Page 57 of Captive of Secrets and Storms

A throat clears.

“Rian?” Draven stands behind his prince’s shoulder, watching us with a grim expression. “Control.”

A growl gathers at the base of Rian’s throat before, abruptly, it’s cut off.

His back snaps straight, and the shadowy tendrils dissipate.

Now he takes a step back.

I hold his stare, heart racing. The silver in Rian’s eyes fades to tiny specks in his midnight-black eyes.

He whirls on his heel and strides over to Jaxon.

He clasps a firm hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Are you certain about this?”

Jaxon nods. “Yes.”

“If a ship comes upon you, conceal yourself. We don’t want anyone to know what we’re doing on a ship commissioned to take us to the Sea Fae.”

“Understood.”

Rian gives a single, decisive nod, then lets his hand fall.

He turns without another word, strides to the dinghy where Silas waits, and snatches up the bags. They hit the boat with dull thuds.

“Let’s go,” he says.

Draven and Darius move, each grabbing their own bags and tossing them into the second dinghy before stepping aboard.

I try to follow.

But before I can plant a foot inside the boat, Darius’s hand appears in front of my face. “Where do you think you’re going?”

I lower my raised foot and frown. “Onto the boat.”

“Nope.” He shakes his head. “No way. I enjoy poking the bear, but after that little display, now is not the time.”

A shadow flows from his palm and nudges me toward the other dinghy. “You’re riding with His Highness.”

My pulse stutters. “What?”

“You heard me.”

Darius’s shadow pushes me forward. I stumble then dig my heels into the deck, but his power is relentless.

“Stop it,” I hiss over my shoulder.

“No can do, sweet Elara.” His shadow shoves me the short distance to the other dinghy. “None of us wishes to lose a hand or an eye today.”

I have no idea what that even means.

I whip my head around, prepared to deliver a firm rebuke for his forceful actions, when my shins hit the lip of the boat, and the weight of my bags swings.

A squeak passes my lips as I teeter into the dinghy. I rotate and throw my arms out to brace for impact, but something cushions my fall.

A pillow of shadows.

I cringe away from the darkness and struggle to right myself. Rising on unsteady feet, I look up. Rian’s stare captures mine.