Our first few hours at sea were filled with vague tension. Relias made it quite clear he would brook no nonsense from the twin princes, only for Morin to assign them the very task of keeping a close eye on us. With Nora under the weather, however, it was clear that jamming all five of us into our assigned quarters would do her no favors.

  “I’m going for a walk around deck,” I declared from the doorway. “One of you will have to come with me.”

  The two ended up calling a coin flip for the privilege, with the loser grumbling while the winner followed along with a relatively superior smirk on his face. With the crew on deck trying very hard to watch us even as they maintained course, we started by walking the length of the ship.

  I know I shouldn’t get too close to these potential antagonists, but maybe some small talk might be in order.

  “You’re Mattias, right?”

  “For the moment, yes,” he agreed, shaking out his hair in the breeze. “What should I be calling you?”

  “Honestly, I’m not sure anymore,” I admitted, looking out over the water. “So, take your pick.”

  Mattias laughed. “I’d say you look like an Ann.”

  “Ann?”

  “Gracious, merciful,” he noted. “The meaning behind Ann.”

  “Ann, the merciful mercenary?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “I did not relish the idea of being further lectured by the priest,” he replied, rubbing his face. “Florian is better suited for such an onslaught. Therefore, I find your recent actions quite merciful.”

  “Pfft…” I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. “Okay. Ann it is, then.”

  Mattias folded his arms. “I’ll never become a knight,” he declared. “And neither will my brother! Our Purposes were improperly assigned, no doubt at our father’s behest.”

  “Alright,” I replied, trying to maintain the proper amount of aloofness.

  “That’s it?”

  “What were you expecting from me?”

  An exaggerated pout spread across his face. “The Ann I just made up would offer to speak to her priestly companion on my behalf.”

  “And get lectured myself? No thanks.”

  Mattias fell silent for a moment as we continued walking.

  “It’s not that I don’t want to be a knight,” Mattias whined. “But the problem is politics.”

  “Isn’t it always?”

  “Maybe if we weren’t twins… But the moment we show ourselves, the nobles always want to pit us against each other for their own gain. Stick us in a military order, and they’d be certain to use us for civil war! Mito’s finally growing up and in a position to rival Victor, so the best thing for us is to stay out of it.”

  I turned, noting the rather serious look on his face. “It sounds like you might have thought this through a little more than I gave you credit for. Here I thought you were just out here to have fun.”

  Mattias looked around. “This is your idea of fun?”

  “It’s a little windy,” I admitted. “But I’ve been subjected to worse.”

  Mattias shook his head. “It’ll get a lot colder once we start angling around the northern cape.” His eyes brightened. “So now you’ll speak to that priest, right?”

  “I’ll see what I can do. No promises, though.”

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  “There’s my Ann, always coming through for me!”

  I glowered at him to the best of my ability, but his laughter was so much like Prince Mito’s I couldn’t help but find his antics a bit heartwarming.

  Then a tiny growl came from a nearby wooden crate.

  “Hmm?” I leaned over carefully, not exactly sure what to expect. Two bright green eyes blinked at me slowly from the shadows. A tuxedo cat slunk out with careful steps, his sleek fur shining. He paused a short distance away, his eyes still on me as his whiskers twitched in curiosity.

  Not a substitute for Chester, but I’ll take what I can get.

  “That’s Beast,” Mattias said brightly. “He likes you.”

  The cat padded closer, his tail held at an imperious height. He rubbed once against my shin.

  Oh, I’ve been chosen!

  Then, just when I thought maybe he was going to purr like a normal animal, he let out a low, dark rumble straight from his throat.

  “Grrrhhhhh.”

  Beast hissed, then bolted back toward the crate, only to stop halfway, sit down, and stare at me like I had been the one behaving strangely.

  “…Likes me, huh?” I muttered. “I’d hate to see how he treats someone he hates.”

  Mattias shrugged, grinning. “That’s his way. He gets close, then panics. If he rubs against you first, though, that means you’ve already passed his test. I wouldn’t recommend trying to pet him, however.”

  The cat circled, brushing my legs again before giving me another gremlin growl. This time, he didn’t run. Instead, he retreated into a shadowed coil of rope and just sat there, keeping watch.

  A creature that wanted company but couldn’t admit it.

  He reminds me of someone.

  I glanced at the mark on my sword but refrained from touching it, fearing it would be seen as an aggressive move.

  “New mission. I’m gonna make friends with Beast before arrival. What does he like to eat?”

  “Rats.”

  I straightened, unintentionally recalling my short time in the mice-filled pit back in Ecclesia. “Never mind. This walk is officially over.”

  ***

  Just as Mattias warned, the temperature dropped over the next few days, forcing us to change our wardrobe. Nora managed a few appearances on deck, but only with Relias’s steadying hand. I took a few shifts at her bedside, but every moment I couldn’t soothe her nausea with amity spurred some sharp feelings of jealousy and inadequacy that I buried under layers of forced patience.

  “I can ease her symptoms with touch,” Relias explained one evening, brushing a damp strand of hair from Nora’s brow. “But each swell brings them back again. I have rarely seen symptoms so relentless.”

  “We’re all very grateful for your services,” I said, my voice flatter than I intended.

  “Ah, perhaps another stroll on deck might lighten your mood?” Florian suggested a little too quickly.

  I grunted, standing. “Let’s go,”

  The twins exchanged a look, one coughing into his hand, the other wringing his fingers.

  “What, you two lost the coin or something?”

  Mattias shook his head. “You don’t need either of us breathing down your neck.”

  “Enjoy your walk, knowing we now trust you not to cause trouble!” Florian added, practically shoving me toward the stairs.

  The night air nipped at my cheeks as I stepped out onto the deck, but it wasn’t the cold that stopped me in my tracks. The sea itself was shimmering brighter with every swell. At first, I thought it was simply a play of the light from a few nearby lanterns, but a glance over the rail took my breath away.

  A bloom of pale-blue light burst against the ship’s wake, scattering flecks that drifted like fireflies before fading back into the depths. Mesmerized, I watched as we drifted into the bioluminescent bloom. The irritation that had burned in my chest just a few minutes ago was gone, replaced with a feeling of child-like wonder.

  I should tell the others…

  Something about this…

  For some reason, however, I felt like I couldn’t look away, as if it would all disappear the moment I turned my back. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that some of the crew members had made a similar decision.

  “So beautiful…” I found myself saying. “The only thing that would make this better is to share it with a special someone…”

  Both Faith and Will gave me a sudden jolt.

  “Miss Rachel?”

  “Oh, Oliver! You should come out and see this.”

  “As I’ve said before, my physical presence is—”

  “Why must you always be so contrary?” I started to lean over the bow of the ship. A dull ache began to form behind my ears, but I was determined to ignore it.

  Dark vapor coiled up from Will’s hilt, and Oliver materialized beside me with an angry snap. “What are you doing?”

  I put a foot on the railing. “Boost me up. I want to—”

  Before I could finish, he yanked me back. As I attempted to climb overboard again, a massive wave slammed the hull. We both tumbled, and I landed squarely in his arms. Lilac and sharp citrus hit my nose, the cologne-like scent starting to clear my head.

  “Oliver…? What was I…”

  My pulse spiked as I found myself caught in his blazing green gaze, our temples only inches apart.

  What would the others say if they saw us like this?

  “I see an enemy,” he said flatly.

  I sighed. “Yes, the world sees you as an enemy, but I see you as—”

  “A sea anemone!” he repeated with a shout, his face contorting.

  I stood up. “Huh?”

  Had I misheard him?

  Something hissed behind me as I shook my head to clear it further.

  Water sprayed over the bow as a gigantic mass of tentacles whipped forth from the ocean’s depths, slick with a bluish green glow and bristling with barbs.

  “That’s what you call a sea anemone?!”

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