**DAPHNE**
For the last few hours, I've been tied here watching Ash power this Fae craft. The Kingdom of Hadimere is nowhere near any body of water such as this and so I can only assume the boats in my homeland are somewhat like this one is. God forbid anyone should be made to stand so long as I have. My legs are like jelly and I keep dosing off. The closest I've ever come to a ship in Hadimere was that of a miniature I once saw in the village market and I am beginning to hate them.
As the ship continues on at supernatural speed, I shut my eyes against the wind. Wondering vaguely, at the burn that I felt after reading the title of the book. It's almost as if it left a sort of scar. Because I can feel it with the mast against my back. Can feel the vibrating energy of something heating my flesh along my spine, and it feels like the flesh has been ripped into. The same as I imagine it might feel should I be sliced into by a giant talon.
But even so, I'm eager to be alone in the cabin again with the book. Eager to pull it from its hiding place and attempt to delve deeper into its apparent magic. The form it granted me while I held it close accorded me a strange comfort. One that I cannot easily describe. It felt like shifted power. Not the same as when I was changed into phantom while riding Trielle. No. It was different somehow.
*It was as if the magic was mine.*
*'She has the look of the Shadow King',* Klyesque had said. Opening my eyes against the blaring wind, I study her. She is watching me intently as she clutches the ship's railing. Not looking down into the river the way I probably would be if I wasn't tied to the mast.
Glancing out beyond the waters, I see the whir of rocks darkening and merging into sparkles of different colors as the blue star of Faery falls beyond the sky. Two luminous moons rise against the purple air of night and I gasp at the sight of them. Mists of white fog fall around the land on both sides of me, shading the shores and making it impossible to see. Like a blanket has been lain over the wilds of the forest, allowing all that reside there to sleep.
Just as I start to think I am going to keel over, the ship begins to slow, and two additional sails go up. Ash leaps from the helm to join me where I stand. His midnight hair flies about his face, coming unbound from the short ponytail he normally wears it in. His usually bright silver gaze is subdued. Purple tinges stretch below his eyes. It takes me a moment to realize that he is tired from having used his magic to push us far from the scarlet waters of Cinder. His chest is fairly heaving from the effort and the first thing I want to do is take him below, but he doesn't give me the chance.
"Hold still," he commands, before reaching behind me to untie the rope from my waist. His hands are strong and steady on my person, urging me to follow him up the steps toward the helm of the ship.
Taking his hand, I trudge behind him carefully. Noting that Finn completely ignores my approach.
He truly doesn't like me, I realize. The knowledge is mildly disturbing, but no more so than it was when I first arrived at Castle Fury. However, I would have thought he'd have warmed up to me upon seeing me in the arms of his prince. Perhaps his hatred for humans is stronger than most.
"Look," Ash whispers, his arms coming around me from behind as he uses one to pull me back against him and the other to point toward the beauty that lay beyond.
I inhale sharply as the sparkling waters ahead fall into what appears to be miles and miles of stars against a deep purple sky. Large crystalline rock formations twinkle and glimmer, jutting from the water at the front of us, creating a fork in the river that branches left and right. The center disappears into what I can only assume must be a waterfall, because all that lay beyond it is space. We still have a way to go, but I can't shake the concern that erupts in me when I realize we could quite easily head off a cliff. The rapids turn and bubble up ahead, telling me that the current there is devilishly strong.
"Is that what I think it is?" I sigh, my voice tinged with absolute wonder.
Ash chuckles, "Worry not, my little peasant. We will not be traveling that far south. Not in a ship. We'll be steering right and away from the drop." I feel his body shiver against mine as his lips find my ear and his teeth nip my earlobe. "You're cold," he whispers. "Here." Removing his arms from around me long enough to remove his cloak, he places it around my shoulders. Before I can turn to thank him, his arms clamp around me again. He coos, "I want you to rest. Do not touch the book again until we have docked."
I start to protest, but he spins my body to face his and the worry I see deep in his eyes has me nodding instead. "Alright," I say.
*Damn him.*
"Promise me, Daphne," he hisses, his fingers lifting to smooth the hair from my eyes.
I lean my head forward against his chest, "I promise."
He clutches my body more tightly against his and my eyes wander toward Finn who is finally looking at me. The cold contempt I see there has me shudder and I turn my face away.
"What's wrong?" Ash whispers, noting the tremble in my bones.
But I don't tell him. Finn already hates me enough and I have no desire to make him more of an enemy than he already is.