Chapter Nine
Bellamy
O f course they knew who I was. A fae with pointed ears wielding shadows was not only rare, it was a singular case. Me.
“I see my reputation precedes me,” I taunted, leaning forward to bow but never letting my eyes leave the captain’s. She was wholly unimpressed, but I could tell she was intrigued by the why of it all. Why was the Prince of Eoforhild so far out into the Ibidem Sea? Why was he on a ship with no supplies other than gold? Why did he know her name?
If Asher were here, she would have come up with a better plan. Then again, if Asher were still with me, I would not need to beg at the feet of pirates.
“I believe you can help me with resc—“ Pain, far worse than before, barreled into my mind. It crawled its way through every thought and memory and emotion like a spider weaving a web. Whatever Asher did with her magic had left a poison burrowed so deeply within my brain that it might just rot me into nothing. My back gave out, leaving me hunched over and gasping for air as the bow clattered to the ground.
“What is wrong with you?” Another female asked. The sound of heels meeting the wooden deck came closer, and then a pair of brown leather boots came into my line of sight.
Standing straight once more, I swallowed my words. So no planning her rescue, got it.
“I need your help, but unfortunately I cannot be the one to plot and plan with you.” My hand gripped my hair, trying to rip out the ache from where it festered.
“She wants to know why.”
“Well, if you must know, you nosy little pirate, the love of my life stripped me of my free will and forced me to leave her for dead. So now I am, quite honestly, in so much pain over the mere thought of aiding her that I am considering murdering you all and simply burning the entire fucking world to dust just so I can find some peace.”
“She said down puppy.” I balked, letting my eyes move between the two annoyingly smug females before me.
“Did she truly?”
“Yes,” the blonde answered, “she also said that you need to find a new female to piss on and claim because she isn’t helping your old one.”
Rage left my toes curling and my fists bunching. What I would not give to—
“Well, well, if you all do not look like the tastiest little treats,” the siren said, cutting off my failing conversation with the captain. Irritated and far beyond my wits end, I ripped water from the sea below, willing it over the ship and raining it down upon us all. Screams erupted from those aboard, and I took the opportunity to portal to my Trusted, lighting a circle of black fire around us.
“I care little for what your captain thinks of me, though, if you think you will be walking away from this ship alive without your vow to aid me, then you are surely mistaken. You may be formidable, but there are few things in this world as dangerous as I, my lost love being one of them.” With a flick of my wrist, I shredded through the beam of light that wrapped around my Trusted. They remained casually grouped together, none of them looking so much as unsettled by the pirates around us.
Captain Harlihold approached, gesturing sharply as she did. Her face was pinched in rage, staring at me like I was a rancid meal she’d like to dispose of. Who I wagered was her quartermaster, seeing as the very blonde had been the one to translate earlier, followed closely behind, eyes trained on her captain’s hands. When Harligold stopped mere feet from me, the blonde spoke.
“Captain Perdita Harligold is the most notorious pirate to walk Alemthian. She does not fear pampered princes and weak threats. We have faced far worse and come out alive, so you best consider what you are willing to lose in order to gain support you shall not have.”
Just then, I caught sight of the captain’s gesture to the siren. My anger was an erupting volcano in that moment, and I felt my magic leak from me like lava.
The crew members all attacked at once, but I was faster than even their captain. Harligold’s shadows were not even halfway to me before her siren collapsed to the deck, my blazing shadows still burning at her flesh where they sliced right through her.
A gargled noise left the captain’s lips just as her crew members descended upon us. I met the enraged blonde head-on, crafting a sword of shadow and fire to stop hers. Ice hit air as a female with bronze skin and cascading navy hair attacked Lian, who fought the exceptionally talented Water off.
Chaos was threatening to ruin this singular chance to save Asher, and my own distraction nearly allowed the Sun before me to slice open my neck. I jumped out of the way with barely a moment to spare, and I decided that swallowing my pride was the only option.
“Captain!” I shouted. Harligold glared at me from where she was bent over the dying siren, her face red with fury.
“Do not speak to her!” I ignored the blonde’s screamed order, opting to wrap her in vines that seemed to suck more power out of me than normal.
“I have a fae Healer with me. Promise me your sword and I shall have him help your siren. The gold I showed you before is yours too. I ask only for your aid.” Before she could respond to my plea, I willed vines around all five of her crew members, fortifying them with small hurricanes that swirled violently around each female.
Perdita Harligold stared on in astonishment, as if she had not expected such power from me. But she possessed Moon magic, which meant she was a demon who had been raised to fear me. I knew what it was to be that arrogant, had fought against the part of me who thought myself better than all for the last hundred years. Her hands shook against the wound that poured black blood from the siren’s stomach, eyes scanning my Trusted. Ranbir stepped forward, his thin form drowning in the black leathers that once fit him perfectly. My heart ached as he approached the two females upon the deck. He deserved so much more than he had been given.
“I will not hurt you. Please, let me heal her,” he whispered, the softness of his paired hand movements finally breaking the captain. She withdrew her hands, backing away from the bleeding siren and keeping her deep brown eyes on me. Ranbir made quick work of closing the wound, letting out a quiet gasp of pain when his hands touched her blood.
Reality hit me then. Siren blood was black, just like Wrath’s was. Like the fetch’s was. Stella save me, sirens were creatures of the God of Death and Creation too. The siren let out a deep breath, her eyes shooting open. As quickly as I could, I willed vines and water to hold her still, hoping that I would not have to hold it all for long. The captain flinched, a fire blazing in her gaze as it slowly returned to me.
“Would you allow me to heal your hands as well, Captain?” Ranbir, so giving and kind, stretched his fingers towards Harligold. For a moment I truly thought she would accept, but instead of placing her hands in Ranbir’s, she took a dagger and stabbed it into Ranbir’s palm. He screamed in agony as she ripped it out, and then she disappeared beneath a cloud of shadows.
Not a moment later, I heard Henry’s grunt. Turning, I found him near the bulwark of the ship, Captain Harligold’s bloody dagger against his throat and a storm of shadows swarming them both. A single drop of blood dripped from his neck where her blade pressed too hard into his skin, and my vision went the same deep shade of red.
Cyprus and Damon rushed to Ranbir, Noe and Lian opting to flank me on either side. I walked towards the captain with furious steps, the rage from this last week coming to a head. Henry remained still and silent, watching me come to him with knowing eyes. I would sooner kill them all than let him get hurt.
“Your choices are fewer now, Captain. Let my brother go, or watch as your entire crew slowly dies,” I growled.
Noe and Lian separated, wrangling the pirates into a pile to my left as they writhed and fought against my power. My determination seemed to only grow as I tightened their binds. Water sloshed against the deck in time with their screams, but Lian quickly turned their shouts into silent gasps as she stole their air from their lungs. Noe summoned a whip made of shadows, twirling it in her hands and staring at Harligold. For her part, the captain stared on, her dagger still firmly pressed to Henry’s neck.
“I promise you this, Harligold, they will all die long before you can harm him. In fact, how long do they have, Ranbir?” My head turned towards Ranbir, who had been clutching his now-healed hand.
“One minute at most,” he hissed, anger coating his voice in venom as he signed to her. “But I can make it seconds.”
“Did you hear that, Captain? Seconds.” I shrugged, smiling as I spun to face her once more. War waged within her, those once sure hands shaking even more now and her magic nearly covering both of their bodies entirely in darkness. Then, thankfully, she let her dagger fall, willing her shadows to fade. Henry seemed ready to pounce, but I shook my head and motioned for him to come to me. “Release them, Lian.”
Henry glared once more at the captain before coming to my side. In that moment, I did not care about what the pirates thought. I grabbed Henry and pulled him into me, patting his back three times and breathing in the truth that he was alive. My family would not grow any smaller.
The pirate crew gathered slowly around their captain, surrounding her like a shield just as my Trusted did. We stared head on at each other, eyes locked and abilities at the ready. Nicola’s letter had demanded I trust them and pay for their trust in return. Perhaps that was still possible.
“I do not wish you harm, Captain. All I seek is an alliance that will benefit us both—and a world that will see us all thrive.” Minus her looting and murderous ways, but she did not need to know that now. “Help me, and I shall help you.”
Holding out my hand, I once more willed the sacks of gold to appear. When the shadows dissipated, I tossed the gold her way. She caught it deftly, glaring at me before opening them. A gasp of surprise left the lips of the blonde who seemed to never leave the captain’s left side.
Come on, take the fucking gold.
Perdita Harligold looked up at me once more, a sense of unease on her face. That was all I needed.
“I am told that the death of a pink-haired pirate captain named O’Malley Harligold might further entice you. My love—my Asher—did most of the work, honestly,” I admitted, watching as the blonde signed along with my words. “But after she had shoved his own severed cock down his throat and gouged his eyes out, it was I who removed his ugly head from his shoulders. He threatened her, so I ended him.”
If Nicola was wrong, then the future she had foreseen was but a gust of wind, gone before it had time to cool the stifling air.
Captain Harligold—along with the rest of her crew—seemed to freeze, their mouths agape. What felt like a year passed by in silence, the sound of everyone’s collective breathing making my hairs stand on edge. But then, as if a decision had been shoved into her, the captain lurched forward with hands racing through signs. My eyes darted from her to the blonde beside her, nerves skyrocketing as I hoped for what seemed like the only future that would see Asher free. Prayed for it.
“She…she says to leave your brother and the small one with the big teeth.” Lian growled, a low noise that was paired with the sound of her dagger being unsheathed from her thigh. I held up a hand, stilling her so we could hear the rest of what the pirates had to say. Clearing her throat, the blonde continued. “We will—gods damn us all—we will help you. But we desire more gold and wish for a legal privateer license. And we want your Healer to look over our Captain.”
“Does she wish to speak?” Ranbir asked softly, though there was still fury in his tone. I did not blame him. What an exhausting year it had been for us all, but Ranbir especially. “I am not sure I can correct such a defect.”
“No, you idiot. She does not wish to speak. Our captain is perfect as she is. There is no defect. You will be wise to shut your foolish mouth.” The captain watched the interaction with a smirk, as if she somehow knew what was being said and enjoyed watching her crew member scold Ranbir. Then, she too held up her hand and stilled the female, just as I had Lian. “Fine. But he is on my list,” the blonde said as she signed. “Captain Harligold has had pain in her throat for the last year. She would like to have that fixed, along with her hands.”
Turning, I looked back at Ranbir. He sighed before nodding and walking towards the captain and her crew of what were clearly deranged females. Asher would like them.
“What is the plan exactly? How will they help us get Ash back?” Noe asked from my side.
“You cannot possibly be considering leaving me with them? They are clearly barbaric lunatics,” Lian added in a harsh whisper. Henry nodded and crossed his arms, sparing a glare for the group as Ranbir touched the Captain’s throat.
“You are developing sores. That is an easy fix, it has just been made worse from not healing it,” Ranbir explained. A groan of pain sounded from the captain, and then a sigh of relief followed it. “Also, your vocal chords have snapped and your ear drums have burst.”
The captain promptly punched Ranbir in the face. I gasped in surprise, and then I ran at them. Fire lit my hands and water sloshed against the ship, my fury causing the wind to rage around us. The female crew braced themselves for battle once more, but Ranbir’s body suddenly blocked my way.
“That was my mistake, not hers. She did not wish to know, and I said it anyway out of spite. I got what I deserved, Bell.” Ranbir’s words were loud enough for the crew to hear, but I watched Ranbir move his fingers in jerky and strained movements after. Signing to the captain.
“Okay, with that settled, tell us what we must do so we can be rid of most of you,” the blonde said, translating for Captain Harligold as her hands moved.
If only I knew. Nodding, I grabbed Ranbir’s sleeve and tugged him towards the Trusted. We gathered, each pair of their eyes watching me with a desperate need for answers. In another life, maybe I was the one being led—the one without such a weight on my shoulders. Now, as I prepared to burden my family with that heaviness, I knew I would give up all of those lives of ease rather than force them to face what was to come. But that was not an option.
“I cannot make these decisions. It…it hurts. Asher’s magic will not let me. But you,” I said, looking to Henry and then Lian, “can do this. I know the two of you can save her. I trust you both. If you are willing to take on this burden, then it is yours. Unfortunately, we do not have time to think this through. I wish you did not have to make this decision at all, but you must.”
They broke eye contact with me, looking at one another and communicating without words. In the way only a family could. And then the two of them nodded, agreeing to a fate I wished had not been forced upon them.
“Okay then. The two of you will set sail with the pirates and the rest of us will return to Pike. We have a war to win and a princess to save.”
***
Leaving Lian and Henry had been agonizing. Terrifying.
Coming back to find Adbeel waiting had also been quite scary. As I walked up to him, I readied for a battle.
“My King, I did not expect you to await my return.” The formality had him lifting the corner of his mouth in a smirk. I was not in the laughing mood, though. “What can I do for you?”
“Well, first, you can watch your tone,” he said, moving to my side and walking up the path towards the entrance of Pike with me. Rolling my eyes, I remained silent, preparing for whatever it was he had wanted to tell me. He had overseen Pike in my absence today after all, I owed him my ear at least. “Second, I noticed Henry and Lian are not with you. That will be a problem for Lady Nash. She expects Henry to play his part in this war so he may earn his place as general when you ascend the throne.”
“Well, Lady Nash can, quite frankly, kiss my ass. Henry is exactly where he needs to be,” I sneered. Not having Henry at my side once more was quite the opposite of ideal, but it was the only way.
“You overstep again, Bellamy. Odilia will be a burden now, and for what? Are your reasons more important than the outcome of this war?” he questioned, the tone he used a scolding if I had ever heard one.
“For Asher, who holds the balance of this very war in her hands.” Adbeel’s tree-trunk-like arm whipped in front of me, stopping me mid-stride. Turning, I caught sight of the vexation in his gaze. This would be it then, the moment I finally cracked and faced whatever horrid future Pino foresaw.
“This must end, Bellamy. I understand that you want her, that she matters. But this is war, this is our future. She cannot be prioritized. I cannot let you risk my realm for a female that you hardly know but claim to love. Her life does not come before the survival of Eoforhild. Your nonsense stops now.” An order. That was what it was.
I faced him fully then, puffing my chest and willing myself to speak the words I had been hiding for nearly two years.
“What about the life of a princess?” I asked.
“I fail to see how the life of a fae princess matters to me. To our realm.”
“And if she were a demon princess?”
Adbeel pressed his hand to my chest, forcing me to take a step back from him. A low beastly grunt was all I offered. “You marrying her is not a possibility in current circumstances. She is not the Princess of Eoforhild. Call back Henry and Lian, we have a war to win.”
With that, he patted my chest and began to walk away. Pino’s warnings echoed in my mind. Adbeel was not to know without Asher. But if I did not tell him, then Ash would be lost to us forever.
Consequences be damned.
“And what about for your granddaughter?”