It’s #BookQW and perhaps you’ll ‘find’ a new path or new love, like my H&H!
More from Chapter 3 (coming in two short weeks!):
“She’s showing her control, Salmon, when you aren’t. No one should tell anyone, since illegal dueling is why we’re doing it.” Ma pointed to a pile of bags. “Please take our luggage topside and wait for us there.”
Salm sauntered through the cabin’s saloon, purposefully angling his path closer to her. Orb curse it, she wanted to zap him.
Ach, that will only net me more trouble. Coral backed up. Another step and she bumped into her father. Salm hefted the bags through the companionway, then the sound of his footfalls on deck faded.
Pop rubbed his bearded chin, his gaze fixed intently upon Ma. They were thought-speaking, leaving her out.
“Coral,” he finally said. “You’ve made clear your feelings about going to academy. We hoped you’d warm to the idea by visiting Windborne cities, by working for your sister here in town and getting a taste of independence. But this dueling matter begs us revisiting the academy decision.”
“No!” Those busy cities they’d visited were confusing and full of strangers. Living in a building, spending her days cooped up indoors, far from the ocean, with no animals or her family… “I can’t,” she cried. “I’ll do anything, please just don’t make me go. I’ll study harder with Ma, I’ll—”
“What happened to that nice control I saw with Salm?” Ma’s quiet voice broke through.
“I’ll—” Coral sucked a breath, trying to find any kind of composure. “I’ll be more help to the isle here.”
“True. You have incredible power,” Ma said. “You could be helping Giuthas seal the shielding rips, if you had your energy in hand.”
Coral choked back a retort. No one knew she had mastered her energy—for dueling. It rose at a mere thought, collected the proper strength and clobbered her targets with eerie accuracy. Every single time she dueled.
Only when she dueled.
“I didn’t mean enclave security,” Coral ground out through clenched teeth. “Helping with our Seas habitat management.”
“That takes control, too,” Ma said. “You won’t achieve your fullest potential fighting Windborne on the mainland.”
“Three academies accepted you after your interviews,” her father said softly. “We think you should consider the winter session.”
“But Pop! You told me I didn’t—”
“This fall.” He shook his head. “I only said you need not go this fall.”
Ma put a hand on her shoulder. “We’re concerned for your future. You get reported to the wrong magistrate and you’ll lose your magic forever. This week, think on your choices and what we can do to help.”
***
A hotshot duelist and a wanna-be sailor become entangled in a sailing race, lost dolphins, magical dueling…and the unsteady waters of love.
Releasing July 17, 2019
Click over to Lost Whisperer of the Seas book page for more.
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