Reagan’s expression grew distant. Fresh tears spilled over as she slid her free hand to her throat, rubbing at the thin, parallel lines there.
“Alec caught me once. Helping.” She paused for a long moment, her breathing staggered. “He went straight to Mordecai. They said they needed me for some Fae business. Neither of them would specify, and it was mid-afternoon so I didn’t understand.”
Her fingers tightened around her neck, the tremor in her voice distinct. “She wasn’t even six, Tarik. He held me back and made me watch as Alec—” Her throat bobbed. “She was forced to watch her family go first, and I couldn’t even comfort her before . . . Mordecai said he did it to make me strong, but every time I think of the life snuffed out from such a bright child, I feel the opposite. I feel weak. And now . . .”
Her words trailed off, a new wave of grief shuddering through her tiny frame.
And now she had a fresh reminder of what that sick dragon and his puny dragon son were willing to do at her expense. All because she wanted to do some good in the world. My eyes took in the way her fingers trembled as they rubbed at those twin scars I hadn’t dared ask her about. Back and forth. Back and . . . I needed to know. My heart lurched into my throat and I swallowed thickly. “And the scars? Did he . . . did he give you those too?”
“He needed leverage to make sure I didn’t shift. It came in the form of a dagger.”
I blew out a breath and scrubbed a hand down my face. “Gaia, Reagan. I’m . . . I’m sorry.” Before she could lower her gaze, I saw the moment she withdrew into herself. Nope. Not on my watch.
“Come here.” I pulled her to me, not giving her a chance to retreat. Tucking her head against my chest, I wrapped her in my arms and buried my nose into her hair. After a few beats, she relaxed against me, snuggling closer. My rage receded as I held her for a long while, until the fingers of dawn slipped through the round windows.
I’d never give this up.
Ever.
—
Ignoring my stomach’s loud protests, I snatched the map out of harm’s way with impressive speed. Less than a second later, half the table was drenched in water as Caspar knocked over his cup.
Sebastian jumped to his feet when the water beelined for him. “You almost destroyed the map, you clumsy oaf. And my pants!”
Caspar’s bottom lip poked out, then he burst out laughing. “Dude. You sound more concerned about your pants than the map! Don’t worry, man. If the water had flooded your lap, none of us would have teased you for peeing your pants.”
“Oh, I would have,” Malachi piped up, raising his hand. Seb glared at him, then Micah, whose mouth had started to open.
I chewed on the inside of my cheek to keep a smirk at bay. With a day’s worth of ocean between us and Nathra City, we’d all taken a moment to meet in the lounge area for a quick evening meal. Caspar had figured out how to set the boat’s course on autopilot so we could discuss the next steps of our mission as a group.
With food scrounged from the kitchenette in their stomachs, the others were in relatively high spirits. I still hadn’t eaten and probably wouldn't for some time, though, despite using the crystal’s healing power to curb the sickness. Just the smell of food sent acid racing up my throat. It didn’t help that Micah was polishing off a stinky cheese sandwich concoction right next to me.
I turned to Reagan on my other side. A faint smile graced her lips as she blotted the mess with a stack of napkins. Then I had an idea. A brilliant one. “Hey, Micah, remember that one time Seb sat on a tomato?”
Micah’s blue eyes brightened. “You’d better believe it. I put the tomato there!”
“Oh!” Malachi raised his hand again. “And his pants were white and we told everyone that Seb finally got his period.”
The table broke down in hysterics, Sebastian’s denials lost in the cacophony. Reagan made a strange choking noise. I tried not to grin when her lips puckered distastefully. “What, you don’t like that story?” I asked in mock surprise.
She rolled her eyes in reply.
I raised my voice over the noise, not once taking my gaze off hers. “I have a new story to add to the list.” When everyone quieted, I slowly winked at her, then continued. “There once was a boy who loved tomatoes. All kinds and shapes and sizes—red ones, yellow ones, plump and juicy ones, tart ones with thick skin that literally pop in your mouth.”
Reagan’s face pinched, but she didn’t look away. I plowed on. “Then the day came when the boy met a girl who hated tomatoes. The sight of them made her sick. She couldn’t even talk about them. When she saw the boy enjoying a deliciously round, ruby tomato, she called him names. Said he was tainted. Maybe even diseased.”
Shocked gasps filled the space. Suddenly, my stomach somersaulted into a nauseating dive, and I bit back a groan. Maybe this story about food wasn’t such a brilliant idea after all.
“Reagan? Are you the tomato hater?” Caspar whispered. When she didn’t reply, the big male slowly rose, staggering back a step. Sebastian sighed at the theatrics and continued wiping at the water spill, which only spread the mess farther.
Nevaeh snorted as she blew a large pink bubble. The gum snapped. “I don’t like tomatoes either,” she confessed. More gasps. I glanced at Akeno, but he was too busy watching Nevaeh pick gum off her sparkly lipstick.
Malachi raised his hand for the third time. “What if there are only tomatoes to eat in the Fae realm? How will the little shifters survive?”
Another gasp from Micah. “What if they try to eat us in our sleep?”
“Don’t worry. If that happens, I know who I’m going for first.” Reagan shot a death glare in my direction.
I chuckled softly. “The catnip will be extra tainted by then.”
“I’ve had worse—they’re called tomatoes,” she snarked back.
Sebastian finally reclaimed his seat and held his hand out for the map. “No one’s eating anyone on this trip. We need every last one of you.” He whipped his eyes Caspar’s way. “Including the klutz. Sit down before you hurt yourself.”
Caspar plopped into his seat, and when he reached for the pitcher of water, Reagan grabbed the handle and poured him a fresh glass.
“Thank you, Reagan,” Sebastian murmured, his attention glued to the strange map I’d handed him. “What did Rebel Leader tell you about these symbols, Tarik?”
I shrugged. “Only that they were part of an ancient language. Apparently the first Fae to cross into this realm didn’t pass their ancestral tongue down to the next generation. The symbols are clues though. Little pictures that tell a story.”
“Like a treasure map?” Malachi asked.
“Yes. Like that. We already figured out that the veil separating this world from Daranil is located in the Viridis Sea. The symbols depicting a westerly direction and ocean currents clued us in. But from there, we aren’t entirely sure. See those constellations top left?” I leaned over and trailed a finger along the pattern of stars. “That’s what we’re following right now.”
“And what’s this?” Akeno pointed at a mountainous rock formation protruding from the water. “An island?”