Do not worry, Louise. His injuries are not fatal. He will wake—of that, I am certain.

My head continued to throb.

The others walked toward the gates in silence, seemingly oblivious to our rather giant problem, except for Beau. He threw more than one anxious glance my way.

I assumed he expected me to transform into the Maiden at any moment. I half expected it myself. Even now, I wasn’t sure how I’d done it, but I took care not to think too long or too hard about that shiver in my skin—that heady sensation of wild abandon. Curiously enough, it reminded me of . . . rooftops. If I closed my eyes, I could almost feel the wind tangling in my hair, my arms stretching wide, as I propelled myself upward, outward, from shingles into empty air. Exhilaration swooped low in my stomach for those precious seconds. Those precious seconds when I might’ve flown.

When my hands began to ripple, my eyes snapped open.

Beau still stared at me.

“What is it?” I snapped. “Spit it out.”

“Are you okay? With”—he jerked his chin toward my hands—“that?”

I eyed him suspiciously. “Are you?”

He tipped his head, considering, before a fierce smile broke across his face. “I think it’s the most impressive fucking thing I’ve ever seen. You’re a . . . Lou, you’re a goddess now.”

“Goddess Divine.” I matched his smirk with one of my own, despite Isla’s words ringing loud and true in my ears. My sister chose wrong. “Queen of the sea urchins.”

His smirk vanished at the last, and he stared resolutely at the back of Elvire’s head. “About that. I . . . want to apologize.” He cleared his throat. “For earlier.”

“Ah.” I exhaled with a soft chuckle. “There’s no need.”

“There is a need—”

“You told the truth.”

“It wasn’t the truth.” He shook his head in agitation. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. Isla, she—she twisted my words—” Clearing his throat, he tried again, lowering his voice so the others couldn’t hear. “I do find you extraordinary. Perhaps not extraordinarily brave or just or true, but extraordinary nonetheless.” When I rolled my eyes, politely skeptical, he stepped in front of me, forcing us both to a halt. “Who else would have accepted the spoiled son of a king? The misused aristocrat? The sacrilegious huntsman? In the eyes of the kingdom, we are nothing.” His voice dropped lower still. “You’ve given us all a place, a purpose, when before we didn’t have one. You are the reason we’re here, Lou. And I don’t care about the waters’ truth—you are my sister. Never forget it.”

He sped up to walk beside Coco and Célie without allowing me to answer. Probably for the best.

I couldn’t speak around the emotion in my throat.