47. Chapter 47

forty-seven

T he moonless night enveloped Kallessa as she slipped out of the estate, Nevander’s map clutched in her hand. Her heart raced, each step carrying her closer to a future she both yearned for and feared.

The rhythmic crash of waves called to her, growing louder as she neared the shore. Salt-laden air filled her lungs, grounding her in this moment of truth. As she rounded the cove, her breath caught.

There he stood.

Nevander’s silhouette cut a striking figure against the star-studded sky, his gaze fixed on the vast, dark sea. The breeze ruffled his tawny hair, his cloak billowing gently behind him. For a heartbeat, Kallessa hesitated in the shadows, drinking in the sight of the man who’d upended her world. Who’d shown her she wasn’t just a small girl in a small world, powerless to make a difference.

And she refused to hide any longer.

As she approached, the sound of the waves seemed to hush, as if holding its breath.

Nevander turned, his eyes finding hers in the darkness. The gentle smile that tugged at his lips sent a flood of warmth through her chest. “Kallessa,” he breathed, her name a caress on the night air .

She came to stand beside him, the cool night air whispering around them. For a moment, they simply existed together in silence, the world reduced to the sound of the tide. Two lovers, gone to sea.

“Do you know the legend of Enkin’s ship?” Nevander’s low voice broke the spell, his gaze drifting to the constellations above.

Kallessa shook her head, following his gaze to the familiar star pattern sailors used for navigation.

“In the earliest days of seafaring, when the world was shrouded in a blanket of undiscovered waters, there sailed a captain known as Enkin the Wayfinder, known for his unwavering compass and an unquenchable thirst for discovery. But one night, the winds unleashed their fury upon the waters, challenging the resolve of even the mightiest sailors.”

His voice took on a wistful quality, as if he could see the events unfolding before them. “All ships sought refuge, all but the Celestial Mariner. Enkin steered his vessel directly into the tempest, for he carried with him the most treasured of all treasures, a heart of pure gold, a gift for the queen. But the tempest was unrelenting, and he fought the entire night with the sea.”

Kallessa leaned in, captivated by the tale and the soft cadence of Nevander’s words.

“And as morning broke over the eastern horizon, its golden rays shone on the empty waters where the storm raged the night before. The Celestial Mariner and its captain were gone without a trace, swallowed by the unforgiving sea. Yet in the royal palace, the queen’s heart, once heavy with grief, grew stronger with each passing moment. Somehow, against all odds, Enkin had completed his destined task. Though he’d perished in the storm’s fury, his heart of gold had restored the queen’s own heart, mending the wound of tragedy that had plagued her for so long.”

“No one knows whether the ship rests at the bottom of the sea, or sailed into the stars, but after that fateful night, a new constellation appeared in the north, an unwavering guide home to any sailor that has lost his way.”

Nevander’s gaze met hers, his eyes shining with an intensity that stole her breath. “You,” he grasped her hands, his calloused fingers enveloping her skin as he brought her knuckles to his lips, “are my constellation, my guiding light in this world. You helped me find my way back from the dark night.”

An ache echoed through her at his caress, her breath catching in her throat. She’d missed that touch.

“I am broken, Kallessa,” Nevander murmured, his voice a hoarse whisper that seemed to emanate from the depths of his soul. His intense gaze bore into her, eyes shimmering with a haunted sorrow that spoke of unspeakable burdens. “The war has left scars that may take years to mend, wounds that cut far deeper than any blade.”

He reached out, fingers tracing the delicate curve of her cheek. “But if you will stand by my side, I will love you with every fiber of my being, cherish you as the most precious of treasures, for as long as we live upon this earth. I will fight for you, protect you with my dying breath against any who dare threaten your happiness.”

His words ignited a yearning so profound, so visceral, that it threatened to consume her entirely. In that moment, with the stars as their witness and the ocean breeze caressing her skin, Kallessa’s heart found its home within the depths of his gaze. A sense of belonging washed over her, banishing the shadows that had lingered for far too long .

In him she’d found wildness and freedom, safety and security, a dizzying paradox that both thrilled and grounded her. She wanted all of it. All of him.

“Sometimes I think it’s our brokenness that makes us realize what’s truly important,” Kallessa began, her mind struggling to convey what her heart felt. The words tumbled forth, raw and unvarnished.

“After my family died, I drifted through life as a lonely shadow, merely existing from one day to the next. I thought if only I had my old life back, everything would be fine. But I can never go back there, and… I don’t want to.”

As she spoke those words into existence, she realized just how true they were. “When we first met at that inn, I was lost, adrift in a sea of grief and self-doubt. But there was something about you, something that drew me in despite my attempts to push you away.” A wistful smile tugged at her lips at the memory. “You understood that dark place inside of me, and you never tried to belittle it. You accepted me on a level I didn’t even accept myself.”

She met his intense gaze, those green eyes silvered by the starlight. “You’ve freed me to forge my own path. To set sail for uncharted waters. But I don’t want that freedom without you.” Kallessa swallowed and studied the face of the man that had changed her world. “I’d rather spend a lifetime putting each other’s broken bits back together than another second without you.”

He released a gasping breath and pulled her into his arms, kissing her with such tenderness she felt she might shatter. His lips traced a path down her neck, drawing a hum of pleasure from her. Nevander raised his head and spun her around, dancing to the ebb and flow of the ocean’s song .

After a few moments, or it could have been hours, Nevander pulled back, a twinkle in his eyes.

“Did you know there is another verse to ‘The Ballad of Ederon Sea’?”

She grinned, perplexed at his change of topic. “No, I didn’t.”

He pulled her tightly to him, lifting her toes from the sand, and whispered the lyrics into her ear.

If we both end up

at the bottom of the sea

We’ll grow gills and fishy tails

and dine on seaweed tea

We’ll make our home

in a clamshell shack

and hold each other forever

Never looking back

Kallessa burst out laughing, gripping his shoulders for balance. She’d never be able to hear that song again without his silly lyrics tacked onto the end. “I think you should stick with map making and leave the ballads to the professionals.”

Nevander chuckled, pulling her close once more as they swayed together on the beach. His fingers traced patterns on her back as he murmured, “Let’s create our own journeys, then, ones filled with adventures beyond what any ballad could capture.”

“Yes,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around his waist and laying her head against his chest. She felt his strength, his warmth, his beating heart. Kallessa knew better than to believe in happily ever after—every day would bring new challenges, but if she could do it with this brave, loving man by her side, together, they could conquer anything.

As the stars twinkled above and the waves lapped at the shore, they stood entwined, two broken souls made whole in each other’s arms. Their story was just beginning, and the vast, unknown future stretched before them like the endless sea—full of possibilities, adventures, and, most of all, love.