27. Avery

Chapter twenty-seven

Avery

In a matter of weeks, I had fled the only home I had ever known, traveled across the continent on foot, survived poisonous berries, reunited with my sister, and now stood on the deck of a ship for the very first time, taking in the foreign sights and sounds of the sea.

I moved across the deck as gracefully as I could in these gods-forsaken pants . Why did Lia love these things so much?

My memory flashed back to one of our many sleepovers in my bedchamber back in Isla. They make my ass look great , she had said, and I giggled at the memory.

I pivoted my torso around to get a look at my own and shrugged. “Ugh, mine definitely doesn’t look like hers,” I whispered to myself.

“It looks great to me,” a familiar voice called from behind me.

Heat rushed to my cheeks when I noticed Gage leisurely making his way toward me from the opposite side of the deck.

“Gage!” I gasped .

I took in the sight of him, his deep tawny skin and warm brown eyes. He was so handsome, with a ruggedness that the Lords of Velyra would never bear.

“My lady, Avery,” he greeted as he gently took my hand and pressed his lips to the back of it. “Apologies for not having the time to find you until now. How has your time aboard been?”

My eyes flared without permission. How could someone so carefree and joking around his friends be this charming?

“It’s been lovely,” I rasped out. “It’s my first time aboard a ship.”

Now, his eyes widened in response. “You’ve never sailed the seas? Surely a princess has seen all the lavish sights the realm has to offer.”

Embarrassment washed over me, and I cleared my throat after a few moments. “I was lucky to get a glimpse of what lay past the castle gates.”

Something that resembled sorrow flashed across his eyes, perhaps even pity. “Well, Avery…” The way he said my name threatened to force a shiver down my spine. “I would love to show you all the realm has to offer—that is, of course, if a measly second-in-command is suitable enough to accompany a princess.”

My gaze remained on his, our eyes boring into each other in the most intense yet familiar way I had ever felt. “You are more suitable than anyone I have ever met,” I answered, and his response was a beaming smile that made my heart sing.

Gage extended his arm to me. “Walk with me?” he asked, and I immediately laced my arm through his .

Darkness crept in on us as the sun set. The crew made themselves scarce across the ship, and we appeared to be the only ones near—just the two of us under the endless, twinkling stars.

He led the way as we waltzed around, arm in arm. “Tell me about yourself, Avery.”

“What do you wish to know?”

“I already told you,” he said as his steps halted briefly. “Everything.”

My heart raced in my chest. “I wouldn’t even know where to begin,” I whispered. “I’m willing to bet all the coin in Isla that your life is far more interesting than my own. I was cooped up within the confines of Castle Isla’s battlement, and there I remained until some weeks ago. Rarely allowed to leave and never allowed to explore.”

“You’re Lia’s sister. I’m sure you found ways to explore,” he snarked.

I chuckled. “That we did. Trouble often found us, but never in a way where she couldn’t find a way out of it for us.”

“That sounds like Lia.”

I blinked and looked at him. “You seem to know her so well, even as well as I do, yet you have known her for mere months—a second in time in comparison to me.”

“Lia is Lia.” He let out a laugh. “She’s been herself since the moment I met her, which she came in swinging, by the way. I’m sure you’re shocked.”

I smirked. “That certainly sounds like her.”

“Well, Zae was swinging too. Perhaps even more violently. ”

Any sense of amusement fell from my face at the mention of Zaela.

“Oh, speak of the woman,” he said cheerfully, and my anger surged to the very surface as Zaela appeared at the top of the stairs that led down to the crew’s quarters.

Lia funneled out after her, followed by Jace.

“We’re letting the crew rest for a few hours while we take watch,” Jace called over to us.

Lia held up a bottle from her side containing a dark liquid that swished around beneath the torchlight. “I have rum!” she yelled cheerfully.

“Oh, hell yeah,” Gage said under his breath as he reached for my hand and tugged me across the deck.

After almost losing my footing many times from being dragged by him, we finally came to a halt in the center of the ship, where everyone was rolling barrels to create makeshift seats to sit upon. Gage and I opted for the floor of the deck.

Veli wandered out from the shadows of the mast and ambled over to be among us, keeping abnormally quiet—even for her.

Lia took a swig from the bottle as she invited herself to sit on Jace’s lap from where he sat on a barrel, making me wish I felt comfortable enough to do the same with the handsome man next to me.

Zaela lit a few more torches on the outskirts of the ship, lighting the space up intimately beneath the stars. Her lips curved when she noticed the witch had joined us .

She even liked Veli . Yet, she loathed me. Lia and Gage were free to believe whatever they wanted, but I was certain that this was more than just being overprotective.

Jace sipped the amber liquid and made a face as he stared at Lia. “I don’t know how you drink this so easily.”

“It’s not my fault you’re a chickenshit,” she answered, unphased.

“Oh, so we’re back to that. Here I thought we left that at the waterfall.”

“Waterfall?” I questioned.

“Ah, so the princess knew you were mates, but doesn’t know your story,” Zaela sassed as she ripped the bottle from her cousin’s hand and took a gulp herself.

My gaze snapped to Lia, who looked the tiniest bit nervous. “When did I have time to tell you anything, Avery? I yelled to you ‘I have a mate’ while fighting off attackers at Kai’s wedding, for gods’ sake.” She laughed under her breath, and my own mimicked hers as the memory surfaced.

“So much has happened, yet we have barely had time to process much of it,” I whispered as the bottle made its way to me. I sipped it carefully and nearly gagged the second the rum touched my lips.

Gage let out a deep laugh and took the bottle from my hands, wrapping his arm around my shoulders as he sipped from it. I leaned into the warmth of his touch, sending butterflies fluttering through me.

“What’s the matter, Princess? Never had real liquor before?” Zaela harassed me from the opposite side of our small circle .

My eyes glanced over to Lia and she gave the tiniest nod in my direction.

I ripped the bottle out of Gage’s grip and took a long swig of it, sending the burning liquid down my throat. The second it hit my stomach, I felt a blaze of warmth followed by an unusual giddiness.

“Avery,” Gage said with a laugh. “Be careful.”

“She’s fine,” Lia said with a smirk, and I matched hers as we made eye contact.

“Yes, well, we’ll see if she’s fine in about thirty minutes or so,” Zaela pestered. “Tell me, Princess Avery, how are you feeling after such a heaping gulp?”

My breathing deepened as I stared at her. Challenge radiated from both of us. Was this my initiation? Lia had made it known that she and Zaela didn't see eye-to-eye at first. Did she want me to give her shit right back to her?

My eyes lazily moved to Gage as his arm remained around me. “I’m feeling as if I wouldn’t mind getting to know Gage better.” His eyes flared as they met mine. My focus slowly pivoted back to Zaela, who had fury radiating in her stare. “ Much better.”

“Oh gods,” Lia breathed as she rubbed at her temples.

Zaela leapt up, and for a moment, I thought she was going to storm across the small distance between us and move to strike me. Gage’s body tensed.

She aggressively pointed at me from where I remained sitting on the floor. “Enough! Enough with your claim you think you will have on him! I’m sure that as a princess, you’re used to getting whatever and whoever you want, but that stops here and now! ”

“You know nothing about me!” I screamed at her as I climbed to my feet. We stood nearly nose to nose, and out of my peripheral vision, Lia shoved out of Jace’s lap and moved to circle us as if waiting to step in if needed.

“Zaela, what is your problem?!” Gage barked at her as he stood at my side, a bit of bite in his tone.

“Oh, I know what it is,” I hissed with a snarl. Zaela’s eyes narrowed in on me. “She’s in love with you, and she hates that you’ve been sweet to me!”

Her teeth clenched, and my eyes moved to Lia for a split second as her hands flew to cover her mouth in disbelief—her eyes frantically moving back and forth between Zaela and me.

Zaela let out a vicious, bone-chilling cackle into the sky as her head flew back. She stormed up to her cousin and ripped the bottle of rum from his grasp.

“Zae,” Jace growled.

She held a finger up at him with one hand as she finished the bottle of rum with the other, silencing him.

She threw the bottle overboard—the sound of its splash echoed through the breezy air. She then wiped her lips with her sleeve as she stalked toward me. Gage moved to put a foot in front of me, but I pushed around him. Despite lacking the training that Lia had, I was determined to stand my ground.

Veli silently crept forward as the scene continued to unfold, coming into further view beneath the torchlight. Zaela's gaze landed on her briefly, then quickly shifted elsewhere.

“You think I’m in love with Gage?! He’s like family to me, practically my brother!” she shrieked. “I don’t want you near him because I refuse to watch him fall in love with someone who will chew him up and shit him out when they’re done with him. He is not a shiny new trinket for a princess to play with when she’s bored!”

“Zaela!” Lia and Jace shouted in tandem.

“This only proves that you know nothing of me because I would never!” I bellowed, my voice carrying across the sea’s waves.

“Ladies, ladies…please don’t fight over little ole me,” Gage joked, placing his hand on his heart.

Jace accidentally laughed with him as he gestured to him with his hand. “Gage, shut the fuck up for a second, please.”

“You don’t believe me?!” Zaela whispered wildly. She spun slowly, her gaze lingering on each of us as she completed her full turn. “None of you believe that what I speak is true. You all believe me to be jealous of the princess.”

Her gaze snapped to me as her jaw locked, and I crossed my arms in response, a rare snarl working its way across my lips.

She turned to Lia then, who had been abnormally quiet considering the circumstances. Zaela cackled as she threw her head back and looked at the sky. “I know at least one of you believes me.”

“Lia, what does she mean?” Jace asked.

“It’s not my place to say,” she answered, and he shot her a look .

“Zae, I think you have had enough to drink,” Gage offered. “Why don’t we move on to something different? Nobody believes you to be jealous. I was only joking with you.”

Her eyes shifted back to Veli, and all of our gazes moved with hers to the witch. “I haven’t had nearly enough to drink for what I’m about to do.”

Before anyone had time to process her words, her feet moved to swiftly carry her across the deck to where Veli was standing. Her strides were strong and unyielding, as if she couldn’t get to the witch fast enough, yet Veli appeared to be unphased as the mortal woman stalked toward her.

Zaela’s steps came to a sudden halt directly before her, and she towered over Veli’s small stature as they stood barely an inch from each other. The witch’s knowing violet stare bore into her.

All of us inched closer, the air thick with confused tension. My face whipped in my sister's direction, but her flared eyes were fixated on the scene.

My attention moved back to them as well, just as Zaela’s jaw popped open, searching for words she couldn’t seem to find.

Veli’s lip tilted into a menacing grin. “I do not have all night, Zaela Cadoria.”

What in the realm?!

Zaela's hands trembled as she reached up to touch the witch’s face, and then pressed her lips against Veli's as she gently cupped her cheeks.

“Holy gods,” Gage breathed. “Hell yeah, Zae!”

“Well, that’s one way to tell everyone,” Lia said softly, not seeming surprised in the slightest.

“Oh, this just got interesting,” Jace joined the chatter.

My heart raced as my eyes remained fixated on the two of them. “Oh gods,” I whispered.

Their kiss broke, and Zaela was frozen in Veli’s violet stare.

“I–I’m so sorry,” she whispered as she took a step back, looking mortified.

“Do you truly believe I would have allowed you to storm up to me without repercussions if I did not desire what just occurred?” the sorceress hissed, but there was an unusual softness in her gaze—an understanding.

“You’re not upset?” Zaela asked her, forgetting that the rest of us remained behind them.

Veli lifted a talon-tipped finger to her lips and swiped away the lingering touch of their kiss. “I enjoy the company of both males and females.”

“Oh, thank the gods,” Lia breathed, earning everyone's attention. “What?! That whole scenario could have ended in a much worse manner.”

Her mate looked at her. “You knew?”

She gave him a gentle smile. “Not long. It was her story to tell.”

Jace looked at Zaela then. “I’m proud of you, cousin. I’m sorry you felt the need to hide this from us.”

“It wasn’t that I wanted to hide it. Just wanted to figure it out for myself before involving you two meddling idiots. I could already envision you playing matchmaker,” she teased, crossing her arms. “It wasn’t always easy being the only woman among men until Lia came along. But I knew you would always support me in this.” She gave him a kind smile that I had never witnessed from her before.

I was horrified. I couldn’t believe I just accidentally forced Zaela to tell everyone her secret—a secret that her own family members hadn’t known, but for some reason, Lia had.

Gage’s arm fell to my shoulders once more and pulled me to him, but an unbearable knot had settled into my stomach. I inched out of his touch and felt the weight of his arm leave me and fall to his sides.

“Zaela, I—”

She held up a hand to halt me. “Don’t.”

My hand flew to cover my mouth to hide my trembling lip.

“The information has been long overdue to tell,” she said as she glanced at Lia and gave her a small, tight-lipped smile. “I only wish the circumstances were slightly more…well, fair.” She shrugged. “But perhaps I never would’ve found it necessary to speak aloud without such a situation.”

“I’m just very sorry.” My voice was soft. “I thought you…”

“You thought I was in love with someone who I consider a brother.” She shivered and made a sound resembling being sick. Her eyes then lifted to Gage’s, and her features softened before her stare found mine again. “No, Princess. I do not, nor have I ever, loved Gage in that manner. But he deserves someone who will return the love that he gives. You will do well to remember that. Perhaps I have judged you too harshly, so I hope you will indeed prove me wrong.”

Leaving those as her parting words, Zaela moved toward the stairs that led below deck without even sparing us a parting glance.

Veli’s eyes wandered over all of us as we remained where we stood. The only sounds were the surrounding waves echoing in and out from where they crashed into the sides of the ship. She then moved to follow her down the steps.

“Well, then…” Jace said after a few moments of uncomfortable silence.

“She’ll be fine. Just give her a few hours to be alone,” Lia stated.

“When did she even tell you this? How? Why?” her mate pestered.

She laughed at him and wrapped her arms around his torso, pulling him close. “Remember boys’ night?” His eyes narrowed in on her as he looked down at her through furrowed brows. She shrugged. “It was her attempt to make amends for what happened between us at the village. She handed me her lifelong secret.”

Jace chuckled. “Well, I suppose it makes a lot more sense now on why we had never seen her with a man.”

“Zaela must hate me,” I breathed as my eyes darted back and forth.

“Zae hates everyone at first,” Gage announced as he laced his fingers through mine.

My gaze wandered down to our intertwined hands—the rugged, calloused feel to them was at such odds with my own. A male had never held my hand before, aside from Finnian when we were younglings. His touch, unexpected and tender, carried a warmth I never thought I would feel from a man.

Kai had always said I was born to be sold to the highest bidder, and after hearing those words repeated for decades, eventually you believe them.

“It’s through this that she determines if she will grow to like you,” he finished, and my gaze leisurely made its way back up to his.

“And you didn't let her intimidate you,” Lia said as she walked up to us and enthusiastically shook my arm. “I’m so proud of you for standing your ground. And, as unfortunate as it is, that is how you will earn respect from her.”

I blew out a breath, not feeling even the tiniest ounce of relief from their words. They knew Zaela best, but I couldn’t help but feel awful still.

A loud screech erupted from the sky as the beat of wings pulsed through the air. Nox appeared in brief glimpses, his amethyst-reflective scales the only sign of him soaring through the clouds beneath the moonlight.

Lia lifted her hand to her lips and let out a sharp whistle to summon the wyvern.

He soared down towards us and leveled himself, sending steady beats of his wings to levitate just beyond the ship's rail—each pulse from them sent a wave of wind at us, blowing my hair straight back. The force of it would have knocked me down if Gage wasn’t directly behind me.

Lia approached him and reached out her hand, gently placing it on his snout. “I need you to gently land on the ship. Can you do that? ”

“Gods, he’s the size of the ship, Lia,” Jace said with an annoyed chuckle. She waved him off teasingly.

The wyvern’s golden gaze narrowed in on my sister, and no matter how often I had been around the beast in recent days, I couldn’t remove the lingering sense of fear from our previous encounter of him sending a blaze of flame aimed to kill me.

Nox carefully descended upon the deck of the ship, causing each of us to hold our breath in anticipation. The ship rocked as his hind legs touched down, causing us all to nearly lose our footing.

“I said gently!” Lia screeched, and he curled into a ball in the center of the deck, taking up most of its space.

Lia rubbed her temples. “This damn wyvern.”

“You’re the one who wanted to bring him,” Jace teased as he guided her to the stairs while she yawned.

“Listen, he can be useful,” she joked back. “Don’t kill anyone!” She shot over her shoulder at the beast, and he let out a disapproving huff.

Gage reached out and took my hand. “Now, how about we get back to learning everything?”

Heat rushed to my cheeks once more, and he led me below deck, following the footsteps of the others.