The main deck of the ship is cluttered with rebels, Saebia's men, and Idokren's most valuable soldiers. When we reach the top step leading below deck, they're all standing in one place, their hands braced against the beams on the starboard. Their words are muttered, but their attention and focus are clear; for out in the distance, and sailing directly towards our fleet, is an Esaria ship.

It's evident by the royal emblem on the mast, fluttering in the wind and bigger and brighter than anything else on the waters. Our luck hasn't run out yet, and it's possible that we may have extended it by sailing back at the perfect time. I whirl to Renit. "Your father might be on that ship," I blurt.

His eyes widen. He hadn't thought about it, neither did Silas. They exchange a look and it's Silas first that shouts at the captain, "Position her broadside! We're sinking that ship!"

The message travels from ship to ship and just like that, through Silas's simple order, each of our ships takes formation—one in front of the other. Like an assembly line of death. But we're not a warship. What we brought from Esaria is for merchants to transport goods from one place to another. The entire hold is bigger than any other room on the ship and we don't have a gunwale.

But Idokren and Saebia do. I whirl to find them, lost in the chaos, and spot the fluttering flags of both lands up ahead. They're at the front of the lines and will likely be the first to intercept Esaria. Possibly the king. We have a chance to kill him out here, in the middle of the ocean, and return to our homeland without the threat of being attacked. Silas will be king. There's no stopping it.

Tesha appears out of nowhere, slapping a bow against my stomach. "You're with me," she orders. "Your power is useless out here."

She's right. The kernels of it are deep down within my reservoir, but they're of no use to me here. I don't have the strength to take up the ocean; Citlali doesn't either. We must do this the old-fashioned way.

I take Renit's arm. "You need to be careful," I warn him. "If your father is on that ship, he won't waste the opportunity to kill you."

The banished prince rolls his silver eyes, brighter out here by the sun's glow against his skin. "I wouldn't allow myself to be so foolish. There will be archers on the other ship; the one that needs to be careful is you."

I grip tighter onto his forearm, directly over the vambrace. "Over recent days, I've watched you and Silas swing from ship to ship. The last thing I want to see is you on the enemy deck. Understand?"

He smirks, making no promises, and kisses me softly. Though I don't release my grip when he tries to saunter away, leaving our conversation hanging in the air. When he meets my eye again, I am certain he finds no sense of the admiration I'm so prone to tossing in his direction without care.

The sun has tanned his skin over recent days and his hair seems to permanently be crusted with sand. With nothing else to do other than train and sleep, he's added bulk to his once-lost mass. After not being able to find the time due to attempting to rescue me at the fault of his father standing in the middle; Renit is finding his way once more. He's back to looking as full and strong as when we first met.

"Spitfire, I must do what needs to be done. The fastest way to take down their fleet is to storm the deck," he says softly. Still, his words sting like someone just slid a knife into my chest to poke at my heart.

"If it were the other way around, would you feel confident if you spotted me on the enemy deck?" I try not to ask the question through my teeth; it's foolish I have to make him see it my way rather than through the scope visual of his own.

He searches over my face, and his eyes soften. "I'll do what I can to stay safe. That's the only promise I can make. If Silas needs me—"

"Go," I snap. "You won't listen to me anyway."

"Roux, don't—"

"Let's go!" Tesha shouts, already climbing up the mast that leads to the crow's nest. "We don't have all day to prepare!"

I back away from Renit and give one final warning stare. I can take enemies down with an arrow, but I can't promise to hit every single one. Neither can Tesha. Yet I already know how this will turn out; I'll find Renit on the enemy deck and it'll be too late for me to do anything. I know how his mind works—on its own terms. Renit stops for no one.

As I'm walking away, the bow gripped tight in my shaking hand, Renit grabs my arm from behind. He tugs me against him and captures my chin in his hand, forcing a kiss that was unexpected from its start. I kiss him as hard as I can. We have to believe that every time will be the last and there will be no private cabins to share with each other. It'll be one or the other— alone and left to pick up the pieces.

Renit's forehead is warm against my own. "Be careful, please," he whispers. He kisses me again. "I promise to do the same."

I bring myself to my toes, kissing his nose and then his forehead. "Thank you."

It's a more pleasant departure than being upset with him. I jog to catch up with Tesha and climb up the mast, using the rungs to hoist myself from one to the next. Tesha takes my hand and pulls me up into the crow's nest where the wind rips at my hair and clothes. The sweat once sticking to my body chills on my skin.

Esaria's ship is fast approaching. I squint and place a hand over my forehead to block out the sun to spot the crew moving along the deck—rather quickly. They're scrambling to get everything prepared in time, and I hope they know that the ships they're approaching will not allow them to go one step farther. It's impossible to stand up to our forces. Impossible and stupid.

Tesha is already nocking an arrow onto the bowstring when I turn back to face her. "Isn't it too windy up here?" I ask.

She shakes her head. "Just know where to aim," she says. Leaning over the edge of the railing surrounding the crow's nest, she shouts down, "Tester arrow flying now!"

No one receives a second to prepare as she pulls the string back and releases the arrow in the general direction to where we'll fire. The arrow takes a straight route; our luck has just extended further. The wind is at our backs and pushing the arrows faster to where we wish for them to go. A pleasant accident.

"This will get nasty," she warns me. "Cannons cause damage and Esaria won't go down without a fight. We must prepare for losses."

I look to the deck below and find Renit standing against the beams, his arms crossed over his chest. Silas is at his side and they're merely waiting for their orders with the rebels at their side—Bren and Alaric included. The rest of us are scattered along the ships; I can't see Dalis or Binx. Both their powers would be useful here, but the last time I saw them, they were on the ship that held the three kings before Silas migrated back over here.

Tesha snorts. "Don't worry, I'll protect your precious prince," she mocks. "Though I won't apologize for putting an arrow in his thigh."

I'm relieved that I can still laugh. My hands shake, my entire body trembles, and I can't breathe right in the wind. It pushes at my back, but this uncomfortable tightness in my chest is nothing. The chaos of cannon fire that will be unleashed shortly is worse. I can't imagine the carnage.

The ships lined ahead of us are preparing for the onslaught. Crews are rushing back and forth, the ships are quaking underneath pounding boots, and cannons are being stocked—one after the other. It's impossible for me to keep up with everything that is going on, but I focus on what is most important. The oncoming ship.

As the enemy comes closer, it's easier to tell they will not pass without incident. Snipers are lined on the masts, in the crow's nest, along the decks, and the cannons are ready. Weapons breathe the ocean's salted air, the wind rips at the dark red robes that hang off the backs of their black armor. The royal emblem over their hearts is larger than life itself and an entire sea of them, all mirror images of one another, unleashes hell on the first ship.

I hadn't anticipated how loud the cannon fire would be. When the first rupture cleaves through the air, my chest tightens and my entire body rocks with the rush of the blast. I squeeze my eyes shut, only for a moment, and prepare for the next. Smoke billows into the air and wood snaps, bodies fall into the water while others grip tight and hold on.

There's so much shouting. I can't hear my own thoughts.

"Prepare yourself," Tesha whispers—to me, to herself, to anyone within hearing distance. We can do nothing other than wait.

The first ship, the one holding the two kings, is already making strides to taking Esaria down. But more and more soldiers pile from below deck and attempt to swing themselves onto the opposing ships. Most are cut down, others cleave their way through and take down bits of our forces. Few of us fall; Esaria doesn't get very far.

Another rupture of cannons sounds when Esaria lines itself with the second ship. It's a slow-moving, dreadful process, but the farther they go along, the more soldiers Esaria is revealing. I don't know how they managed to put that many onboard a single ship, but more black and red crawl up from the depths of hell itself.

"I think we'll need more arrows," I say over the cannon fire.

Tesha nods. "They mustn't eat, sleep, or shit. There's no way that many soldiers fit on a single ship," she shouts once the blast cracks wood. Splinters fly, and anyone that stands on the edge of the ship is quickly knocked over the side. The sound of their bodies slapping into the water is no more than a whisper of a splash.

Down below, Silas is shouting orders as the ship nears ours. They're losing their fight, slowing down in the process, but they're not done yet. They'll make their way here and Renit will have no choice but to obey to what his brother wishes. From now until the end of time, that is how it will be. Renit will do what Silas says if we can get that damn crown on his head. Part of my stomach tightens at the thought of Renit having to obey to everything someone says—the same threat he faced with his father.

My worst fear is realized when Silas shouts for Renit to grab onto a rope. But he's not alone. Bren does, too. They're going to swing to the other ship and take down the soldiers manually. The black and red pool, appearing to be a swarm of spiders on the deck, does not break. Their onslaught is too thick; Renit and Bren won't receive a chance to take a single breath, let alone kill.

"We need to start shooting," I say, drawing my arrow. "Silas is sending them over to the enemy ship. If we shoot now, we can take out a small number and give them a chance."

Tesha examines the situation down below. A rupture of water breaks to my right and a wave the size of a mountain blocks out the sun. It's not aiming for us or any ship in our line. It's headed straight for Esaria. The source of it is clear. She stands on the deck two ships over, her black cloak billowing in the wind at her back.

When Dalis throws down her arms, the wave crashes onto the deck of Esaria's ship. Not gently. Wood cracks and soldiers scream out in pain. Their ship teeters left and right, left and right, and I hold my breath in hopes that it sinks. But it doesn't. Although more soldiers are overboard now and everything below deck reveals itself to us, an entire fleet is ready to die.

"Nock now," Tesha orders. She throws back her arm, drawing the string as far back as her strength will allow, and she takes one second to aim.

I'm shaky, unsteady, but I aim to the best of my ability—to the broad chest of a soldier standing against the beams of the ship. He stands at the front, shoulders drawn back and twin swords gripped tight in his large fists. I don't want to kill him; I don't want to end his life when he might have a family—a wife, a child. But we don't have options here. They're to drown at sea.

The cannons slam into the sides of our ship, but they're weaker. Renit, Silas, and Bren run back as far as they can on the deck, holding those ropes in their grasps. At least the future king of Esaria will take the risk, as well as the men he's willing to send.

"Fire!" Tesha shouts as loud as she can. On instinct, my fingers release. My target isn't exact, the arrow slams into the man's stomach, but I still hit him.

He stumbles back, and his fellow men do nothing to help. They merely step aside, some grabbing onto ropes to sling themselves onto our ship, and the three men down below begin their charge across the deck. I hold my breath and watch Renit swing across the open water and land directly in the middle of the crowd, sword swinging before his hands are entirely secured.

Screaming ruptures through the chaos and down below, enemies have found their way onto our ship. "Protect Renit," I demand as I climb down the mast, the bow still in my hand.

Tesha is still firing, one after the other, and she's lost in that killing calm of being a sniper for Saebia and Esaria. She has no regard for the lives she ends, but she is certain to end them swiftly.

Balancing on the metal rungs, I turn my back against the mast and balance to the best of my ability. One slip of my boot and I'm falling to the deck, but I aim and shoot down one of Esaria's men fighting an injured rebel. My descent is quicker, swifter, and I leap down onto the deck, shooting one after the other that has found their way too close for comfort.

Bodies of both sides lay about, blood splattered and leaking, moans and pleads of death breaking through the foundation of my focus.

Renit. I can't see Renit. I can't hear him, can't see him, I don't even know if he's alive. The firm tug on the bond in my chest leaves me with no response, but it's still there. The bond is alive and thriving.

I reach back for another arrow, only to find my quiver empty. One second too early. Another of Esaria's men flies onto the ship and swings his sword at those below him. I duck out of the way, dropping to the deck, and charge. The twin swords gripped in my hands are not my own, but I use them when the Esaria soldier charges at me, his golden eyes marching with death.

I fight as one with the other rebels and it's not long that a sword is thrust into the man's back, followed by my slash along his throat. When his body falls, it's quickly forgotten.

Across the body of water, I still can't spot Renit. Bren is there, his orange hair bright and wild. Silas filters in and out through the cluster, but Renit isn't there. I don't see him.

Looking to Tesha provides no answers. She's already onto her third quiver and hasn't broken stride since we started. As I feel the clawed etchings of panic gripping onto my soul, I look over one last time to spot Renit at the edge of the deck and a gasp of relief escapes through my throat. He's covered in blood and his movements are slowing down. Exhaustion will be the death of him.

"Roux, he needs you!" Tesha screams out. I've never heard panic in her voice, never witnessed fear in her eyes, but I see why.

Upon turning to Renit again, I watch the exact moment that an Esarian creeps up to his side and, while he's distracted, drives the pommel of their sword into Renit's skull. His body goes limp, the bond flickers in warning, and I scream out. The enemy soldier to his front drives a boot into his stomach and just like that, Renit is falling off the side of the ship, disappearing. Completely motionless.

My scream is drowned out but I'm running as fast as I can and without a second thought, without a care for what might be on the other side, I leap over the beams of the ship in a headfirst dive and aim for the crashing water down below. Renit's pool from where he landed is still fluttering on the surface of the ocean, stained a faint tint of red, and I aim for it.

The water slaps against my skin when I break through it. Sinking slowly, his arms extended up above him, is Renit. His eyes are closed, and a stream of red clouds against the side of his head. The blunt drive of a pommel. I swim faster and blink against the blurred water to grab onto the lip of his armor and tug up as hard as I can.

The bond is still there. It's still alive.

Cannon fire breaks out above my head and wood splinters into the water. Chaos unleashes and for a brief second, I wonder if I'll make it out of this alive. If Renit will. The orange flame of the blast flickers and the muffled crash of debris and bodies into the water is my last, yet most focused concern.

Some bodies sink, others swim their way to the surface as fast as they can. Renit is heavy and his weight is taking him back down, but eventually, I break through the surface of the water and gulp down as much air as I can. I wrap my arm around Renit's chest and hold both of us above water.

I look for someone, anyone, but there's no one there. Not even Tesha realizes that I've broken through the water's surface. The line of ships surrounding me is as frightening as the cannons firing above my head and the embers falling into the water around us. Esaria's ship is on fire and it won't be long before they're sunk. They won't make it to Saebia.

Renit's head hangs forward. His weight takes me down again and for a brief moment, my head is swallowed up by the water, but with all my might, I pull us back.

Something grabs onto my shoulder and I scream out, whirling to the best of my ability to grab a dagger, but find Dalis's wide, sapphire eyes looking at me.

"Hold on," she says. There's promise in her voice as she takes my hand and a spiral that seems to suck us down quickly lifts us back up and cradles the three of us in its solid form. We rise over the ships and I hold on tight to Renit until we're lifted onto the deck of the first ship, far enough away from the chaos.

I set him down gently, and his head falls to the side. "Renit," I demand and slap at his cheeks. He doesn't move. "Renit." I try again, pounding my hand onto his chest.

"Try the bond," Dalis offers, kneeling down next to Renit's body.

Of course. Why hadn't I thought about that? The bond he used to bring me back when I leapt off the side of the mountain and crashed into my power. If it wasn't for the mind of my power, I'd be dead right now. Renit will not meet the same fate because of the pommel of a sword. Not a chance.

I imagine wrapping my hand around the bond and give a firm tug. My chest tightens and I can't breathe, but this is expected. To bring Renit back is to exert a power that isn't used commonly. When he doesn't budge, I tug tight again and grit my teeth together from the blinding pain.

His eyes flicker open for a moment, but his head rolls to the side once more. "Come on, Renit," I growl.

Wrapping the bond around my hand twice over, I yank as hard as I can and groan when vomit pools in my cheeks. But Renit gasps, coughing up water, and his eyes flutter open to look around wildly. He spots me, then Dalis, and then the water dripping from all three of us. There's only one answer as to what happened.

"Where's Silas?" He demands immediately. Renit props himself up onto his elbows and looks around wildly.

"Silas is still fighting with Bren," Dalis says for me. "I'll see to ending this."

I'm grateful for the moment alone with Renit, to wrap my arms around his neck and breathe in the rain. He smells of the sea, but his power comes through in small bursts when he takes a deep breath.

"We need to stop doing this at some point," I whisper.

"Doing what?" He breathes into my neck.

"Saving each other from death." I lean back on my heels and find his soft smile. Dark hairs stick to his forehead, and a single bead of water slides down his nose. I'll never tire of watching his chest rise and fall or watching his eyes look back at my own.

It means he's alive. And that's what I can hope for.

Esaria knows they're out of luck. We faced damage to our ships, but nothing like what they're dealing with. Once Silas and Bren and the rest of our rebels are secured, Dalis stands at the end of the last ship and lifts a dark wall of water, full of splintered boards, bodies, and ship parts, and sends it crashing down onto what remains of the king's forces out at sea.

When the water settles and the ocean is silent, all that's left is the crumbled and splintered remains of Esaria's ship.