The Enemy’s Triumph
Age of the Andinna Book five
Kristen Banet
Copyright © 2020 by Kristen Banet
All rights reserved.
Cover Illustration by Merilliza Chan
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
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Acknowledgments
Let’s get started with the obvious. My husband, who supports me through every book, even if he’s never read them. He believes in me and I love him for it.
To Andi, who jumped into my life when I needed her.
To my friends, who stand by me when things get tough.
And to my editors, both amazing. Then my beta readers, all fantastic. Without the team behind me, these wonderful people, I would never be able to bring these books to the world.
An last, but not least, you the reader. The reader who keeps coming back reading more and more. You join me my journeys through worlds unknown and stories of strong women and men fighting for what they believe in.
Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
1
Trevan
Trevan woke up to the distinct sound of wood breaking under pressure, and screams. Disoriented, he groped around in the dark, trying to find his bearings and understand what was happening. A tail hit him as Emerian must have been trying to stir, but the raucous noise made him unable to hear whatever his roommates were doing. He bumped into a smaller body as he nearly made it to his feet, then the boat rocked, sending him back to the floor. That had to be Dave.
“What’s happening?” he asked loudly, hoping either would hear him. Unintelligible noise was all that greeted him as something else crashed into the ship. Their door was flung open, and the warm light of a lantern flooded the room, chasing away the darkness. Trevan knew the sailor’s face but not his name.
“We’re under attack! We need all hands on deck!”
Trevan was the first to start moving for the door.
No. Not now. Not when we’re so close.
He’d been on the ship for weeks. He knew they were passing Ellantia, but the captains had already made sure their route gave them a wide berth around the Elvasi port city. Was it not enough?
“What do you need from us?” he asked, stumbling into the far wall of the cramped hall. The sailor had better sea legs, not getting tossed nearly as bad.
“We’re not taking on water yet, but another ship is,” the sailor yelled. “We’re trying to move fast and grab survivors out of the water.”
Survivors. Another ship wasn’t just taking on water. It was down and probably sinking fast, then.
Trevan nodded and went running for the stairs to get above deck. He didn’t know if Emerian and Dave were behind him, but it didn’t matter. He knew they would find their feet soon and follow. He would keep them close once they got above.
He was one of several trying to race above deck, all the others. They ignored him, something he was used to now. It was better than having their attention, certainly. They didn’t mind him as he jostled among them, trying to get through the door to see what was happening. He nearly fell to the deck once he was outside and still didn’t have a good view of what was happening, as Andinna wings spread and flapped around him.
“Who can fly?” someone roared over the noise. “Help pull others out of the water!”
Trevan watched as some of the healthier Andinna launched into the air. After weeks on the ship, some of the Andinna had been able to power themselves back to a healthy enough point to fly and get into the air. Sometimes, Trevan would watch them fly around the ship at night. Now, he watched them soar like eagles—more aptly, wyverns—diving to grab people from the sea. Trevan, in all his years in the Empire, had never really seen an Andinna fly. It was awe-inspiring.
The moment was lost to him only seconds later as something caused water to splash onto the deck.
“THEY’RE ON THE STARBOARD SIDE!” someone roared. “GET THE INJURED BELOW!”
Trevan ran to see who or what was attacking them. Even in the dark, there was no mistaking the flags of the Empire fleet. Another cannonball crashed into the water, spraying him with the salty seawater. Someone bumped into him, and he growled at whoever it was, only to see Dave staring in fear at the Empire ships.
“What can we do to help?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” Trevan answered.
“I know what I can do,” Emerian said, before climbing onto the railing and launching himself into the air, joining the others trying to save those in the water. He’d been one of the few who could get into the air faster than the others, since he’d only gone without several months and not several centuries.
Trevan looked around, scanning the water. He saw the single sinking ship, nearly completely under. He watched as the Empire ships drew closer, and archers sent arrows into the air and struck two of the few Andinna who could fly.
“How do we help?” Dave asked again, his voice softer, almost too quiet to be heard.
“Let’s find the captain,” he said in response, grabbing the human and pulling him along. “We’re probably in the way as it is.” He ran over to the wheel, where the captain was given a wide berth by everyone on the upper deck. The captain nodded at him as he approached.
“Glad to see you two are still alive. We’ve been hit twice, but they’re above the waterline.”
“What can we do?”
“My off-duty sailors are already patching the holes—” Something crashed into the ship. “SHIT! Get down there and help them. That one seemed bad.”
Trevan didn’t waste another breath, running for the door to get below again. At this point, every Andinna on board was on the deck, crammed together, watching everything go wrong. Sailors were shouting in the halls down below, but the moment Trevan approached one of them, he was given a few planks and pointed in a direction. He didn’t argue, running below to see who needed them.
Sailors snatched the wood from his arms before he could get anywhere to help. Dave was next, holding more pieces, only to lose them.
“Do you think they’ll try to board?” the human asked.
“Let’s hope not. They’ll take us to kill if they can. We were hoping to avoid this.”
“HELP!” someone screamed.
Trevan started running around, heading back to the deck to find waterlogged Andinna fighting to breathe. Someone held the body of a female who wasn’t moving. Her face was turning a light blue underneath her black tatua.
“Let me!” he snapped. “I know how to help her.”
The male glared at him only for a moment before backing away. The male wasn’t a gladiator, which meant Trevan had just a little more leeway to help and interact with the imposing Andinna.
He crossed his hands over the female’s chest and started pushing, hoping to force water out of her lungs. He didn’t stop as Andinna roared, and others landed on the deck with survivors. The captain was screaming something behind him. The sailors were shouting. Dave was off helping someone else, and Trevan had no idea where Emerian was anymore.
He kept pushing down in a rhythm on the female’s chest until he got the response he wanted. She started to cough, water pouring out of her mouth, her lungs forcing everything to clear. She continued to cough as he helped her roll to her sid
e to keep from inhaling the water she was trying to expel.
“You’ll be okay,” he said gently to her. “You’ll be okay. Do you have a husband or children I need to find?”
“A little boy,” she said with more coughing. “By the skies, my little boy!”
Trevan held her in place and looked up at the Andinna who had been holding her. The male hadn’t moved.
“Find her son. Now! Go!”
The male darted away, calling to Andinna in the air to look for any children.
Trevan had no idea how many children were part of their group. He had only seen a few here and there, most kept below deck in their rooms with their mothers. Trevan moved back from the female who was now struggling to get up, her eyes darting everywhere.
He didn’t have time to watch her, trusting the Andinna male to help check any young male to see if it was her son. As he found his feet, the ship took a sharp turn, a wave crashing over the side and sending everyone on the ship sliding to the other side, crushed under the force of the water. He slipped several times, trying to find his feet again. The water exploded again as another cannonball missed.
Shouts and screams tried to pull his attention everywhere, but one was closer than the others, or so it seemed. He went to the railing, seeing hands trying to hold on. Others had fallen off the ship and were quickly getting left behind as the ship continued to move, trying not to get hit again.
Trevan looked at an Andinna holding on to the rails and saw that he was holding onto someone else as well. This male had beaten him, but that wasn’t what Trevan settled on. He reached out and grabbed the male’s elbow, holding on to the one arm the Andinna had holding himself to the ship.
“Give me your other hand!” he roared over the crashing waves.
The second Andinna didn’t hesitate. His other arm came up, and Trevan grabbed it. He ineffectively tugged, realizing the Andinna was too heavy, and Trevan was too weak after weeks on the ship.
“Let me help!” Someone grabbed Trevan around the waist, and together, they pulled the Andinna over the side of the ship, and they all fell back onto the deck, panting. Trevan looked at the two Andinna touch foreheads, glad they were both okay. He didn’t know if they knew each other or if it was a bond he would never understand, not being one of them. The one that had fallen overboard looked at him after a moment and nodded.
“Thank you.”
Trevan had no words to answer back, only glad the gladiator didn’t take his chance to toss him overboard in the madness.
“Trevan!” someone called.
He looked up to find Emerian holding a young girl. Emerian put the girl next to him, pushing her into his arms when he didn’t immediately grab her.
“Protect her. I need to get her mother still.”
“Of course.” Trevan held the girl with one arm, trying to ignore the pain of small wings hitting him and a tail that was lashing around. “Shhh. He’s going to get your mother. Promise.”
“SHE’S GOING TO DROWN!” the girl screamed. Trevan wrapped his second arm around her, keeping her to his chest. The male who helped him with the gladiator was still watching.
He snapped his fingers in the young female’s face and began talking in Andena. The girl’s eyes went big, her mouth dropping open. When the male was done, he looked over her head at Trevan.
“She’ll behave for you and be strong for her mother. Females must be strong,” the Andinna promised. “Now, get her somewhere away from the rest of these males. Near the captain would be good.”
“Of course.” Trevan didn’t waste time pulling the girl off her feet. She had the shape of a ten-or-so-year old human, which could have put her age anywhere between thirty and fifty years old due to the way the Andinna and Elvasi aged.
“Are you a good guy?” she asked when he put her down. The captain paid them no mind.
“I think so,” he said, holding her close. His eyes were pulled away by a flash of red in the sky. Looking up, he found Emerian coming to land, his face pale.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “She…”
“My arra? Where’s my arra?”
“She…”
“You didn’t make it back in time?” Trevan asked softly. “Emerian…”
“I’m sorry.”
The girl broke out into tears. Trevan didn’t let her go, and when she tried to open her wings and take flight, he held on, keeping her feet on the deck. He didn’t know what to say to her. The idea of losing her mother so close to freedom was heartbreaking. This was the risk they all took for freedom, and now, this little child was going to be an orphan.
“Captain, what’s the plan?” he asked loudly, hoping they were getting away from this. Hoping they even could get away from it.
“We’re making ground,” the captain replied gruffly. “The Fleet isn’t giving chase.”
“Why do you think that is?” Emerian asked. As he spoke, Dave ran up the stairs to the captain’s deck and stopped beside him, looking at the little female in Trevan’s arms.
“I heard rumors from Lady Nyria. They say there’s a wyvern member of the Ivory Shadows. We’re headed for Kerit, hoping the rebellion has taken it. If they don’t follow us, that means anything north of Ellantia is no longer in the Empire’s control.”
“And they won’t test a wyvern burning their ships,” Trevan finished, nodding. He moved the little girl to Emerian. “Hold her.”
His mutt friend didn’t argue, grabbing her shoulders. Trevan took the chance to head to the back of the ship and leaned over the rail. Close to the horizon, the Empire fleet unmoving.
“Where are our other ships?” he asked.
“We got separated when the ambush started,” the captain answered loudly. “We’ll meet them in Kerit, or we won’t. At least two ships went down that I saw.”
Trevan’s stomach sank. Two out of five. Hundreds of Andinna could have drowned. He didn’t know how many were saved, only seeing the deck was packed, and he figured it was also crowded down below again.
“Is there any chance…that we’re the only ones?” Emerian asked, his body taut and shaking.
“Yes. Considering how dark it is, we won’t be able to see any friends until dawn. They might have pushed out further to sea to avoid trouble. We were in the lead, which helped us slip through. If they saw the two behind us go down, they probably rerouted.” The captain seemed strained. “Lady Nyria said there would be losses. She knew this would be the most troublesome part of our journey.” He turned and looked at them, frowning. “Are you sure her mother is gone?”
“I went back to where I picked her up, and her mother…wasn’t there anymore. Not on the piece of the ship she had been clinging to…” Emerian seemed to force those words out. The girl cried harder, nearly falling to her knees. Trevan helped Emerian hold her, knowing the little girl’s world had just fallen apart in the worst way.
“Take her below. Actually, try to round up any of the young without parents and keep them together. We’ve got a lot of warriors on this ship, and you three are the most unintimidating things on my ship.”
Trevan felt that insult in his gut, but the captain had a point.
He led the way for them to get to the main deck, asking any Andinna he could if there were any orphans or unattended young who could keep the girl company. Before they made it inside, they had one girl and three boys. Going below deck, Trevan’s suspicions were confirmed. It was packed with Andinna as well, many wet and shivering, covered in blankets to fight off the winter ocean chill.
“We are looking for any young who have no one,” he called out over their heads. “We have three already, and the captain would like them kept together!”
Andinna turned on him with distrustful stares until a female stood up, a young boy clinging to her. Trevan recognized her as the one he helped earlier.
“Let me help,” she said, giving the males a quelling stare. “These young need someone looking out for them who won’t terrify them. Is there a room I can take?”
“You can have ours,” Trevan said quickly. “Dave, lead her there. Emerian and I will round up any others and send them to you as well.” Leaning closer to her, he whispered. “Thank you. There’s some worry about…”
“I know,” she said softly back, their words covered up by the general noise of the ship and waves. “This will put the Andinna at ease, me looking out for them, and your group can help me keep them safe. The trip is almost over, is it not?”
“Kerit is close,” he promised.
She left with the children, Dave leading them. Emerian and Trevan searched the ship, finding two other orphans and talked to a couple other mothers about maybe joining the female, her son, and the orphans in their space. Both agreed, eyeing the masses of males around them before walking away as fast as they could.
By the time everything was over, Trevan was helping Emerian walk, both of them exhausted. The ship rocked, and they decided the hall was a good place to settle, right outside the door to what was once their room.
“This was bad,” Emerian whispered. “I can’t believe…” His breath hitched. “I lost her…”
“I know,” Trevan said softly. “I know.”
Just as the waves crashed against the ship, Trevan felt battered by the night.
At least they weren’t all sunk, but that didn’t ease the pain of knowing how many they probably lost.
They had been so close.
2
Mave
Mave was alone in the kitchen that morning, left by her males as they went to do whatever it was they needed to do that day. She went to a window and looked out onto the street.
She was still in Kerit, waiting for the freed Andinna from Elliar and Myrsten. From reports, the ships departed Myrsten nearly two months ago, which meant they could show up any day. The entire company and the force they had taken the city with were still there, waiting on the newcomers.
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