Chapter 27
Arthur had been hoping to see his mother.
He had gone to sleep with Cruithea in his mind, the trees behind his eyes shifting in the breeze.
But whoever or whatever controlled the space between the worlds, the space where he walked in his dreams, had decided it was not the past Arthur was to visit that night, but ghosts.
When he opened his eyes, it was to a windswept beach. He knew this place. It was inside him, etched along his bones, and he knew that no matter what happened, Kernou would always call him back.
That knowledge reminded him of something his father had said to him a long time ago, in a rare moment when Ulrian was not raging at the world with the Decalogue between his hands. A moment where he was just a man with a small boy tugging at his hand.
‘The ocean is one of the only things in the world that never changes, Arthur,’ Ulrian said, staring out at the water.
Arthur wasn’t watching the waves. He was watching his father, this man who was like a god to him, who he looked to for strength and guidance.
‘The forest…’ Ulrian’s voice dropped away, and he sighed.
‘The One God’s world is truly beautiful. ’
That moment was the last time Arthur ever recalled hearing his father speak like a man who saw the world as it was and appreciated the beauty in it. He wasn’t sure when things changed, only that they had.
Waves tongued the sand, reaching out to brush Arthur’s bare feet.
He smiled and curled his toes into the sand, his smile widening.
A sea bird wheeled overhead; Arthur shielded his eyes, tilting his head back to watch it.
It hovered in the air above him, then beat its wings and headed towards the town.
Arthur lowered his gaze, took a deep breath and slowly turned around.
Something wasn’t right. The last time he had been here, it had been still and empty, but there had been life in Kernou.
Now, there was nothing but silence, deep and dark and tingling with magic.
The world shimmered mother of pearl and blue around the edges.
Arthur licked his lips, his hand dropping to brush his hip.
Empty. The Sword of the White Dragon had decided it was not needed in this space.
Wind tugged at Arthur’s hair as he made his way up the beach, his feet sinking into the sand. Despite the sun that painted the sand golden, it was cold. Part of him didn’t want to go any further, but his feet continued to move, and soon he was standing at the edge of Kernou’s market square.
Arthur frowned. Doors hung like broken bones from the storefronts. Shattered glass was spread across the sand-covered stones, glinting in the sunlight like jewels. Rooves sagged, their thatch sunken in or gone completely. It smelt like water and rage and pain.
What had happened here? And had it really happened or was this some part of the dreamwalk? Arthur swallowed, glancing down at his bare feet. Could glass hurt him for real in here? He wasn’t sure but remembered that this was his space to control and soon, he was wearing his boots again.
He walked across the square, glass and shells crunching beneath his feet. He paused, glancing up at the cross of the One God. A crack ran down the middle of it, the stone fractured all the way to the base. He reached out to touch it, then pulled his hand back as water gushed from the cross.
‘What happened here?’ Arthur breathed.
‘I wondered how long it would be until I saw you.’
Arthur spun around so quickly he almost fell over. He didn’t breathe, didn’t blink, as Ordes wandered towards him, hands in his pockets.
Ordes looked up at the cross. ‘That crack is larger in real life.’ He shifted his gaze to Arthur’s. Then, simple, without fanfare, ‘Jenyfer drowned the town.’
‘She what?’
‘Everyone who was here left before it happened – Denny did what you asked,’ Ordes said.
Arthur shook his head. ‘Jen… is she alright?’
‘No,’ Ordes said. ‘But she will be. We will be.’
‘Where will you go?’
‘I don’t know.’ Ordes sighed and pulled his hand through his hair.
‘But wherever it is, we’ll be fine because we’ll be together.
’ He laughed. ‘All I wanted when I first met her was to run off somewhere it was just the two of us. I never told her that, and I’m not sure I even realised myself that that was what I wanted. Looks like I got my wish, doesn’t it?’
‘You’re the bravest person I know,’ Arthur said.
‘Brave?’ Ordes echoed. ‘I’m not brave, Arthur. I’m selfish.’
‘It’s not selfish to want to live. It’s not selfish to want to be happy either,’ Arthur added.
‘It feels like it is,’ Ordes said. ‘Who am I to prioritise myself over the fate of the world?’ He barked another laugh, harsh and deeply bitter. ‘What does that make me?’
‘Human,’ Arthur answered. ‘It makes you human.’
‘But…’
‘Listen, you might be fey or a god or half a god or whatever, Ordes, but it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t change the fact that you are one of the most humble and decent human beings I have ever had the privilege of knowing,’ Arthur said. ‘Now go and be happy. As your king, that’s kind of an order.’
‘You’re not king yet though, and you probably won’t be now because of me,’ Ordes mumbled.
‘Then as your friend, I’m telling you I want you to be happy. You both deserve it. And the king part? It doesn’t matter, not really.’
Ordes managed a smile. ‘You’d make a good king, Arthur.’
Arthur ran his hand through his hair. ‘You know I’m finally starting to believe that maybe I would. But,’ he added, ‘that doesn’t change this, understand?’
Ordes nodded. ‘Katarin will skin me alive.’
‘She won’t. Your father on the other hand… should probably keep his distance.’
‘You told her?’
‘No, but she’ll find some way to blame him.’
Ordes chuckled but sobered quickly. ‘Thank you, Arthur.’
Then he was gone.
‘Sail! She’s coming fast!’
Arthur followed Katarin from her cabin, hurrying up to the helm. Kayrus’ face was hard.
‘It’s Marsh,’ he growled.
‘What the fuck?’ Kat bit out. ‘I don’t have time for his shit.’
‘How is he moving that quickly?’ Arthur glanced up at The Excalibur’s sails. There was barely a breeze filling them, yet The Black Rose was charging at them and showing no signs of stopping.
‘Get us moving,’ Katarin told Kayrus, then, to the crew, ‘And get the cannons ready!’
‘Kat,’ Arthur began. Fear fluttered deep in his stomach as he watched the other ship.
‘Something or someone is helping him,’ Kat said. ‘Magical help I mean, Arthur. He’ll be on us before we’ve even had a chance to defend ourselves.’
‘Magic,’ Arthur breathed. ‘Who—’
‘I don’t know,’ his sister cut in. She hurried off, calling for Halymere and shouting orders at the crew.
Arthur dragged his hand through his hair, watching Katarin and Halymere have a furious conversation, before the big Cruithean dashed below deck.
Arthur could hear nothing but that furious rhythm of his heart.
He searched the sky for the White Dragon, but the beast wasn’t to be seen, so Arthur went below deck to the medic’s cabin.
His father peered out the small porthole and he turned when Arthur went in.
‘Where are we?’ he asked.
‘I’m not sure,’ Arthur said.
‘Are we going back to Kernou?’ Ulrian asked, hope threaded through his voice.
‘No. Father, listen, another ship is approaching and the captain… well, he isn’t exactly our friend. There could be trouble,’ Arthur added. ‘I want you to stay here. Do not come out, no matter what you hear.’
Ulrian blinked at him.
‘Do you understand me?’ Arthur asked.
His father nodded but didn’t look like he was taking it seriously. Arthur grabbed the book Ulrian had left on the bed, pressing it into his hands. ‘Perhaps you should read the Word.’
Ulrian turned his attention to the book. He frowned, giving Arthur an accusing look. ‘This isn’t the Decalogue.’
Arthur wanted to scream. Of all the times for his father to partially regain his wits.
‘It’s a book about faeries,’ Ulrian said with disgust.
‘Read it anyway,’ Arthur snapped. ‘You might learn something.’ He left, hurrying to his cabin to collect the Sword of the White Dragon.
The moment he strapped the weapon to his hip, its whispery voice slid into his mind, promising all sorts of violence.
When he emerged above deck, The Excalibur’s crew were rolling the cannons into position.
‘Don’t wait until he’s in range – fire on the bastard,’ Katarin shouted. Arthur jolted as a dozen cannons fired, and smoke drifted across the deck as the crew followed her order.
Every piece of shot sent hurtling towards The Black Rose dropped into the sea. It wasn’t that Marsh was too far away – the chain-shot simply stopped in mid-air, like it had run into an invisible wall.
‘Right,’ Kat said through gritted teeth.
‘Fuck them. I don’t know how they’re doing it but fuck them.
Halymere!’ She took up position in the middle of the deck, arms spread.
Magic curled around her body, growing thicker and stronger.
Halymere raced to her side, but before he could grab her outstretched hand and fuel her magic with his, like Arthur once had, Kat’s magic was gone.
‘No,’ she whispered. She met Arthur’s horrified eyes. ‘Witchfinders!’
‘What?’ Arthur cried, rushing over, his fingers curling around the hilt of the sword.
‘We’re bound,’ Kat managed as The Black Rose bore down on them. Before Arthur realised what was happening, Marsh’s ship was alongside them, his men pouring over the sides like water.
Arthur drew his weapon, the Sword hissing in his ears as chaos erupted around him. The crew fought, but they were dreadfully outnumbered, and with the Magic Wielder’s unable to use their powers, they were quickly overpowered.
Five minutes. It had taken Marsh five minutes to take their ship.
The Excalibur’s crew were forced to their knees. Arthur watched his sister’s stubborn refusal, watched her spit in the face of the man who held a dagger to her throat, before she was pushed to the deck and held there as the captain of The Black Rose strode across the deck towards her.
‘Le Fey,’ he murmured. ‘I’ve got to tell you, I’m disappointed. That was too easy.’
‘Fuck you, Marsh,’ Katarin snarled. The men holding her hauled her upright and onto her knees. Arthur struggled against the arms that held him, trying to get to his sister as Marsh slid a blade beneath her chin.
The captain smiled. ‘I’m here for Ordes Merlyni.’