and you’re still bossing me around.”
With a smile, Luciana pulled her into a hug. “I know you get annoyed when I still try to mother you. But to me, you have always been my first baby.”
“I know, I know.” Maeve hugged her sister back. “Try not to worry about me.”
Luciana stepped back, her eyes glistening with tears. “I hope you find Brody.”
Maeve winced. Luciana had guessed one of the purposes of this trip.
“Your Majesty, my lady,” Nevis said as he approached. He was in his uniform as a colonel, a knapsack in one hand and small leather folder in the other. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting.” He lifted the leather folder. “Leo just gave this to me. A letter for Queen Esther.”
“You’re going to meet the queen of the Isles of Moon and Mist?” Maeve asked.
Nevis nodded. “After I make sure you’re safely ensconced at the convent.”
“We’re asking the queen to ally her islands with the kingdoms on the mainland,” Luciana explained. “So far, she’s ignored all our gestures of friendship.” She turned to Nevis. “I had several packages taken onboard, gifts for you to give the queen. They’re the ones wrapped in red and black silk.”
“I will deliver them with your sincere greetings,” Nevis assured her, then went over to talk to Captain Shaw.
This was good news, Maeve thought. Nevis wouldn’t be by her side the entire time. She’d be able to slip away.
“We’re ready to set sail,” Captain Shaw announced. “All aboard!”
“Good luck.” Luciana hugged Maeve once more.
Ignoring the sting of tears, Maeve hurried across the gangplank. She headed straight for the quarterdeck at the back of the ship, and as the ship drifted slowly away from the pier and down the river, she waved at Luciana.
A tear rolled down Maeve’s cheek as she realized her sister was remaining on the pier until the ship was out of sight. She wiped her cheek and squared her shoulders. This was not the time to look back, but to move forward with her life.
She strode toward the front of the ship, and her heart began to race. Finally. She was off on her very own adventure. Brody, I’m coming! Wherever you are, I will find you. And I’ll find the Embraced army.
An hour later, her excitement had dulled to barely veiled impatience. It had taken far too long for the ship to reach the mouth of the Ebe River and start its journey across the Great Western Ocean. And all her pacing up and down the deck had not caused the ship to sail any faster.
After another hour of pacing, she strode up onto the quarterdeck for the tenth time. “We’ll reach the convent tonight, won’t we?” she asked Captain Shaw.
“No, my lady.” He gave her a sympathetic look. “I’m afraid going west means we’re traveling against the wind and ocean currents. We won’t arrive till tomorrow morning.”
Tomorrow? With a groan, she turned to look out over the ocean. Nothing but dark blue waves as far as she could see. It was a shame Brigitta’s husband wasn’t here. Rupert had the Embraced power of controlling the wind. He could blow the ship to the Isle of Moon in just a few hours.
“Isn’t it great?” Nevis sat on a nearby trunk, happily munching on an apple.
“What could possibly be great?” Maeve grumbled.
“This. Doing nothing.” He finished the apple and tossed the core overboard. “I haven’t had a day off from work in years.”
She sighed. While other people had been busy the last few years, she’d had nothing to do. She’d read books, learned new dances, attended balls, and played in the Ebe River once a month in seal form—in short, she’d done nothing of any importance. Now that she finally had a goal, it was aggravating that she couldn’t get straight to it.
“You should rest, my lady,” the captain suggested. “We’ve reserved our nicest cabin for you belowdecks. I’ve had some food left there for you.”
Rest? From doing what? Waking up and getting dressed? She feigned a smile. “Thank you, Captain.”
She hurried down to the cabin and closed the door behind her. “Dammit!” she shouted, using one of the unladylike words she’d learned from her sister Sorcha. What on Aerthlan would she do while she waited? It seemed as if she’d spent her entire life waiting.
In just a few seconds of pacing, she completed a circle around the small cabin. The room was much the same as she remembered: a round table with four chairs, a sideboard stocked with