Chapter 20 Rhyland
Rhyland
Gone—just…gone.
The second I feel Dani slip away, it's like a fucking piece of me is torn out, leaving a ragged, gaping hole where my heart used to be. I can't feel her anymore, can't hear her voice in my head, or sense her presence.
I let out a roar of pure, raw rage, the sound ripping from my throat like the snarl of a wounded beast. I have no goddamn clue where she is now, no fucking idea what realm or dimension she's been dragged to.
It's just like in the Whispering Woods all over again when she was yanked away from me and hauled off to Atheria.
Is that where she is now? Has she been summoned there again, pulled across the veil by some unseen force?
But then, why was she in so much pain?
"Hold fast, ye mangy dogs! Keep her steady!"
Captain Gideon's shout cuts through my thoughts, dragging me back to the harsh reality of the present.
I'm standing on the deck of Sterling's ship, my hands gripping the rough, salt-stained rope that runs along the vessel's side.
The sky above is a roiling mass of black clouds, shot through with blinding lightning flashes.
The wind screams like a banshee, whipping the sails and driving sheets of icy rain across the deck like damn needles.
But the real danger is the waves. They tower over the ship like goddamn mountains, massive walls of dark water that smash into us with the force of a fucking avalanche.
Each impact sends shudders running through the deck beneath my feet, making the timbers groan and creak like they're about to splinter apart.
I'm drenched to the bone, my clothes plastered to my skin, my hair a matted mess—soaked. The taste of salt is heavy on my tongue, mixed with the coppery sting of blood where I've bitten my lip to shreds.
All around me, the crew is scrambling to keep this floating deathtrap from capsizing, their faces tight with fear and grim determination. They cling to the rigging like rats on a sinking ship, bellowing to each other as they fight to reef the sails and batten down the hatches.
"Secure those fucking lines, ye pox-ridden whoresons!" one of the mates roars, his voice barely audible over the shrieking wind. "Heave, damn yer hides! Heave like yer balls are on fire!"
But even as they fight and strain every muscle and sinew to keep the ship on course, I can see the terror in their eyes.
They know, just like I fucking do, that this ain't no regular storm.
This is the handiwork of that sea bitch, a twisted force of nature that wants nothing more than to suck us down to a watery grave.
As if to hammer that point home, a massive wave crashes over the bow, sending a wall of bone-chilling water slamming into the deck.
I hear shrieks, the sound of men being swept overboard and dragged into the churning depths.
One poor fucker goes cartwheeling past me, his eyes bulging with horror as he claws desperately for something to grab onto.
But there ain't shit to hold, nothing to save him from the gnashing jaws of the sea.
He vanishes beneath the waves; his scream is cut off like someone flipped a switch.
"Damn ye, ye black-hearted bitch!" Captain Sterling roars from his place at the helm, his face a mask of fury and defiance. "Ye'll not take me ship, d'ye hear? Ye'll not have me crew!"
He wrestles with the wheel, his muscles straining as he keeps the ship pointed into the wind. But it's a losing battle, and we all know it. The Sea Witch's power is too strong, and her hold over the elements is too powerful.
Another wave slams into the ship's side like a massive, watery fist, the impact shuddering through the deck and rattling my bones.
I lose my grip on the salt-crusted rope, my fingers numb and clumsy from the biting cold.
My feet slip and slide on the slick, pitching deck, scrabbling for purchase as the world tilts and heaves around me.
For a heart-stopping, gut-clenching moment, I'm certain I'm about to go over.
I can see it in my mind's eye, can feel the icy, black waters closing over my head as the hungry depths swallow me whole.
I'll sink like a stone, dragged down into the lightless abyss to join the bloated, fish-gnawed corpses of the poor sods who the sea has already claimed.
Just as I'm about to pitch headfirst over the railing, a strong hand clamps down on my arm like a vice. I'm yanked back from the brink with enough force to make my shoulder scream in protest, my feet scrambling to find solid footing on the heaving deck.
I look up, blinking, stinging salt water from my eyes, to see Erik looming over me like a drowned rat.
His silver hair is plastered to his skull in dark, snaky tendrils, his chiseled features twisted into a mask of grim determination.
The howling wind snatches at his clothes, making the sodden fabric snap and flutter like a tattered banner.
"On your feet, brother," his voice barely audible over the shrieking gale. "We're not dead yet, and I am not about to let this bitch of a storm claim us now."
I nod, my jaw clenched so tight I feel my teeth grinding together.
The taste of salt and blood is thick on my tongue, the copper-bright tang of it mingling with the acrid burn of bile at the back of my throat.
My muscles scream in protest as I haul myself upright, every fiber aching with the strain of fighting against the storm's fury.
But Erik is right. We're not dead, not yet. And as long as there's a single spark of life left in my battered, beaten body, I won't let this fucking tempest win.
The storm rages on for what feels like a fucking eternity, each minute stretching out into an endless nightmare of howling wind and crashing waves. By the time the tides finally settle and the clouds break apart to reveal the sun, I'm so goddamn exhausted I can barely stand.
I collapse onto the deck, my chest heaving. My muscles are screaming, my lungs burning from fighting against the relentless onslaught of the sea.
This has been our reality ever since we set sail. Every day, a new battle against the Dark Tides threatens to drag us down into the Sea Witch's clutches. But Gideon and his ship have held firm, refusing to bow to the bitch's fury.
I glance up as the captain approaches, his face grim beneath his salt-stained beard. "Aye, mate," he growls, his voice rough with exhaustion. "We've been blown off course again, set adrift by that wretched hag's black magic. But never fear, I'll set us right."
"They are heading to Blood Reef," I choke out, my throat raw and aching. "That bastard Bloodbane."
Gideon pales for a moment, his weathered face going slack with shock. But he quickly rights himself, squaring his shoulders and setting his jaw. "Aye," he says, then turns on his heel and strides away, barking orders to his battered crew.
But even as he goes, I can feel the icy claws of despair sinking into my gut because Dani's not on Bloodbane's ship anymore, not even in this realm. I can feel it in my bones, the sickening certainty that she's been ripped away from me once again, dragged through some portal to God knows where.
And I have no clue what to do, how to get her back, or even if we should still chase after that traitorous prick Bloodbane.
Erik helps me to my feet, his legs unsteady beneath him. His silver eyes are as cold and hard as ever, his jaw set with grim determination. "You alright, brother?"
I nod, then stand on wobbly legs, the deck shifting beneath my feet. "Dani," I rasp out, my voice barely above a whisper. "She... she went through a portal. I felt it, felt her agony as it ripped through me like a blade. It was just like before when she was taken to Atheria."
Erik's eyes widen, a flicker of shock and dread passing over his stoic features. "Atheria?" he echoes, his voice tight with disbelief. "Again?"
I shake my head, my gut twisting with fear and frustration. "I don't know," I admit, the words bitter on my tongue. "This... this felt different, somehow. Like she was being pulled somewhere else, somewhere even further away."
Before Erik can respond, a familiar figure slinks into view. Izabelle's tight outfit clings to her curves, her dark hair hanging in wild, dripping tangles around her face.
It takes every ounce of self-control I have not to lunge at her, to wrap my hands around her slender throat and squeeze until her lying tongue turns black and her treacherous eyes bulge from their sockets.
I nearly did that when we boarded the ship and found her hiding among the crew. The only thing that stayed my hand was Gideon's intervention, his fierce insistence that we needed every able-bodied pirate we could get if we had a chance of weathering Bloodbane and his crew.
But now, with Dani gone and my heart shattered, I can feel the leash on my rage fraying with every passing second.
"The fuck do you want, you two-faced bitch?" I snarl.
Izabelle smirks, her full lips curving in a wicked, taunting smile.
"Ooh, someone's got a fiery spirit!" she coos, her words as smooth as silk and just as deceptive.
"Now, is that any way to address a fine lady such as meself?
The Captain's requestin' the pleasure of your company, along with that charmin' companion of yours," her voice a compelling mix of arrogance and allure.
"Best not be keepin' him waitin', my dears. Savvy?"
I step forward, my hands balling into fists at my sides. "You're no lady," I growl, my voice low and deadly. "You're a backstabbing cunt who sold out my mate because you're a jealous bitch and to save your own hide."
Izabelle's eyes flash with anger, her smug facade cracking momentarily.
But she quickly regains her composure, tossing her head and letting out a throaty little laugh.
"Psh, don't be givin' me that injured pride act, sailor'," she scoffs, her hand cutting through the air with a dismissive flourish.
"You and I both know you'd have done the exact same thing if our roles were reversed, so let's not pretend otherwise, eh? "
I open my mouth to tell her exactly where she can shove her assumptions, but Erik cuts me off with a sharp look. "Enough," his voice cold and hard as steel. "We have no time for these petty squabbles. Izabelle, you said we were wanted in the captain's quarters?"
The pirate whore nods, her smirk widening. "Aye, that's the truth of it, me fine, strapping lad," she purrs, her gaze unabashedly roaming over Erik's chiseled physique, desire smoldering in her eyes. "The Captain's given his orders, and he wants to lay eyes on the both of you. Now."
"Go fuck yourself," I tell her.
Izabelle's smirk widens, her eyes glittering with malicious amusement. But she saunters away without another word, her hips swaying in a way that makes me want to retch.
We enter Gideon's quarters, freshly cleaned and dressed in dry clothes. The captain offers us rum, and I down two glasses before refilling a third. The burn of the alcohol is a welcome distraction from the icy knot of fear and rage in my gut.
Erik sits quietly beside me, nursing his glass with a grim expression. He hasn't said a word since we left the deck, but I can feel the tension radiating off him.
Gideon clears his throat, explaining the significance of Blood Reef and how it's notorious as a hub for illegal trade and underhanded dealings. The perfect place for a traitorous fuck like Bloodbane to offload valuable merchandise.
Like my mate—My Angel.
I tighten my grip on the glass, "She's gone," I grit out, the words tasting like ash. "Dani. She... she went through some portal. I felt it, felt her agony as it ripped through me like a knife to the heart."
Gideon's brow furrows in confusion. "A portal?" he echoes, leaning forward. "To where? And why?"
I shake my head, frustration and helplessness warring in my chest. "I don't know," I admit bitterly. "All I know is that she's not on his ship anymore or in this realm. She's... somewhere else entirely."
Gideon sits back, stroking his beard. "Well, that certainly complicates matters," he muses. "If the lass isn't even in Aquaria anymore, chasing after Bloodbane might be naught but a wild goose chase."
I nod stiffly. As much as it galls me to admit it, the captain is right. We could waste precious time and resources pursuing a dead end without knowing where Dani is or how to get to her.
But the thought of just sitting on my ass and waiting, of doing nothing while my mate is out there somewhere, alone and in pain... it's enough to make my blood boil.
Erik must sense my growing agitation because he leans forward and places a calming hand on my shoulder. "Brother," he says softly. "I know it's hard, but we must be smart about this. We can't help Danica if we go off half-cocked and get ourselves killed."
I take a deep breath, forcing myself to unclench my jaw and loosen my grip on the glass. He's right, damn him. As much as every fiber of my being is screaming at me to act, I know that rushing in blind is a surefire way to get us all killed.
And that won't do Dani any good at all.
I take another swig of rum, letting the burn ground me in the present.
I turn to Gideon, "We wait," I say, the words tasting like bile.
"As much as it kills me to say it... we wait.
Dani is strong, and our bond is unbreakable.
She'll find her way back to me, one way or another. And when she does..."
I let the sentence hang, the unspoken promise of violence and retribution heavy in the air.
Gideon nods, his eyes glinting with understanding and approval. "Aye," he says, raising his glass in a silent toast. "We wait. And we make damn sure we're ready for whatever storm is brewing on the horizon."
I nod, clinking my glass against his before downing the contents in one long, burning swallow. The rum sears a fiery path down my throat, but it's nothing compared to the inferno raging in my heart.
I can't lose myself this time. I have to stay strong and keep my head on straight.
Come back to me, baby, I think fiercely, my eyes slipping closed as I send the thought out into the ether across the vast expanse of realms and dimensions that separate us.