TroyI woke with a start, the pain in my arm radiating up through my shoulder and my chest. I blinked against the sun as it beat down on the boat, tall grasses surrounding us as the boat bobbed gently in a small eddy, hidden from view of the main river. Maeve was sitting with her knees to her chest
"Excuse me," Maeve cut in as she struggled to her feet, slipping on the wet floor of the skiff. "Who the hell are you?""Robbie, at your service, Princess. Third Captain of the Persephone, ma'am." Robbie bowed dramatically, tipping his straw hat. Maeve scoffed, turning to me."I got us out of there,
MaeveI stood near the railing of the ship, looking down at the boat that was bobbing on the water several stories below as Cleo gripped the ladder and slowly made her way up the side of the ship, her eyes fixed on my face.Robbie was behind her, his voice carrying in the breeze as he encouraged her
I gaped at him, taken aback by the comment. "How dare you speak to me in such a way," I scoffed. He took two long, quick strides and suddenly we were nose to nose, his golden eyes boring down into mine. "Let's get one thing straight," he snapped. "I do not care that you're a princess. You're a pass
I didn't hear the telltale sound of a lock clicking into place, which told me that Troy's door couldn't be locked from the outside, which was in my favor. I could leave whenever I wanted. I could go hide somewhere and sleep if I wished.But in that moment I was overcome by curiosity. I was alone, su
MaeveIt was full dark when I woke up, the room still and empty. Moonlight was drifting in through three circular windows on the wall above my head, long beams of pale light casting shadows across the room.I rose and stretched; the superficial wounds on my skin were gone, and any soreness from the
"Great, come with me," he said as I followed him down the stairs. He turned his face to me, smiling. "I'm Pete, by the way. Young Pete.""Why Young Pete and not just Pete?""Because there's an Old Pete on the ship already, but he doesn't like being called that. He goes by Peter, actually. But it doe
Maeve"If you wake up earlier, you'll have a better shot of getting a real breakfast, miss." Robbie was sitting on a crate, a thick canvas sail laid over his waist as he sewed a patch into it, the needle nearly as long as his hand.I looked down at my bowl of cold sludge, which was the only way I co
The entire family had gathered in the dining room and was chatting amiably over a very impressive spread that had been laid out by the kitchen–two prime rib roasts, a honeyed ham, and three roast ducks were the centerpieces of the table, all of which were being enjoyed liberally by everyone.George
RowanMom ran her fingers across Selene's head, admiring her fine white hair. She looked every ounce the doting grandmother instead of a ball of uncertainty, like Maeve. Maeve was pacing back and forth near the fall wall of my bedroom, her arms folded across her chest and her head bent as she tried
Kacidra joined in the conversation. "Maeve is right, Rowan. We need to know what's happening with you and Hanna, or else we'll never be able to help."Rosalie's voice was calm and supportive as she asked, "Is it Hanna that's troubling you, son? Is she doing all right?My first instinct was to tell t
Gemma and Ernest had flown down with my parents and their son George, who was just two months older than Maeve's sons.A moment later, the library door opened and more of our family members poured in, as if they were fully aware of the thoughts I'd just had and I'd summoned them. I pushed aside my n
RowanThe castle was abuzz with its usual day-to-day activities. Servants and maids passed me in the hallway carrying baskets of laundry and trays of tea. I could hear the clattering of cookware as I left my office and walked toward the grand staircase off the foyer, seeing the door to the servants'
"Who? What happens?""There's so much more out there," Mara said dreamily. "So, so much more.""Maeve!" Troy called from down the beach.I turned to look at him, and when I turned back to Mara, she had taken off. "Wait!" I called after her, but she had already made it out of earshot, her footsteps l
Best of all, Troy was happy. He was at peace and at home. But there was still much work to be done.We were spending several weeks jumping from island to island, taking stock of the wellbeing of the inhabitants, and making a list of what was needed. Most of the islands were in need of medicine, inf
Maeve–Four Months LaterSuntra was not what I was expecting. I had become accustomed to the seemingly endless white-sand beaches of Avondale, where the sand grit was so fine it felt like powdered sugar as you walked barefoot in the surf. Suntra's sand was coarse and golden and dappled with tidepool
I straightened up a bit, shifting Oliver's weight in my arms as I narrowed my eyes back at him, sizing him up. A man roughly my father's age came bounding out of their house, waving at me apologetically as he leaned to whisper harshly in the ear of the man I assumed was his father.Whatever his son