Over the Sea [Dual Trilogy Book 1]

Lily

I had hoped the extra five days would give me more time to think.

And plan.

I guess I should not have thought of them as extra days. Father had planned for them to be gone for thirty days; they just finished early. I did not want them to return early.

When Kano asked me to tell Father he would be done earlier than expected, I decided not to tell Father. Lennon's advice kept replaying in my head.

"You must fight for what you do want."

When my feeble attempts to get Kano to return home had failed, I turned to Indigo for help. I told her everything, and hoped she could come up with something. Unfortunately, though, she had drawn a blank, just like I had.

Indigo and I stood near the back of the welcoming party. She stood with me, holding my hand, at the castle gates during the afternoon, nervously and impatiently waiting for Kano's arrival. The sky had finally revealed the sun's light after a week of gray clouds and light drizzle. Indigo's dirty blonde hair reflected the sun, which pulled out her strands of gold to contrast the silver crown threaded through her hair.

If I had to be honest, Indigo's beauty always made me jealous to some extent. Brown was so overdone in a place where everyone had brown hair, brown eyes, and olive skin. My hair did not shimmer with beads of gold in the light of the afternoon sun.

When I saw Mom rush to greet Kano, I unexpectedly let out a breath of relief. I stumbled through my words in my head as he made his way through the family.

"Eyes to the sky, Lily," Indigo whispered.

Indigo met Kano with a hug as he approached us. They parted, and she glanced at me before walking away.

I didn't know what to do with my hands, so I clasped them together behind my back.

"Hi, Kano," I said, expecting my voice to be strong, but it came out like a whisper.

His face did not look right; there was something off about it, but I could not place what. I scanned his face trying to piece it together. I noted his finger tapping against his leg, but no response came from him, so I continued on. "Based on our last conversation, I assume the trip was a success?"

He shifted his weight to one leg. I still puzzled over his face. "Yes it was."

I inhaled. "Kano, please lie to Mom and Father."

His face remained expressionless as he cocked his head to the side. "Why?" I could not answer, but I kept my eyes fixed on his. Anger swelled like waves behind his blue eyes as he took a step closer. "Why on Paracosia would I do that?" When he took another step closer, I realized his cheeks appeared thin, stretched out. He didn't look skinnier than when he left. "You blatantly abandoned me in Uskyae by not telling Father to send the dockmaster sooner. Not only that, but Melai and Evan kept their word and successfully killed the High Nobles. They have earned the right to kill King Ronam."

That statement puzzled me as I remembered how he had been before he left. "Are you serious?"

"Are you?" he threw back at me, passing me to enter the castle. As he walked away, I realized everyone else had already gone inside, too. I rushed in, following everyone into the throne room to hear Kano's report.

I kept my gaze down as we listened to him talk. I knew there was nothing I could do but accept my fate. I felt a tear squeeze out of my eye as I imagined saying goodbye to Lennon.