In Deeper Waters F.T. Lukens (acx book reading txt) 📖

and Garrett knocked their mugs of wine together and laughed.

“I’m leaving,” Tal said.

“Good night, Tally!”

“Sweet dreams of market boy.”

Tal shook his head in disbelief and closed the door behind him with more force than was necessary. He stomped his way across the deck to the port side, which overlooked the long expanse of sea. The sun had sunk below the horizon, and the last few rays of orange threw sparkles along the water. The stars slowly winked into existence in the darkening sky.

“Fools,” Tal murmured. He leaned on the railing and scowled down at the depths of the ocean.

They didn’t understand. They never would. Innate magic like his had disappeared from the world. The few mages that existed had been targeted and killed by King Lon to secure himself as the only power. Their knowledge had been lost, except for a few singed scrolls that had somehow survived his great-grandfather’s purge. Now there was only Tal, the last mage, withering while in hiding. The rare shifters who existed were adopted into the noble houses, their gifts incorporated into the royal families.

His great-grandfather had been the last mage born of fire, like Tal, and had been unmatched in his power, able to set the continent under siege with the strength of his flames. Unopposed, King Lon had marched across the land, scorching those who stood in his way, dismantling kingdoms, and creating a legacy of fire and fear.

Tal was his direct descendant and carried the burden of his heritage. Athlen had asked if he was the only mage, the last of magic, and as far as he knew, he was.

If the other kingdoms learned of his magic, they’d demand his mother relinquish him to their mercy. They’d kill him, no matter the claims of his soft heart, to spare the continent from another ravage of fire. Out of fear for his life, his mother had hidden him away, claiming a weak constitution. It didn’t stop the rumors, but it tempered them.

He’d heard a story once, when he was a child, of a mage who disappeared into the water during the height of his great-grandfather’s wrath. She begged asylum in the source of her power, hoping to outlast the fire that ruled the land. Tal believed her a myth, a child’s story no more real than unicorns and mermaids. Even if she had existed and survived, she would hate the descendant of the man who’d driven her into hiding, who’d forced her to leave her home and dwell in the depths of the sea.

The sound of a splash drew Tal’s attention toward the bow. He moved down the railing and spied a swirl in the otherwise calm water. Squinting, Tal thought he saw a flash of red and gold, but he dismissed it as the wilting colors of the sinking sun dappling the ocean’s surface.

Tal pushed away from the railing and went down into the belly of the ship to his hammock strung in the hold. After kicking off his boots, Tal hopped into his makeshift bed and settled on his blanket. The gentle rhythm of the water was a lullaby, and he drifted off to sleep with a vision of dimpled cheeks, sly smiles, and sun-kissed freckles following him into his dreams.

4

The following day started like all the others—with breakfast in Garrett’s cabin with Shay and Garrett. Kest had flown away with the sunrise, back to the castle and his duties there. He completed one wide, lazy loop around the main mast of the ship and released a sharp cry before heading in the direction of home.

With the ship docked, only a skeleton crew was needed to oversee operations, and the rest of the sailors were off spending their coin in the port.

“Today we tour the city,” Shay said with an encouraging smile. “We’ll spend tonight here, and then tomorrow we’ll take a carriage inland.”

Tal waved his spoon. “Whatever.”

“That’s the spirit!” Garrett said, slapping Tal on the shoulder. “We’ll tour the town and find a good tavern to spend our evening.”

Tal hid a twinge as Dara’s accusations echoed in his hears. They stung, but they did give him an idea. “There’s a sickness in the lower town.”

“Then we’ll stay away from the lower town.”

“What? No,” Tal said, shaking his head. “We should do something about it. It’s a lung condition. There are some ingredients that treat the symptoms. We should buy them and hand them out.”

Shay’s eyebrows rose. “That’s how you want to spend your day?”

“Yes,” Tal said with an authoritative nod. “Yes. That is how I want to spend my day.”

Shay and Garrett shared a glance. “Okay, then. If you’re sure.”

“I am. I know the place to begin. Join me on the deck in ten minutes or I’ll start on my own.”

Tal stood and left the remnants of his breakfast. With warmth blooming in his middle, he hopped lightly down the steps to his hammock in the empty hold. He rummaged in his chest and pulled out his princely attire and changed. He wore a fine ruffled shirt overlaid with a brocade vest, and trousers cut to hug his legs. After stepping into his glossy boots, he fussed with his hair, sweeping it to one side, then abandoning it altogether when strands continued to fall into his face. He told himself the prepping had nothing to do with the possibility of seeing Athlen, and more with presenting the face of a prince who cared about his people.

Speaking of, Tal found the shirt he’d worn the previous day in the market and fished out the shark’s tooth. He held it in the palm of his hand. There wasn’t anything special about it at all, but just the same, Tal slid it into his breast pocket.

For the first time since they’d left home, Tal had a purpose. He liked the idea of helping others. Not only was it the right thing to do—he did have a duty to his subjects, after all—but he liked the idea of