Page 90 of For the Strange and Surprising

It’s positioned closer to the forest than the water, but that doesn’t make the scene any easier to witness. It would take a single wave of her hand for Isolde to have them halfway across the ocean.

The queen wouldn’t leave; I know this.

She’s not what’s left me so unsettled, though.

The downpour subsides, giving us a snippet of the middle of their conversation. I put my arm in front of Connak to keep him from walking out to interrupt them.

“What if I’m making the wrong decision?” Ada stresses, shaking her head.

“What if you’re making the right decision?” Isolde counters fondly. “Ada, we can ask ourselves these questions all night. There will always be consequences to every decision, even if they don’t directly affect you.”

Ada rakes her hand through her wet hair and turns to face Isolde. “Do you regret your choice?”

“Not at all, but I’m not you. I would have spent my entire earthly life wondering what would have happened had I stayed.” Isolde pauses for a moment of reflection. “However, I don’t think about the opposite. That world was no longer my home after a few days here.”

“I feel the same, but that’s a scary thought. I keep telling myself that I want to go back. There isn’t a reason, except that’s what I think I should be thinking. Does that make sense?”

“It does.”

Isolde keeps talking, but we can’t hear anything beyond the steady drumming of the rain beating down. Connak looks at me with a crease between his brows, and I shrug. I can’t enlighten him if I don’t know what she means, either.

But I wish I could—did.

Would she leave without a goodbye?

Finally, Isolde holds her hand out to Ada, and they step over the edge of the metal boat together. They back away from each other, and a tremor vibrates beneath my feet. It rolls across the forest floor to the shore, pushing against the angry waves.

“I’m scared, Isolde,” she shouts over the clap of thunder.

“I know, Ada, and that’s okay,” the queen declares. “We’ll be right here with you.”

Ada’s shoulders rise and fall with each deep breath she takes to calm her unease. Her hands fist and flex as she tips her head to the sky.

The rain surrenders its battle, abandoning a light mist that looms around us. Dark clouds retreat until a sliver of the moon shines across the ocean’s surface, revealing Jade’s enormous green eyes.

Isolde beams with pride before pegging Connak and me with a knowing look. When she speaks, her wisdom isn’t just for Ada.

“Everything worthwhile is a little scary at times. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t brave the storm.”

“I’m ready,” Ada announces.

“Yes, you are,” Isolde agrees.

Water swirls around Ada, lifting her as it forms a transparent sphere. She floats above the ground, her back arched as her arms hang limply. Her long hair flows around her head, resembling an ink-like veil of blood.

Connak and I stumble out of the treeline, running straight for her. But Isolde cuts us off, throwing a wall of ocean water in our path.

“She’s going to drown,” I bark, demanding her attention.

Anyone else would watch their tone with the Mongrel queen. That’s not who she is to me, though. She’s the woman who helped raise me. And I’ll regret yelling at her tomorrow, but tonight, I don’t.

“Isolde!”

She drops her wall and holds up her hand. “Ada is fine. You fret like you care.”

I narrow my eyes at her, and she grins.

“You’re doing this?” Connak inquires, cautiously circling Ada.