Aster draws his sword, but Shea grabs his hand, ordering him to lower his weapon with a shake of her head. He knows the rules; they don’t kill Arethusians, which means it’s time for some heavy persuasion.
Caeruleus yowls from his prison and Shea finds herself having trouble concentrating.
She tries not to think about the fact Soren wouldn’t be here without Jo’s orders. She thought she and the queen had come to an agreement, the vault then marriage—perhaps not.
Shea subtly uncorks the top of her waterskin and steps toward Soren with her hands in the air and an easy smile on her face.
“General, what a surprise,” she says, sending a glare in Caen’s direction, who grunts at the accusation with wide eyes, showing her his bound hands.
“Yes. Unfortunately our queen has had to move up the timeline of your return due to unforeseen circumstances,” Soren explains, but he doesn’t sheathe his sword.
“I just received a letter from her a few days ago, she mentioned nothing.”
“This development is extremely recent and she orders your immediate return, so let’s make this quick. We accept your surrender, yada, yada, all hail the future queen consort.” Soren chuckles, giving her a teasing bow, but Shea is in no laughing mood.
She’s not ready for this. She can feel her heart beating faster and the palms of her hands bleeding sweat.
“Soren, I can’t come to Arethusa now. I’m too close to the vault. You’ll have to tell the queen to wait a little longer.”
Soren stares as if he wasn’t expecting Shea to resist. Shea laughs inwardly at his awkward expression, but Soren quickly recovers with a grin and begins to chuckle again.
“Right, yes. Hilarious, Your Highness, but really, we must go. We’re expected in Arethusa no later than tomorrow.”
“You’ll be going alone.” Aster steps up beside Shea with a growl.
Shea notices Caen’s eyes roll and Caeruleus seems to be in agreement with the giant as he huffs, slouching to the bottom of the cage.
Okay sure, the odds aren’t great, but Shea can’t lose, not yet. She takes another step toward Soren.
“Just give me a couple of weeks, a month at most, that’s all I need.”
“Shea, this is an order from your betrothed and queen. I cannot disobey and neither can you. I’ve taken your ship, and I suppose to make sure there isn’t any funny business you will ride on the Hippokampos with me”—he gestures to the Arethusian ship—“Caen will sail behind on the Duchess. There’s no choice here. You’re coming home.”
Shea snaps instinctively, “Arethusa is not my home!”
The beach is silent.
Soren frowns.
“Well. That is something to discuss with your future wife, but I, Captain, am a general. I serve the Arethusian queen, and right now my orders are to take you in. Don’t make me do this the hard way.”
“You won’t win in combat; we’re holding back. Let us go, Soren, let me go and I’ll return to her in no time. I promise.”
Soren sighs.
She’s right in front of him, his sword inches from her chest, and she watches a battle wage within his brown eyes.
He turns away, sheathing his sword, and Shea breathes out a sigh of relief.
“Thank you, Soren, really. After all these months I think we could call each other friend—”
Soren turns back toward her and before she can react, he throws some sort of dust out of a pouch, hitting her directly in the face.
She can’t help the gasp of surprise, but she inadvertently breathes in the mysterious dust. Her vision goes awry, black spots dance with every blink, and she can feel her right leg give out as she lands kneeling on the sand.
She can hear Aster shouting and vaguely sees Soren order the guards to restrain him, which they do easily.
Before she can fall any farther, Soren rushes forward, catching her. She can’t move, every muscle in her body has gone limp and her vision is almost black.
“Cheater,” Shea tries to mumble, but it comes out more like a jumble of sounds.
Soren sighs. “I do consider you a friend, Captain. But there are much bigger things on the horizon and Nereid needs you to fix them.”
Shea’s not sure she understands the last bit of what he says, but then, she’s falling. Falling into a dreamless sleep.
Chapter 5: Governor
Beck
The world should be dark. The clouds should be tumultuous, full of thunder and crashing lightning. The seas should be terrible, gnawing away at the shores, attempting to sink Nereid below its harsh waves. The world should be ending, and yet, the sea has never been calmer. The sun shines brightly on Beck’s shoulders, casting a warm glow upon the Arethusian balcony overlooking the white cliffs. The air is sweet, and the breeze softly caresses his dark brown locks. The world should cease, but everything still goes on even now after Governor Orion has drawn his last breath.
Tears wretchedly make their way down Beck’s cheeks no matter how hard he tells himself to stop crying and be strong. Every time he closes his eyes, bloody bandages fill his vision and wet rasps echo through his ears.
Orion’s final words offer shallow comfort.
“You have to go on. You have to protect your people. Queen Joana is a good woman.”
“Dad, you can’t leave. Not yet.”
“You’re the governor now, son. As leaders, we do whatever it takes to protect our own. Be strong, Beck. To save Oceanus, you must become more, and save Nereid. I’m so proud of you.”
Orion’s chest gave one last effort and then fell still, only two days after arriving on the Arethusian shores.
Beck can’t tell whether it’s been minutes or hours since he stumbled out onto the balcony and threw up over the rail. No one followed him, and he preferred it that way.
His father’s words repeat over and over inside his mind.
But he can’t do this.
He’s not like his father. He can barely take care of himself and now he has a whole country to run.
Just before his father’s death, he’d received news that the captain of the Veiled Duchess would be arriving today.
Tears begin to gather once again at the corners of his eyes. His shoulders shake and before he knows it, he’s crying again. It’s like his body is ripping at the seams and all he wants to do is ask his father for help, but he can’t.
“Beck.”
He startles, turning quickly at the sound of his name, and finds Caius in the doorway to the balcony. He furiously wipes at his eyes, glancing behind Caius to look for the other advisors. He doesn’t want them seeing him cry. But Caius gestures calmly, shaking his head.
“I’ve sent them away. It’s just us.”
Beck turns his back on him. He has no desire to see anyone.
“Beck, we need to discuss our next step.”
Beck bites his tongue. He shakes his head, his eyes scrunching closed.
“I can’t.”
“You must. Time is growing short. The captain will be here any hour and we must decide on what is to happen—”
The words are overwhelming and he can’t shut them out. He growls his frustration and cuts Caius off as he slams his fist into the nearest pillar. He feels the skin break on impact but he doesn’t care. He merely pulls it to his chest, cradling his hand as he slides his back down, leaning against the railing until he’s seated.
Caius lets out an appalled shout at the scene of aggression and kneels on the ground, reaching for Beck’s hand, but Beck pulls away, glaring at his advisor.
“I can’t do this right now.”
Caius stares at him, examining the tears still inching down his face, and sighs.
“I’m sorry, Beck. But you don’t have a choice.”
Beck looks away, then objects as Caius reaches for his hand again, but Caius grumbles a soft command and Beck reluctantly gives it to him.
&nb
sp; Caius studies the cuts, there will be bruising, but for now he removes his handkerchief and wraps it around the split knuckles.
“It’s not fair. He wasn’t ready.”
“I don’t think death cares much for convenience. Hades orders and Thanatos obeys. The fairness of mortals a mere trifle on their mind. Orion lived a good life, and now he can rest with your mother, Elizabetta, in Elysium.”
“I feel like I just lost her. I can’t lose him too,” Beck whispers, the sea breeze messing his hair.
“His body may be gone, Beck, but you’ll never lose him. He raised you to be who you are, and in doing so he instilled a part of himself within you. As long as you are true to the man your father raised you to be, Orion will always be with you, as is your mother.”
Caius leans forward and runs a hand through Beck’s hair. He pulls him closer and they embrace.
As Caius squeezes him lightly, he closes his eyes, leaning his head against his advisor’s shoulder.
“You’re the governor now, Beck. You’re the leader of Oceanus. And we need you,” Caius whispers into his ear.
Beck nods and pulls away reluctantly, giving the man he grew up with a small smile.
He stands from their kneeling position and takes a deep breath. He doesn’t wait for Caius to follow; he gets up from the ground and walks back into the room.
There’s a strange decaying smell to the air, but he tries to ignore it as he approaches the bed. They’ve pulled a sheet over Orion’s face.
Beck comes to the bed until he’s right beside his father’s still body.
He hesitates a moment. Caius reenters the room, and Beck shakily lets out the breath he’s been holding on to. He pulls back the sheet, but this time the tears don’t fall even as he stares at his father’s pale face. He reaches forward, his fingers going to the collar of Orion’s shirt, and he clasps the chain he knew he’d find there.
He pulls it out and removes the necklace from around his father’s neck, careful not to break it. He finds his mother’s wedding band still attached. Opening the clasp, he sets it on the bedside table and then reaches for his father’s left hand. He slips Orion’s ring off his finger with a small gasp.
He can’t help how his eyes flicker up to his father’s face, hoping he might awake from the loss of his ring, but his eyes stay closed and Beck takes a shuddering breath. He slips the large ring on the necklace with the smaller one and re-clasps the metal before slipping it over his head.
Caius has come around the large wooden frame and he does what Beck doesn’t have the strength to do—he replaces the sheet back over Orion’s face.
Caius leads Beck away from the bed and sets him down at a table in the corner of the guest quarters. The advisor sits down across from him.
“So?”
Beck’s hands clasp around the two wedding rings and he clears his throat, keeping his eyes on Caius.
“My father’s body will need to be returned to Oceanus. It’d be best to leave in the morning with everyone else.”
Caius nods. “I’ll arrange our transport. I think it would be best for us all to return to Oceanus so that we can prepare our borders against the coming assault.”
Caius moves to stand, but Beck grabs his arm.
“I’m going with the queen, her captain, and the gods. I need to see this through.”
Caius blinks. “I don’t understand.”
“I will not be returning to Oceanus with you.”
Caius sits. “Are you out of your mind? We just lost your father, we can’t lose you as well.”
“Oceanus needs an emissary on this mission—”
“Fine then, send a guard, a lord, someone disposable. You are not.”
“No one is disposable,” Beck snaps, his eyes narrowing. “You will never say anything like that in my presence again.”
Caius’s eyes widen. “Yes, Governor. I apologize. But still, Beck, I can’t allow you to go on this mission.”
“I make the rules around here, isn’t that what you said?”
“Yes, but not stupid ones!”
“Caius. Father would have gone. He would have stayed with this every step of the way to make sure his people are safe. They need help finding Triton; I’m going to help them. It’s my decision. It’s what he would do.”
“And look where that got him.”
Caius points over to the bed. Beck reels back as if he’s been slapped. He refuses to look. He gets up from the seat, moving to step past the older man, but Caius grabs him.
They struggle, but Caius manages to turn Beck toward the bed, pushing him, and he stumbles to the footboard, looking down at Orion’s dead body.
“You need to return home. Protocol must ensue, and you must take your place as ruler. You are not some ruffian prince climbing a rope ladder anymore. You have other people to worry about.”
Beck straightens. He turns, growling at Caius, “You think I don’t know that? I’m doing this for my people. You will return home, you will bury my father while I find this god, and you will then wait for my instructions! And if you ever lay a hand on me again, I will have you arrested. Do you understand me?”
Beck stalks forward to stand inches from the other man, glaring into his eyes.
Caius runs a frustrated hand through his hair and looks about to argue when a knock at the door interrupts them.
“Yes,” Beck answers.
He’s still glaring and he holds his ground even as the guard at the door enters the room.
“Sir, your presence is required in the throne room. The captain has arrived.”
“Beck—”
“I’ll be right there,” Beck cuts off Caius.
He moves toward the guard and feels Caius begin to follow, but he stops him, speaking over his shoulder, “I’m going alone. You will inform the other senators of my decisions. Is that clear?”
Caius opens his mouth, frustration clearly written across his face, but then shuts it.
He nods stiffly. “Yes, sir.”
Beck leaves Caius alone in the guest quarters with his dead father and follows the guard to the throne room.
He’s too busy thinking about everything that’s happened to realize they’ve arrived at the doors a few minutes later.
The soldier begins to open the door, but Beck stops him.
“Wait. Please, could you give me a moment?”
The guard salutes him and walks away from the door, leaving Beck alone.
“Just breathe,” he murmurs to himself.
You can do this. You just have to walk through those doors.
Beck steadies himself, his breath coming too quickly. He thinks he might pass out as black dots litter his vision. He’s swaying on his feet, but a hand steadies him.
It’s warm on his back, firm, and when he turns around, he finds himself face-to-face with a pair of gorgeous eyes, one almost completely white and the other the prettiest shade of green he’s ever seen.
The black dots recede, and bright red fills his vision, framing the illustrious green and phantom white eyes.
It’s a woman.
He notes her ears through her hair—an elven woman.
“You’re panicking. Drawing the air in too quickly. You’ll pass out.”
The woman lifts Beck’s hand and places it on her chest over her sternum. Other people surround them, but they’re a blur in comparison to her; all that remains is the woman.
“Copy my breath,” she murmurs.
As she takes a deep breath, Beck feels drawn to follow her. Every breath she draws, he takes as well, his chest slowly rising in the same rhythm as hers.
“Better?”
Beck nods, but he doesn’t trust himself to speak.
The tunnel disappears and they’re not alone. A giant of a man stands behind the redheaded elf, along with a blond teen. Soldiers stand at her side and to the back of their little group. And a decorated officer is next to Beck, examining him.
“Are you alright, sir?” the general, from t
he looks of his medals, asks, placing a hand on Beck’s shoulder.
“Fine, thank you. Must be the heat,” Beck stutters, but his gaze returns to the smiling redhead.
“Hey, I know you.” Red grins.
She removes Beck’s hand from her chest; he didn’t realize he hadn’t removed it yet. His cheeks warm and he knows he’s blushing.
“Yeah?”
“You’re Orion’s kid, of Oceanus. Right? The governor? I make a point to recognize royalty nowadays.”
Beck feels a pang in his chest, but he nods a confirmation.
Red seems to notice his wince and her features turn concerned, but before she can speak again, the general corrects her.
“That’s Governor Orion, Captain.”
“Oh.”
Beck figures Red believes that’s the mistake that caused him to wince, but when he meets her gaze again, she’s still watching him.
Suddenly Beck realizes the title the general gave this mysterious woman.
“Captain?” Beck asks.
“That’s right.” She grins. “Captain Shea Lara of the Veiled Duchess. Your father has always been a sort of friend to piracy.”
“Yes, well, I think your fiancée has waited long enough,” the general states. “Don’t you think, Shea?”
Fiancée.
The word stops Beck’s heart.
The general nods for his soldiers to get the doors and the grand entrance opens to the awaiting members inside the throne room.
The general and his guards pass by Beck, but before Shea continues, she reaches for Beck’s hand and gives it a light squeeze.
“Thank him for me.” She winks.
Beck nods and Shea passes into the room. The giant and the teen follow her in, and he vaguely hears the giant whisper to Shea, “What is it with you and these royals?”
Beck suddenly realizes his mouth is hanging open. He shuts it, and adjusts his peasant shirt, tucking in a stray piece of material in the back before running a hand through his hair to tame it.
The doors slam behind Beck as he enters.
Queen Joana is seated on her throne, but he doesn’t see Venus or Poseidon yet. There’s a frown on Joana’s face and it brings a slight buzz of happiness to Beck’s core; he can’t say he’s her biggest fan.
The Veiled Descendants Page 6