Chapter 34 #2
Bran grew thoughtful, shifting in his seat.
“It wouldn’t have been King Artius, but King Melron.
” The old King was long dead, but his legacy held true.
His dislike for Luanthians was held fast by his son, his heir.
“But could he have been so cruel as to not only harm Luanthians but his own people as a means to whatever end he wished to reach?”
My finger traced the rim of my tankard, a low sigh escaping my lips.
“Someone once told me that it’s not the tales of ghouls, ghosts, and the dead that scare them the most, but instead the living.
It’s the living that terrifies them and I think they may have had a point.
Have we been so focused upon a curse born from the divine because the thought of another human casting this vile torture was too implausible? ”
“How would they have even created it?”
“That’s exactly what we need to find out.”
There was a moment of silence and then—
“About Kairen…” he trailed off, a low note of disbelief framing his words. “It couldn’t be true, could it? I mean good, if they have been, but it complicates our return and involvement with them, right?”
A heavy sigh escaped my lips as I took a deep draft of the firemead. “Future problems, dear cousin. Future fucking problems.”
The clouds above had been dark swirling masses for the past hour and an uneasy feeling settled over the ship, like the gloom of the storm was weighing on us all.
I’d looked to Malika every few minutes where she sat high in the bird’s nest, her watchful eyes taking in patterns among the clouds that my untrained ones could not see.
Antoni had ordered Taven to shift our course, bringing us closer to the coast upon which we sailed should we need quick refuge, but still we were far away.
A ship could only move so fast, and it wasn’t near as quick as a storm.
The waters had grown rough too, so rough that my potions for Rena had become utterly useless. The woman had been shivering for the last hour as she clung to the siding of the vessel and emptied the contents of her stomach overboard.
Kairen sat with her now as I paced near the masts, rubbing my chilled hands together. Even in the gloves, they grew numb from the wind that ravaged all around us.
“To the north, coming quick now!”
Malika’s warning came sharp, a war cry from her post. My eyes found Antoni immediately, catching the tensing of his jaw.
“All hands on deck!” His yell was thunderous, echoing over the wind and sea and for the briefest of moments, I wondered if he had used his blessed magic to amplify his voice.
I glanced towards the stairs that led into the cabin below, where Bran and Roan emerged from, their time to find warmth cut far too short.
Nerves danced up my spine as Antoni regarded our group.
“You lot are about to get very experienced in the art of surviving a storm. We’re still too far from land to take shelter.
” Anxiety grew tight in my chest as his gaze hardened.
“You will do what I say, when I say it, as I say it if you want to live. Do you understand?” His amber eyes swept over each of us individually, so stern my spine straightened when they landed upon me.
“Roan you’re with Kidd, Bran with Taven—you’ll help keep control of the wheel so do exactly as he instructs.” He glanced over at Kairen then Rena. “You two are with Mal. Syra, you’re with me.” His next words were to his crew only. “You lot know what to do.”
Without another word he spun on his heel, his steps quick and I hurried to follow after him. His glance was sidelong, his attention catching momentarily on the shaking of my hands. “Are you scared?”
I hesitated for only a moment. “Terrified, actually.”
Antoni’s head dipped, apparently satisfied with that answer.
“Good, you should be. Overconfidence kills on the open sea. Be scared, feel your fear, and let it keep you alive.” He tossed me a rope.
“Tie it around your waist, tight and strong—you know how to tie strong knots, yes? Good. Just like that.”
When the rope was secure we set to the rigging, lowering the sails as the sky darkened with each passing minute.
My focus stayed locked on the tasks Antoni set me to, but each flash of bright lightning that lit the sky had me jumping in fright.
The howling of the wind grew to be so loud, I could hardly hear the man over the chaos as the waves grew to monstrous heights, crashing across the deck in icy blasts.
I was sure bruises would litter my body tomorrow as the frigid water smashed me against the masts, the siding, the floor—any surface that my body could hit.
It wasn’t long before a bucket was in my hand and we were bailing water overboard, a feat that seemed never ending as my limbs grew heavy and the cold locked my muscles, my bones aching.
I was sure I’d have frozen ten times over if it wasn’t for the adrenaline pumping wildly through my heart.
My eyes burned against the slashing of the freezing water, hardly able to see a foot in front of me as the rain and sea water melded into one.
My throat burned as I let out a curse, my body slamming against the siding as we rode yet another turbulent wave. The ship cut down across the swell at an angle, my body slipping on the wood of the frozen deck and stumbling. Yet still the pain was little compared to the fear.
Lightning flashed once more, cutting through the water all around, as my eyes landed on Kairen. He was holding Rena tightly, shaking her as her head lolled back.
The sky went dark as my heart plummeted to the sea below. I moved quickly, as quickly as I could as my body flung to and fro with the chaos.
A flash. Lightning again.
A wave hit from behind, wiping my feet from under me, tearing across the deck.
The rope cut and tore into me, but still it held—kept me from being swept overboard and lost to the vengeful sea.
I glanced up once more as lightning hit again, just in time to see the flash of gold as the Prince went overboard.
Rena laid still upon the deck floor, eyes lolled back into her head.
Bile rose in my throat as I crawled, clawing my way to the Healer. Please, no. Please.
The shadows circled in my mind, vultures waiting to dive upon me and rip apart the remaining shreds of my sanity.
Golden gaze, golden crown.
Do not wear such a pretty frown.
A dead Soliel is the only good Soliel.
Do you think gold can float, little shadow?
Or shall it sink and sink and sink down to the dark depths below?
How fitting that a Prince of Sun and Flame should meet his end in the darkness of the Moon Goddesses waters.
“Roan!”
My scream was lost to the wind, rain, and horrid waves. Not even I could hear my own voice, but he was water-blessed, a man born to the sea.
“Roan, Kairen went overboard with the wave.”
The storm was so loud now I thought I might never be able to hear again after it passed.
My eyes searched desperately and as lightning arced through the sky once more, I caught the white hair that streaked across the deck, my attention fixing to where his hands tore at the rope tied to his waist. My breath caught, panic gripping me and as my scream met the howling wind, Roan Delmar dove overboard.