Page 103 of The Shadowed Oracle
As hard as it was to admit, Ingrid felt a tinge of possessiveness over him at that. She had often been so cold to Dean, threatened him, doubted him, teased him for his forwardness, but that didn’t erase the fact she’d shared more of her true self with him than she’d ever shared before.
And worse, she wanted to share even more. It was a terribly inconvenient development.
If only she’d been sure of her feelings earlier, she told herself. She’d have already acted on this new urge to connect, well before this deadly mission gave her the sense of urgency, and well before this childish jealousy pushed her to act brashly.
Her indecisiveness, after all,was always the underlying problem. She didn’t knowexactlywhat it was she felt. Sheneverknew. Never could decide if what she was feeling could be considered love, infatuation, lust, friendship, or admiration. She hadn’t allowed herself the proper time with any of her past relationships to figure it out.
That part of her heart, or her soul, or whatever it was that screamed out for companionship, for understanding, intimacy, affection, unconditional love, it had been synonymous with pain for so long. Immediately following her assault on Earth, in that city of lights and shattered dreams, she’d locked that part of herself off. She allowed herself a few dates, some harmless flirting over the years, but when the time came to take the next step, she only saw the face of her attacker staring back at her. She could feel the dizziness, the chalky taste of the drugs, the presence hovering over her. And above all, she felt the guilt.
She hated the world for it, for this robbery. But she hated herself for it, too. An unshakeable voice in the back of her mind told her that she was at least partly to blame. That the ugly something inside her was corrupting everyone she came in contact with.
Even now, worlds away from her past, it felt more comfortable to be alone.
“So what’s today’s lesson?”
Ingrid jumped, closing the late queen’s spellbook with a slap, then quickly turned to the doorway where Tyla had been standing for God knows how long.
“Sorry,” Tyla said. “Suppose I could’ve been gentler there.”
Ingrid shook her head, dropping the hand that had instinctively gone to her chest. “That’s fine. I think I drifted off a little, anyway.”
“Looked more like a trance.” Tyla stepped inside the small cabin and took a seat on Ingrid’s bunk. Despite the late hour,she was joyfully awake. “You really should take a break, you know. Can’t imagine your brain will retain all that if you’re not sleeping.”
Ingrid pushed away the stack of books on her bed. “That’s why you’re here? To tell me to get some sleep?”
Tyla shrugged.
“That’s what I thought.” Ingrid turned to face her fully.
Since boarding the ship, Tyla had spent all her time on the deck and under the sun. In addition to a new tan, she’d picked up the basics of sailing and navigating, adapting to sea life in almost the exact opposite manner that Ingrid had. Where Ingrid was queasy, Tyla was cockily comfortable. Where Ingrid had been introverted, Tyla had been spreading her social wings.
“What now? You catch another human-sized fish? Have a life-altering conversation with another one of the sailors? Climbed the bowstaff or whatever it’s called without a rope?”
“No, no!” Tyla threw her hands up. “I’m not here to gloat, I promise!”
“Then what’s on your mind?”
Tyla forced the corners of her mouth to stay put, feigning ignorance. “Oh… nothing. Just wanted to pop in.” She glanced about the room, pinching at a book cover behind her. “Tell you there’s something you might want to see. If you don’t mind coming up for a minute?”
Ingrid slouched. “I told you. I don’t want to be on the deck unless—” The subtle hints finally dawned on her. “Really?” She hopped up on her feet. “Already?”
“Captain says we’ll be able to see it any minute now.”
“This isn’t another ploy to get me outside, is it?”
Tyla put her hand over her heart. “I swear.”
Among the many extracurricular studies Ingrid had in Maradenn, there was one in particular that stuck in her mind. The book spoke of an unnamed, unclaimed island in the JemiiSea, lying just south of the Occi Isles. It was so small that many sailors often missed it in between their long nights and early mornings of work, but Ingrid had been adamant—she wouldn’t miss it.
Together, she and Tyla ran down the thin halls of the crew’s quarters. The moonlight shone down on the staircase as they climbed up to the main deck. Veston, with his wide frame, fierce eyes, and lush long hair was waiting for them, a small smile stretched over his usually very hard and unreadable face.
“No rush,” he said, holding out his hands to Ingrid as she barreled toward him. “You made it in plenty of time.” He turned and pointed out over the stern, just beyond the captain at the wheel. “Dead ahead. Just came into view.”
As if summoned by the gesture, Ingrid jogged to the tip of the bow and took out the telescope she’d borrowed for this very occasion. Just below her was the wood-carved siren figurehead, outstretched arm holding a lantern. To her right was a white rope used for docking, piled perfectly like an enormous snake. And to her left now was Tyla and Veston standing shoulder to shoulder, staring out with naked eyes.
“What can you see?” Tyla asked.
Without removing her eye from the optical tube, she replied, “Only trees.” No sight of those unusual creatures she’d read about, though the glow of the riverbed plants illuminating the forest at night was a sight in itself. Along with the great Moon of Ealis, it allowed Ingrid to see nearly as much detail as she would in the early morning.
