The horizon blurred into an indistinct line where gray sea met grayer sky. I traced the distant edge with my eyes, letting the motion of the ferry lull me into a meditative state. The rain had continued over the last two days and had stopped only hours ago, leaving behind a chill that seeped through my clothes despite the blanket Selwyn had insisted I take.

  A gull cried overhead, wings spread against the wind. We were getting close to home. My fingers curled around the warming mug of herbal tea that tasted of nothing. The warmth was more important than the flavor.

  Footsteps approached from behind, two sets moving in tandem.

  Jacobi stopped behind my chair. "You should come inside. The temperature's dropping."

  "I prefer it here." I kept my gaze on the horizon.

  "Then it’s a good thing we found you some more company." Selwyn's tone lifted with unusual lightness.

  That caught my attention. I shifted in my seat, glancing over my shoulder. Two figures followed behind the brothers, and my heart stuttered in my chest.

  Ross. And Lilach.

  I blinked, wondering if the lingering effects of the Golden-Hour poison had driven me back to hallucinations.

  Ross's mouth lifted at the corner. "Surprise. You didn't think we'd let you sail off without proper protection, did you?"

  I set my mug down carefully, eyes narrowing. "You're the two new guards Jacobi mentioned?"

  "We'll be staying at the estate." Lilach settled into the seat beside me, crossing her legs with casual elegance. "Someone needs to keep an eye on you while Marcelo remains at large."

  Jacobi leaned against the railing. "I assumed you'd prefer familiar faces."

  The realization that they'd planned this without telling me sparked irritation in my chest, but it faded as quickly as it came. My brother was here. The comfort of his presence warred with the reminder of danger it represented.

  "I've never seen you on a boat before. I thought you didn't trust human vessels."

  My brother smiled, the expression softening his severe features. "I don't. But I trust you to find trouble regardless of where you are."

  A small smile tugged at my lips. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

  Ross reached out, ruffling my hair like he used to when we were children. The gesture was so familiar, so normal, that my throat constricted unexpectedly.

  "Of course not. You're the picture of restraint."

  Lilach snorted. "That's why you caused a scene with that merchant at the market."

  "He was asking for it," I muttered.

  Jacobi cleared his throat. "The captain informs me we're making good time despite the weather. We should reach the island before lunchtime tomorrow."

  "And the security arrangements?" Ross's tone shifted to business.

  "Already implemented. The estate has been secured. Guards have been placed at all entrances. No one enters or leaves without my express permission."

  Ross nodded thoughtfully. "Your grounds are extensive. I recommended perimeter patrols as well."

  I stood from my seat, restless energy propelling me forward. The ferry pitched slightly beneath my feet, and Selwyn rushed toward me, hand outstretched as though I might topple over the railing.

  "I won't fall."

  His hand lowered slowly, concern still visible in the lines around his eyes. "The deck is slippery."

  "I've managed worse surfaces," I said quietly, giving him a reassuring smile. "I'm steadier than I look."

  My brother observed me with a thoughtful expression. "Always stubborn about doing things herself."

  Jacobi nodded. "I've noticed that as well."

  "I'm right here," I reminded them.

  Lilach didn't bother hiding her amusement. "We know. It's hard to miss you when you're glaring like that."

  The tension broke, and I found myself fighting a genuine smile. The four of them watching me with varying degrees of concern and amusement was simultaneously irritating and comforting.

  "Have you informed Wynford of our return?" Selwyn glanced toward Jacobi.

  "Yesterday. He'll meet us at the docks. He was quite insistent about seeing Joy for himself."

  A flicker of warmth spread through my chest at the mention of Wynford..

  "Good." Jacobi crossed his arms. "I trust him more than most. And he's been worried about her condition."

  Ross tilted his head. "You mentioned him before. What's he like?"

  "Large. Possibly the only Naerithi who could match you in size."

  Lilach's eyebrows rose, a mischievous gleam entering her eyes. "Really? I look forward to meeting this large Naerithi of yours."

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  The innuendo in her voice was unmistakable. Ross shot her a look of exasperation while Jacobi appeared momentarily flustered.

  "Lilach." Ross's tone carried a warning.

  She shrugged, unrepentant. "What? I'm simply expressing interest in getting to know our kin."

  Unexpected laughter bubbled up from my chest. The absurdity of the moment—standing on a ferry with my brother, my owner, and whatever Selwyn was to me now, discussing the size of the arena master—struck me as ridiculously normal amid everything else.

  Selwyn's lips twitched. "I'm sure Wynford would be... flattered by your interest."

  "I'm sure he would. Men usually are." Lilach smiled knowingly.

  Jacobi coughed, recovering his composure. "Perhaps we should move inside. The dining area would be more comfortable than these deck chairs."

  "Or we could stay here." Selwyn surveyed the deck. "The air is fresher, which might help with the motion sickness. Though if you're cold, we could move to the covered section of the deck. Or perhaps the observation deck on the port side, though it tends to be more crowded this time of day which could be uncomfortable if you prefer—"

  "Selwyn."

  His voice trailed off, eyes fixed on mine with earnest attention.

  I hesitated. "I don't know."

  "There’s also the forward lounge," he added quickly. "Quieter than the observation deck. Fewer people. Or I could ask the steward if they’d open one of the private compartments—"

  For days during my captivity, every choice had been stripped away by Marcelo's cruelty. Then during recovery, decisions had been made for me by well-meaning caretakers. Now, faced with an endless stream of options and considerations, I found myself caught in a strange middle ground.

  "Selwyn," I said again, softer this time.

  He stopped immediately. "Too many options?"

  I nodded, grateful for his understanding.

  Jacobi's eyes lingered on my face. "I need to check with the steward about our dining arrangements. I'll return shortly."

  As he walked away, Selwyn moved closer, his gaze scanning me with surgical precision. "How's your shoulder feeling? Any pain from the brand? The salt air might aggravate it. Should I get more of that salve? Would you like another blanket?"

  I shifted my weight to my other foot, and Selwyn's eyes widened in alarm.

  Lilach stood suddenly, her movement fluid and decisive. "I need to speak with Joy. Privately."

  Selwyn hesitated, then nodded, moving a few paces away but remaining within sight.

  Lilach leaned close, her voice pitched low. "By the ancient depths, he's exhausting just to listen to. How do you bear it?"

  I watched Selwyn pace a few steps away, his attention still partially focused on us. "He wants to help."

  "And does all that helping help?" Her tone carried a hint of impatience. "Or does it make you want to throw him overboard?"

  The question caught me off guard.

  "He means well," I said instead of answering directly.

  Lilach grinned, then flopped back into a chair, her hair whipping lightly in the breeze. “I once broke two ribs falling from a rooftop in Eshelon. Ross wouldn’t let me so much as sneeze without a ten-point plan.”

  That pulled a small laugh from me.

  “He meant well. They always do,” she added, softer now. “But caring for someone doesn’t mean you always know how to care for them.” She studied me, her eyes taking in details I probably couldn't hide from her. "He does care for you."

  "I know."

  "You seem... uncertain about that."

  I ran a finger along the weathered railing, feeling the grain of the wood. "Everything is uncertain right now."

  She nodded, understanding without needing further explanation. "What do you need right now? Not what you think you should need, or what they think you need. What do you need?"

  The question caught me off guard. What did I need? Right at this moment. Not safety, that was what everyone kept forcing on me. Not revenge, that would come later.

  Lilach studied the horizon, her profile sharp against the gray sky. "Ross worries himself sick about you, you know."

  I glanced at her. "He has a strange way of showing it."

  "Does he?" Her lips quirked. "He's here, isn't he? On a human vessel." She shuddered dramatically. "Do you have any idea how much he hates boats?"

  The memory of Ross's childhood fear of water surfaced unexpectedly. "He still gets seasick?"

  "Within minutes. He's been below deck most of the journey, looking greener than Taren after that drinking contest last solstice." She chuckled, her fondness for my brother evident in her voice. "He'll deny it if you mention it."

  Her easy familiarity with my brother and his household made something twist inside me—not jealousy, exactly, but a sense of distance from the life I'd once known.

  "Why did you really come?" I asked quietly.

  Lilach's expression grew more serious. "Because he knows you wouldn't accept his help directly. But you might accept mine."

  I raised an eyebrow. "And what help is that?"

  She turned to face me fully. "The kind that just feels like someone treating you normally when everyone else is walking on eggshells."

  The accuracy of her assessment left me momentarily speechless.

  "It's suffocating, isn't it?" Her voice softened.

  I nodded, unable to find words for the relief of being understood.

  "So tell them." She gestured vaguely toward the space where Selwyn hovered. "Your needs. Your boundaries."

  "It's not that simple."

  "Of course it's not." She rolled her eyes. "Nothing worth doing ever is. But you won't know what's possible until you tell them." Lilach shrugged. "Men can be surprisingly trainable when given clear instructions."

  The unexpected phrasing pulled a laugh from me, louder than I'd intended.

  Lilach smiled, pleased with herself. "There. That's what you need more of."

  Footsteps approached, measured and deliberate. I recognized Jacobi's pace without needing to look, the rhythm of his walk as familiar to me now as my own heartbeat. The laughter faded from my lips, but something of its warmth remained.

  Jacobi appeared at my side, carrying a small plate of food. His expression was severe as he thrust it toward me.

  "You haven't eaten today."

  Lilach raised an eyebrow, her eyes darting between us with undisguised interest. She caught my gaze, the corner of her mouth lifting slightly.

  "I'm not hungry," I replied, even as my stomach betrayed me with an audible growl.

  Jacobi's lips pressed together, the corners twitching with the effort of suppressing something that might have been amusement. The severity in his expression cracked for just a moment before he mastered it again.

  "Eat." The single word brooked no argument as he placed the plate beside me.

  He settled into a seat nearby, pulling out a book from his coat pocket and opening it to a marked page. But his eyes didn't move. They remained fixed on me, waiting.

  I held his gaze deliberately as I picked up a piece of bread, then a slice of cheese. Only when I took the first bite did he finally look down at his book.

  Lilach drummed her fingers lightly against the armrest, then caught my eye again with a knowing look. "I believe I'll join Ross for a while." She inclined her head toward where my brother stood conversing with Selwyn.

  The cheese was sharp against my tongue, its flavor cutting through the lingering blandness that had plagued my senses since the poisoning. Jacobi had chosen foods with strong tastes—aged cheese, dried fruit with a hint of tartness, bread with visible herbs baked into the crust. Not the bland, safe foods I'd been having.

  I savored each bite, refusing to acknowledge the comparison my mind insisted on making between the brothers.