I cupped Rylander’s face, dragging my thumb over his icy cheek. “Wake up, you daft fool. Please, wake up,” I cried. I kissed his bluish lips before securing the buoy around his waist. I waved to let them know he was ready. They heaved him up first, limp and dripping, his face tilted back to the sun.

By the time they retrieved me, Smitter had Rylander laid out on the ship’s quarter deck. He rolled him sideways and thumped him hard between the shoulder blades, murmuring into his ears. Rylander’s pale cheek smeared over the dark wood with each blow, and a steam of water trickled from his mouth. His ghostly skin pimpled from the prolonged exposure to the frigid temperatures. Blankets covered his lower body. Delmar crouched at his feet, massaging warmth back into them.

I dropped to my knees and spit out the ocean still left in my mouth. I shivered in my drenched clothes, teeth rattling. My hair suctioned to my cheeks and neck, slick as seaweed. My crew huddled around me with blankets. They moved to change my clothes, but I refused. I stared at Rylander’s lifeless body and shut them out of the blanket cocoon, gripping the ends too tightly.

Via tugged on my shoulder. “Come on, we need to get you…”

“No!” I swatted her hand away. “I won’t leave until he’s conscious.”

Via and Hannah tried to hide their tears as they tended to my bone-deep chill, wiping them away before facing me. But Krinny let them flow freely, her heart displayed for all to see. Hannah rubbed at my fingers and into my shoulders, trying to warm by body and circulate my blood.

You were too late. He’s dead.

He couldn’t heal himself from the brink. He’d been under too long. A demigod, felled by the sea. I bit down on my lip so hard my eyes watered blurring the vision of him struggling to live. I’d never wanted to feel the sentiments bubbling up inside but now that they might be stolen from me, I was desperate for them, for the opportunity to see where they would lead. Damn the world for stealing them. Damn the sea for pirating what could be mine. And damn the time wasted in between.

Via combed her fingers through my hair, braiding it and tying it at the ends to wring out most of the cold water. “We really need to get you in bed under some covers. Rylander wasn’t the only one down there too long.” Her voice faltered.

I glared at her, but before I could reem her out, Rylander coughed, and water gushed over the deck. My head whipped in his direction. Smitter kept him on his side as he vomited up all the salt, ichor, and anything else left in his gullet.