him and me, alone for the first time since we left Saulette. The knights will join us soon, but Rhys brought me here early, giving me a chance to fully accept the task in front of us.
The day is bright and clear. There’s not a cloud in the pale blue sky, but a strange void of darkness lies directly before us. Unlike the mist of the Chasm, this isn’t a cloud looming, but a curtain of night, defying the sun. On one side, it’s morning. On the other, midnight. Like a boundary between worlds, more ominous than the rift itself.
It’s impossible to see what lies beyond. Our eyes are adjusted to the light, unable to make out the details on the other side of the veil.
“Eternal night cloaks the water,” Rhys continues, “and it takes nearly a week to sail across.”
Waves lap at the sandy beach, sounding deceptively gentle. Nearby, there’s a dock. The front half of it disappears into the night. A shadow of a rowboat, barely visible, lies at the end of it.
“If it’s so dangerous, why do people travel it?” I ask.
“Supplies must be brought to Talbin,” Rhys explains. “It was a massive city more than a hundred years ago, busy with people traveling between Draegan and Renove. When the Chasm was created, the curse descended over the water, but the people living here still had to eat.
“For a while, they attempted to self-sustain. They tried to farm the land, but the blight spread from the Chasm, and they were one of the first affected. Animals died when they ate the sick crops. The people couldn’t escape to Renove, so they had no choice but to travel the sea.”
I peer at the knight, realizing how weary he sounds—as though the story personally affects him. “You know a lot about Draegan.”
He turns his eyes on me. “I’ve spent much of my life here, Amalia.”
“I’m sure it feels that way,” I say with a sigh. “I’ve been here for less than twenty-four hours, and I feel a year older. How did you manage this for years, Rhys?”
“How did the people manage it for over a hundred?” he asks softly.
I turn my eyes on him once more. “You feel for them,” I say, my voice softly accusing.
Slowly, he nods. “No matter what happened in the past, these people aren’t to blame, Amalia. This isn’t their fault.”
I let his words sink in, reluctantly thinking of the kindness of the innkeeper’s wife.
“You are trusting and warm,” Rhys continues softly, staring into the curtain of night. “It drew me to you immediately. Please—I beg you—don’t let a wicked act of the Draeganish royal family harden you.”
Astonished, I blink at him. “Rhys,” I whisper lightly, terrified by the gravity of his statement. “That sounded like a compliment. Are you feeling all right?”
“Promise me,” he turns back, gently grasping my arms and meeting my eyes. “No matter what happens in the next few weeks, don’t lose your light.”
A frown tugs at my lips as I take in his solemn expression. “I promise,” I say softly. “I won’t allow myself to become bitter.”
He closes his eyes, nodding.
“You’re different here.” I glance back to ensure we are alone, and then I dare to raise a hand to the back of his neck.
Rhys opens his eyes, leaning into my touch. “How so?”
“Unusually vulnerable.”
“Only because you’re here.” He gives me a wry smile, and then he lowers his voice. “I don’t want to lose you.”
Silently, I rejoice. For a few precious moments, Rhys has dropped the mask. Right now, he’s the man who confessed his feelings at the manor, the one who kissed me in the forest before the world lit on fire.
“You carry a piece of parchment that declares I am yours. I’m afraid you’re stuck with me.”
A shadow flickers across Rhys's face, and he drops his hands. “That’s just a contract, Amalia. Something to keep you safe from the whims of Draegan’s king.”
Laughing softly, I shake my head. “Perhaps to you…but not to me.”
Before he can respond, I turn toward the city, ready to meet with the rest of Rhys’s men so we can begin our journey across the midnight sea.
30
I watch Amalia walk away, conflicted. Once again, she gave me an opening, and I almost told her.
After all the things I’ve battled in my life—darkness, monsters, death, and disease—why is simply telling Amalia the truth of who I am and what I’ve done the beast I cannot slay?
With a heavy sigh, I follow the princess back