Page 6 of Reign of Light
I gape at him, too distracted from the thought of anyone leaving when my foot catches on a point in the rock, throwing me off balance. Weston’s arm cinches tighter around my shoulders, keeping me from falling forward before slowing our pace down just a little more.
“You don’t think they’ll want to stay here? You really think they’d leave? This has been their home for so long.”
I feel the shrug of his shoulders. “Some might. Some might not. It’ll be their choice. Either way, I need to make sure it’s safe for them, and that theyhavethe choice.”
I shake my head. “I don’t want to go back to camp.”
A low chuckle rings in my ears over the crash of the waves, making my stomach flutter. “I’m glad to hear that because that offer is only for all of them.Youdon’t have a choice.”
I huff loudly. “What are you going to do, tie me up to keep me from leaving?”
We stop abruptly, and his thumb is under my chin, tilting my head back as he lowers his face. A glimmer of mischief shines in his eyes as one corner of his lips turns up in a smirk. “Only if you ask me to, my queen.” My mouth falls open only for him to push it closed and press a firm kiss to my lips before pulling away quickly. “Otherwise, don’t threaten me with a good time.”
He turns back toward the gangway and continues our trek. My feet can barely keep up with him because of the images now flashing through my mind and the heat gathering in my abdomen.
I clear my throat, trying not to be obvious about how much his words and the meaning behind them sent my head spinning.
“If you remember correctly,Captain, I already left once. I don’t think you could stop me if I wanted to again.”
“Don’t remind me,” he grumbles and pulls me more firmly to his side. “And don’t call me that.”
“Weston.” He lowers his chin so his gaze finds mine, and despite the joking I still see the hidden sadness from the day peeking through. “I don’t want to leave. Just in case you needed to hear it again.”
“Good.”
The single word is reassuring as we ascend the gangway toward the quiet deck. I can already feel the tension in my shoulders releasing the closer we get to disappearing into our room until tomorrow afternoon, but as we crest the top, ready to step onto the wooden floorboards, my stomach falls.
The deck may be quiet, but it isn’t empty.
Two figures sit in the darkness, their backs pressed against the mainmast. I know them well enough now that I don’t need any light to pick out exactly who it is. Nerves roll off of Sig as she sits with her hands clenched, forearms resting on her bouncing knees. Jorn sits beside her, his eyes on the stars above, and his arms crossed over his chest.
She waited for us to return.
When she disappeared below deck as we prepared to leave, I didn’t think there would be any reason that I wouldn’t want her waiting for us when we came back. She was anxious about our return. We all were, and now I know we won’t be able to move forward without telling her.
If she knows me half as well as I know her, she’ll be able to tell anyway.
I feel the moment Weston spots them, because his back stiffens and the muscles in his arm tighten against me. A lump is already forming inmy throat, trying to prevent me from saying the words out loud that I know are going to devastate her, probably more than anyone else.
I am not prepared to face her tonight. I thought we’d at least have a little more time to let everything settle and tamp down the vortex of our own emotions before having to tell anyone else. By the feel of Weston’s tense body pressing into mine, it seems like he had the same expectation.
Sig glances over at us and looks away, before her head snaps back in our direction, as if she didn’t process we had actually returned. She springs to her feet and crosses the deck swiftly, relief sagging in her shoulders.
“You’re alright,” she breathes, and stops just an arm’s length away from us. “I told you everything would be fine.” Her hands settle on her hips as she peers past us down the gangway. Her forehead crinkles as her eyebrows raise, and she cocks her head to the side. “Where’s the kid?” Her gaze flickers up to Weston’s face, and I know what she finds as she drags her eyes to mine before her expression falls.
“What’s going on?” Her voice wavers as Jorn strides across the deck, stopping just behind her.
“Cap?” he says, as his head tilts and his brows crinkle together. One look from each of them is all it takes to know something is wrong, and it’s a testament to how close they all are.
But it means we can’t hide anything. We have to tell them.
A single tear escapes and slides down my cheek, followed closely by another, and Sig’s stare follows their trail, watching my calm facade crack once again. She turns back to Weston, the tension in her jaw fierce despite the pleading in her eyes.
“Tell me,” she urges. Pain laces her strained voice, and I can’t help but think she’s figured it out. She knows what Weston is about to tell her, and she’s steeling herself for the blow of his words.
Weston lifts his arm from my shoulders and takes a step closer as she stares up at him, her eyes shining in the moonlight.
“He left, Sig. He used the rest of the dust and is gone.” His voice is low and soft, like even though he knows what he is saying will hurt her, he’s doing everything he can to prevent it.
