Read Online War of the Princes 03: Monarch by A. R. Ivanovich - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: A. R. Ivanovich
Tags: Fantasy
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possible, it was almost common. The Flying Fish was the smallest hover ship I'd seen. Prince Raserion's navy was full of iron behemoths that made ours look like a skipping stone.
I leaned on the rail and looked down at the view of the main deck. A high-pitched hum came from the mast as two sets of twin yardarms extended outward, stretching a pair of sails taut between them. The extension made the Fish look like it had wings at its sides. It really was an amazing sight.
“I’ve seen something more beautiful ,” I answered him. “It was a chocolate and raspberry éclair, and it broke my heart. None will ever compare. I'll never love again.”
He groaned and gave me a sidelong glance. “I really wish I didn't believe you.”
We glided easily out of Breakwater Bay, past the encircling arms of the coast and into the open ocean. All I could see out there was water and sky. Long, lacy streaks of high cirrus clouds striped the blue, and cumulous crept along the far horizon. Black cormorant birds swooped overhead, diving into the water in search of prey.
The sun felt good on my cheeks, but the air was cutting cold. I pulled my fingerless gloves higher up my wrists, tucked my hands into my pockets, and nestled into my mangled orange scarf. It was a little shorter than it should have been, after Rune had cut it to tie off my bleeding leg. I refused to discard it. I'd washed it over and over, but the rusty bloodstains that speckled the frayed edges just wouldn't come out. It didn't matter to me. My scarf and I were in this mess together.
So were me and Rune, it seemed. When I'd come up to the upper deck, I thought the ex-Dragoon was right behind me, but he'd vanished. I had sat down to wait for him and fell asleep in the warmth of the sun. There was no sign of Dylan either. I hoped they weren't killing each other.
“ Desserts and flying ships aside,” Kyle said, not seeming all that affected by the chill. “Do you think Ru is going to be okay?”
“ She seems to have things under control,” I admitted. “In a way, I'm glad she's going back. Safer.”
His chuckle was short and dry. “Is it?”
I didn't want to answer that.
“Do you think we'll be okay?”
“ That's the question of the year, isn't it?” I didn't have the will to fake a laugh. “Why'd you stick around, Kyle? After everything that's happened, I thought you'd go back home for sure.”
He tensed up and kicked gently at the base of the rail with the toe of his boot.
The lack of an answer got my attention. “What aren't you telling me?”
Kyle winced and gripped the rail with both hands. The wind pushed his brown curls away from his face and made the collar of his coat flap against his neck. “You know how I've been having nightmares?”
“ Yeah,” I drew the word out.
I'd suffered my own nightmare recently enough. It had left me wanting to spend as much time out in the light as I could.
“They've been getting worse. I have them every night now. I wake up screaming. For a long time, I didn't even know why. I couldn't remember a thing, except that I was afraid. Really terrified. Aside from the dreams, I've never felt that way in my life. The fear, it's always so real.” He shook his head like he was frustrated or embarrassed. “Back when we were waiting for the Cape Hill channel to clear up, when you and Dylan left with Hest, Sterling told me that he could use his Ability to get me to remember my nightmares.”
“ Did you do it?”
“ Yeah, and Kat, it worked. Maybe too well. It turned out that they were all the same story. I was here, in the Outside. My vision was cloudy. A city was burning. Then there was an explosion. It threw me against a rock wall. There was broken metal on me. I was on fire, burning. I couldn't roll to put it out, my arms and legs wouldn't work.”
I grimaced.
“I could feel it, all of it.”
I swallowed, feeling my heart flutter with anxiety at the mere thought of burning. “That's terrible, but it's just a
I leaned on the rail and looked down at the view of the main deck. A high-pitched hum came from the mast as two sets of twin yardarms extended outward, stretching a pair of sails taut between them. The extension made the Fish look like it had wings at its sides. It really was an amazing sight.
“I’ve seen something more beautiful ,” I answered him. “It was a chocolate and raspberry éclair, and it broke my heart. None will ever compare. I'll never love again.”
He groaned and gave me a sidelong glance. “I really wish I didn't believe you.”
We glided easily out of Breakwater Bay, past the encircling arms of the coast and into the open ocean. All I could see out there was water and sky. Long, lacy streaks of high cirrus clouds striped the blue, and cumulous crept along the far horizon. Black cormorant birds swooped overhead, diving into the water in search of prey.
The sun felt good on my cheeks, but the air was cutting cold. I pulled my fingerless gloves higher up my wrists, tucked my hands into my pockets, and nestled into my mangled orange scarf. It was a little shorter than it should have been, after Rune had cut it to tie off my bleeding leg. I refused to discard it. I'd washed it over and over, but the rusty bloodstains that speckled the frayed edges just wouldn't come out. It didn't matter to me. My scarf and I were in this mess together.
So were me and Rune, it seemed. When I'd come up to the upper deck, I thought the ex-Dragoon was right behind me, but he'd vanished. I had sat down to wait for him and fell asleep in the warmth of the sun. There was no sign of Dylan either. I hoped they weren't killing each other.
“ Desserts and flying ships aside,” Kyle said, not seeming all that affected by the chill. “Do you think Ru is going to be okay?”
“ She seems to have things under control,” I admitted. “In a way, I'm glad she's going back. Safer.”
His chuckle was short and dry. “Is it?”
I didn't want to answer that.
“Do you think we'll be okay?”
“ That's the question of the year, isn't it?” I didn't have the will to fake a laugh. “Why'd you stick around, Kyle? After everything that's happened, I thought you'd go back home for sure.”
He tensed up and kicked gently at the base of the rail with the toe of his boot.
The lack of an answer got my attention. “What aren't you telling me?”
Kyle winced and gripped the rail with both hands. The wind pushed his brown curls away from his face and made the collar of his coat flap against his neck. “You know how I've been having nightmares?”
“ Yeah,” I drew the word out.
I'd suffered my own nightmare recently enough. It had left me wanting to spend as much time out in the light as I could.
“They've been getting worse. I have them every night now. I wake up screaming. For a long time, I didn't even know why. I couldn't remember a thing, except that I was afraid. Really terrified. Aside from the dreams, I've never felt that way in my life. The fear, it's always so real.” He shook his head like he was frustrated or embarrassed. “Back when we were waiting for the Cape Hill channel to clear up, when you and Dylan left with Hest, Sterling told me that he could use his Ability to get me to remember my nightmares.”
“ Did you do it?”
“ Yeah, and Kat, it worked. Maybe too well. It turned out that they were all the same story. I was here, in the Outside. My vision was cloudy. A city was burning. Then there was an explosion. It threw me against a rock wall. There was broken metal on me. I was on fire, burning. I couldn't roll to put it out, my arms and legs wouldn't work.”
I grimaced.
“I could feel it, all of it.”
I swallowed, feeling my heart flutter with anxiety at the mere thought of burning. “That's terrible, but it's just a
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