Page 113 of Death of a Mortal

Okay, bossy.

I stepped into the water, and what greeted my bare feet felt like liquid ice. It was so cold that it sent shivers through me as soon as my first toe touched it. My teeth were chattering from the icy water by the time I stepped into the boat. Once all except Dray had crammed in, he positioned himself at the back of the boat, pushed us further into the water, and then jumped aboard. He sat, picked up the oars, and dipped each wide end into the water.

I had never seen anyone move a boat. It was so fascinating that Ijust watched him, over and over, plunging the oars into the water in front of him and pushing the handles forward to propel us toward the ship.

He caught me staring, so I quickly looked away, heart skipping a beat under his scrutiny. I looked up to find Aerie circling the ship with a much smaller black bird in tow.

Noxie. I didn’t bother to stop the tears from falling. Noxie was here. I couldn’t communicate with him still, but I knew it was him, and he was going with us. He was crossing the ocean to Elyndor with me, just as we had said we would. The happiness blooming in my chest was a foreign feeling, happiness that had been gone from my life for so long.

But that happiness quickly faded when I realized our plan was two people short. We said we would cross the sea together as a family: me, Noxie, Nella, and my mother. I had lost so much so quickly. It was a wonder I hadn’t just died of a broken heart.

Maybe I would have, if not for my fae heart. The mortal one broke and died with Nella. I still hadn’t fully understood what happened that night in the ballroom, but I couldn’t think about that now. Maybe when I had all the time in the world to sit and think instead of fearing for my life.

I looked back toward the shore and found no guards or royals pursuing us. What had seemed like pure chaos to me must have been a well-formed plan by the rebels.

We reached the ship quickly and, one by one, climbed the rope ladder up to the deck. Aerie transitioned back into her fae form and landed lightly on the deck, naked. Noxie landed on the railing next to her.

“I heard this crow screaming your name over and over while I was scouting over the forest, so I figured he was with you and told him to come along,” Aerie said.

“You can talk to Noxie?” I handed her the clothes I had scooped up when she transformed in the woods, and she started getting dressed.

“When I’m in my vey form, yeah. I can talk to all the birds.”

I turned toward Noxie, tears still swimming in my eyes. “I’m so happy you’re here, Noxie.” The comfort that washed over me as I stroked his feathers, relishing the warmth of his life, was overwhelming.

He cocked his head to one side and gave me a caw.

“Can someone get these cuffs off me? I’d really like to talk to my Familiar.”

“Ooooh, he’s your Familiar? That’s so rare, and so badass!Andit’s a bird! I knew I liked you. Dray, the key to the cuffs?”

“I left it at base. We’ll get them off when we get there.” I caught the hint of a warning in the look he gave Aerie.

My heart dropped a little. “And how long until then?”

“Between the glythyrs and our combined magic, it should take two weeks,” he said.

“Two weeks?!” Two weeks seemed like a lifetime to be on a boat, especially with these cuffs on.

“Elyssar Sea is not small.” He was so dry and brittle in his words.

If we were crossing the Elyssar Sea, then that meant we were definitely headed for Elyndor. This would be my first time off the continent of Ashenholt—this was taking freedom to a whole new level.

I could deal with two weeks.

Dray gave the order to get us ready to depart, then told me to follow him. He took me into a large cabin off the deck. It was bare, with only a table with a few rickety chairs at the center and a few lit candles. There were several doors off the main cabin, and he led me through the one second from the far end. Inside was nothing but a small bed against the wall, a small table next to it with a candle, and a dirty mirror on the wall.

“I’ll get a towel and some extra clothes from Aerie. Keep the coat. It’s cold on the water. Bathroom is right next door, last one on the left,” Dray said.

“Thanks. Should I call you Dray or Drayce?” Aerie had introduced him as Drayce, but everyone seemed to call him Dray.

He stared at me for a moment, searching my face and lingering on my scars only momentarily, his jaw tightening—not like he was repulsed, but as if he was angry. I could see conflict in his eyes. Being in this male’s presence made me nervous, and knowing he didn’t trust me didn’t help.

I thought he wouldn’t answer me, but then he said, “Drayce.”

“Well, Drayce, I’m Naci. And thanks for, you know…saving me. Even if you were rude about it.”

He just scoffed and turned toward the door.