quickly. But it’ll be nice to have a day just for the two of us to tour the island.”
There’s a genuine excitement in his voice that I wish I could match. Last night, drunk off wine and apparently poison, touring the island with Elias had seemed like a wonderful idea. Now though, I’m too distracted with thoughts of Bastian.
That bastard said he loved me. But there’s no way that’s right. His emotions must be as muddled as mine, so how dare he say something like that? And then to just leave!
It takes all my power to tear my thoughts away from Bastian; to compartmentalize him away someplace else, so that I might focus on my time with Elias, who knows Curmana better than most, given his position. I came here to find Ornell Rosenblathe, and today I need to make some progress.
“Have you lived here all your life?” Vataea and Shanty are keeping an appropriate distance away, but I quiet my words regardless, letting this time between us feel more intimate. The more relaxed he is, the more information I can pry.
“All twenty-two years.” His smile is far too charming. “I’ve traveled to most of the other islands, but Curmana is my home. Should anything happen to my sister, I’m on the lineup of potential advisers to take her place. So I try to stay on Curmana for the most part, to keep abreast with what’s happening on the island.”
Curiosity prickles my skin, but I don’t let myself show it. Instead, I keep politely interested. “Anything interesting happen, lately?”
Something related to poison, perhaps?
It’s possible he doesn’t know about the seedy underbelly of his island, just as I was unaware of how bad things in the kingdom were getting while I was stuck on Arida. I watch his face for a sign, any break or hesitation that might show he’s aware of something stirring in Curmana that has yet to be reported to royal officials. But his expression remains confident and unwavering, betraying nothing.
“Nothing too exciting, no. We have milder weather this far north, so we don’t get the same storms that plague the southern islands. Revenue has continued to increase throughout the years as we expand our spas and inflate the prices of our more luxurious services. We’re incredibly stable and self-sufficient, as we also produce the majority of the herbs and oils we sell right here on the island.”
“What about the crime?”
And there it is. Brief and so fleeting I nearly miss it—a quick tic of his jaw.
“Pardon, Your Majesty?”
“The crime rate,” I repeat. “What’s it like?”
“I dare say Curmana is the safest places you’ll ever visit. I recently visited Ikae, and it’s astounding how much petty theft tourists get away with there. The tranquility here makes residents and tourists alike happy; because of it, our crime rates are low.”
Curmanan residents eye Elias and me as we walk along the sleek white shore, the sand so powdery that I wonder if this is what the snow upon Zudoh might feel like. Most bow their heads, but there are a handful of children who gawk up at me, much to the horror of parents who hurriedly try to get them to dip their heads.
Shanty’s watching them too, eyes narrowed as she scouts their faces, looking for others with enchantment magic who are only here to look for a story for tonight’s gossip parchments. Briefly, I wonder what today’s might say.
QUEEN AMORA AND LORD ELIAS FREEBOURNE—WE HEAR THERE’S SOMETHING IN CURMANA’S WATER. COULD IT BE LOVE?
Or, perhaps:
A LORD OR A PIRATE—COULD ONE OF THESE CHARMING BACHELORS BE OUR NEW KING?
Before my face can give away my anger, I peel myself from those thoughts, refocusing on the mission at hand.
“We had a family friend from here who would always rave about how wonderful Curmana is.” I make my voice light, as if recalling fond memories. “Are you familiar with the Rosenblathe family, by chance? Ornell Rosenblathe? He always told me about the food and spas, and that Curmana could make lying in a tub full of warm mud feel like the most luxurious thing ever. I’d love to see him while I’m here.”
Everything in my body seizes when Elias squints his eyes, forehead creasing as he scans his thoughts. Hope balloons, threatening to burst within me. I clench my fists tight and dip my nails into my palms to contain it.
But it deflates when Elias puckers his lips and sighs. “Sorry. I know it’s familiar, but I can’t place where I’ve heard