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Nik threw him a sideways look that was half amused, half irritated. “If you don’t like it, there are plenty of other perches down here.”
I put the lantern down so I could use both hands to push him firmly away.
“We need a plan. An actual plan. Not this.” I gave him a fierce look, and he nodded meekly, his posture not matching his expression.
I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. “We’re here now—which I freely acknowledge is due to my own foolishness, at least where I’m concerned. I take no responsibility for you following me and compounding all our problems.”
“Aren’t you even a little glad to see me?” he asked.
I glared at him, hoping it covered my true emotions. Because I wasn’t ready to confess to the enormous rush of relief I’d felt the moment I realized he was with me. And he’d even brought Ember and Phoenix. I’d thought I was alone, but I wasn’t, and the feeling of lightness was incredible. But those were selfish emotions. I shouldn’t want Nik to be here in this trouble with me, and I certainly didn’t want Amara, Hayes, and the others to be left with no idea what had happened to us.
“How I feel is irrelevant,” I said shortly. “What matters is what we’re going to do next.”
Nik looked disappointed at my words, and a pang shot through me. Did he really care so much? It was harder and harder to deny it to myself, but I had no idea what to do with his devotion or with my own messy, complicated return feelings. He was both an outcast and a royal prince, and neither of those identities made a future with him possible.
But before I could think of anything to say, Nik’s expression hardened, his manner becoming businesslike.
“Clearly Grey found some way to influence your mind which shouldn’t be possible. There’s not much we can do while we’re stuck on the ship in the middle of the ocean, but at least you can try to find out more information from Grey.”
“Do you think he’ll tell me?” I asked uncertainly, but even as I said the words, I suspected it wouldn’t be as difficult as I was envisioning. Grey wanted to use me for something, and to do that, he was eventually going to have to explain what that something was.
“The fox will have to stay down here with me,” Nik said. “Too many people saw you come aboard and know she wasn’t with you. But you can take the falcon. He’ll need a chance to stretch his wings, and he could easily have flown out to you before the ship sailed too far out.”
He stepped closer again, but only to align his shoulder with mine so Phoenix could hop across to his favorite position. The falcon did so with alacrity, and I leaned my cheek against the softness of his feathered body. Feeling his weight on my shoulder again made everything else seem a little less frightening and uncertain.
It was still difficult to climb up the ladder, leaving Nik and Ember in the dark, though. I’d hugged Ember close to my chest, whispering all the reasons she had to stay behind, but as always, it was impossible to know how much she understood. At least she accepted my departure silently, watching me go and standing close to Nik.
It felt a little better to know they had each other, but it was tempting to leave the lantern. Nik had refused, saying that a light in the deep hold might attract attention, but it was hard to believe he was really all right without one.
When the trapdoor banged closed, I told myself not to be fanciful and imagine there was any note of finality in the sound. I would be back as soon as I had something to report, and Nik would be fine in the meantime. The ship had been packed in enough of a rush that there were bags, boxes, crates, and barrels everywhere. I’d even seen a number of piles of planks that had no purpose I could fathom. Even if someone came down here for supplies, Nik could easily conceal the two of them among the chaos of jumbled cargo.
I didn’t stop climbing until I’d made it all the way up to the main deck. Now that I had Phoenix with me, I couldn’t be a coward and skulk inside the whole time.
The crowd had dispersed, although plenty of Grey’s followers were scurrying around carrying out the various tasks of sailors.
I considered offering to assist but decided I would be more hindrance than help. I knew nothing about ships, having never been on one before.
Instead, I tucked myself against the railing where I would be out of the way and let my eyes roam over the horizon. The ocean went on and on, no matter what direction I looked, its enormity striking me all over again now that I was out in the middle of it.
The ship—which had seemed large and solid while anchored to Grey’s simple dock—felt small and weak in the face of such a powerful force. A wave hit the prow, making me rock and grab for the rail. It didn’t take much to imagine what it would be like to be out here in the middle of a storm.
I glanced up at the wheel, Grey still beside it, although he was leaving the actual steering to someone with an elements affinity. Had his claims about the storm been true? Had it really come from the island? It seemed logical, and if it had, it meant the islanders were ruthless and callous. We had to think of a way to stop not only Grey but the islanders as well.
I gripped the rail until my knuckles turned white, overwhelmed by the task ahead. My eyes stared blankly across the expanse of dark blue, the white tops of waves breaking up the monotony where the wind tugged at the water.
The flap of wings drew my eye as Phoenix glided back toward me, angling himself to land on the rail at my side.
“I see your friend followed you.” Grey’s voice came from behind me, and I barely stopped myself from stiffening. When had he come down from the quarterdeck?
I turned slowly. “Phoenix is very loyal.”
Grey smiled, although the expression now sent a shiver down my back.
“It will take us several days to reach the island,” he said. “And I want to put our time onboard to good use.”
I raised my eyebrows. “What did you have in mind?”
“I’m hoping we can each teach the other a new skill.” His voice was light, but the intensity in his eyes suggested this wasn’t a minor matter to him.
