Chapter 21
The salt-laden breeze gently moves through my hair, my gaze fixed on the horizon as I watch the sunrise. The blackened sky is eaten away by a pale blue. The sun will make its appearance any moment now, and then I will be on my way across the Black Sea.
No matter what, I also just can’t see how I’ve already paid my debts, and the idea of cursing myself from ever touching the ocean again sounds like a terrible mistake.
I need these waters if I ever want to leave, and I also refuse to become a siren’s curse. I’d honestly rather let the Council have me and grant me some kind of death, rather than live for hundreds of years below the waters.
I’m sitting above the shipyard where the cliffs are just beginning to form; if one travels a few days north on horseback, the cliffs will rise to create the giant, sharp edges of Skull’s Row. For now, I rest on a cold rock surface, loose pebbles beneath my feet.
Realizing I will never see Skull’s Row again grips my heart in ways I was not prepared for. Memories surge through like a turbulent tide, my isolation finally hitting me.
Tears stream down my face as I take in the scent of my childhood—salty air and wet stone. Palming an eye, I look back down at the shipyard that’s so small I can barely see the men. The captain said an hour past dawn and he would leave. I guess this is really happening. I hoped Cypress might’ve helped me uncover a creative solution out of all of this, or given me a good reason to believe her words rather than just say them, but I guess I at least have an ‘heirloom’ of sorts.
It’s better than nothing.
The breeze picks up, the ropes of my escape ship flapping in the air, the crew arriving to begin lowering the sails.
I’m leaving soon. All of it. My home, memories, Kathleen…
My face morphs into a genuine cry at the guilt I feel for leaving her. But if my debt to Melona isn’t paid, then it means my presence in Skull’s Row has to be avoided or apparently it will wreak havoc on more than one soul. Let alone my own that might get tormented for who knows how long.
Why do I also feel like I’m mourning an entire life? As if I’m dead and I’m the only one to attend my wake?
I don’t know. I think I always imagined Dad would somehow appear when I needed him most, and taking this option means he’s truly gone.
The loss of my life and identity rips at my soul, twisting relentlessly.
Throwing my hand down, I hit the rock beneath me with a closed fist, rage begging me to hunt down anyone who might be asking for a fight. No, you can’t hit people until you’re off that ship. It’s not safe until then.
Between hiccups and deep breathing, I swear I hear something behind me. At some point, I glance over my shoulder, my nose stuffy–
I scramble to my feet in a flurry of panic, my lips wordlessly moving before I shout, “Get the fuck away from me!”
Quite a few feet above me, the faintest glow of dawn reveals Soren crouching down at the edge of the rocky wall. He’s wearing dark pants, boots, a black tunic, and a long leather jacket, his mask right at his hip.
The man towers over me like a vulture circling a dying animal.
“Did you enjoy the delay?” He languidly asks, his pale eyes barely visible. “What a useless waste of time this was.”
My mouth is dry, my jaw shaking. “You know, it was going pretty well until you ruined it,” I grunt, searching for an escape route. Truthfully, it’s only up; right where he is.
Unless…
Don’t think about it. Just do it.
I dash to my left and slide down a section of the cliff that’s not so steep to cause a free fall, but it sure fucking hurts to descend, grunting when jagged rocks cut my legs through my pants. Moving like a thief, I brace myself every time I land something solid before swiftly adjusting to keep sliding. When the ground rounds outward to more stable land, I run without a second thought. The waters below are always a reminder of what will consume me if I fall.
Panting, I taste the salt in the air. Daring a glance, I pause when I realize he’s not behind me. Did I lose him? Or can I just not spot him among the dark stone?
Not waiting to find out, I stare at a thin ledge; on the other side is flatter ground. Pressing my back against the rock, balancing myself against the jagged surface of this formidable barrier, I concentrate only on reaching my destination. Pieces of rock crumble and drop what must be five stories down into waves that slam into the wall below me.
Well, at least dying won’t hurt if I fall.
Once I’m finally on a flatter surface, I begin climbing up. Ocean winds twist my hair into my face, the sound of heavy waves both terrifying and invigorating. My fingers ache as I climb, some of them bloodied, but once I touch the grass at the top, I grip it like its rope.
Pulling myself over with a victorious smile, I scream before I’m firmly on my feet.
Soren is right there— fuck ! He just followed my intentions, didn’t he? Knew which direction I was running in? “Get out of my head, you bastard!” I shout, attempting to run for it.
The truth is my body is tired. The wound in my stomach still needs proper rest, and I’m low on sleep. My endurance is utter shit.
I don’t get far before his indomitable grip ensnares me like a cage, my legs kicking in futility as my back is against him, my arms subdued. Soren's grip tightens, my resistance utterly useless within his strength. I search my surroundings, desperately seeking any path to freedom.
How do I escape someone who can sense every crevice of me? More importantly—how did he not sense the siren’s sunder ? If I could tap into that…
He rasps into my ear, “I sensed you thinking of sirens, but I admit—didn’t imagine you knew the fucking song.”
“You seem to be able to read more than my emotion ,” I grind out, still thrashing. “Bet you couldn’t even find your foot without that skill of yours. Admit it—I outsmarted you. You cheating bastard .”
The rugged coastline stretches out behind us, a mockery of how close I had been. In a burst of adrenaline-fueled instinct, I reach for the blade at my hip—my hands still free even if my arms are limited in movement—unsheathing it in a smooth motion. Just as I stab backward with no care as to wear my steel lands, Soren moves the both of us so my blade completely misses, striking empty air. “ Fuck you,” I grind out.
Through a myriad of struggling and a sudden, piercing pain in my thigh, the pressure around me releases. I don’t question how—I bolt.
Running on the grass and trying to make my way to town where I can find a horse, it’s not until I’m utterly out of breath that I realize something isn’t right. Why did he let go? Eyeing the shipyard again, anger pierces my heart like a thousand stab wounds; my victory is right on my tongue, but I won’t be afforded anything more than the slightest taste. Even if I barrel down to the docks, I can’t get on the boat or they’ll side with Soren and round me up for him. Running into the small town of Ender’s Bay feels wrong, too, knowing his horse will be far superior compared to anything I could steal.
Looking up, I stare at the grassy top where the ocean and land meet.
In a panicked decision, I run upward and away from humanity, my aching legs pumping until I’m at the edge, my breathless state confusing me. Am I just this exhausted? Steadying my breathing, I close my eyes as the salty winds brush over exposed skin, my head spinning.
I can’t return to Skull’s Row. That’s the priority. Fuck the others, even Cypress. I owe loyalty to the only one who helped me. I told her I wouldn’t go back. That I’d fight.
Opening my eyes to take in the moving, gray waters ahead of me, I release a steady breath. Turning around, I wait as Soren slowly nears me, his dark clothes contrasting the morning light. He’s a confident pillar against my chaos, moving as if I’m nothing more than a hindrance.
I barely challenge him, and it’s now that I understand why they sent him—he can hunt me with that power of his, the one I don’t completely understand. I can’t imagine how else he would have known I was on the cliffs, let alone here.
I’m not escaping him.
“You were going to stab me?” he asks, his eyes empty of humanity. “I felt that. You didn’t care where you landed.”
“Am I supposed to care about the Zenith pursuing me? You must have hit your head along the way if you believe that.”
He stops walking, heaving a great sigh. “If you just cooperated, you wouldn’t have to panic like I’m a fucking spider you’re outrunning.”
My arms flail, looking in every direction. “Oh, right, go with you and hate my life until I’m executed. Sounds so tempting.”
“Based on our last encounter, I’d say you’d enjoy yourself quite a bit.”
My racing mind halts, finding something interesting about him openly mentioning what we did. Mindlessly, a laugh rolls out of me, so utterly lost. I have no escape plans anymore. Nothing.
Except to tumble over into the waters and hope I somehow live.
If not… then death it is.
“You know what? I did enjoy myself,” I say, unable to fight the current. If I’m drowning, I’ll do so with my identity intact. “And, actually… ” I pull out his bag of coins, moving hair out of my face, and open it to grab a pair of ruby earrings. “I also loved buying these with your coin.”
He squares his shoulders. “You what ?”
I don’t bother explaining that it’s still an odd trade, one that makes me feel like Cypress simply made some coin off of my circumstances, but I do love seeing his face so engrained in shock.
Imitating him from earlier, I innocently place a hand over my chest. “I’ve never claimed to be a princess. Although these rubies might make me feel like one.”
I’ve tried many approaches, but now, nothing matters. I’ve even tried to escape. There’s no point in being cordial.
The mercenary tilts his head to the side, his indomitable eyes barely blinking as he motions with two fingers, grinding out, “Come. Now .”
“I already did that.”
Whatever has gotten ahold of my tongue is relentless, freedom blossoming in knowing that I don’t have to ‘behave’.
I’ll die before he takes me.
His chest steadily rises and falls, almost too methodically. “And what alternative do you have? You jump and it’ll take too damn long to heal whatever injuries you suffer, if you even live.”
I shrug, my voice shaking with more desperation than I prefer. “Don’t care. I’ll die with beautiful earrings and money still left to spare. Better death than most. Could use some wine or rum, but that’s life, isn’t it?”
He continues to stare at me. A nagging voice related to survival makes me wonder if there’s a reason he’s just standing there. He’s too calm. Too collected.
I initially wrote off my body’s weakness as just natural exhaustion, but it seems to be taking over with more force. Frowning, my heart also seems to pound uncontrollably. I stumble, looking down at my legs, my pants ripped from the tumble I took, and another spot looks deliberately cut, a bit of green mixing with the blood on my skin.
Did he…
“Asshole…” I manage out. Soren’s poisonous assault explains his patience.
I mean to fall back so gravity may carry me over the cliffside, but my legs give out as my body slams into the cold earth, my head spinning, hair in my eyes… my arm hangs off the edge, and I pull myself to peer over, the lapping waves hitting the rocks below. Maybe Melona is down there. Sirens have a similar sight to Cypress, so perhaps she knows I’ll be plummeting soon—
The ground is removed from beneath me, Soren scooping me up effortlessly.
I’m limp in his grip as the drug consumes my consciousness. Panic is the last thing I remember as I accept that my grand escape has slipped through my fingers.