Page 28 of Tangled Sails

As I admired the beauty of the island, I was half-aware of Tavric pulling a small box of supplies from the boat and placing it far out of reach of the water before stringing a rope from the boat to a tree trunk. Then he pulled a blanket from the box, spread it out and flopped himself onto it.

That was all the permission I needed to sit on the blanket and bury my toes in the sand. I dug my fingers in as well, loving the soft scrape of sand against my skin. I closed my eyes, once more drawn into communing with the earth. I couldn’t help myself. After being surrounded by nothing but stone for so many years, the opportunity to feel all different kinds of soil was not something I could pass up.

“I have something for you,” Tavric said suddenly.

I turned to face him, surprised both by his words and by the look of unease on his face. “What is it?”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his closed fist, holding it toward me.

I held out my hand, curious, and when he opened his fist, my necklace fell onto my palm. I sucked in a breath and blinked back the tears. “You found it,” I said in awe as I drew it close to my heart.

“One of my men did,” he said. “He brought it to me yesterday.”

“Thank you,” I whispered while my trembling fingers fought to open the clasp.

“Here,” he said, placing a calming hand over my own. “Let me.”

He gently took the necklace back and got up on his knees so he could loop the chain around my neck. I fought a shudder as his fingers brushed my neck. As the pendant settled into place, I covered it with my fingers, comforted by its familiar weight. It was the only thing I still had from my parents.

“I’m sorry I didn’t give it to you yesterday. I’ve been…distracted.” Tavric sat back on the blanket, resting his elbows on his knees. His expression was subdued but steady. He nodded toward the necklace. “What does the symbol mean?”

My brow scrunched in confusion. “It doesn’t mean anything.”

His eyes narrowed. “Are you certain?”

I nodded. “It was my mother’s. It was the only thing I was able to bring with me when I left the tower.”

“Hmm.” He seemed dissatisfied with my answer, but it was the truth, so I just sat back and let the sensation of the wind on my face and the sand on my feet seep into me.

Tavric and I rested in silence until he sat up and pointed down the beach. “Do you see those?”

“See what?”

“Watch the sand carefully and you’ll see them move.”

I did as he asked, and sure enough, the small shells that littered the beach were moving. “What are they?”

“Hermit crabs. They find shells to crawl into and then they scuttle around the beach.”

I got up for a closer look and found that when I was moving, the crabs would move less, but if I stayed still, they would suddenly come to life, hauling their tiny houses on their backs as they went here and there. Two of them bumped into one another and then circled around each other. “These two seem to be doing a dance,” I commented.

“Which one?” he asked from behind me.

“What do you mean?”

“Which dance are they doing?”

I looked over my shoulder at Tavric. “I don’t know the names.”

“Were you not taught how to dance?”

I tilted my head as I looked at him. “Not only does dancing require a partner, but do you remember how long my hair was?”

“Oh, right.” He rubbed at his forehead. “Sorry.”

I shrugged. “Nothing to be sorry for. I’ve never danced. I’ve never done a great many things. Before today, I had not sailed on the sea with the wind in my hair. I’d never felt sand under my feet, and I’d never lounged on a small island with a prince. So, as I said, you have nothing to be sorry for. You’ve been a true friend.” I looked away from him to prevent myself from gushing out all of my thanks. Instead I took a few steps toward the water until I was on damp, firm sand. I admired the light reflecting off the water, the bright white clouds against the blue sky, and the way the trees swayed in the wind.

I heard Tavric moving behind me but was surprised when he circled around to face me and swept into a deep bow, holding one hand out. “My lady, might I have this dance?”