Page 73 of Beneath the Veil of Tides
“Thousands versusseven,” Calvin corrected with a glare to the bird.
“But if we wait, they’ll storm inland past the harbor and into the villages.Everyoneon Brigg Isle willdie,” I snapped through clenched teeth, urging them to understand.
“So, we need to get the weapon to end it all.”
All heads snapped toward the helm of the ship.
Zahara.
She held the wrapped, bloodied stub of her severed arm to her stomach. Her eyes, normally calm, burned with a sharp, glassy fire—wide, unblinking, and fixed with terrifying focus.
“Caelyn and Laziel leave immediately when further east in the Pantheorn Sea, closer to the Abyssal Hold. We will prepare and evacuate Brigg Isle and meet them back on the far side between Brigg and the Aeltharyn Peninsula.” Her words were final command.
“They aren’t ready–” Noctis attempted, but Zahara quickly cut him off.
“She will never be ready according to you. If you protect her from the world, she will start to resent you. Do you not know anything about your Blood Tie?”
Noctis stepped forward, fire in his stare.
“Mark me: I will raze empires and drown seas to keep her safe.”
“So be it, she will find the last piece. Then, maybe, just maybe, the world will be quiet enough for you to love her without fear,” Zahara ordered, never breaking the god’s eye contact.
“I am ready.” I stepped into their line of sight. “We both are.” I gestured to Laziel, who stood with his chin raised as if demonstrating his willingness of urgency.
“Give us a moment,” Noctis commanded, his eyes searching mine, desperate to convince me to stay.
The crew silently offered us a private moment, shuffling away to the helm of the ship, eyes still plastered at Brigg Isle—at the innocents forced to march into death.
“You said I am powerful, even without powers. Have you changed your mind already?” I faltered, hurt thick in my throat.
Noctis closed the distance between us. His hand slowly grazed my neck, fingers trailing so softly across my skin. I swallowed, and his eyes caught the action.
“You don’t hold power, darling. Youarepower.” He lowered his head, his nose meeting my ear, and I nearly collapsed into him as his breath trickled in. “But that’s not why I’m terrified. What scares me is knowing what it’s like to lose you. And I know I won’t be able to survive that twice. It’s not you I don’t think is ready. It’s me.”
“You won’t have to,” I whispered, but the words caught, slightly trembling as I restrained myself. I wanted to lean in… wanted to touch my lips to his, feel his warmth spread along me as he gripped me… wanted to feel safe for the first time in my entire life. But wanting him made me vulnerable, and I needed to be present to fight without any distractions.
“You’re right. Because you’re coming back to me.” His hand trailed to the back of my head, lightly fisting the hair at the nape of my neck.Oh, gods.I was going to give in. “I have something for you before you go.”
He released me, the absence of his body against my skin nearly making me shiver. From his vest pocket, he pulled out a rolled parchment.
“For you, love,” he breathed with aching softness, handing it to me.
I slipped the scroll from his fingers and sat down along the deck to roll it out. It spread across the wooden panels and revealed a hand-drawn map, a red circle scribbled around multiple locations.
“Here,” Noctis pointed at the nearest one on the map, “is where we first met. The day Raven and I found you washed up on the shores. Even in the chaos of that night, I’ve never seen anyone so beautiful and strong, watching you fight off the Thirstlings.”
He moved to the next circle.
“Where we trained every day and night. You were so hard headed and adamant about working yourself to near death every single day. I was worried about you, but the day you mastered your stance, we went to Brandy’s Hearth and Pies, and you chose the whipped lime tart you always claimed was ‘blessed by the gods themselves.’”
The taste of the sweet and tart pastry lathered my tongue, the creaminess of its filling and the flaky crust hugging my taste buds.
“This is where you first told me the three words I never thought I’d ever hear a day in my life.” He paused, focusing on the location with eyebrows drawn.
He went through the rest, each reciting the memory attached to the place—the temple we went to complete the Blood Tie ritual, our first meal together, even the forest we walked when I told him the truth about my parents and Evelyn.
I had no words at first, caught in shock that he went through the work to present such a heartfelt gift. Or that he remembered each piece of our lives.
