I ignored Jacobi's laughter as I pushed past a group of ladies crowding around the ship railing, my vision tunneling on the gangplank ahead. When my boots finally struck the solid cobblestones of the dock, relief flooded through me like a wave.

  I bent forward, palms braced against my thighs, and gulped mouthfuls of air. The scent of fish and tar and unwashed bodies surrounded me, but even that putrid mix was better than another moment on that wretched boat.

  A crew member standing nearby caught my eye. His weathered face crinkled into a knowing grin as he tipped his hat in my direction, the gesture accompanied by a soft chuckle before he returned to tossing luggage onto the dock.

  The sounds of the busy dock, shouted orders, crying gulls, clanking chains, blended into a background roar as I searched the growing pile of disgorged luggage. I spotted my worn leather case with its distinctive brass buckle, then Jacobi's larger trunk of polished mahogany banded with iron.

  My fingers closed around the handles, the leather warm from sitting in the sun. I hefted my bag and grimaced as I lifted Jacobi's significantly heavier bag just as my brother sauntered down the gangplank, not a hair out of place. His boots hit the dock with a confident thud, and his annoyingly steady gaze found mine.

  "Feeling better, brother?" Jacobi's voice carried the remnants of barely contained laughter.

  I resisted the urge to drop his bag on his polished shoes. Instead, I forced a tight smile. "Splendid. I've discovered a profound appreciation for land."

  "The Elysium is this way," Jacobi said, pointing down a stone-paved road that led away from the docks. "Still the best accommodations near the water."

  I'd forgotten that detail, but the name conjured memories of crisp sheets and quiet rooms, a welcome prospect after three days cramped in our ship's cabin with Jacobi's endless teasing about my seasickness. The hotel made most of its trade from holidaying passengers fresh off the boats, and we both knew it well from previous trips.

  A small group of our fellow passengers headed in the same direction. A family with two young children whose shrieking laughter pierced the general din of the port, an elderly couple leaning on each other for support, and a middle-aged businessman clutching his portfolio case to his chest. We walked near them, wary of the pickpockets we'd been warned about aboard ship.

  The air grew marginally cleaner as we moved away from the docks, the smell of salt and fish giving way to the aroma of street food and woodsmoke.

  When our group arrived at the hotel, Jacobi and I stepped forward, moving ahead to pull open the large double doors to The Elysium. The small stream of people passed through, murmuring their thanks and nodding to us as we followed them inside.

  The lobby enveloped us in blessed coolness. Potted palms reached toward the high ceiling, and the marble floor gleamed beneath our feet. The scent of lemon and fresh flowers replaced the city's grit and grime.

  As soon as we entered, Jacobi's hand shot out to stop me, his fingers gripping my forearm with surprising strength. I looked at him questioningly as he tilted his head to the left, jerking his thumb in that direction with a wide grin. Following his gaze, I spotted Dr. Susan and Gerard exiting the staircase, their footsteps muffled by the thick carpet runner.

  They were holding hands, fingers intertwined, heads bent close together as Gerard whispered something that made Susan giggle. The sound carried across the otherwise quiet lobby. Her cheeks were flushed, and Gerard's eyes sparkled with an emotion I rarely saw him display in public. They moved with the easy synchronicity of people entirely comfortable in each other's space, their shoulders brushing with each step.

  My face softened into a genuine smile. The tightness in my chest eased a fraction at the sight of their unguarded affection. Susan deserved this happiness after working tirelessly at the arena, patching up fighters while maintaining her professional demeanor.

  Jacobi and I moved to intercept the couple, standing with arms crossed directly in their path. The polished buttons of Jacobi's coat caught the glow from the overhead lighting, tiny glimmers that matched the mischievous glint in his eyes. Susan and Gerard were too preoccupied with each other to notice us until they nearly collided with us. Susan looked up to apologize, her lips already parting with words that died when recognition dawned. I watched as realization, shock, and then amusement crossed her face in quick succession before she laughed loudly.

  "Why am I not surprised to see you two here?" Her voice held equal measures of exasperation and fondness.

  Gerard immediately dropped Susan's hand as though burned, his spine stiffening as he adopted a formal pose with his hands clasped behind his back. The easy warmth in his expression closed off, replaced by the carefully neutral mask he wore in the presence of humans. His gaze fixed on a point over my shoulder, his body no longer leaning toward Susan as it had been moments before.

  I shook my head, the movement sending a brief spike of dizziness through me. "Don't do that for us." I smiled genuinely at him, hoping to ease his discomfort. "We highly approve of whatever makes Susan happy."

  Susan held her hand out toward Gerard, the gesture an invitation rather than a demand. After a beat of hesitation, his fingers uncurled from behind his back, and he took her hand again with a grateful smile that softened the hard angles of his face. His shoulders relaxed a fraction, though his posture remained more formal than it had been before our interruption.

  Susan looked between us, her smile faltering slowly as concern crept into her expression. She took in my pallid complexion and Jacobi's tense jaw.

  "Well then, I suppose I know why you're both here?" The question hung in the air, heavy with unspoken implications.

  I nodded, the motion setting off another round of swaying sensations. Jacobi gave her a wry smile, his fingers toying with the Velez signet ring he wore.

  "I met a very chatty waiter who told us you spent time with Joy on the way over." His tone was light, but I heard the edge beneath. The same tension that had driven us onto that wretched ferry.

  Gerard's face transformed into an expression of solid stone. Although he hadn't changed position, every muscle in him went visibly tense, the tendons in his neck standing out like cords. Only his head moved, swiveling to look at us with eyes that had gone flat and cold as winter ice. The hand not holding Susan's curled into a loose fist at his side.

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  I held my hands up in front of myself, palms out, fingers spread, the same gesture I used with tense animals I was training. The movement was instinctive, born from years of experience with creatures on the edge of flight or fight.

  "We just want to find her," I said, keeping my voice low and even, the words measured and deliberate. "We need to stop her from any madness she plans on doing. We want to get the girls back home. Then we'll deal with this the right way."

  Jacobi nodded, the sun through the high windows catching the gold threads in his waistcoat. "Marcelo will be punished, don't misunderstand me, but this isn't the way we'll go about it."

  At the mention of Marcelo's name, Gerard's jaw clenched hard enough that I heard his teeth grind together. A muscle jumped in his cheek, and his eyes flickered with something dangerous before he controlled it. Susan glanced at him, then looked back to Jacobi but remained silent, her fingers tightening almost imperceptibly around Gerard's.

  "Can you tell me if she's still wearing our crest at least?" Jacobi's voice held an uncharacteristic note of uncertainty.

  Susan nodded quickly, a loose strand of her copper hair falling across her cheek. "Yes, on that lovely purple gem-studded collar you had made."

  Jacobi let out a breath in relief, one he hadn't realized he'd been holding. His shoulders lowered a fraction, and some of the tightness around his eyes eased. I watched my brother's reaction with interest, noting how much significance he placed on that symbol of ownership.

  I removed my glasses, the world blurring immediately into indistinct shapes and colors. The lenses were spotted with sea spray and smudged from where I'd pushed them up countless times during our journey. I rubbed them on the bottom of my shirt once I found a clean enough spot, the motion familiar and soothing.

  "I really don't want to force you to tell us," I said, keeping my voice calm and even, still jovial despite the growing headache pulsing behind my eyes, "but if you have any information about where she went, we'd love you to tell us."

  I replaced my glasses, the world snapping back into focus. Susan was patting Gerard's hand, her thumb rubbing small circles across his knuckles in a gesture clearly meant to calm him. She nodded, looking at us both with a mixture of resignation and concern.

  "You're right, of course." Susan and Gerard exchanged another look, a silent communication passing between them. "We can tell you where she was planning to go. Beyond that we don't know anything."

  Jacobi nodded, agreeing quickly. "Anything. Anything that you know that we can go on." His fingers drummed against his thigh, betraying his impatience.

  "Have you heard of the Dusk Blush?"

  Heat rushed to my face at those words, starting at my neck and crawling upward until even my ears burned. Gerard let out a small chuckle, the tension in him breaking for a moment. Jacobi looked at them questioningly, his brow furrowing.

  "I don't know the name, but honestly it sounds like a brothel." His blunt assessment made Susan's lips twitch.

  She joined in with Gerard's quiet laughter as my blush deepened. I could feel sweat beading at my hairline, no longer from the heat or my lingering seasickness. Jacobi turned to me with an impressed grin.

  "Well brother, I honestly didn't know you had it in you."

  I shot him a glare, my ears burning. "You enjoy your spare time your way, I enjoy it mine." The words came out more defensively than I intended, which only made Gerard's shoulders shake harder with suppressed mirth.

  Susan stepped forward, reassuringly patting my hand.

  "Go to the Dusk Blush. She was planning on going there. I believe she's got friends there."

  Jacobi chuckled, the sound low and knowing. "Maybe they've got mutual friends?"

  Gerard, who had been desperately holding back his laughter, could no longer control himself and burst into loud guffaws. The sound echoed off the marble floors and high ceiling, drawing curious glances from the hotel staff at the reception desk.

  I redirected my glare to the Naerithi, crossing my arms defensively. My stomach, which had finally begun to settle, twisted anew with embarrassment.

  Susan gave Gerard a teasing smile and pushed him gently on the arm. "Perhaps you should excuse yourself, dear."

  Gerard gave us a wave as he turned away, catching my eye and starting a fresh peal of laughter as he walked toward the main desk of the hotel. His boots clicked against the marble floor, the sound receding as he approached another Naerithi male who worked at the hotel, judging by his uniform. The two immediately fell into conversation, their heads bent close together.

  Susan smiled fondly at Gerard's back, her eyes soft with affection. When he became engrossed in conversation, she turned her attention back to us, all amusement leaving her face. The lines around her mouth deepened with concern, and she stepped closer, lowering her voice.

  "I didn't understand everything, but from what Gerard and Joy were discussing, I don't think she has any intention of bringing Marcelo back alive." Her words sent a chill down my spine despite the warmth of the lobby. "She's some sort of trained...guard. Gerard said something about assassins. Is she an assassin?" Her voice dropped even further. "Did you know Ellah is a Naerithi royal?"

  Susan looked between us, her eyes wide with disbelief. "What's going on up at that estate with you three?" she managed before Jacobi held his hand up to stop the flow of words.

  "Susan." That single word, spoken with quiet authority, was enough to silence her.

  She snapped her mouth shut and mirrored my position, crossing her arms across her chest. Her fingers tapped restlessly against her elbows. "Mostly I'm curious about that last part."

  "Joy is on some kind of mission. She's going to swap herself for Ellah, then I believe she'll wait until Ellah is clear and safe, and then she's planning on finishing Marcelo."

  Susan shivered visibly, rubbing her arms as though chilled despite the comfortable temperature of the lobby. "It doesn't feel right talking about this, certainly not here in the lobby of my favorite getaway spot."

  Jacobi nodded, his face set in grim lines. "There is much to talk about, but it can wait until both of our women are home safe."

  I sighed and uncrossed my arms, stepping forward to grasp Susan gently by the upper arms. The fine fabric of her dress rustled under my palms, and I could feel her slight frame tensing at the contact before relaxing.

  "I'm very sorry that we've put you in this position." The words felt inadequate, but I meant them sincerely.

  "She's been in worse positions." Gerard's voice came from behind me, startling me enough that I nearly jumped. He stepped up beside Susan, angling his body protectively close to hers as he gave her a wink. Somehow, he had managed to cross the lobby without me noticing, moving with the silent grace that all Naerithi seemed to possess.

  Sensing the somber mood that had descended upon us, Gerard's eyes traveled to each person in our small circle before settling on Jacobi. "Let us know when you all have returned safely. We'd love to visit you at the estate. Perhaps we can all talk more then."

  I leaned in to drop a gentle kiss on Susan's cheek as I whispered softly into her ear, "He's cute when he's assertive."

  Susan chuckled. "I think the word you're looking for is dominant."

  I released her arms, shooting her a quick grin before stepping back next to Jacobi.

  "We part ways, then. I hope your week is far better than ours will undoubtedly be."

  We walked with Susan and Gerard back out to the sidewalk, the bright sun temporarily blinding me after the dimmer interior of the hotel.

  Jacobi turned to me, his face set with determination. "Well, brother. It seems you're about to give me a tour of The Dusk Blush." A hint of his earlier teasing had returned to his voice, but the humor didn't reach his eyes.

  "Let's go. And pray we're not too late."