Chapter 31
Water stretched around us in all directions. Somewhere ahead, great mountains would close in, forcing us through the infamous Lethe Strait.
Trapped aboard a ship not meant for those waters, death surely awaited us.
Eleos parted my torn tunic, examining my wound. He looked exhausted. Blood dripped down his nose, and a drop ran from his eyes like a morbid tear. “It’s not bad.” He said. “Put pressure on it.” Balling up his scarf, he offered it to me.
Flinching, I pressed it to the gash on my ribs. Nerves danced in my chest as I watched Seth lean against the mast and roll up his sleeves, checking the wounds Phaedrus had given him.
A nasty gash tore his upper arm, soaking his tunic with blood. Pressing a hand to the laceration, he closed his eyes and leaned back, unconcerned with the injury.
Eleos followed my gaze. “That’s how chthonics are. Reckless.”
“I guess I’ll have to tend his wounds if he won’t,” I said.
Eleos tried to summon a smile, but failed. Wiping his face, he exhaled. “I knew I was right.”
“About what?”
He glanced away, bashful. “When we first met, I had a feeling you would be our hope.”
Smiling, I wiped the smear of blood from his face. “Sweet-talker,” I whispered.
A tiny half-smirk appeared on his face.
Eyes snapping open, Seth glared at Seraphim. She lay against the mast, arms wrapped around herself. “You should have let me kill him.” He said.
“I couldn’t.” Seraphim shook her head.
“How could you forgive him?” Seth pushed off the mast. “Better yet, how did you not see his betrayal coming? He attacked us in Serifos!”
“Phaedrus couldn’t use magic when I was exiled.
The masked nobleman you described bore no resemblance to the brother I knew.
He was always my ally. Always.” Seraphim looked away sadly.
“I found a way to correspond with him during my time in Duath Nun. We were of the same mind. At least, so I thought.”
“He was on your side,” I said. “He told me himself. But somewhere along the way, he changed.”
Seraphim fell silent, watching the endless sea. “We were both dealt poor hands. But I never imagined we’d turn out so differently.” She eyed Seth sharply. “I have lost everything. I will not bury my brother, too.”
Lip quivering, Seth glanced away. “Eleos did say he was a powerful psyche. I can hardly blame you for falling for his manipulations.” He paused before speaking again. “He’ll pursue us.”
“He will,” Seraphim confirmed.
“Then we should avoid him at all costs.”
Relieved, Seraphim closed her eyes.
Giving her space, I joined Percy by the helm. He stared ahead, watching the horizon for our impending doom. “Nothing yet.” He said, noticing my presence.
“What does it look like?” I asked.
“Depends on the story.” Percy ran a hand under his chin. “Some say beautiful sirens lure ships to their deaths. Others say a swirling storm breaks them in half.”
“It’s both,” Eleos said, joining us. “The ship built for envoys is reinforced to endure the storm, to avoid the sirens.”
“Sirens?” I repeated. “I thought those were. . .”
“Fairy tales?” He said. “Not here, they aren’t.”
Seraphim opened her eyes. “Our boat can’t weather the storm. Eleos, you’ll need to steer. As for Percy and me, the safest bet is to tie us to the mast.”
“Tie us?” Percy gritted his teeth. “What for?”
“The siren’s call can’t be resisted by normal means,” Seraphim warned. “Anyone who favors women will be enraptured by them. Lest you want to waltz into the sea seeking a good time, you’ll submit to the rope.”
Percy’s shoulders sagged. He glanced between me and Eleos. “I suppose I understand why you two can run free. But Seth-”
“Us two?” I asked. “Shouldn’t Eleos be tied up?”
“I’ll be fine.” Eleos said. When my brow wrinkled in worry, he squeezed my hand. “Trust me.”
Electing to trust him, I nodded. Maybe psyches could resist the siren’s lure.
Seraphim turned to Seth. “Both times I crossed, I had a much better ship. I followed the storm and kept it from falling apart with my blood.” She wiped her mouth.
“The whirlpool covers the entire strait—it’s weakest by the sirens, but deadly nonetheless.
Seth—you’re in better condition than I am.
You’ll need to patch the holes, keep us in one piece. ”
“What?” He questioned. “If the sirens’ lure is so powerful, won’t I saunter off the deck?”
“Aethra.” Seraphim looked at me. “Your job is to prevent the untimely death of our assassin.”
“How?” I asked, raising my arm to compare the size of my biceps to Seth’s. A blind man could probably spot the considerable gap.
“I have faith in you.” Seraphim winced. “Take a moment to rest. It’ll be upon us soon.
Rubbing his forehead, Percy removed his hat and shoved it into his bag. “Well. I suppose I need to find some rope.”
Eleos whistled. “C’mon, Whisper. Let’s get you below deck.”
The two men peeled away from the bow, leaving me alone. Glancing at the calm seas ahead, I searched for the whirlpool before finally turning away. Grabbing Athena’s lead, I led her through the door into the tiny captain’s cabin. She’d probably be safest, there.
Running a hand down her neck, I locked her inside and stepped out. Seth paced around the mast, raptly watching the seas.
I limped to his side. “Let me see your wounds,” I demanded.
“I’m fine,” Seth said, pacing.
Grabbing his arm, I tried to stop him, but it was like pulling a pallet of stones. My hand slipped from his rigid muscles.
“That was cute, princess,” Seth said softly, offering his arm.
Relieved, I tore a chunk off my cloak and tied a tourniquet around his upper arm. “Chthonics can still bleed out,” I said.
“Are you worried about me?” He asked, wearing a sly smile.
“Yes,” I said, exasperated. “I’ve never. . .” The words slipped from my grasp.
I’d never been scared to lose anyone before. Ainwir had seemed larger than life, the father I’d looked up to. Not once had I feared for him; in his shadow, I’d felt safe.
In the years following his disappearance, I’d opened my heart to no one. I had been utterly alone.
But now? Gods, I didn’t want to lose anyone on this ship—Seth, least of all.
Seth ran a hand across my cheek. “Don’t worry so much. Chthonics clot quickly. It’ll take more than a scrape to kill me.”
Taking his hand, I closed my eyes and leaned against it.
“Good job, by the way,” Seth said. “Rescuing us damsels in distress.”
Chuckling, I looked up at him. He wore an expression so starkly different than his usual countenance, I almost didn’t recognize him. Soft, warm, genuine.
The wind tousled his waves, and moonlight brightened his face. He looked more than handsome. He looked. . .
Divine.
A dark shadow covered the moon, drenching us in darkness. Seth looked up sharply. The wind picked up, and lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the sea.
“It’s upon us,” Seraphim shouted. “Percy. Now.”
Eleos raced for the steering wheel while Seth scrambled for the rope Percy had pulled above deck.
Pushing the bard toward Seraphim, Seth tried to cheer him up. “Think of the positives. Didn’t you like being tied up?”
“Normally,” Percy said, grimacing as Seth wrapped a rope around them. “But as I understand it, this rope is keeping me from the fun.”
Chuckling, Seth yanked the rope, tying a potent knot.
Unsure what to do, I hovered nearby, watching the bow. Towering cliffs rose to the north and south, funneling us into a narrow strait. Wind whipped through my hair, churning the waves and pounding against the sails. Our ship lurched, and Eleos strained to keep it under control.
Music echoed in the distance—a faint itch at the back of my ears. Rubbing my neck, I turned back to Seraphim. “Are you sure I’ll be okay?”
“So long as you aren’t secretly attracted to women,” Seraphim promised, closing her eyes.
The music grew louder, rising above the thunder and crashing waves.
“Shit.” Seth winced. Stalking toward me, he took my arm.
“Seth,” I said, “I don’t have anything to prevent you from lusting after a bunch of fish.”
“Yes, you do.” He said. “You.”
A distinct voice carried on the wind, haunting and inhuman.
Staring down the bow, I saw the storm Seraphim had warned us about: swirling waters gathered into a whirlpool the size of a small outpost, pulling everything into the depths.
Only one thin length of the sea was free from the deadly vortex—but the music intensified as we approached it.
A dazed fog clouded Seth’s gaze. Ripping the cut on his bicep, he let blood flow down his arm. Wisps of scarlet drifted away from him and blanketed the hull, like a protective tarp cast over a wagon.
“Aethra!” Eleos shouted.
Twisting my neck, I looked up at him. His knuckles whitened from gripping the wheel, fighting against the maelstrom’s pull.
“Distract Seth!” He called. “Quickly.”
Grabbing my waist, Seth pulled me to the center of the deck. “Not even the goddess herself could tempt me if I have you.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but he crashed his lips against mine.
Something feral twisted inside me. Pressing my mouth to his, I twined my fingers into his hair, pulling him closer, feeling the heat of his body against mine.
His fingers dug into my back, trailing up my spine and grabbing my curls.
The ship lurched, tearing us apart. I could see the whirling storm out of the corner of my eye, the terrifying way we drifted towards it, pulled and bucked beneath the furious waves. The singing grew louder and louder, female voices resonating over one another, their words impossible to understand.
Turning my head, I caught sight of the creatures lounging atop their rock. Enormous serpent heads watched us, anchored to the decaying body of what might have once been a woman. Her sallow eyes locked on mine as she sang, tattered dress hanging from her emaciated form.
She was a keres. To my eyes, she appeared a twisted monster. Seth glanced toward her, eyes glazing over. An expression of unbearable desire and need took over him.
Fighting against her song, Seth snapped his head away and stared at my face before pushing me against the wall beneath the wheel. My head struck the wood, and he kissed me again, sliding his tongue into my mouth. His hands traced down my back to my thighs, before rising again.
I released an involuntary moan as he grabbed my thigh and pulled it around his waist, fingers digging into my rear.
I hadn’t thought it possible to be consumed by fear in the middle of a life-threatening sensation, yet also desire nothing more than for him to rip my clothes off and take me right there.
Seth lifted my other leg, and I wrapped them around his waist, oblivious to everything save his lips against mine.
Unease twisted in my heart. Nostalgia intertwined with it, causing my breast to pulse with painful beats. Seth tilted my head, running kisses down my neck toward my breasts, parting the laces of my tunic with his teeth. The pleasure from his touch vanished when I saw the water.
Terrible darkness lurked beneath the sea, consuming my attention.
The Empty. It hid beneath the waves. If we sank, or someone fell overboard. . . My eyes shot up, meeting the keres’ as we sailed past.
Everyone who touched the Empty turned to dust. So who were they, the sallow-eyed wraiths who beckoned us to give up? Something. . . familiar shone in her sunken eyes. An overwhelming wave of sympathy and grief tore through my heart.
It almost felt like. . . like she was begging me to save her.
Our connection snapped. The ship surged past her.
Eleos cursed, and I looked up sharply. Something slammed into the hull, shaking the boat. I lost balance and hit the deck, grabbing for something to hold onto. Seth caught me first, and we rolled over each other until his back slammed into the railing.
I landed beneath him, and he stared into my eyes with fiery desire. Not merely lust—something deeper lurked within.
Extending his hand, he gritted his teeth, focusing on me as he held his spell. Grabbing the sides of his face, I forced him to look at me, and only me.
“Godsdammit.” He cursed. “I didn’t want to fall for you.”
“Neither did I,” I gasped.
The ship lurched, and the song ceased abruptly. Powerful wind tore into the sails, propelling the boat through the water. Seth panted and sat up, blood dripping down his arm.
“Are we in one piece?” He asked, voice hoarse.
“For now,” Eleos gripped the wheel, knuckles white. “If you hurry to patch it.”
Snapping from my reverie, I raced to the mast and sawed through Percy and Seraphim’s bonds. Dazed, Percy stood, wobbling on his feet as he ran for the stairs. “Oh gods. Where am I?”
“Hull. Hole.” I managed.
Shaking himself out of his stupor, Percy flew down the steps, cursing when he noticed the damage.
A rock or reef must have torn through the side—a thin webbing of blood sealed the gap, preventing the sea from spilling in.
Grabbing a plank from the corner, I slammed it against the wall, waiting for Percy to nail it into place.
Seth followed us downstairs, face twisted in concentration as we made desperate repairs. Falling to a knee, he lost the magic, and I stepped back, hoping our makeshift attempts had been enough.
Water trickled through the edges of the planks, but the worst had been pushed back.
Breathing out, I grabbed a rag and stuffed it around the edges, hoping to slow the tide.
“Whew,” Percy doubled over. “I don’t remember much, but considering Seth is alive, and not at the bottom of the sea, I imagine you just made him a very lucky man.”
I glanced at Seth, cheeks flushing when I met his gaze. All this time, I’d thought he wanted something fun, something fleeting—nothing more. But that kiss had revealed the truth.
I expected to see relief in his eyes. Relief for the tension between us to finally have been released. Instead, I glimpsed deepest sorrow. Regret. Grief.
We’d survived the Lethe, but Seth looked at me as though he’d just lost me.