Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
I will train Isla myself. The Mystic Magnum remains closed to her. Be careful what you trade for the power you seek. Not all sacrifices are worth it.
The beast surged past us, heading straight toward the Hydra. Its massive head burst through the waves. Jaws opened, and my stomach churned as bits of bodies and blood clung to its long, jagged teeth. I reached inward, readying the Obscura, as a looming black fog swept in from behind a burning ship.
The Mortis Shroud swarmed, and the sea beast let out a bone-chilling cry.
The pale white creature sank below the water in retreat, and the snaking, black fog settled on the surface of the sea before it shot high into the air.
The Mortis Shroud hung above the surface and then flew west, in chase of its prey.
“Swim!” Vulcan commanded.
My body obeyed, and we surged toward the Hydra.
We climbed the ladders thrown overboard, and the warmth of the shield enveloped us as we were swarmed by pirates.
Lord Astraeus’s blue coat flashed in the corner of my eye, and I whirled toward him.
“You bastard,” I seethed.
Tanned, tattooed skin peeked from under his unbuttoned shirt beneath the long, flapping coat.
“I am that.” He chuckled as he swaggered to us, removing his black hat.
His dark, auburn hair was braided along the sides of his head, with half of it tied tightly back.
A neatly trimmed, dark beard cut over his sharp jawline, and the pirate lord flashed a too-white smile.
His voice was smooth, the Votruvian accent sliding over his tongue like silk.
My heart squeezed as I thought of Morwyn, and he raised a dark eyebrow at me.
“You’ve looked better, Bonscaíh.” His striking eyes slid over my soaked leathers and ripped vest as his lips tilted in a grin, and he winked.
“I’ve been looking for you. Though I rather expected to run into Captain Ravindra and the Evecta.
” Lord Astraeus looked casually back at what remained of the Centurion, aflame and sinking beneath the waves, along with my father’s book.
“How did you find us?” Vulcan demanded from behind.
Lord Astraeus slid his eyes to Vulcan.
“It turns out,” he said, “that crafty queen of yours thinks she can buy loyalty from my spies.” He shook his head, beads from his braids clinking against each other as he did.
“Little does she know that loyalty to the Lords of Marisarma cannot be bought. Though it did offer us a little insight into her plans.”
His eyes slid to mine. “It didn’t take long to convince the others of what we might gain, should we reacquaint ourselves with this little bloodhound of yours.” Astraeus lifted a leather and cedar-scented hand to flick my nose.
I blinked at the movement before slapping his hand away.
Vulcan stiffened, and I caught movement at the stern of the ship. A small group shuffled to the center of the deck. A flash of strawberry blonde hair caught my eye, and Vienah opened her mouth in warning when Lord Astraeus’s warm hand slid around my forearm. He clamped something cool onto my wrist.
The blazing red cuff seemed cut from the same stone that had hurtled into the Centurion, and though it glowed as if it were a living flame, the stone bit into my wrist like ice.
I hissed as I tried to pull it free, whipping my hand back at its sting.
I tugged on the Obscura, summoning enough to set my eyes on fire when I was met with a solid black wall.
I blinked, and Lord Astraeus’s grin widened into an unnerving, handsome smile, teeth flashing.
“What—”
Lord Astraeus wagged a ringed finger at me as he chided, “I thought perhaps I might need a leash for my bloodhound.”
A leash. My gut churned as memories from Kayj swept into my mind’s eye, the phantom weight of that heavy collar pressed upon my neck, the chain, the leash, hanging down my front…
His dark eyes softened as he scanned my face, and I willed steel into my veins. He had somehow suppressed my powers. I reached down, searching for that tether of Transcindiel, and ran into a wall, but there was a pounding on the other side, as if my powers searched for a way out.
The cuff on my wrist chafed, the red glow of it pulsing, as if it were a living thing. And the cannonball… It had to have been made from the same material. It was the only thing that could break through Carina’s shield. My mind whirred at the implications of such a weapon.
My stomach pitched as a sound escaped Vulcan’s lips. Four men had his arms pinned to his side as a fifth held him in a chokehold, all attempting to wrangle him to the ground to get his hands bound.
I glanced at Vienah heading past us toward the stern, where they lined up prisoners from the Centurion.
I scanned the group, searching for the others.
Vienah’s brown eyes caught mine, and she gave me a soft shake of her head.
From a distance, her soaked traveling dress was torn, and she had a small cut on her cheek.
My heart began a panicked gallop as the unknown fate of the others sank into my chest. I eyed the Hydra’s men, keenly aware I hadn’t been bound yet.
Pulling my gaze back to Lord Astraeus, I asked, “And what is it you think this bloodhound can do for you, Astraeus?”
The pirate’s eyes darkened, a look of predatory enjoyment crossing his striking face, as he stepped closer. The lines of black ink flexed on his neck as he leaned in.
“Lord Astraeus, Bonscaíh. One of the five of Marisarma. Though I suppose I could be one of three, thanks to the mystic on board. We weren’t expecting that, were we, lads?”
He grinned as his eyes swept over his hardened crew. A few of them spat and cursed as they walked past. The ship lurched in the direction of the Death Dunes.
Mystic. Carina was a mystic. Was? Oh gods, where was she?
As if reading my thoughts, Lord Astraeus shrugged his shoulders. “Fear not. She and the queensguard are on the Kraken, heading to shore. Along with the feisty Ravindra.”
Nerissa. Thank the gods.
Lord Astraeus strode past me to the rail and surveyed the burning waters, with his back to me.
I surveyed my weapons as best as possible. My blades were gone. I couldn’t feel the leather straps against my chest, and the cumbersome weight of my bow and quiver had disappeared.
Freezing in the waterlogged boots, I wiggled my feet against the solid length of my dagger. Talon’s smooth hilt was in my palm an instant later, and my arms were around Lord Astraeus’s broad frame as I reached for his neck. I would kill him. His rough hand wrapped around mine, and he twisted.
I screamed as my tendons strained against the movement, refusing to drop my dagger. My nails raked against his neck with my other hand. He snarled and the world flipped as he twisted and hurled me over his head, slamming my back into the sodden deck of the Hydra.
Pain blazed through the back of my head as I blinked back stars.
Body braced against mine, he shoved his forearm against my neck, my chest screaming as he forced the air from my throat.
His dark eyes shuddered at the reaction, his forearm loosening its touch.
He opened his mouth to speak when a heavily tattooed arm wrapped around his throat.
Astraeus grunted as Vulcan’s fist connected with his side, the elf attacking with unrivaled viciousness. Lord Astraeus slipped Vulcan’s hold, landing a blow beneath the elf’s chin.
Fast. The pirate lord was fast to keep up with Vulcan’s attack.
Perhaps not quite like the elves, but for a human, he moved like a mountain cat.
Head pounding, I scrambled for my dagger.
My hand reached for its hilt as a boot slammed down on top of its golden gem.
I jerked my gaze up and came face-to-face with the sea green eyes of Astraeus’s first mate.
I’d seen him in the tents at Odessa. He sneered at me, placing my dagger at my own throat.
The move sent my heart leaping into my chest, and the Obscura thundered against the endless wall.
Astraeus barked a curse over the chaos. The edge of Talon brushed against my skin as I whipped my head around.
Astraeus, livid and nose bleeding, lurched toward Vulcan.
The ex-War Slayer feigned left but leaped right, swinging his leg to the side to catch Astraeus in the ribs, but Astraeus anticipated the move, spinning to the side and slamming his own muscled leg into Vulcan’s core.
A grunt escaped Vulcan’s lips as he went down. Six of Astraeus’s men leaped atop him.
“Stop!” I screamed, jerking against the first mate as his men pinned Vulcan down, Astraeus cracking his neck and swiping his dark hair back in a casual movement.
His eyes whipped to mine, widening as they landed on the dagger at my throat. His mouth parted for a moment, his face going slack, before he schooled his features.
“Raek,” he said, holding a hand out, unspoken command in his voice. He blinked once, his eyes focusing on the golden gem at the hilt of Talon.
“Attack Lord Astraeus again,” Raek seethed into my ear, “and we’ll send the rest of your pointy-eared friends swimming.” He slowly lowered Talon, flipped it in his palm, and handed it to his captain.
Astraeus’s dark eyes bore into me as he wiped the blood from his nose and slid a hand over the thick scratches that stretched across the side of his neck and over his tattoos. His lips twitched briefly as he pulled his fingers back to look at the smear of blood I’d left for him.
“Get your men off him,” I growled.
Arms pinned, Vulcan’s head slammed back as a fist crashed against his nose. Another across his cheek, aiming for the twining fern that adorned the side of his face. Fresh blood coated his already soaked shirt.
“Stop!” I screamed, unable to keep the plea from my voice, ready to launch out of Raek’s grip. I yelped as his hand twisted my own, the same Astraeus had injured. “Please, stop.”
“Take this below deck,” Astraeus snarled, jerking his chin at the men who’d lost their hold on Vulcan, the ones beating the living shit out of him.
“And bind her,” he added, nodding to me. “The Death Dunes await.”