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That’s not the response I was hoping for. I have no idea what state the ice dragon is actually in. This mission could send a group of divers to their deaths. “Shouldn’t we hold off? I mean, you have a wedding to plan and everything.”

“Why wait?” She smirks. “I’m hoping to have trophies for all five of the rune-locked beasts by the night of the wedding. Think of how glorious that would be.”

“I can’t imagine anything more glorious,” I say, although being one of those beasts might put a damper on things.

A thread of emotion flickers through my aether—a hint of amusement.

It’s there and gone in a matter of seconds. When I glance at Cordelia, she’s already looking off into the distance again.

“I’m thinking we’ll need a larger boat for this,” Ross says. “One that can accommodate cannons and heavier winches.”

“We have a brig scheduled to return next week.” Darcy taps the vial to her chin. “We’ll swap the crew when it pulls into port.”

I shove my hands into the pockets of my wool coat to keep from pulling my hair.

I’m going to have to make sure she doesn’t die on this expedition. She can get herself killed with her arrogance after the wedding, but not before then.

I fucked up, and now I have to salvage this situation.

“Should we break for supper now?” Ross asks, rubbing his lower back as if he’s been working all day.

“I think we should. Dee and I have to approve the decorations for our ball before we can eat.” Darcy pulls out her pocket watch and flips it open. “It’ll be late if we don’t get going.”

I swallow the emotion swelling in my throat as they head back toward the castle.

Cordelia turns her chin over her shoulder—not far enough to see me standing behind her, but it’s the tiniest acknowledgement.

She lets her guard slip, and I feel her concern and the confusion that follows before she steels herself and walks off with Darcy.

When I’m alone in my room, the itch starts again.

The urge to dissolve into the aether and become bodiless has become less constant, but I feel it when the night goes still and quiet. That’s when I get inside my own head and try to solve unsolvable problems.

I shove the pages of fake research strewn across my desk aside and sit on the polished surface, contemplating something I shouldn’t. Maybe I could go home for a bit and ask Orla to help me with all of this.

I hug my legs to my chest and drop my forehead against my knees, sighing.

That wouldn’t be fair. I promised myself I’d never lead her anywhere near the sea witch’s magic.

No, I can’t go home again.

I curl myself up tighter, but no matter how small I make myself, my loneliness never shrinks along with me. I have to sit with the feeling until the morning.

The aether hums, spiking with Cordelia’s anxiety. I close my eyes to find my way to her, but she speaks to me before I can move through space between us.

“Wait. Don’t come to me,” she says. “I’m hiding near the stables and need you to keep Ross from finding me.”

“Do you want me to kill him?” I ask, imagining my aether slipping through her hair.

“No, just a distraction.”

“I’m on it, princess.”

Throwing my damp clothes back on, I stride down from the castle, singing off-key. A distinct ozonic scent hangs in the air, and I realize the kelpie has gone quiet.

This must be the calm before the storm. Dark clouds roll overhead.

My hair stands on end as a man shouts, his voice familiar although his words are slurred.