Realization slammed into me like a wave. I may not have asked her to sacrifice for me, but she had done it anyway. She hadn’t told me about her plan because she knew that I would never risk her life if I believed I was going to profit from it in some way. But somehow she had wrested our destinies from the hands of the elders, from Mother, from Thalos himself, and put them to rights.

Bittersweet tears slid down my cheeks. How could I have ever doubted her?

I turned abruptly, hoping I wasn’t too late. All the houses of Varenia, painted in their pinks and yellows, reds and oranges, stretched out across the horizon like a glorious sunset. In front of our rapidly shrinking house, I could barely make out Zadie’s tiny figure in the distance. I raised a hand to show that I understood, and the sob I’d been holding in burst out of me as she raised hers in return.

Sami held me tighter, and I cried until I was finally out of tears.

I eventually fell asleep on his shoulder and woke hours later to the sun beating down on me. Sami and his father took turns rowing for the rest of the day. They were both strong men, but despite leaving not long after sunrise, the sun was sinking rapidly toward the horizon now. Even with my hat, my head was aching from being out in the sun for so long, and my good shirt and skirts were nearly soaked through with sweat. Both men wore thin linen tunics and trousers, a luxury I wasn’t allowed. Fortunately, they’d brought food and water with us, but I couldn’t imagine how they would find the strength to make the journey back tonight.

Finally, the horizon began to change. We were coming ashore southeast of Varenia, and here, at last, was the land I’d dreamed of my whole life: a long stretch of sand in both directions, then farther back, the blurry green haze of the forest.

More details began to come into focus as the waves picked up and started driving us faster toward shore. A line of ten or fifteen men stood facing the sea, their expressions unreadable from here. Their torsos were covered in something hard and stiff, like a turtle’s shell, and their horses stood in a row behind them, massive beasts that seemed to loom larger the closer we got.

Sami set the oars down for a moment, letting the waves do the work. “Nor?”

My eyes met his. “Yes?”

“Are you ready?”

I almost laughed. Of course I wasn’t ready. I would never be ready. The idea of Sami and his father abandoning me here with a dozen strange men was absurd. How would I ever find the strength to leave this boat?

But I bit back my fear. I had to be strong now, so that when Zadie asked Sami if I’d been afraid, he could tell her that I went bravely. “I’m ready.”

He nodded. “I’ll drop anchor a little ways out from shore, just fifteen feet or so, and the captain will come for you, with another guard for your trunk. The captain will probably present a gift to my father, say a few words, and then we’ll leave.”

“I understand. Thank you.”

He ignored his father’s stern gaze and took my hands. “I promise I will take care of Zadie. Please try not to worry.”

“I know.” I leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the cheek, saying goodbye to the boy who had been our best friend and trusted accomplice for as long as I could remember. “We would have managed,” I whispered as I pulled away, referring to the marriage that would never be. “But you will make Zadie the happiest woman in Varenia.”

“I’ll spend my life trying,” he whispered back. “Remember, keep your eyes and ears open.”

“I will.”

Governor Kristos leaned forward and took my chin in his large hands, examining my cheek closely. “The stain is holding. Good.”

I tried to hold back my tears as he released me. “I know things didn’t end well between our families, but—”

“It’s all right, Nor.” He pulled me into a fierce embrace. “You have always been like a niece to me. Be careful in Ilara. I have never met the prince, but I have heard he can be...difficult. He may not take as kindly to your impetuous nature as the emissary did.”

I wondered what he meant by difficult. “Yes, sir.”

“I’ll look after your family, I promise.”

“Thank you.” I kissed him on the cheek as Sami dropped the anchor over the side of the boat.

I scanned the group of men to see who was coming for me and blinked when two stepped out from behind the other guards. They were clad only in loose white tunics and tight trousers, their feet bare. I covered my mouth with one hand to suppress a giggle. The older man had blond hair and a trimmed beard; the other was as smooth-cheeked as Sami. They looked small and weak without their shells, and I told myself to be calm. These men weren’t hungry sharks circling bloodied waters. They were more like the small fishes clinging to a shark’s underbelly; nothing to fear at all.

But as they entered the water and came closer into view, I saw that they were not so small. In fact, both men were taller than any man I’d seen in Varenia, including Jovani. Their shoulders were as broad as Governor Kristos’s, and their mouths were set in grim lines.

I dropped my hand, the smile vanishing from my face, and felt a bubble of panic rising in my throat. Two strange men were coming for me. I’d never met a stranger, at least not until Talin, and these men had no laughter dancing in their eyes.

“I can’t go with them,” I whispered to the governor. But he only stared ahead at the men, his expression as grave as theirs.

“Greetings,” Kristos said as the men approached the side of the boat, chest-deep in the water.

“Good day, Governor Kristos,” the bearded man answered. Beneath the facial hair, his skin was tanned but unlined. “I am Captain Osius of King Xyrus’s guard.” His eyes flicked briefly to mine, but his gaze didn’t linger long. Instead, he scanned my entire body. Perhaps Talin had described Zadie to him, and he was confirming that I was the girl the prince had been promised.

“Milady,” he said finally, reaching his hand out to me. “It is an honor to meet you.”

I let him take my hand. He brought it to his mouth, his whiskers tickling my skin as he kissed it, and I had to force myself not to look away at the awkwardness of the gesture. “Thank you,” I managed.

“My second in command, Grig, will help get your belongings to shore. I’m afraid protocol dictates that you may not set foot on solid ground until we are within Ilarean borders, so I will carry you to the carriage.”

I yanked my hand back. “Carry me?”

“Yes, milady. I promise I am up to the task.” His eyes crinkled in the corners, and I felt myself relax a little. Despite his size and serious expression, I suddenly felt that he was someone I could trust, this captain who had the word sea in his name.