Chapter 8
Six Stones in His Stomach
Levi
Present Day – Catastro Sea
Levi held Raven tightly to him, until it wasn’t enough, tugging her up into his arms instead.
“Always manhandling me,” she said softly in his ear as he took them outside, but she didn’t fight him on it, instead snuggling closer to his chest, her head on his heart.
He needed air, needed room to exist. While the ship itself was huge, it wasn’t built for men his size.
And being on it had made him sick, or maybe it had just propelled him into it further.
He had woken up nearly every morning unable to keep anything down, but now with her in his arms, he was beginning to feel better.
A salve.
Just as she had always been.
Once outside, he didn’t let her go, simply walking them to the banister, away from any prying eyes. “Raven, are you okay darlin’? I know you just woke up and already are being thrown around into another…”
“Another game?” She looked up at him with glassy eyes. “I’m so glad you’re here.” She twisted towards the water. “The ocean reminds me of Jayce.”
“It’s a sea.” Levi wished he could smack himself.
But Raven just laughed, the soothing lilt going directly to his dick. “Levi.” She sobered. “Let me down?”
He didn’t like her tone, but he acquiesced, gently placing her on her feet, the banister at her back and him in front of her. Keeping her safe, keeping her near him.
For her sake. And his.
He bent forward, his lips brushing hers.
He paused, waiting for her to stop him, but instead, she leaned forward.
Into him. Her soft lips exactly as he remembered as he wrapped an arm around her waist, melding her frame to his.
Every good piece that existed in his world was right here before him.
He knew that Raven would not be his alone, but he accepted the parts of her he had.
He was grateful. After his wife, Violet, died at the Government’s hands, he never expected to love again.
But he realized he had never been in love with Violet.
Simply going through the motions of what he thought he should do.
Finally pulling apart, he released Raven, allowing her space to breathe and for himself to get under control.
Raven lifted her hand up to Levi’s jaw, cupping it. “I like this beard you’re growing out.” Her eyes crinkled in amusement, but then they turned unfocused.
“Griffin is the prince of Grypheem.”
He wasn’t sure if it was a question but nodded his head nonetheless. “It seems like it. And apparently you are all a part of their plan to start a war with Violencia.”
Raven appeared to mull over the information, her full bottom lip rolling between her teeth. Levi watched the move, transfixed.
“Griffin told the Priestess that I am marrying him.”
It took a few beats for Levi to register her words. Several more to process. A couple extra to control himself. “Did he now?”
He gripped the banister tightly, squeezing it as if it were Griffin’s neck.
“I agreed,” Raven admitted. “But only because it didn’t seem like I had a choice.
I don’t plan on marrying him, but I will play out this charade until the wheels fall off.
And I will be speaking to him about an alternative.
We just need to figure it out until we can make our way back to Violencia… Back to…” She trailed off.
To her daughter. To Jayce.
Levi could not imagine the agony Raven was going through.
His anger extinguished into the air. “They’re going to be okay.
” He looked out onto the sea, the moon shone brightly enough to watch waves rolling in the distance, but not any land.
He hated this feeling of powerlessness. In the Masquerade he had mostly been able to have some notion of control.
Even in the puppet game, he had eventually been able to control his own fate.
But out here? It felt as if Drago and Griffin were simply dragging them along as pawns.
And he didn’t like it. Didn’t want Raven thrown into the middle of it.
She deserved a break.
“I thought Violencia was bad.” Raven hummed. “What about Ivan?”
Levi drew in a ragged breath, he didn’t want to worry her but wanted her to stay on guard.
There wasn’t exactly confirmation he was on this ship…
Or so he would lie to himself. And they had all searched high and low for the man, but not a single trace could be found.
Except his fucking uniform. “I didn’t see what happened to him in the chaos, but I imagine it would be best to assume he is out there alive. ”
“It was childish of me to hope he would magically die. What about players 32, 33, and 34?”
The all-woman team, the one who they had been aligned with throughout the Masquerade.
Levi swallowed thickly. “33 was one of Nightingale’s.
” He had known that before the end of the games.
When he had met with Nightingale, she had told him as much.
He wondered if he should have relayed that to Raven.
If it would have changed anything. “She’s with Jayce.
32 is recovering in the hospital wing. She’s being kept separate from the crew since she was gravely injured in the acid game. ”
“And what of 34? Their other teammate?”
Levi had hoped she wouldn’t ask. “She’s dead.” He didn’t expand. Didn’t want to tell her how he had found the body…on this ship. Another indication that Ivan was here, that he was biding his time.
“Oh.” Raven released an exhausted sigh, her brow knitting together. “But 32 is alive? What’s her name?”
Levi shrugged, he hadn’t cared enough to ask, but a voice came from behind them.
“Amelia. She’s in the infirmary on the ship,” Julian said, stepping up onto the banister next to them and looking out. “And 33 was put in place by me, but Nightingale apparently took over.”
“Felix?” Raven’s attention drew to Julian and Levi watched uneasily, another stone settling in his stomach.
There were six there now.
“He’s floating around, but I fear he is here on Nightingale’s orders. Even still, he’ll keep you safe. It’s clear that Nightingale wants you alive,” Julian explained.
Levi scoffed. While he had done what Nightingale had told him to when he saw her as his Sponsor, bringing Enzo and Maverick to safety, he didn’t trust her. He simply saw a means for them all to escape and took it.
Levi released the banister, allowing Raven the ability to move to Julian.
He wasn’t sure if she recognized it yet, but she gravitated toward the man; he was another connection to her past. One that appeared nearly innocent.
Levi still didn’t fully trust Julian, wasn’t sure if he ever would.
After all, even without the suit, mask, and leather chair, Julian was still the Host.
Levi imagined being in that position would drive a sane person to the brink, and he doubted Julian was all that sane to begin with.
Julian pulled Raven into a hug, tucking her under his chin but meeting Levi’s eyes in the process. “You don’t have to marry Griffin. We will find another way.”
But what if there isn’t another way?
Levi didn’t voice his thought out loud, instead raising an eyebrow as he clocked Julian’s bruised knuckles.
Raven groaned, “Don’t remind me. Do you know where he went?”
Levi noted the way Julian tightened his hold on Raven before seemingly forcing himself to release her. He pointed to a door across the deck. “The prince’s quarters.”
“I need to speak with him.” Raven brought a hand up to Julian’s forearm, squeezing it. “Alone. I’ll be fine.”
Julian accepted that and began leading her to the door, Levi on their trail.
They had already agreed not to let her out of their sight.
When Raven raised her hand to knock, she looked back at them expectedly.
“We’ll wait outside.” Levi wasn’t making a request. He didn’t plan on being more than a few feet from Raven for the foreseeable future.
Especially not with Ivan out there.
Not until they could find him.
She let out an annoyed groan but didn’t argue further, nor did she knock, instead choosing to push open the door and slam it behind her.