Chapter 1
Chapter One
The Storm
“Brace yourselves!” The captain’s loud voice competed with the roaring thunder ahead.
The ship creaked, launching upward at an impossible angle before slamming back down on the water once more.
Cariad’s feet slipped on the slick slats of wood as she struggled to stay upright.
The harness the captain had fashioned for her pulled tight.
Her palms were raw from her grip on the ropes.
She braced herself once more for another swoop up the next crest. Her stomach twisted.
She had nothing left to purge but she wretched anyway.
She was anchored to the ship but each time they lurched, the rough harness pulled tight at her midsection and cut into her skin.
Icy spray drenched the deck, washing away the bile by her feet.
She had lost track of time ages ago, unable to tell if it had been mere hours since the start of the storm or days.
Up and down they went. Over and over. Freezing water soaked her through and her teeth chattered in her head.
She bit down against the cold that seeped into her bones and grunted as another wave pummeled into her.
Thunder cracked over head, a deafening noise as the lightning lit up the dark sky.
The ship turned sharply, rocking sideways.
Her feet slipped from under her. The rope at her waist yanked and her head smacked against the deck.
She groaned but couldn’t move, didn’t have the strength to stand.
Never in her life did she think she would be at the behest of such an untamed force as the open sea.
Never in her life did she want to be back on land so badly.
Never in her life did she ever wish for the water magic her sister controlled—until now.
She had been happy with her feet in the dirt, walking in the forest among the pixies, talking with the dryads.
Besides, she never cared much for the open seas.
The thought of slimy creatures touching her ankles, mermen watching her swim, and just the wild unknown of the dark was enough to keep her in the shallows.
She had only ever entered the ocean with her sister, Aerona, whose water magic created a buffer for them.
The two of them swam only as deep as their toes could touch, a promise Aerona had never broken.
So why was she on this goddess-forsaken ship, in the middle of a winter storm, freezing, drenched, nauseous beyond all reason, exhausted, and ready to throw herself overboard so she’d stop the misery?
At the moment, her mind was blank. She was doubting everything. Even her sanity.
Was that the sun through the clouds? Her heart lifted briefly before a crack of lightning erupted overhead. If she made it through this storm and never saw the ocean again, she would die happy.
Lightning cracked in the sky, the hair on her arms rose and she tucked her head against her shoulder.
Sparks flew and screams from the remaining sailors echoed against the thunder.
The scent of charred and burning wood filled her nose.
Flaming shards of the mast landed at her feet and she curled her knees to her chest. She braved a look upward and watched, detached, as half of the mast and the crow’s nest crashed into the sea.
What a welcome relief it would be to let the cold waves take her exhausted body to a watery grave.
The captain’s rough voice came from behind her. His arms wrapped around her and tugged her upright as he connected his harness to hers and cradled her weak body against his chest. “Hold on,” he shouted to the crew. “We’re almost through the worst!”
Cariad couldn’t feel her arms anymore. The frigid water had finally pulled the last vestiges of energy from her. Before she lost consciousness, Cariad had the fleeting thought that her sister would be so disappointed in her.