Page 83 of Of the Stars and Sea

She was happy.

And I let myself claim her death as my own sorrow because while she wanders from star to star, I am left with the consumingache of her absence. That wretched feeling of being alone. Worse yet, that I am without the people I love.

My eyes are dry from the burning of tears as I look up at Grayson. “You’re right. I do need to forgive myself. I need to move forward. I’m just . . . not sure where to start.”

Grayson studies me for a moment before rising to his feet, his large frame taking up a lot of the space.

When he extends his hand out toward me, I take it. Slipping the duvet off my legs, I rise to meet him. And when his eyes rake over my body, covered only by the thin fabric of my undergarments, I feel a rising blush stain my cheeks. He tugs on my arm and I step toward him.

“You start right here, in this moment. Take one step forward. Without looking back.”

As I fall into his embrace, I let the refuge of his shadow keep my own at bay.

“You solved the puzzle,” Zaos says an hour later as he leans over Grayson’s large desk and stares at the intricately designed key I pulled from the box for all of us to inspect.

“I did,” I respond, raising my chin a little higher at his flabbergasted tone.

“It would have been nice to know this when you first made it back to the ship so we could work on solving the riddle sooner.”

I snort. “I’m sorry. Next time, I’ll try not to black out after almost being struck by lightning and drowning.”

“Yes, it was quite theatrical,” he deadpans and my palm twitches with the need to reach across the desk and slap him across the face.

Grayson looks up at us from where he sits behind the desk, cleaning his nails with the tip of his dagger. “Do I really need to separate you two again or can we all find a way to work together to solve the Serpent’s Key’s riddle?”

Zaos and I just look at him, neither one of us giving an inch.

“Let me remind you,” Grayson adds, “that we have Blythe on our tail with one of the best trackers in the entire Southern Realm.”

I look back at Zaos and there’s a shift—albeit small—in his demeanor. “What does it say?” he asks me, nodding toward the key.

Not one for apologies then. Not that I’m surprised.

I pick up the key and examine it for the second time since cracking the code on the puzzle box. Warmth radiates into my fingertips. An odd sensation since it’s made of gold and fire opal. Normally precious metals and gemstones are cool to the touch.

“It feels almost as if it’s . . . alive,” I breathe, drawing the key closer so I can read what the inscription says.

“If legend is true, it could be the magick of the Witch Queen’s curse making it glow like that,” Zaos says as he leans closer. My left hand instinctually moves to the dagger at my hip, but I stop myself. He wouldn’t try anything. Not with Grayson so close.

“Can you read it?” Grayson asks, placing his dagger down on the top of his desk. The sapphire on the pommel glints in the light.

He chose me for my knowledge of the old language. He knows that I can, but the urgency in his voice tells me we’ve waited long enough. We’ve moved further south since making it through the storm yesterday, but it’s only a matter of time before Blythe catches onto our course. We have everything weneed to find Thaeto’s treasure, but that doesn’t mean we won’t be intercepted before then.

“Yes.”

Zaos fetches the quill off Grayson’s desk and readies himself to write down the translation.

The inscription lies along the stem etched with fire opal in swirling cursive letters. It takes me a moment as I reflect back to my teachings, but I recall the translation and repeat it slowly for Zaos to jot down.“‘Where the earth reaches for the heavens, secrets lie. Deep beyond, in darkness you shall see.’”

I repeat the words one more time, and listen to the scratch of the quill against the parchment as Zaos finishes the last sentence. Then, I place the key back in the box and look at Grayson. “Any idea what it could mean?”

Raking a hand over the dark scruff that has grown on his chin since we left Harrick’s inn, he rises from his chair and moves toward the windows.

“Where the earth reaches for the heavens,” Zaos whispers to himself. His eyebrows are pinched tightly together as he stares down at the key like the riddle might solve itself right in front of his eyes.

Grayson paces the room, his legs working in long strides as I sit back on the edge of his desk and think.

“It must be something notable along the horizon,” I mutter. Grayson stops moving then turns toward me. “That’s the only way the heavens would ever touch the earth. At least visually. Right?”

---