her eyes, imagining a younger Gaeren chasing after every rumor to follow through on his promise to protect her.
“Fine. Arvid and Vera had no chance at hiding you. But Gaeren claims he saw this green-eyed goddess near Seaglass Port. Said she was surrounded by children she’d taken in, children she taught how to fish and care for sea creatures. They lived off the knowledge she gave them. But as soon as he saw she was at least five years your senior, he knew the lead was a dead end and he didn’t pursue her further.”
“We should have gone south instead of north,” Aeliana said. “You could have looked for her. Maybe even found Sariah.”
Velden shook his head. “I’ll find her eventually. Maybe both of them. I won’t give up. But Lady Merinnia showed me something else. She showed me all the things she showed my mother—all the things that would come of her using the starbridge.” He closed his eyes andtilted his nose into the wind, inhaling the sea breeze as if it strengthened him.
“So your mother did know how she would die,” Aeliana murmured.
Velden nodded. “But that wasn’t the last thing she saw. The Seer showed my mother you.”
“Me?” Aeliana squirmed. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
“It makes sense of everything for me.” Velden opened his eyes, which shone bright as he blinked back tears. “My mother saw me aiding you. She saw us changing the world. And she knew her sacrifice would be worth it.”
Aeliana bit her lip and glanced at her hands. She couldn’t handle the confidence in his face—in his words. She clenched and unclenched her fists, feeling even more unworthy of his confidence as she stared at evidence of all the ways she’d failed.
“I will find my daughter someday.” He patted her back, the sticky wetness soaking through to her skin and drawing the sea breeze in to make her shiver. “Maybe even Sariah. But in the meantime, my purpose is to help you. We’ll figure out the curse and save all of Vendaras. I won’t let my mother’s sacrifice go to waste.” His smile wobbled, but he wrapped an arm around Aeliana and drew her in for a hug. “Recently I’ve thought if I ever had a daughter, I’d want her to be like you. It’s how I imagine her while I wait.”
“She sounds far better,” Aeliana whispered as she squeezed him back.
“Hopefully someday soon we both find out.” He pulled back, patting her once more before squirting her in the face and threatening to ruin the sweet moment they’d shared. “Until then, we need to get you strong enough to wield a sword.”
CHAPTER 64
Gaeren and Riverandropped Thallahan off in town, teasing him about his upcoming marriage and whether or not Fay still waited for him. The rest of the ride to the palace was somber as each man considered their next steps.
“Are you sure you want to come with me?” Gaeren asked.
Riveran nodded. “I have nowhere else to go.”
“I could send you off,” Gaeren offered. “Get funds from the coffers before they decide what to do with me. You could start over. You’ve already sacrificed more than any man should have to for the sake of Vendaras. No one would judge you for wanting to live out the rest of your life in peace and quiet.”
Riveran grunted but didn’t respond, confirming Gaeren’s suspicions that the other man still loved his sister. Living a life without knowing how she fared wouldn’t be peaceful at all.
