by Deirdra Eden
“I got lucky,” I said, trying not to sound too excited. “I have good news and bad news.”
He groaned. “Let’s hear the bad news first.”
I took a deep breath. “Some men were looking for you. They looked official. Probably connected with that naval ship you plundered.”
He still waved off my concern with a shrug and dismissive flap of his hand. “I’ve avoided capture for the past seven years. If anyone tries to catch my ship, let alone me…” He rubbed his hands together and released a sinister laugh. I had to admit he had a point.
“Well, the good news is I know where the man with the snake tattoo is.”
Alamar jolted forward with wide eyes and grabbed my shoulders. “Why did you not tell me this right away?” he cried.
“How are your land legs?” I gestured to the jungle that covered most of Drakeland.
“I don’t need water to fight my mother’s murderer.” He opened his cloak and tapped on his sword.
We immediately headed into the jungle, just north of the city. I took in the scent of rich volcanic soil and the green life surrounding us. Once I returned to Azrael and the Neviahan sanctuary, I would never travel by sea again. Thick leaves and vines hung from the vaulted canopy of trees over head. It wasn’t the same, but the dense forest made me long for the English woods, bluebell flowers, and rolling hills.
“I can’t wait to go home,” I sighed to myself.
“Where is your home?” Alamar asked.
He actually sounded interested so I answered, “Originally I’m from Neviah, I’m just visiting this Earth right now, but I miss my Earth home in England.”
“England, of course.” Alamar sounded amused and I was sure he would make some kind of snide comment to insult the motherland. “What part?”
“Oswestry,” I answered. I missed cantering along the garden trails on horseback and riding to the top of the largest hill to watch the sun rise. The duchess had at least given me a proper education and taught me etiquette. Alamar was not so fortunate. I couldn’t imagine how he and his mother had managed to survive day after day. “After the murderer is brought to justice, what are you going to do since you are no longer a pirate?” I asked.
Alamar shuffled in his step as though I had caught him off guard. “I don’t know,” he answered in a low voice. “Maybe I’ll become a fisherman.” He laughed. “What about you? What are you going to do after I drop you off where ever you want to go? Are you going to go after the man you love?” Alamar twisted his face into a grimace.
I wondered if I would ever get used to Alamar and his natural ability to annoy me. “Yes,” I answered. “I’d like to see him again, but it’s been a long time and I … I don’t know …” I looked away, staring at the ground in front of me and concentrating on my steps in the overgrowth.
“You are worried he doesn’t want to see you,” Alamar guessed.
“He will want to see me,” I defended but didn’t mention the fact that Azrael could be dead.
Alamar sighed, turned from his march, and put his hands on my shoulders. “Auriella mia, if any man leaves you for as long as he as then he doesn’t deserve to have you.” His hands slid down my shoulders to my hands. My broken heart pulsed in my ears. “Cara mia, I would never leave you. I would give up everything for you. I will become whoever you want to me to become. I will do whatever you wish and be whatever you need.” I tried to pull my hands away from him, but he gripped tighter. I couldn’t pull away without breaking every bone in his arm.
“You are willing to become anything—except a Watcher?” I reminded.
He leaned forward, his face inches from mine. “Whether we are Watchers or demi-gods, we were meant to be together.”
I looked down at the rich soil under my bare feet, trying to avoid the intensity of his nearness.
He used his grip on my hands to draw me closer to him. “With me, you would never have to worry about your powers. You could lose control and no one would get hurt.”
It was true, but it didn’t feel right. With him I wouldn’t have to learn to control my powers or risk hurting others, but I would be a prisoner of the sea.
Alamar released one of my hands and used it to brush back my hair. He stroked his fingers gently over my cheek and then slid his hand into the hair loose at the nape of my neck. “You are like my wine,” he whispered. “Sweet and strong.” His lips came near to mine, nearly brushing mine.
Chapter Twenty-One
Dark Rebellion
I turned away making Alamar’s lips land on my cheek. I put my hand on his chest, forcing some space between us. “I can’t do this,” I said firmly and took a decided step back. “To me, a kiss is a vow of commitment.”
He still held one of my hands, which he put with his over his heart. “Auriella, amore, I am committed to you.”
I took my hand from his and took another step away, hoping the distance would calm Alamar’s Italian passion. “But I am committed to another. Regret is something I cannot live with. So let’s just focus on the work we have to do.”
“You still love him?” Alamar’s asked, surprise in his tone.
“Yes,” I said hoping this was the last time I has to explain this to him. “I would gladly give Azrael the shattered fragments of my broken heart if he would accept it.”
Alamar nodded. He didn’t hide his disappointment. “I want you to be happy. After we find the man with the snake tattoo, I will take you to Azrael. If he still wants you, I will sail away and leave you in peace. But if Azrael doesn’t want you or if he has been slain…” Alamar met my eyes. “Will you sail away with me?”
I held my breath. Too many emotions warred within me. Thinking of Azrael rejecting me, or worse, his death, made my stomach plummet. How could I consider a future with Alamar when my brain could not think past the heartbreak losing Azrael would cause?
“Azrael is still alive and I will find him,” I said. I had to believe this. I was likely the only one left who did.
We continued through the jungle, not speaking another word about love or Azrael. For a man who spent most of his life on the confines of a ship, Alamar was in surprisingly good shape and kept up with my pace. The sun rose over the volcanic mountain range, and green light shone through the tropical leaves as we cut our way past vines, bushes, and trees.
“How can we be sure that innkeeper wasn’t sending those men on a wild ghost chase?” Alamar asked, wiping sweat from his brow as he paused and stared at the climb ahead of us. “The man with the snake tattoo is a pirate—it makes more sense that he would take to the sea.”
I furrowed my eyebrows. “Those men weren’t looking for the man with the snake tattoo. They were looking for you, Alamar,” I reminded him. “Olde Marlo told them you were looking for a man with the snake and skull tattoo.” I replayed the innkeeper’s conversation in my mind. Why would they take a sudden interest in the tattooed man instead of focusing on their original hunt for Alamar? Did they believe following him would lead them to Alamar?
Maybe if we found the murderer first and brought him to justice, the men looking for Alamar would go easy on him.
Alamar eyed the forest as if trying to see past the foliage that surrounded us like a green curtain. “This island is bigger than I thought. The murderer could be hiding anywhere.” Though Alamar sounded aggravated, I tried to understand. He had been searching for this man for many years and now he was close to completing his quest.
“We need some kind of clue.” Alamar stopped and looked around him. “If I were a murderer, where would I hide?” he asked out loud. “I would certainly stay away from me.” He tapped his sword. “That’s probably why he is steering clear of the sea.”
“The sea,” I gasped. “How could I miss this?” I put my hand to my forehead as if trying to catch the epiphany before it escaped. “The innkeeper said he was avoiding the sea. The murderer is afraid of you.”
Alamar arched his eyebrows. “We already knew this.”
“Don’t you see? He knows about your
power to control water. Why else would he hide inland?” I spun on my heel to face Alamar. His skin paled like he would be sick, obviously realizing what I had. “Who knows of your powers?” I asked urgently.
He closed his eyes and shook his head. “Besides my former crew, I can think of no one else.”
“The Dark Rebellion knows,” I added.
He considered my statement, his eyes narrowing. “It’s possible then that the murderer is a member of the Dark Rebellion—if it exists.”
“Or a former crew member,” I said.
“No, I knew my men well,” he excused for them.
“Alamar,” I said. “We can’t discount the possibility of the murderer being one of your former crew members. They turned on us at the first chance in Drakeland. They tried to kill us!”
“I can’t believe it.” But he sounded less sure now.
“We need to keep moving.” I turned and motioned for him to follow.
Alamar stayed close behind me. His steps hit the earth with an angry force. The sooner we found this pirate, the sooner Alamar could have the closure he needed to move on. After that, he would take me to the Celtic Isle and I could be with Azrael.
“The murderer will need to light a fire tonight,” I thought out loud. “We will be able to spot his camp easier at night if we climb that ridge.” I pointed toward the volcanic mountain.
It seemed like the thick foliage tried to stop us from pressing forward. Alamar swatted at bugs while the little pests seemed to sense my immortality and avoided me. Night and Alamar slowed with each passing hour, and by the time the sun dipped well below the horizon, he paused every few steps to lean against the trees.
“You need to eat something,” I said. “This jungle must produce something besides leaves and sweat.” I peered into the foliage looking for fruit of some kind.
“What about you?” Alamar asked.
I would make do by surviving off the sun and save the food we gathered for him. “I’m fine. Let’s try and make it to the mountain ridge. We can camp at its base, then hunt for something to eat.”
Footfalls sounded in the silence. “Someone is coming.” Alamar grasped my hand and pulled me into the foliage. We watched, huddled behind a dense brush of palm leaves. The footsteps trudged toward a stream at the base of the volcanic mountain we had passed not long before.
“Do you think it’s him?” I whispered.
Alamar narrowed his eyes, searching in the direction the sound came from. “I don’t know.” A barrel shaped pirate with a long red beard emerged from the trees nearby and dropped a load of firewood on the ground. He stooped over it with a flint stone.
“Red Beard?” Alamar hissed. “What is he doing here?” Alamar stood to meet his former first mate. I grasped the tail of his shirt and pulled him back behind the bush. “What are you doing?” he snapped at me. “If he is camping in the jungle, he may have seen the man with the snake tattoo. Perhaps he can help us.”
I gripped his shirt tighter as a dark presence washed over the area. “He’s not alone.”
Black fog rolled over the camp, and the small flame Red Beard had created smothered in the thick mist. The sound of predator snakes hissed as the fog seemed to exhale paranormal darkness around the jungle.
Three men approached the hastily set camp. I recognized them right away. I couldn’t forget their billowing black cloaks, shadowy features, and ghostly grace as they glided across the jungle floor. These were the men I thought were authorities of some kind. Now I was sure they weren’t anything human.
Red Beard spun with his dagger extended. He paused, eyeing the three men dressed in black. “It’s you.” He exhaled in half relief, half irritation and put his dagger away to try and start the fire again. “Did you find Alamar?”
“Once he finds you, we will find him,” one of the Shadow Lords answered in a raspy voice that sounded like the wind moaning through a cave.
“I don’t want Alamar to find me!” Red Beard snapped. “You have no idea what he can do with his powers. I’m sure he’s figured out by now that I am the one who killed his mother.”
I sucked in a sharp breath. All these years, and the murderer was on Alamar’s own pirate ship. Why would he risk such a thing?
Alamar had tensed beside me. From the anger burning in his expression, I would have thought he was the one with the fire power and that his gaze might ignite Red Beard at any moment. “I trusted him,” he hissed. “I allowed him the task of searching for the man while I created the illusions.” He breathed harder in his effort to contain his anger and keep our hiding place a secret. “I trusted him,” he repeated, disbelief rolled into his tone.
No wonder Alamar had come up empty handed time and time again. I reached for his hand, and he gripped it back, shaking with rage. The tendons in his neck strained and a vein in his forehead bulged.
“Not yet,” I cautioned.
One of the dark creatures spoke, “We are not afraid of a weak mortal.” The third hooded rebel circled the fire pit like a hungry wolf. “Make the blaze massive, so the mortal Watcher will be sure to spot it and come for you.”
“So I am your bait?” Red Beard’s voice shook as his gaze darted between the three Rebels.
Black vapors floated from the dark cloaked creatures. “We will be your protection.”
Red Beard swallowed, not looking comforted. “Can you protect me from both of them?”
“Both?” Anger wound through the Shadow Lord’s gravelly voice. My skin prickled in warning.
“Yes, a woman is helpin’ Alamar. She ain’t no ordinary wench either. She must be what you call Alamar—a Watcher—but she can make fire.” Red Beard held his hands out in desperation.
“What is the female’s name?” One of the dark men asked, advancing on Red Beard.
“Auriella,” Red Beard said as if my name was a swear word.
One of the Shadow Lords shouted a dark curse. Black flames billowed off his shoulders. I couldn’t help the feeling of satisfaction that came with their irritation at the thought of me being involved. Battle plans raced through my mind. A Shadow Lord could do a lot of damage to even an Immortal Watcher. They could kill me if they struck my heart. I had to get Alamar to the ship where he would be safe before I engaged in a fight.
The Shadow Lords turned to each other. One of them spoke in a raspy voice, “Did you hear that, Joab? King Erebus will be pleased. Two of the most wanted Watchers in the world, right here, on this tiny island.”
Joab? Could it be? I studied his human-like features beneath the hood of his robe. His small eyes were the same shape as Zacaris’ eyes, but as blue as Eva’s. I nearly choked on the name to keep from saying it out loud. He was a Fallen Watcher.
We peered at the men in black, who talked amongst themselves about how to capture both Alamar and I for Erebus. “Those are Shadow Lords?” Alamar asked. Despite our dire situation, hope sparked inside me that this might be the catalyst for Alamar to believe me about Watchers, the Dark Rebellion, Neviah, everything. The proof was right in front of him.
I nodded. “And they are more dangerous than I can begin to explain. We should return to the ship.”
Alamar shook his head, turning back to Red Beard. “I will not leave that traitor now that I’ve found him.”
“Alamar, trust me—” I started, but Red Beard removed his shirt, revealing the damning tattoo of the snake coiled around a skull. Alamar jumped to his feet and put his hand on his sword. I wrapped my arms around his legs and hurled him to the earth.
“Let me go,” Alamar seethed. “He is mine to kill.”
Using my immortal strength, I wrapped an arm around Alamar and put my hand over his mouth like an iron clamp.
“Trust me,” I whispered urgently at him. “You will have your justice, if you don’t get yourself killed first. We need to get you back on your ship. They won’t come near the water.”
The others must have heard our scuffle. “What was that?” Red Beard jumped to his feet and took a step back.
The three Rebels glanced around the jungle with their skillful eyes.
I tightened my grip around Alamar. I would suffocate him into unconsciousness if I had to. He squirmed violently to get out of my grip.
“Hold still or they will kill us,” I snapped in a whisper.
The Rebels approached the woods. Alamar stopped struggling as the black mist swirled around us in icy waves.
Joab turned to the others. “They’re close. I can sense them. It’s time for this hunt to end.”
The second Shadow Lord shook off his cloak and massive paws emerged from the cloth and hit the earth. The beast stood on all fours and snarled with a long jaw of razor sharp teeth. Matted fur shrouded the colossal, ox-size wolf and its brimstone eyes blazed with hunger. Alamar went limp in surprise. I dropped my hands, sure now he’d obey my admonition to keep quiet. Not that it mattered anymore. They had found us. That left Alamar and I to fight a Shadow Lord, an Immortal Fallen Watcher, and a Shadow Wolf in the middle of the jungle.
The wolf sniffed the air and growled with an edge of morbid excitement. “I’ve got their scent.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Immortal Tears
Shadow Wolves were the Dark Rebellion’s equivalent of the Watchers animal companions. The massive beasts of darkness were just as cunning and deadly as their masters. I was only a girl when a Shadow Wolf had pulled me into the world of the Dark Rebellion.
The pain as the wolf’s teeth shredding my leg still stood out in my mind, and terror shivered through me. I shook it off. Right now, I had to do something to distract the Shadow Wolf and his master so I could get Alamar to his ship. I snatched a coconut lying on the forest floor and hurled it. The coconut sped through the jungle before making contact with a palm tree hundreds of feet away. The force of the blow shattered the nut and a section of the trunk of the tree, making it collapse.
The Shadow Lord and his pet turned their attention to the tree as it crashed to the forest floor. “Stay here!” The Shadow Lord commanded Red Beard.
As soon as they were out of sight, I jumped to my feet. “We’ve got to get to the ocean. They hate water and we can keep you safe.”