When they all boarded the Albatross, Elodie saw Kas slink silently away back to his room, holding what remained of the spellbook. She'd hoped to speak to him—but he had already disappeared.

  She'd give him his space, she decided. Besides, she'd see him again at the dining hall, now that they were aboard the same ship again. Then they would be able to talk about everything.

  But then he wasn't in the dining hall. And he wasn't on-watch, Captain Jennings had confirmed as much for her.

  Then the next morning came, and there was still no sight or sound of Kas. It was like he was still gone, still lost in the dark magic of the tome.

  "Why are you so concerned with him?" Carina looked up from her book, eyebrows arched in irritation.

  Whether the irritation was at being interrupted when she was clearly on a break or who Elodie was asking about, she wasn't entirely sure.

  "I don't understand why Captain Jennings is inviting him back and acting like nothing ever happened. He killed a man, enslaved an entire ship with sorcery, and then tried to steal the power of Limuria so he could crown himself a god-emperor of the world."

  "He's been with her and Jade for a long time." Ventus dropped in from the ropes on-high, landing gracefully on the floorboards. "I don't like what he's done either. But I also can't say I might not have done the same, if I was in his position."

  He looked out to sea, and Elodie realized he must have been thinking about Corisande.

  Carina tilted her head at Elodie, and hesitated before she continued. "Listen, I don't understand why you seem to care about him so much. It's not like he cared all that much for you, given. . . well, everything."

  She then sighed and closed her book. She rose to her feet, now taller than Elodie.

  "I suppose it's none of my business." Carina bit her lip. "But I would consider carefully. Perhaps some of it was the magic, I've heard stories of how addictive the arcane powers can be."

  Her fingers brushed against the crystal dangling from her neck.

  "But he succumbed quickly to them because of something he truly is," she cautioned. "He's arrogant, easily drunk on revenge, and I no longer understand any of the charms I might have seen in him."

  Ah, so that was what this was.

  "I can handle myself," Elodie assured him. "I won, didn't I?"

  "I guess so."

  "I think he's still in his cabin," Ventus cut in. He then frowned. "Someone should probably make sure he's still alive in there."

  Carina turned to Elodie and placed a hand on her hip. "I suppose you're volunteering for the job."

  "Of course." Elodie paused. "And thank you, Ventus."

  He pressed his lips together in a thin line and nodded. "Of course."

  Her heart beat faster as she approached his door. She'd missed him so much, she was realizing with each step closer. His absence had felt like a part of her was missing.

  But with it was a fear. Had he been avoiding her on purpose? Did he hate her for taking away the spellbook and his revenge? She wasn't so sure as she raised her knuckles to the door.

  It was so strangely quiet behind that door.

  What if he wasn't in there? Or what if he was, but he'd hurt himself or worse—

  She swallowed and forced herself to strike the door, three times. "Kas? Are you in there?"

  There was a long, terrible silence.

  Then a weak voice: "You can come in."

  Elodie twisted the handle—it hadn't been locked after all.

  She didn't see him at first when she stepped in. The room was strangely still, the souvenirs of the travels of the past year and a half left in their dusty places. Then she saw him, by the foot of the bed, slumped against it on the ground. His hat and jacket were tossed aside carelessly. His hair fell into his eyes, which were downcast at the tatters of the tome in his hands. He was so still, for a moment Elodie feared the worst.

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  She crouched in front of him, and reached a hand to his shoulder. She'd barely hovered over him and he flinched, as if she'd struck him.

  "Oh, Kas." Her voice cracked. She brushed a strand of blond hair out of his face.

  He winced, but did not shy away from her touch.

  "Are you hurt?" He still avoided her eyes. "We were worried about you—I'm worried about you."

  "You shouldn't be." His voice was hoarse and low. He looked away from her direction, to the opposite wall. "Not—not after everything. I'd bet you all hate me."

  "Jade doesn't." She tilted her head, trying to get him to look at her, just once. "Captain Jennings doesn't, Ventus—"

  "Carina does," he interrupted. "I saw it in her eyes."

  "I don't." Elodie's voice cracked, turning to pleading as her hand drifted to his shoulder.

  "But I do—" Still, it did the trick. He looked to her, catching her eyes. And he didn't look away. Not this time. She could see so many things in those beautiful hazel eyes, rimmed with gold. Regret, fear, sorrow, and still the burning embers of revenge that had yet to die. And guilt. "I wouldn't have blamed you if you came here to punish me. Hurt me, however you wanted. I'd've let you, you know."

  A breath caught in Elodie's throat. She wasn't getting through to him.

  An idea sparked in her head.

  "Anything I wanted?" She echoed his words as gently as she could, hating the implication as she reached for his cheek, as if that could stop him from turning away.

  Then again, maybe it did.

  "Yes," he said breathlessly. "I wouldn't put up a fight. I'd deserve it."

  "I see—do we have a deal then, Kaspar Beaumont?" Elodie's heart pounded in her chest.

  "Of course, I promise—on whatever you'd believe." He glanced away and chuckled humorlessly. "My word doesn't mean much now, or my honor—does it?"

  "I believe you." She decided to avoid his question. "Starting now then, you'll let me do as I please?"

  "Yes."

  She nodded and stood up. "Well, then. First thing's getting you out of those clothes, they'll need to go to the wash."

  He frowned. "I don't understand."

  "Where are your nightshirts?" She turned to the clothing press built into the wall.

  "My nightshirts?" He frowned. "I don't understand—"

  "You said 'anything I wanted.'"

  "Right." The hesitation still lingered over his face. "First shelf at the top."

  She nodded, and pulled one of the loose off-white linen garments from the set, neatly pressed and folded in all the rows. She tossed it to Kas and turned her back.

  "Change into that, will you?"

  There was a long pause. "Alright, then."

  Elodie stood facing the armoire for a few moments as she heard the rustling of fabric and the gentle thumps of items being discarded to the side or on the bunk.

  "Alright, I'm decent."

  Elodie bit her lip and whirled back around to face him. He looked so vulnerable, standing there in an oversized nightshirt, hair still a mess. Without another thought, she approached him, and pushed more of his hair out of his face.

  "I should get something from the dining hall." She spoke softly, as her eyes met his. "You haven't had anything since you came onboard, have you?"

  "No, but—" His face turned pink and he averted his gaze as she drew her hand down to his cheek. His hand wrapped around hers, and he gently pulled her away. "Elodie—stop, I can't— I can't bear it—"

  "I don't understand, what's wrong?" Elodie was breathless.

  "I don't deserve this, I don't—" he stopped, breaking off into a sob. "You really should hate me."

  "But I don't, you're not listening!" She placed her hand back on his cheek and gently turned him back to her. "A part of me died every day that you were gone, I would want to see something with you, or I'd think of something to say to you and you weren't there and I'd wish desperately that you were! It was like a piece of me was missing, a piece of me that went with you!"

  He did not let go of her hand—but he did not pull her away again. "And I hurt you. Not just in that way, in our fight I would have done anything to win, Elodie, I didn't care about anything as long as I had power, as I had revenge—that's who I really am."

  He took a deep, shuddering breath. "You have no idea, the things I had to do to survive, to escape Madigan. And in the process, he did exactly what he promised—he made me into someone just like him. Worse, even."

  "Kas, you did what you had to." Elodie frowned and tilted her head. "And I understand why you did everything. What I hated the most about it, though, was how you were hurting yourself in your revenge. I don't care what you've done—not as long as you're by my side now."

  He looked at her directly in the eye, even though he looked pained to do so. "You don't know what you're saying. I'm not a Prince Charming, Elodie."

  "And you're not listening to what I'm saying," she pushed back. "I love you, Kas. I hate to see you suffer like this. Let me help you. Let me in. Let me love you."

  He went quiet.

  "Do you love me?" The world held still for a moment, as Elodie held her breath. She didn't want to believe that she was wrong, that she'd read everything all wrong.

  "I do." His voice dropped to a whisper. "Even in the height of everything—I still loved you. Or at least, I wanted you to myself, like a treasure."

  "Oh, Kas." She wrapped an arm around him.

  "I don't deserve any of this, though," he continued. "You shouldn't forgive me for anything, you shouldn't love me."

  "But I do." She said it as casually as she could manage.

  Something shifted in his eyes—something like the old Kas, the one she knew before he'd gotten ahold of the book, before it had all gone wrong.

  "You do, darling?"

  "I would have married you if you'd asked."

  He frowned. "And if I asked now?"

  "Yes."

  "We're a long way off from anyone who could marry us, you know," he pointed out. "And if you wanted it to be proper society marriage—"

  "—I do—"

  "—Then there's all the fuss and then there's the matter of your house in Port Augustine—"

  "So there's a lot to do." Elodie shrugged. "But I want to do them with you. And you told me you love me, so you're stuck with me for the time being. And you did make a promise, just now."

  "You're merciless, you know." He grinned as he pulled her tighter to him.

  "I am the daughter of pirates, after all." She smirked and leaned in for a kiss.