The Bound (Ascension #2)(124)

Dean grabbed at her hands. “Cyrene, calm down. You’re safe.” He pulled her to him. “You’re safe.”

She lay against him until she stopped shaking. By that time, the sun was already on the horizon.

“Come on,” Dean said. “Let’s go see if we can find a way off this island.”

He helped Cyrene to her feet, and they slowly trudged back through the woods and out onto the beach. She was starving, and her stomach grumbled loudly. Her head also hurt, which likely meant that she was dehydrated. If she had a container, she could purify the salt water to drink. Matilde and Vera had taught her how to do it. But she wasn’t equipped while stranded like this.

They walked around the island until her thirst got the better of her, and she pitched forward into the sand.

“Hey,” he said, reaching for her, “why don’t you go back to the site of the wreck? I’ll keep looking. Do you know how to build a fire? We could try a smoke signal.”

“Yes,” she said weakly. Thank the Creator she had learned how to make a fire in the Hidden Forest at the beginning of this journey because fire was not something she could control magically…if she could even use her magic right now. “I can do that.”

By the time Dean returned, she had a huge bonfire in the middle of the beach, outside of where they had shipwrecked. Under normal circumstances, she might have been frightened about the enormity of the fire in front of her but not today. She had started and hopefully ended a hurricane all in one day. She was pretty sure that she could douse a fire if she wanted to.

Dean had some local vegetation for them to eat, and then they waited. It felt like hours passed while they just sat there on the beach and roasted by the fire. She didn’t know what they would do if no one found them. Nothing else was in sight of the island they were on, and the island itself was tiny and deserted. She didn’t know how much food was on it, and Dean had only found a small spring for water. Not much to go on.

Cyrene retreated to the comfort of the tree line when she felt like she was losing more water than she was bringing in. So much for a romantic post-engagement excursion. Nothing like being marooned on a desert island.

She splashed some water on her face from the spring and then drank two handfuls. She immediately felt refreshed, but her body still hurt all over. Whatever she had done last night hadn’t been her best idea. She was starting to think that control was less about knowing how to use her magic and more about being able to separate her emotions from the use of her powers.

At this rate, she wouldn’t have reason to use them again.

“Cyrene!” Dean called. “Cyrene! Come down here!”

She dashed back down through the trees and out onto the beach. She sank to her knees in the sand when she saw what was out on the water. A boat. A real boat. She almost cried with relief.

She ran over to Dean where he was jumping up and down and waving his hands.

“Over here!” he yelled. “We’re right here!”

The ship came to a halt a short distance from the island and then dropped a tender with a small crew inside. They rowed toward shore. Dean ran out into the water until he was knee deep, and Cyrene followed.

As the boat approached, Cyrene sighed with relief. Two of Dean’s men, Faylon and Clym, were in the boat. She was surprised that Darmian wasn’t with them. They were a matched set and always had been since she had met them in the Aurumian forest.

“We’re so glad to see you,” Dean said to his friends.

They clasped his forearms and pulled him on board.

“You have no idea how happy we are to see you, Your Highness,” Faylon said.

“We’ve been searching ever since the storm passed through,” Clym told him.

Dean reached for Cyrene and hoisted her out of the water. Faylon and Clym exchanged a look before turning around and making their way to the ship.

“What happened out here?” Faylon asked.

“We got caught in the storm and were shipwrecked. Lost the whole crew…and Robard,” Dean said softly. “We barely survived.”

“Thank the Creator you did,” Clym said.

“Yes. Thank the Creator,” Cyrene whispered.

They reached the boat, and Faylon and Clym climbed the ladder to get back on board. Dean offered Cyrene to go up next, and then he followed up behind her. As soon as they were on board, Dean seemed to relax.

“Let’s go home,” Dean said with an easy smile.

“I apologize, Your Majesty,” Faylon said. “But you’re not going to like this.”

“Like what?”

Clym reached out and grabbed Cyrene.

“Hey! Unhand me!” she yelled.

Dean jumped forward, but Faylon was there, and together, he and Clym wrenched Cyrene’s arms behind her back.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Dean demanded. “That is my betrothed. You’re harming a future Princess of Eleysia.”

Faylon cleared his throat. “We have orders to arrest Affiliate Cyrene on sight.”

“You what?” Cyrene cried.

“Explain yourself. Under whose orders?” Dean demanded.

“By orders of Her Majesty, Queen Brigette,” Faylon announced.

Dean stumbled backward a step at the name.

“Queen…Brigette,” Dean said, his body caving in at the title.