Eris POV

The days on the ship had a rhythm to them, a steady routine that made Eris feel like she could almost belong. The crew was lively, their camaraderie infectious, and she found herself laughing, helping with the sails, and taking part in the little rituals of daily life. For a while, it felt like the ghosts of her past—her life in the palace, her marriage to a vampire king, the loneliness that had always seemed to follow her—could be left behind.

But no matter how far she sailed, no matter how much time passed, the past always seemed to have a way of resurfacing.

It was late one...