43. Never Let Me Go
Chapter 43
Never Let Me Go
BETH
T he man that argued in favor of murdering me back at the academy cups my face in the most gentle manner, tipping my chin up for a kiss that’ll seal his fate. I keep my eyes open as our lips meet, his kiss both impatient and delicate, as if I’m something to be treasured.
He tastes even darker than I imagined, a blend of loneliness and misery that clings to him. Beneath the bite of his shadows, there’s something fresh and salty, like afternoon rain beating relentlessly over the surface of the sea.
I steady myself against his chest, one hand creeping subtly toward the inside of his cloak, toward his pocket, where the keychain waits.
Deepening the kiss to keep him distracted, I toss the golden ring and keys toward Aidan, who swiftly works to free himself, the shackles snapping open. Tears streak down his face, but he’s lucid enough to ensure our makeshift escape plan works.
Luther Storm cradles my face in his hands, oblivious to everything else around us. I hear the sharp cracks of wood as Aidan works to free Seth, but I’m too deep in this twisted game to pay any attention. A sinister fragment of my soul rises to the surface—this dark, aching void within me throbs, desperate to be filled with the love of a man, begging me to find prey, eager to be consumed, chewed up, and spit out.
Sirens heed the call of their goddess, feeding not just for themselves, but to please her. And Melpomene is starving, desperate to seduce this man through me.
I scrape my nails along the back of Luther’s neck, and he exhales sharply, a quiet gasp escaping him. “Mm, you’re a talented sorceress. Let’s leave these two behind and visit my private cabin.” He presses his erection to my hip, his hands stroking my sides amorously.
“Won’t your girlfriend be jealous?” I murmur against his lips.
“She’s not my girlfriend, but you’re right. I should sneak you in there before she notices I’m gone.”
“Do you have your rowan and silver blade on you?” I whisper.
“No, but I’ve got the keys to your cuffs—” Luther reaches for his cloak, his hand patting at the empty pocket, his focus wavering as the haze of my song begins to lift. But it’s too late.
Aidan delivers a brutal sucker-punch to Luther’s jaw, his fist glowing a bright, furious orange, sending the man flying through the air. Luther’s head slams into the wall with a sickening crack , and he collapses to the floor face-first with a resounding thud .
Seth is already there, swift and efficient, his hands quick to snare Luther’s ankles with the rowan shackles he used on us.
Luther thrashes on the ground and attempts to crawl away. He punches his brother’s nose to keep him from shackling his wrists. Seth howls in pain, but doesn’t flinch, continuing his work, determined to restrain his brother. With Aidan's help, he overpowers Luther, gradually cutting him off from his magic, one limb at a time. Aidan tightens the spikes on the rowan shackles with a grim determination, while Seth stuffs a torn piece of fabric in Luther’s mouth and ties his belt around his head, gagging him before he can cry out for help.
Luther roars in agony, his eyes bulging from the strain. Blood streams down his hands as he desperately tugs at the chains anchoring him to the ship, his body trembling with effort, but it’s all in vain. “Rhh um rh!” he mumbles.
A sad, almost pitying smile crosses Seth’s face. “Sorry, kid, but you’ve earned it.”
Aidan unlocks my restraints and pulls me free.
In an uncharacteristic show of care, Seth wraps his heavy green cloak around me, fastening it securely at my neck. “Here, darling. You look cold.” He rubs down my arms, a ripple of Spring magic caressing my neck and making me blush. He’s standing awfully close, especially given my obvious state of undress. His eerily gentle and non-sarcastic tone makes me pause.
Ah, hells.
Aidan pulls me into his embrace, his arms circling me, red-hot embers radiating from his body. "Here, I’ll warm her up," he murmurs, his voice rough.
I first dismiss his obvious jealousy as a fluke, a byproduct of the spell that ensnared the men who heard my performance.
But Seth isn’t having it. He tugs on my arm, a firm grip that pulls me in the opposite direction. "No need. I’ve got her."
The two of them stand at odds, glaring at each other. They each look ready to tear the other apart over who gets to escort me to the deck.
"Get off her, she’s mine," Seth orders.
Aidan, not one to back down, moves to shove his opponent aside. But in an instant, Seth dissipates into a cloud, only to reappear behind Aidan with a snarl. The side effects of my song boil over, pushing their rivalry to the brink of violence.
Before the situation can escalate any further, I raise my hands. "Guys, stop!"
They both freeze, eyes locking on me, the aggression in their stances evident even in their sudden stillness. They're waiting for my command, hanging on my every word.
A twinge of regret twists my gut. I wish I could dispel the song’s effects now that Luther has been dealt with, but only a good night’s sleep will return them to normal. And we don’t have the luxury of rest right now.
Aidan presses my back to his chest, his warmth seeping through the fabric of my cloak. His breath skims my earlobe, hot and heavy. “Let me kill the rebel for what he did to you.”
“We’re not killing Luther,” Seth argues. A storm cloud, black as night, churns above his head, crackling with deadly energy.
I brace myself on his arm, dizzy from his heat. "No one is killing anyone, not while you two are still under my spell," I command, my voice trembling as I fight against the call of the sea.
Seth balls his fists at his sides, and the swirling storm above us spreads to the entire cargo hold. "I’d die for you, Betty Snow," he mutters, his words rough and possessive. "But your friend here needs to be taught a lesson."
Full-blown flames lick the surface of Aidan’s skin, the fiery orange glow cutting through the dim, damp room. But beneath the raw power, I catch a glimpse of something more—something that wasn’t there before. The love, the hurt, the unspeakable heartbreak that has haunted me for years now mirrors in his gaze. The decades that dug an insurmountable chasm between us, too deep to heal in a single moment.
“Shut up, Seth,” he barks.
A heavy set of footsteps resonates above our heads, and a confident, feminine voice echoes through the cargo hold. “Luther? What’s happening?”
“Stand down, both of you,” I hiss under my breath.
The cloud rains down to the ground in a heavy mist, Seth’s thunder tapering off in a flare of static electricity that covers me in goosebumps.
“Or I’ll tie you back up,” I add.
“Fuck. You look so fierce when you’re angry,” Aidan declares, and my entire body quakes as he spins me around in his embrace.
A hot, molten heat explodes from the pit of my belly and spreads to the tips of my toes as he swallows my next threat with a kiss.
It’s not like it was when he met me after his botched wedding. It’s been a century since I’ve been kissed with such passion. Aidan breathes in my whimpers, his strong grip crushing me to him.
He caresses the side of my face with his thumb, looking ready to eat me alive. “By the Flame, Songbird,” he growls against my swollen lips. “I’m going to burn my name into your flesh, peel those tatters from your skin, and make you mine again if it kills me.”
My heart pounds in my chest.
He remembers.
Seth observes the hatch with his bottom lip tucked between his teeth, his need to confront Aidan gradually fading. “Imogen was Luther’s childhood friend back at the Storm Court. I know her well enough. I might be able to convince her to stand down. She’s a run-of-the-mill Storm Fae, so unless she’s covered in Mist jewels, she shouldn’t pose a threat.”
Aidan motions him forward. “You go first then, but you have one minute. If you haven’t called for us after that, I’ll cook her through.”
“Now, don’t go burning the ship, or we’ll sink,” I whisper.
“Don’t tell me you never learned how to swim,” he teases with an edge of danger.
Seth shakes his head. “I’m not leaving you two alone, not even for a minute. Beth is too good for you. Weren’t you supposed to get married today?”
I push Seth away from me and up the ladder. “Go. We have no time to waste.”
He grumbles but obeys, quickly climbing the ladder and stepping onto the upper deck, leaving it open. The night breeze swirls down to brush my cheeks, the hot, humid air of the Summerlands replaced by a crisp autumn wind. Judging by the stark change in temperature, we’re nowhere near the academy.
I place my foot on the bottom step, ready to rush to Seth’s aid, but Aidan braces his arms on both sides of me. “Say something, Songbird.”
“You remember,” I croak, keeping my eyes glued to the hatch, listening for any signs of trouble.
Seth’s voice booms from the deck above, but his exact words are swallowed by the loud beats of my heart.
Aidan rests his chin on my shoulder and inhales deep. “I can’t believe I was ever made to forget you.” He pauses. “I’m so ashamed.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” I whisper, desperate to tame the tsunami of emotions swirling inside me. “But let’s not talk about it now.”
“Seth is still affected by your song,” Aidan says.
I arch a brow. “And you’re not?”
He nuzzles my neck, the gesture so foreign yet so right. “I’ve been cheated out of a hundred years by your side. It’s going to take a lot for me to let go of you.”
My knuckles turn white against the side of the ladder. “It’s been a minute. Let’s go.”
There’s a lot to do before I can figure out exactly what this means for us. We have to survive the night first, and I can’t afford to drift into a waking dream.
I press upward and emerge onto the upper deck. The ship is made of wood, but its design reminds me of a modern sailing boat, with metal guardrails and ropes keeping the sailors from falling overboard. A forceful, unnatural wind beats against my cheeks, and the sky above is obscured by a twisting vortex of clouds.
A single mast and boom hold the tall mainsail. Its fabric twists back and forth under the uneven wind while Seth argues with a woman near the wheel.
She looks petite but deadly, her short black hair tied down with a bandana. Golden rings adorn her pointy ears, and she holds a set of magic daggers, the blades rumbling with energy.
Her knuckles clench when she sees us coming, thunder rumbling overhead. “Stand back, or I’ll sink the ship.”
“Be reasonable, Imogen! You can’t win a fight against me, let alone all three of us,” Seth growls over the screech of the gale. “Surrender, and I won’t have to hurt you!”
“I’d like to see you try!” she shouts, pirouetting under the railing of the cockpit to reach the boom. She uses it as a stepping stone to leap over the cockpit and attack Seth just as a violent gust tips the boat to the side.
My stomach clenches, and I grip the railing, trying to keep my balance as the ship thrashes on its axis and begins to swirl around in a circle. Dark waves crash over the bow, leaving a fresh, salty kiss on my cheeks.
Aidan moves to steady me, but I lose my footing, tumbling toward the angry sea. The momentum of my fall propels me headfirst over the side of the ship, and I crash into the waves, the saltwater embracing me like an old friend.
I hold my breath out of instinct, the force of the fall dizzying me for a moment. It’s cold, but not for a Winter Fae, and even less for a daughter of the Sea.
The storm that rages over the surface makes the sea murkier and darker than it ought to be, but also calmer and less chaotic than the world above. It’s so quiet underneath, the agitation on the surface giving way to a vast ocean that spreads hundreds of miles down to the seabed.
The ripples of magic tightening my skin tell me that I’m home. A home I’m estranged from, but a home nonetheless. I unfasten the button of Seth’s cloak and let it float away, liberated from the cumbersome attire.
The arms of the ocean could never hurt me.
But the respite is short-lived, replaced by a sudden, terrible fear.
A second body hits the surface. Aidan is wrapped in flames, but even the strongest fire can be smothered by the sea. He looks frantic as he searches the waves and swims deeper and deeper. He freezes when he finally spots me, suspended upside-down for a moment, his arm finally reaching down to touch my hand.
Bubbles of precious air escape his mouth as I pull him to me, letting my powers envelop him. It’s a magic I don’t often practice, but Mélusine didn’t only teach me how to master my song, but all the powers of a Sea Fae.