Page 33 of Captive of Secrets and Storms

He grunts, “What?”

“Nothing. Just… Why are you being so…nice?”

He grunts again, but the hard press of his lips softens. “You helped my brother. That earns some civility.”

I suppose it does.

Sensing an opening, I press, “I take it you two are close?”

“As close as half brothers can be after being pitted against each other our entire lives.”

I rear back slightly. “Pitted against each other? By whom?”

“Our father.” Draven’s mouth puckers like he tastes something foul.

My chest tightens.

Is that why Draven is so gruff?

He motions to the bread in my hands. “You should eat and rest in your cabin. Viewing the bobbing horizon can make the nausea worse.”

“My cabin?”

He hikes a thumb toward the back of the deck where a lone door sits open. “The crew will sleep in hammocks below deck, leaving the cabins open for us.”

I raise a brow. “Did they agree to that before or after you influenced them?”

“Before.” He flashes a rare grin. “Silas handled the negotiations.”

“I see.” My eyes find the Fae in question.

Silas leans against a cork barrel, chatting easily with two young sailors, all smiles and charm. He looks nothing like the man who pretended to be a human rebel in Verdanthia.

For days, he was locked up and beaten, and I still have no idea why the Fae planted him in Verdanthia. Or why he did the same in five other human towns before reaching mine.

Draven clears his throat.

My head snaps up.

He jerks his head towards the cabin. “Shall we?”

I slide off the crate, careful to shift my weight so I don’t snag the thread of my new gown. The ship sways, and I pitch to the left.

Draven grabs my upper arm. “Don’t worry. You’ll find your sea legs soon.”

Olyra, please let that be true.

Rather than release me, Draven keeps hold of my arm as we walk to the back of the ship where my cabin allegedly sits.

“So…” I observe him from the corner of my eye. “How long is our journey?”

“A week, at least.”

My heart sinks. “A week?”

“You’ll be fine. Just keep food in your stomach, sleep, and distract yourself,” he says. “Meet me in the morning. We will continue your training. That should help.”

It’s on the tip of my tongue to insist training will certainly not help.