“Mary, could you also draw the earring to the best of your ability?” I asked, and she nodded, still drawing the dagger. At that point, the drawing definitely looked like the daggers I found with Donatella. I should’ve known that something would come back to her, especially since she knew about my case and exactly what would help me. I knew this day would be eventful.
I’d learned way more than I thought I would, but with this information, I didn’t know if Victor was a witness or a suspect. Mary had said some questionable things, especially accusing Victor of bringing the dark ones to this place. Whatever that meant. I was so conflicted.
“Here, I’m done.” Mary slid my notepad and pen across the table, and I caught both before they slid to the floor. Bringing my notepad up to my face, I analyzed her drawing. A weird feeling grew inside me. It matched the other crosses I had come across during the investigation. I let out a large breath, feeling a little headache forming. This was way deeper than I thought it would be. I relaxed my face so I didn’t seem stressed and smiled at Mary.
“Thank you so much for all of this, Mary. It has really helped me with this investigation. If I need anything else, I know where to find you.” I stood up and put my hand out to shake Mary’s.
She grabbed my hand and shook it. “Anytime, Meadow. I wish you well with your investigation. And remember—” She lowered her voice and curled her finger at me to bend down. “Do not trust Victor Baldwin. He’s not who he says he is. He has followers everywhere, so watch what you say. Also remember, he’s bringing the dark ones to and from The Island. From The Island. Be careful.”
I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes and put a fake smile on my face. “Of course, Mary. Thank you for the warning.” I patted her softly on her back, and she patted my hand.
“Safe travels, my dear.” She turned back to the window and started humming.
I shook my head as I walked toward the exit. I still thought she might need a little help. I made eye contact with Ted on my way out and nodded at him. He actually nodded back, but his face was still scrunched with distaste.
That was probably just how he was. I left the diner and breathed in the fresh air. Well, as fresh as the air could get over here. That was…intriguing. Very interesting. I opened my eyes and looked at the sky. It was getting darker, but the sky still had a little light to it. I hadn’t realized how long I’d been in the diner. What was I going to do with all of this information? I huffed in frustration.
This all needed to connect somehow so that it wasn’t so confusing.
More boats were docked, filling up all the spaces. Where they came from, I had no idea. I walked toward the boardwalk and made my way to the end, hoping to see Victor’s ship. Sure, Mary said to watch out for him, but he was probably harmless.
I got closer to the end and spotted part of a black boat. I walked faster, and more of the ship started showing. Victor’s ship. I reached the end and stopped, looking up at the beauty. The entire thing was a pure, shiny black. The only color was the name, Presbyteros. It was in a beautiful shade of gold, in cursive. What an odd name.
Looking around, I didn’t see Victor—or anyone, actually. Just like it was when I first arrived in The Harbor, it was quiet. I crossed my arms over my chest as the wind picked up a little bit, making it chilly. I shivered and watched the sunset, debating whether I should leave and go home to go over all the information I learned today, or try to find Victor and get his side of the story.
Tapping my foot, I shivered again, blowing air out of my mouth. I twisted my lips to the side, deep in thought. Caspian told me to be safe, and I promised him I would. But going on Victor’s ship to find him and ask a few questions regarding the investigation wasn’t too bad, right? Pushing back what Mary told me about him, I made up my mind to go on it to find him. I would be quick and safe.
Satisfied with my odds, I took another quick look around to make sure no one was walking on the boardwalk. Once I saw that it was empty, I turned back to the ship and looked for a way onto it. I didn’t see the stairs to enter because of the way it was docked. Walking to the right side, I went to the dock’s edge and peered on the side. There. The only way to reach the stairs was to either get in the water or walk on the very slim ledge poking out of the ship’s side. The sun was one drop away from fully setting, so I didn’t really trust going in the water. Slim ledge it is.
Making sure my footing was stable, I walked to the edge of the pier and stuck my leg out, leaning to hook my foot on it. I grabbed the top of the closest railing and swung my body across, slamming into the ship’s side. The air left my body, and I gasped at the sudden impact. Catching my breath, I grabbed the railing with my other hand and balanced myself, squeezing my foot on the slim part as best as I could. Once I knew I wasn’t going to fall, I started moving toward the stairs—one step at a time.
“You got this, Meadow,” I muttered, hoping that I didn’t fall into the water. I hadn’t realized how far the stairs were from my position, and my arm muscles were already straining from hanging on to the railing. I had to hold on tightly, or I would definitely fall in the water. I kept moving. “Don’t look down, don’t look down.” I could swim, but I wasn’t a fan of being in the deep water in the dark. That definitely wasn’t the right combination. I kept moving and reassuring myself that I wouldn’t fall until I finally made it to the stairs.
Grabbing on to one part of the railing, I raised myself up and reached for the next section of the railing, and then climbed until I made it all the way to the deck. I collapsed on the deck and stretched my arms in the air, trying to relax my tight muscles. After a minute of rest, I got up and dusted off my clothes. I expected to see chairs and chandeliers or something fancy, but all I found were lifeboats and life jackets everywhere.
8
Of course. I was at the lowest part of the deck on the ship, basically, so there would be random but essential items down here. There were boxes and statues also crowded down here with the extra lifeboats and jackets. This deck must be used as a storage place. I walked through the crowded deck. It was a little dim, so I had to squint as I looked around, but nothing was interesting on this deck. I found the stairs and made my way up to the next level.
This deck was more exciting and spacious. Elegant golden tables and chairs were strategically placed all over the deck with a beautiful crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling, glittering even in the dark as it slowly turned. It was super open and not congested on this level, unlike the last one. The railings were high enough to lean on if one wanted to look at the water or the sky.
I went to the railing and felt the night’s chill even more on the wide-open deck. It was absolutely stunning, the view. Turning away, I took my time walking past the gold decor, letting my hand pass over the beautiful finishes. Other than the chairs and tables, there was nothing else to see on this level.
As I walked up the stairs, I heard a voice come from the deck above me. I halted. I couldn’t really hear what the person was saying or what they sounded like because the voice kept getting farther away. Once I couldn’t hear it anymore, I slowly crept up the rest of the stairs. This deck was darker than the one before, the only real source of light coming from the moon that had reached its peak in the sky.
This deck looked like a dance hall; the only thing gracing it was a grand piano. I’d started walking toward the piano when the hairs on the back of my neck stood up as if someone was behind me. I whipped around, bracing myself, but no one was there. I let out a sigh and put a hand over my pounding heart. I had no reason to be afraid, yet I couldn’t shake the feeling.
Victor was just another witness, and if he wasn’t on this ship, I would just turn back around. Not that I would have to because I definitely heard a voice. I started walking back to the piano and was almost there when a soft whistle filled the air. I paused and listened, waiting to hear the sound again. There was nothing.
Hm.
I looked over my shoulder and breathed as quietly as I could, hoping t
hat it would help me hear better. Nothing happened. I turned back to face the piano and heard it again. It sounded like the wind being blown in different directions on the inside of the ship even though no strong winds were blowing outside. I stood in place and waited for the sound again. After a few long seconds of nothing happening, I took another step. The hairs on the back of my arms and neck rose once again.
My breathing slowed, and I tried not to panic as I felt a strong presence behind me. This time, it felt as if someone was close to me. Their breath warmed the back of my neck, sending my fight or flight instincts into overdrive. I itched to see if someone was actually behind me, but my body wouldn’t move. I’m probably just making things up in my head like I sometimes do, I tried to convince myself.
It didn’t really work.
A hand grabbed my arm, yanking me to the side. I opened my mouth to scream, but a large hand clamped over my mouth, stifling my scream. The person backed up and their body hit the wall, holding me hostage against their chest. My heart was beating too quickly, and it was hard to breathe through the big hand covering half of my face. I screamed into the hand and bit down hard, causing the person to wince and curse.
It sounded like a man.
“Be quiet. He’s going to hear you,” a deep, accented voice whispered firmly into my ear, sending chills up my spine.
I didn’t recognize the voice, yet it sounded so familiar. I shook my head, trying to get the hand off my face, but it didn’t work.
“Stop it. If I remove my hand, will you be quiet? This is important,” he whispered, slowly loosening his grip on my face.
I nodded quickly, wanting his mint-scented hand off my face. How dare he.
He let go, and I looked down, watching as he wiped his hand on his pants. He had two thick, black rings on his long fingers, one on his index finger and the other on his middle finger. His other arm was still wrapped my waist, locking me to his chest. I still had a slight advantage. I opened my mouth to scream, but quickly shut it when he growled.
“Quiet!” he snapped, pulling at my arm. Having a stranger tell me to be quiet and actually yank me triggered my anger instead of fear, and I’d had enough.
I growled back and stomped on his foot, forcing him to let go of me. I butted his face with the back of my head, and he cursed and groaned. I whirled around, raising my knee to his groin. He doubled over, and I started walking backward, trying to see my attacker’s face.
It was too dark to see any distinct features, but I could see his eyes as he looked up, clutching his face. They were piercing gray, like a full moon in a clear dark sky. And they totally looked familiar.
“Meadow.” His voice was low, but loud enough for me to hear.
I gasped. It was the guard from the warehouse. “You!” I whispered fiercely and charged at him, going for his jugular, my hands curled.
He caught both of my arms, stopping me from doing any damage. “Stop trying to attack me. You need to be quiet. He’s almost here. I will explain everything after,” he whispered back just as fierce—if not more so than before.
I didn’t know who he was talking about, but I didn’t care. I needed to get off of this ship and away from him. I could talk to Victor at another time.
I yanked my arms out of his grip, but he was too strong. I growled and yanked my arms down again, this time crouched at the same time, and jumped up, slamming my feet against the wall behind him. I threw my body backward, the force making him let me go. I flipped back and landed on both my hands and feet. I looked up in time to see him taking long strides my way. I readied myself to fight. I don’t care how strong he is, I will beat him. He reached me, and before I could throw a punch, another voice filled the air.
“Did you hear that?” the voice questioned, coming closer to where the guard from the warehouse and I were located.
My eyes widened, and I was yanked backward with a force that knocked the air out of my lungs. We were back in the corner by the piano, his arm wrapped completely around my midriff, locking my arms in place. He made it back to the wall quicker than I could fathom.
“Shh. Don’t make a sound.”
For some reason, this time, I listened. My heart was racing, and I regretted putting myself in danger. Why couldn’t any simple task go right for me?
We waited and stayed in the corner, listening to the footsteps as they got closer.
“I swear I heard a scream down here.” The speaker came into view, and I stifled my gasp. It was Victor. His face was exactly the same as in the article. Same low-cut hairstyle with the same clean-shaven beard. He wasn’t alone. I couldn’t see a face, but the person was in a royal purple cloak, the hood pulled over his or her head. Victor scanned the area, starting with the stairs and ending on where I was standing in the corner with the stalker guard.
Clutching the guard’s arm, I was about to speak to reveal myself and explain why I was on the ship so late in the middle of the night, but the guard behind me squeezed my arms, stopping me.
“Don’t say a word.” His breath fanned my ear as he spoke, so low I almost didn’t hear him.
Victor squinted as he walked in my direction. He scratched his jaw. My mind flipped through a dozen flimsy excuses for boarding his ship without permission. The floorboards squeaked beneath his shoes, and the boat rocked gently against the dock. The guy holding me kept us both steady. Victor paused inches away from me, his eyes narrowed. I readied my excuse. Victor hmphed and returned to the cloaked figure.
“I guess I was wrong. Now, as we were discussing, where are you with the replacement?” Victor asked.
“We keep running into problems. The transition isn’t completing with some, and with others, they don’t have the power we’re looking for, so we assign them somewhere else.” The cloaked figure’s voice was gruff and unnaturally deep. It was like he was trying to mask his real voice.
Victor cursed. “You told me that by this time, you would have a replacement. I give you the people you need, and in return, you give me what I need. Maddox’s life depends on this. You know that.”
An animalistic growl came from the cloaked figure. He reached his hand out, and Victor floated, choking as he rose.
I covered my mouth before my gasp could escape. The cloaked figure wasn’t even touching Victor, yet he was gasping for air, his legs kicking back and forth as he tried to breathe.
“Don’t you dare tell me how to do my job! I know what Maddox needs. Your selection has been poor, so the transitions are impossible to complete. Give me a better selection, or your precious Maddox will have your head for incompetence,” the cloaked figure roared with such ferocity, I flinched back into the guard’s chest instinctively.
Victor nodded quickly, his face beet red from the lack of oxygen, and he fell to the ground, wheezing. What Mary said about not trusting Victor was making a little more sense. The rest of this mess made no sense at all.
“Get up. I’m giving you the next few days to find the perfect replacement that is even better than Dmitri, do you understand?” the cloaked figure warned Victor as he got up from the floor. Dmitri? That was who Caspian said he was protecting me from.
Victor nodded vigorously and coughed, rubbing his neck. “But I thought he was a traitor,” Victor said and then flinched when the cloaked figure growled.
“He’s still powerful, and to stop him, we need someone rare like him.”
I felt the guard’s chest vibrate as he hissed.
“When I tell you to run, you need to run as fast as you can off the ship. Do you understand?” he whispered in my ear. “In a minute, they’re going to be able to see us, and it won’t be pretty.”
I nodded, not really understanding how they couldn’t see us in the first place. I eyed the stairs, adrenaline pumping, ready to sprint like my life depended on it. Because after what the guard said, it actually did.
“Traitors don’t deserve to live, or people who associate themselves with them!” A roar come from the cloaked figure, and he turned my way sharply.
A vibrant violet glowed from where his eyes would be located. My heart dropped, and I was shoved forward hard, causing me to stumble.
“Run!”
I caught myself on the ground. Something whizzed by my ear, right where my head was seconds before. The guard stood with his arms up behind me, clutching a golden handled, blue-bladed dagger in each hand.
I gasped and scrambled up off the floor, running to the stairs.
He just saved my life.
I was almost to the stairs when I smashed into an invisible force and flew backward. I landed on my back painfully, gasping for air. My eyes widened at the cloaked figure, his arms raised as if he was the cause of me flying back. There was another animalistic snarl to my right, and my mouth dropped as the guard charged at the cloaked figure. I jumped up and ran for the stairs again, this time making it.
I ran through the dining hall, pushing chairs out of my way, wincing each time my bruised arms smashed into them. Running down more stairs, I made it to the deck with the lifeboats and jackets and stopped abruptly. No time to walk on the thin side, and the wind had grown too strong. It would probably blow me into the water.
The snarls and growls were getting closer. Time was up.
I took in a deep breath, crossed my arms, and jumped. Someone shouted my name. A force from behind crashed into me, and I screamed as the water turned to wood. I gasped as I patted my body. I was completely dry.
The guard appeared beside me, his eyes glowing the same vibrant violet as the cloaked figure.
I choked on air as I stumbled backward, trying to get away from him. What the hell just happened?
“Where’s your car?” His deep voice snapped me out of my fear-filled trance.
I trembled as I pointed to the right, not trusting my voice. He grunted and grabbed me by my waist, crushing me to his chest. The wind whipped at my sore back with considerable force, and it started becoming harder to breathe as the world warped around me. I tried to let out another scream, but nothing escaped. The wind stopped blowing, and it was silent, but I didn’t let go of the guard.
Souls Page 5