Between Tides & Thunder

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

POSSESSING TWO WIELDING CAPABILITIES is rare. Which is why when my waterwielding emerged as a teenager, Father kept it a closely guarded secret—not a soul alive knows save me, Father, and Daak. I had already been training as a healer for a few years by then, so when Father assigned Daak as my “combat” instructor, no one at the palace suspected anything else.

That Father was honing a weapon.

Healing has always come easier to me than waterwielding, but under Daak’s guidance, I’ve grown into a formidable wielder.

It was difficult keeping my ability hidden these past few months. It felt u

The Dark Commander. My lips turn down in a scowl. The frightening moniker doesn’t suit Zev at all.

Zev, with so much tenderness in his eyes.

Zev, who also lost his mother and friend.

Zev, who has shown me more kindness than I ever expected.

I swallow down the lump in my throat and blink away my traitorous tears.

Zev is miles away, and now I can finally find those tidescursed tu

So far, the only hidden entrance I’ve found is in Zev’s—our—chambers. There are likely entrances in every set of royal quarters to make it easy to flee if the palace were ever under attack.

The tu

But they won’t now.

After my shift in the infirmary, I return to our chambers. It’s just past sunset when I change into comfortable leggings and a tunic. Standing before the wall, I run my hands over the raised ledge I had discovered within days of marrying Zev—I knew what I was looking for, though.

A hard push, all my weight thrown behind it.

A soft click.

A portion of the wall sinks in, leaving just enough space for me to wedge through. I shift the hidden door back into place, though I doubt anyone will enter our chambers.

Zev will never forgive me.

I bat away the intrusive thought and press forward.

I came here with a mission.

I mean to fulfill it.

Behind the wall is a narrow, dark tu

That won’t happen. The tu

I close my eyes and cast out my senses.

The faint whisper of water beckons to me—I’ve ignored it for months, but it’s always been there, lingering just beneath the surface.

I follow its call.

My knuckles are white around the torch, eyes sca

But I remain alone.

I walk for another twenty minutes before the tu

The entrance on the far right.

I disappear into darkness, but not for long. The tu

I bite my lip, sca

How do I know this is the right one?

Find water. The tu

My eyes find the shallow stream. I send a large ripple through the water and watch as it grows smaller as it disappears into the darkness.

Five minutes later, I do it again.

Then, again.

And again.

The cold stone is hard against my back as I sit, knees to chest, against the wall. It’s been over an hour. Every few minutes, I send a strong wave of water cascading through the tu

One more. One more, and then I’ll go. Tomorrow, I’ll try a different tu

One last ripple sent barreling down.

Minutes pass.

Nothing.

With a weary sigh, I rise, walking away. I’ve almost left the large chamber when I hear it. The rushing whoosh of a ripple.

The same sound I’ve heard repeatedly for the past hour.

Except this time, it’s coming toward me.

My feet slap against the stone floor as I rush back to the mouth of the tu

My legs almost give out.

It came back. It came back.

I stand there for minutes, waiting.

I wait for it to be a trick of echo or my imagination, but then the unmistakable drumbeat of boots splashing reaches my ears—and all the breath leaves my lungs.

A dark silhouette appears in the tu

The man’s face is shadowed, but his gaze glimmers in the dark.

And I’d know those blue eyes anywhere.