Page 94 of Fearless

“He’s nothing like his father,” I cut in, and try not to regret that decision when her eyes narrow. “He is saving Ilya, even begrudgingly. And I will marry him if it means the kingdom is united.”

She raises a hand, her nails piercing the air. “Fine. I didn’t realize you trusted him so much.”

I manage a nod, though I’m not sure I should be agreeing with her. My relationship with the king is strained. And I fear my actions have forever driven an invisible wedge between us.

“Tell me, Paedyn,” Zailah croons, her voice a sort of lulling melody. “Are we going to be friends?”

My answer is honest. “I hope so.”

“Splendid.” She smiles like it’s a weapon. “I do love a good enemy, but I have no need for any more of those.”

“As do I.” A pause. “Thank you again for your generosity. I hope you find the roses to be a fair trade for it.”

She stands, signaling the end of this conversation. Her gaze is piercing, as though searching for something within mine. “Yes, our healers are not nearly as advanced as those in Ilya.”

Her words are blunt in a way I admire. “Of course. But it seems you’ve already helped this city thrive without our assistance.”

She smiles distantly. “They didn’t want me to rule. And now, here I am, their savior.”

She turns away, leaving me to watch her glide toward the door. “Oh, and Paedyn?” She turns, her long fingers wrapped around the handle. “Don’t fear power. Wield it. Perhaps even let it control you.” The queen smiles sharply. “Being an Ordinary is not what makes you weak. It’s your heart.”

“I miss land.”

I say this, of course, around the stale bread sticking to the roof of my mouth. Kai picks at the plate of bland food atop his lap, legs spread out on the wooden floor. My own are crossed beneath me while my back rests against the bed.

This has become something of a routine—the two of us sitting on the floor of my humid cabin, talking about nothing in the hopes we will forget to taste the food in our mouths.

Kai’s gaze lifts to mine. “Well, you still have five more days of missing it.”

“Thanks for the reminder,” I grumble before taking a sip of warm water. “I’m not sure if it will be you or this unbearable heat that has me jumping into the Shallows.”

“You know,” he says genuinely, “I can’t think of a single reason you’d wish to escape me.”

“Your arrogance is astounding as always, Kai.”

“Thank you.”

I cut him a glance. “That wasn’t a compliment.”

“Then don’t say my name, and I won’t thank you for the sound.”

The corner of his smile is decorated with a dimple. I roll my eyes, if only to distract him from the blush stinging my cheeks. “The sea has been relatively calm,” I say instead of something I’ll likely regret.

“Yes.” He takes a bite of salty beef and twists his lips in the same way he always does. “It’s been eerily quiet. I’m not sure that’s a good thing.”

I nod, having worried the same myself. The heat hangs over us thickly, as though weighing down the waves. Compared to the storms we barely survived on the way to Izram, the sea is strangely still beneath us.

“The queen mentioned you spoke yesterday,” I say suddenly, surprising myself.

“Did she?”

I nod. “Did she talk about Kitt at all?”

He clears his throat, setting aside the half-empty plate. “She asked if Kitt knew about… us.”

I stiffen. “Us?”

“Yes, us.” Confusion crinkles his brow. “Everything going on between you and me. She saw me in your bed, Pae.”

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