Page 15 of Tik-Tok

He scanned the kitchen, lips pursed at the lack of a fire. There wasn’t even the hint of smoke in the air—just a warm herbal scent. “How did you heat the water?”

“I asked Dax,” she replied with wide, horror-filled eyes.

Tik-Tok felt the anger rush out of him, then roar back to life. Only, now he was angry with himself. He didn’t want to take his frustrations out on his crew—they didn’t deserve it. If it were anyone else but the found-family on board this ship, he wouldn’t have given two shits about who deserved what.

“Right.” Tik-Tok smoothed his hair back. The elemental elf, Dax, couldn’t create a spark, as his skill lay more solidly with air, but he had enough talent to heat water without fire. He slid the steaming teacup across the table. “Is this ready?”

The brownie nodded.

“I’ll take it to her,” he said in a gruff voice.

And she better have made some fucking progress with her magic.

By the time Tik-Tok reached North’s room, half of the warm tea had sloshed out of the cup. It was still more than he ever would’ve given her, when water was better for hydration. Maybe Celyna trulywasfucking with him—sending him after a female without the ability to access her power. He gave two quick raps on the door to announce himself to North before pushing it open and climbing down the ladder.

“What’s that?” North asked, scowling up at him from the center of her bed. “Come to poison me now that you’ve realized I’m telling the truth about my lack of magic?”

Tik-Tok gave her a strained grin.Get yourself together.It wasn’t like him to lash out like this, but he wassofrustratingly close. His heart kicked as a memory threatened to surface, but it was quickly locked away again. He had everything he needed—so what was the problem? The sea witch might be seeing him sooner than expected.

“Oh, my star. If I wanted to poison you, I would simply pour it down your throat. Not hide it in tea.” He set the cup down on the bottom rung of the ladder and flopped down beside her on the bed. “See, this”—he motioned between them—“only works if we’re honest with each other.”

North inched closer to the end of the bed, putting space between them. “I willhonestlykill you one day.”

He licked his lips and smirked. “I look forward to the attempt. What shall you do? Kiss me again, then bring a blade to my throat?”

Her nostrils flared as she studied him.

“Well?” He turned to his side, propping his head up on one hand. “Or … will you use magic to kill me?”

“I told you—” she said slowly.

Tik-Tok lifted a piece of her soft silver hair and let it slip slowly through his fingers, meeting her brown eyes. The eyes he’d dreamed about for years. Eyes that belonged to the female who would open the portal so he could get what he desired most. He leaned in, his nose almost brushing hers as he took her chin between his fingers, and inhaled that magical scent. “Your magic carries hints of the sea and sweet, tangy fruit.” He released her. “With subtle notes of mint. Unlike your body, which smells of vanilla.”

Deny it again, he silently dared her as he inched back to give her space.Tell me you have no magic.

“How can you smell it?” she asked in a careful voice. “And if it’s true, then why can’t I use it?”

Damned if he wouldn’t find out.There was something in her tone that sounded as if shewantedthe magic, that she really thought she didn’t have it, and judging by her desperate expression, he believed her. Perhaps she needed a trigger to tap into the power. Something to break the locks off whatever held it back. He stared at her, taking in her perfect features, her alluring scent.Yes,he decided. She simply needed help. And that was what he would do to occupy his time until they found the portal. All his frustration could be funneled into something useful.

“I want you to try something.” He pulled the golden compass from his pocket. Oz had held it hostage to ensure his allegiance, but it had been unnecessary. Celyna had told him to help the Wizard, and Tik-Tok wouldn’t have walked away until it served his purpose. Which was what had brought him to Ozma, and Jack, who had retrieved the compass for him. Then North. “Take this.”

“What is it?” she asked, lifting it by the edges with two fingers.

“A compass.” He reached out when she settled it in her palm and flicked the top open. Curling black letters—N, S, E, W—marked the face with a spinning gold needle pinned to the center. It was spelled to show him which direction he needed to travel to find what he wanted most, but no matter how often he’d looked at it since North’s arrival, the needle never settled. Something about her portal magic must’ve been messing with it. “It’s supposed to point to what I desire most.”

She stared at the open compass. “What is it you want?”

“All in good time.” There was no point scaring her with the truth of his desire just yet. He peeled the glove from his gold hand and heard her sharp intake of breath. Flexing his fingers, he held it higher for her to better see it. He had a love-hate relationship with the appendage—getting it had required him to cut off his own arm, but it constantly protected him from the magic of others. “Like it?”

She scanned the arm, lingering on the pinned joints. If it weren’t for the small pins and the fact that it was gold, it would’ve looked like a regular arm. Interest sparked in her eyes but she said nothing.

Tik-Tok slowly drew the ring, that he’d only just retrieved from Ozma, off his finger. The instant jumble of power inside him pulled a small grunt from his throat, but it was just for a little while. Minutes, at most, though he should’ve been used to it after the last twenty-two years.

“Give me your hand,” he instructed. North slowly held out the one not holding the compass and he slipped the silver band onto her finger. Unlike Ozma, he didn’t need to whisper to distribute his magic. He simply pushed a little of his power toward the ring to allow her to share it. Not enough to do any harm should she want to, but enough to get a sense of what magic felt like.

“What’s the point of this?” North asked, taking her hand away. “I’m not sure—”

The needle of the compass whirled faster before coming to a sudden stop in North’s direction. Tik-Tok’s heart hammered in his chest. The compass knew she was the key.It knew.

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