Page 152 of Devoted

“I’m sorry.” I rubbed her cold hands, just so she knew someone was here. “What happened today isn’t on you. That was Giovanni and Blackwood. Not you. Understand?”

She dipped her head, tears clinging to her eyelashes.

“Lie down.” I eased her down onto the bench, not ideal, but it was out of the wind. “Close your eyes and try to rest. I’ll wake you when we get to where we’re going.”

“And where is that?”

“Somewhere safe,” I assured her before crossing to Gabriel. “We should get moving. Unless someone has a better suggestion, I think we should head north, toward Venice.”

“I have so many questions,” Gabriel muttered, throwing me the side-eye as he made his way to the cabin. “But they can wait until we’re not drifting at sea.”

“Everyone, hang on. We’ll be moving soon,” I called, then followed him inside, ducking down so I didn’t hit my head.

“Where to?” Gabriel asked, hitting the throttle, the engines roaring to life. “It’s not like we have a lot of options. In a few hours, when this boat doesn’t arrive at the destination, they’ll start hunting us.”

“Lucky for you, I have a solution to both of those problems.” I grinned. “Head toward the city, then due east, toward the DiSangue island. We’ll hole up with Emilia. Once everyone is on land, I’ll find somewhere to sink the boat and dematerialize back in a few hours.”

“That’s the…” Gabriel paused, considering my suggestion, then nodded. “Actually, that will work.” He pushed the throttle down, cut the wheel to the right, and we were flying toward Venice.

I went back up on deck and crouched down beside Dante and Emberline. Her hair was plastered flat, salt water crystals drying on her face, and she had a dazed expression I recognized from the aftermath of a long, dangerous day—shock and exhaustion mixing into a bone-deep numbness.

“You,”—she narrowed her eyes, looking at me like I’d done something wrong—“are going to teach me how to really swim. Not just a pretend lesson you use as an excuse to fondle my ass.”

“And here I thought you enjoyed our little detour in the cove… but you’re right.” I grinned. “Given how we literally live on the water, that seems like an excellent idea.”

“I’ve been saying this for months,”—Dante rubbed his head—“but I noticed you didn’t ask me to teach you.”

“Fine, you can help,” she grumbled. “Given how hopeless I am at staying above the surface, it will probably take the both of you.”

I blew out a breath. I had so much to say. I wanted to tell Emberline how my heart had stopped when she’d gone overboard. How I’d wanted to strangle my father for everything that happened today. And kill her fucking uncle.

But right now, my priority was getting everyone back on land before Giovanni sent out reinforcements.

“So.” A long pause as Dante looked me up and down. “You turned into the Emissary. On an iron boat with iron shackles and iron pins in your back. Care to explain?”

“Let’s just say the Emissary doesn’t abide by the rules of this realm.” I paused. “Or any other. The iron only worked on my mortal magic. I can’t pull up my shadows right now, for instance.”

“Why didn’t you do it sooner?” Dante demanded, his tone accusatory. “Before they threw Emberline overboard?”

“Dante, I’m sure…”

“No, it’s a valid question,” I said quietly. “I had to wait until we passed the containment field. And I hesitated because the last time I let the Emissary loose, I nearly leveled the Draconi fortress.” I sent him a pointed look. “And on a boat, in the middle of the ocean, with all of you in iron shackles, stripped of your powers… I was afraid I would kill us all.”

“That sounds like a good enough reason to me.” Emberline touched my hand. “I saw you. Not here, but… there.” She waved her hand vaguely between us. “You told me to come back. That we had a fight to finish.”

“And for once, you actually listened,” I teased.

“And how are we going to fight, Nico?” She shook her head. “After what I saw today, we can’t fight that. The Drax, your father, all those guards… there’s no way we can make a stand.”

“Let’s worry about that tomorrow,” I said gently. “Tonight, we go somewhere safe and get some rest.”

She looked at me for a long moment, shivering, Dante’s arm tight around her, and then something shifted in her expression—the sharp edge of fear softened into exhaustion, her body melting into her husband as he firmed his hold around her.

Tomorrow, we’d go back to plotting and planning.

Tonight, we celebrated being alive.

“As far as those lessons, I don’t suppose I could talk you into skinny dipping?” I winked. “I’ve heard swimming is easier au natural, and you need all the advantages you can get, princess.”