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

he darted toward the ladder. “Tal, huh?” Garrett said.

Tal covered his face with both hands. “Could you not?”

Garrett’s laugh boomed in the enclosed space, and he chuckled the entire way up the ladder to the top deck. Tal followed, face aflame, stomach tripping over itself in equal parts embarrassment and excitement.

When Tal emerged, he found Athlen standing next to the main mast. He threw his head back and breathed in deep, inhaling the brisk ocean breeze. The sun illuminated his exposed skin, and he appeared preternatural, like a gleaming marble statue marking the entrance to an inlet, with the sky as its backdrop and the ocean at its feet. And for a moment Tal swore he saw a flash of red shimmer over Athlen’s body, as if it were reflecting the sunset.

Athlen turned to them and smiled wide and happy, his cheeks dimpling, his eyes dancing.

“Thank you, Tal,” he said. Then he ran.

Tal lunged after him but missed the tail of Athlen’s shirt.

Garrett bellowed at the crew to catch him, but Athlen was swift and nimble. He dodged outstretched arms and ripped away from the grasps of the sailors. He made it to the stern and hopped over the railing to balance on the edge.

“Athlen! No!” Tal pushed through the crowd, hand outstretched.

Athlen pulled off his shirt and tossed it to the deck. He gave Tal a last look and winked. Then he dove over the side.

“Man overboard,” one of the sailors cried out.

Tal ran to the railing, prepared to jump after, but Garrett grabbed him around the middle. “No. Tal, no,” he said as Tal struggled in his arms.

“But he jumped. He…” Tal peered down into the churning blue. Scanning the froth, he saw no sign of Athlen. No flash of cloth or peek of skin. He didn’t resurface.

“Stay the boats,” Garrett shouted. “He’s gone.” Garrett released Tal but kept a hand on his arm.

“He… why did he…? What…?” Tal craned his neck to meet Garrett’s gaze and flinched at the sorrow and empathy he found there. “I don’t understand.”

Garrett shook his head sadly. “I hope you never do.”

Tal swallowed and looked back to the sea. Since their sails were full, the place where Athlen had jumped was far behind them, already smoothing out from the War Bird’s wake. Squinting, Tal thought he saw a flash of red just beneath the water, but it was only the refraction of the sun casting on the water as it began its descent to taste the curved horizon.

His heart sank, but he stayed at the rail long after his brother returned to his work, and the day gave way to dusk.

2

Tal used his sleeve to rub the moisture from his cheek. He was a prince of Harth. He didn’t need to cry over odd boys who made him smile, then disappeared. There would be other boys. And there would be other people who would live or die based on his decisions, based on his influence as a member of the royal family. Athlen was merely the first.

This was one of the lessons his mother wanted him to learn on his journey. This was his coming-of-age.

When Isa spoke of her tour, she boasted of the mischief she had dabbled in with her maids. Garrett was always loud and boisterous, and his stories were known throughout the castle as the bawdiest. Kest was reserved and quiet but talked of his coming-of-age fondly. Their youngest sibling, Corrie, was three years Tal’s junior and eagerly awaited her experience.

Why was Tal the one who’d started with tragedy?

He stared at the letter he had written his mother. He hadn’t minced words about the journey thus far. Tal had been bored since the encounter with Athlen. He’d spent the last two days trying to distract himself by reading a book of magic belowdecks, but he was glad they’d be pulling into port within the hour. Garrett promised things would change once they got onto dry land.

With a sigh Tal held his hand over the parchment. He called to his magic, and the letters lit with gold. Tal muttered a familiar incantation, and in a blink of sparkles the words disappeared and the page became like new.

“Handy,” Garrett said, standing in the doorway. “Where does it go?”

Tal controlled his startle. He smoothed the parchment down with his palms. “To Mother’s study. There’s a blank parchment on her desk that receives the letters.”

Garrett nodded. “I’m glad it was you,” he said, “who received the gift. If it was to come down in our line again, after Great-Grandfather, I’m glad it was you.”

Tal pursed his lips. “Because I’m the fourth. If anything were to happen, at least it wouldn’t be to the heir.”

Sputtering, Garrett entered the room fully and closed the door. “Is that what you think?” He thrust his finger at Tal. Shrugging, Tal turned on the bench seat and faced his brother. “Tally,” Garrett said, sinking onto the bunk across from him, his voice soft. “I’m glad it was you because you’re still sniffling over that boy two days later.”

Tal stiffened. “I’m not.”

“It’s all right if you are. There’s no harm in being sad.”

Tal picked at a thread on his trousers. “You’re not.”

Garrett sighed. “I’ve seen more than you, but that doesn’t mean I’m not upset. I hide it better.” The sun filtered through the shutters and bathed Garrett in strands of light and shadow. “I’m glad it’s you because you are a good person. You can be a little shit sometimes, but out of the five of us, you have the softest heart. It’s a good attribute to have when wielding so much power.”

Tal held open his hand and a small flame lit on his palm. “Not much power. I haven’t mastered near enough to be useful to Isa when she’s queen.” He curled his fingers and snuffed the fire out. “If she has need of me, that is.”

“You’re young. You have time to learn.” Garrett chuckled. “Don’t you remember? Kest couldn’t control his