Song of Shadow

by Natalya Capello

  Lorelei hit the ground with a groan and glared up at Amara.

  “What the hell was that for?” she shouted.

  “I’m sorry, but you can’t linger here…” Sadness filled Amara’s eyes.

  With those word she lifted her hands, one in the direction of Zaos and the golem and one in the direction of Lorelei, Wes, and Vandermere. Her fingers moved in a series of movements on the hand facing them while a blast of light emitted from the other hand. Lorelei caught a glance of the golem leaping forward before her vision was consumed with a flash of light.

  She blinked several times, trying to recover her sight. Something was wrong. The ground she was sitting on was no longer dirt, but wood instead. The smell of fish and water filled her nose.

  She gasped as the world came into focus. She sat on the Winddancer. In the distance, the lights of the city gleamed. Wes was lying in front of her, staring with a dazed look in his eyes. To her left, Vandermere pulled himself to a standing position with the help of the rail. Amara was nowhere to be seen.

  “Amara is still in the church. We have to get her.” Lorelei leapt to her feet and rushed towards the gangplank.

  Vandermere moved in front of her and caught her by the arms. “Lorelei. We can’t.”

  Wes scanned the horizon toward Kirkwall. “Priests are probably scouring the city...”

  Lorelei pushed at Vandermere’s chest. “We can’t leave her! He’s going to bind her again.”

  “She stayed behind to give us a chance to escape and teleported us here,” Vandermere said. “We need to find the false Apostle and Vaana.”

  Lorelei met his gaze as her chest tightened and tears pricked her eyes. Every fiber in her wanted to rush back to Amara, but Vandermere was right. Things would be worse if Daan got ahold of Vaana. But, Amara…

  Vandermere raised his hand to touch Lorelei’s shoulder, but she shrugged it away. She didn’t want his comfort.

  With a sigh, he turned away. “Wes, let’s get out of here before any patrols find us. What do you need me to do?”

  She let their voices fade to the background as she sank to the deck and stared at the city.

  I’m losing my sister again…

  She didn’t know where that thought came from, but it felt so right.

  Lorelei stared out at the passing trees along the river without really seeing them. Aside from the occasional fishing village, trees were all that could be seen along the godforsaken river.

  Wes had been sailing the ship upstream non-stop for the past two days with Vandermere and Lorelei relieving him when he needed to rest.

  Lorelei’s gaze drifted behind them, staring downstream. The way they had come.

  Kirkwall lay in that direction and it held Amara.

  The boards creaked as Vandermere joined her at the railing.

  “She’s clever,” Lorelei said in a small voice. “She could have gotten away.”

  “Maybe.” Vandermere’s voice didn’t hold any optimism.

  Lorelei’s shoulders slumped and she bowed her head. “I don’t understand it, but abandoning her feels like abandoning family.”

  “Perhaps because she treated you better than family?”

  Lorelei let out a soft breathy laugh. “Yeah. Funny, that. My own sister probably turned me over to the Elemental Order.”

  “And here you have someone who has come to your aid when you have been in need. She saved your life.”

  “Both of you did,” Lorelei said. “And I couldn’t save her. Now Zaos has her again.”

  Vandermere rested his hand on hers. “We will go back for her. Once we get Vaana away from the Order, we will save Amara.”

  Lorelei nodded. “I know…it’s just, what if it’s too late? Or what if Zaos lays a trap?”

  “We’ll figure out a way. I mean, we’ve gotten this far.”

  Lorelei groaned and threw her hands in the air. “But how far have we gotten, really? Most of the time we have been on the run. On this damn river.”

  “We’ve discovered much, about the Order and other gods, and about your Black Herons.” Vandermere leaned against the rail and bumped his shoulder to hers. “Gaining knowledge is always important before a plan can be made.”

  “You don’t seem as upset about Amara.”

  He sighed. “I am sad that it turned out this way and I admire her sacrifice, but I don’t feel the same kinship with her that you do.”

  “I don’t know, maybe it’s connected to this past life I keep dreaming about. To my Reincarnation Sickness.” Lorelei stared up at the stars. “Maybe I’m just crazy.”

  “Trust me, you’re not.” Vandermere took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “It’s not crazy to care for someone.”

  She nodded. “But you’re right. We need to rescue Vaana first. Any plans for that? Do you know what Damerel is like?”

  “I’ve never been there myself,” he said. “But from what I know, the town is built around a grotto near the river. They supposedly have many statues built before the Miasma came. No one really knows who they’re of.”

  “Why would Evangeline take Vaana there?” Lorelei tilted her head.

  “Evangeline probably wishes to avoid Nearon. The last time she was there, there was a huge fanfare. Other ways are going to take her longer though. Most of the tributaries join the Silverbourne River, and Nearon sits at the mouth. So, they are going to have to travel by land to get to the sea.” He sighed. “But it is farther than Kirkwall, so…perhaps there is something they wish to retrieve there.”

  Before Lorelei could respond, a bright, bluish light lit up the night sky above the ship. She looked up, blinking. Was that a person in the center of the light?

  “Amara?” Lorelei said in a breathy voice as she took a step closer.

  Something was wrong with Amara though. Dark sigils covered her skin and her eyes were pure white. She stared down at the ship with no expression and pointed to the mast. Wes shouted and leaped towards Amara from behind the wheel of the ship.

  Behind Lorelei, Vandermere gasped and grabbed her around the waist. “Look out!”

  As Vandermere yanked her back, a burst of white fire erupted from Amara’s hand and hit the mast of the ship. A deafening boom filled the air as fire and shards of wood burst out. The force slammed into Vandermere and Lorelei. They flew over the side of the ship and dropped into the river as flames roared to life.

  The frigid water covered Lorelei’s head, and shock rolled through her. She stared up at the burning ship, distorted in the surface of the water.

  Zaos Nematona had somehow turn Amara against them. There was no saving the ship. And Lorelei was going to die in this river.

  36

  No.

  The word resounded in Lorelei’s head as she sank lower in the ice-cold water.

  She’d survived the Mother of Vampires, and she’d survived iron. She would survive the river, too. She kicked her feet, propelling herself towards the surface.

  Where was Vandermere?

  She’d lost touch with him once they’d hit the water. She needed to find him. Wes too. He’d been at the wheel when the explosion had hit.

  Concentrate on getting us out first. Murgleis’s voice rang through her mind.

  Lorelei pushed herself up towards the surface, kicking her legs. Within seconds, she broke the surface. Sweet air surged into her lungs and she took a deep gasp.

  She floated in the middle of the river with the shore several yards from her. A short distance away, what remained of the ship was sinking into the river, the flames from the mast being engulfed in water. Amara had disappeared. Lorelei needed to move, or she would lose what little energy she had if she wanted to get to the shore. Her chest already ached from her time under water.

  Drawing in a deep breath, she swam towards the shore at a direction that was diagonal with the slow current. It pushed her farther back, but if the others hadn’t made it to shore they would be in this part of the river. Her chest tightened.

  Let them be all right.r />
  They made it. They had to have.

  Halfway through, her arms began to ache. She gritted her teeth and pushed on. Her limbs were screaming at her by the time she dragged herself on the muddy shore. She coughed and sputtered, spitting up water and muck from the river.

  Panting, she stood and scanned the river with narrowed eyes. The light of the ship was a bare ember in the distance. There, down the river about ten feet, a dark figure bobbed as it floated downriver. It had to be Vandermere.

  Lorelei shook her limbs, then jogged along the shore until she was aligned with Vandermere.

  “Don’t fail me now, body,” she muttered before taking a deep breath and diving in.

  Even though she’d been in it a few moments before, the water was like a cold shock to her body. She struggled to breathe. Her arms cut through the waves and her legs kicked with all her might. She had to duck to the side to avoid a grouping of rocks.

  His head dipped under the surface.

  “Vandermere!” Her cry echoed along the river.

  She gripped the rocks as a spasm hit her leg.

  Shit, she wasn’t going to make it.

  Help me, she cried to Murgleis. Give me strength.

  You know there will be a price for it, Murgleis said.

  My soul again? Like last time?

  Perhaps not…but you will owe me.

  Fine!

  With her last word, the pain in her limbs faded and a surge of energy shot through her. She dove beneath the water and swam in the direction to where she’d last seen Vandermere.

  To your right, Murgleis called. I can sense his life force. Hurry, it is fading.

  Lorelei adjusted her direction and reached out. Her fingers brushed against cloth. She pushed forward and gripped an arm.

  Got him!

  She rose to the surface, dragging Vandermere with her. She broke through with a loud gasp and pulled him up. His head flopped to the side in a limp motion. She wrapped an arm under his arms and around his chest and began an awkward back paddle towards the shore.

  When she reached land, she groaned and dragged him out of the river. She lay him on his back and pressed her ear to his chest. He wasn’t breathing. Trembling suffused her. The sailors who worked for her father had taught her how to remove the water from a man’s lungs. She’d never had to use that knowledge until now.

  She pressed her hands to his chest and pushed down in firm, quick movements. She drew a deep breath, pressed her lips to his, and breathed into his mouth. His chest rose slightly under her hand. If she’d imagined a kiss between her and Vandermere, these weren’t even near the circumstances of her fantasies.

  She repeated the chest pressing and air transfer for several moments. A shudder passed through Vandermere and he lifted his head, coughing and spewing water. Lorelei sat back, resting her weight on the balls of her feet as he rolled over to continue coughing. Relief shot through her and she closed her eyes.

  She couldn’t relax yet, though. Opening her eyes, she rose to her feet and marched to the shore. Her gaze searched the black river for signs of Wes.

  Nothing.

  She picked up a branch nearby and with a quick verse, set the tip on fire. The flames reflected off the darkness of the river’s surface.

  You felt Vandermere. Can you sense Wes? she asked Murgleis.

  Every second he was silent filled her with dread.

  Finally, he replied. I can sense nothing but the river life.

  No, it couldn’t be. Her chest tightened, making it more difficult to breathe than in the river.

  She spun to Vandermere who was leaning between his knees with his shoulders heaving. Within a few steps, she reached him.

  She knelt by his side and placed her hand on his leg. “Hey, I know you’re recovering, but Wes is still out there. Could you see where he is?”

  He nodded, his mouth hanging open slightly. His hand rested over hers, clasping it, and he closed his eyes. After a few moments, he shook his head.

  He had to find him. Even if Wes was farther down the river, they would save him. Lorelei’s grip tightened on Vandermere as she turned her gaze back to the river.

  Wes was raised on the river. He knew ships. He had to have gotten away. Maybe he turned into a fish.

  His soul would have been the same, Murgleis said. I would have sensed that.

  She shook her head. Murgleis had to be wrong.

  Vandermere let out a gasp and teetered forward.

  Lorelei rose up on her knees, pressing her hand on his back. “What did you see? Did you find him?”

  “I’m sorry.” Vandermere turned a sad gaze to her. “I only saw darkness.”

  “No.” Lorelei jerked away from him, leapt to her feet, and ran to the river.

  It couldn’t be real. Wes had to be alive. She wouldn’t lose another person in a matter of days, not after Vaana and Amara. Murgleis and Vandermere just hadn’t searched hard enough. She drew in a deep breath, ready to pull Wes from the river somehow with the power of her song. She would risk the last of her Aether in saving him.

  Vandermere’s hands gripped her shoulders. “Lorelei…he’s gone.”

  His words rang through her head, bringing the truth with them. All at once the tidal wave of grief washed through her. Her shoulders trembled as tears sprang from the corners of her eyes. Her knees gave out and she sank to the ground, sobs racking her body. Vandermere followed her, wrapping his arms around her. She buried her face in his chest and let the grief take her.

  Lorelei cried herself out, but stayed curled up in Vandermere’s arms. She didn’t think of anything. After a while, her thoughts returned. She pulled away and stood up, rubbing the dried tears from her eyes.

  “Thank you,” she murmured in a hoarse voice. “We need to move on though. Vaana still needs us.”

  Vandermere snorted and crossed his arms. “And how are we going to do this with just two of us?”

  “How were we going to do it with three? We first need to scout out Damerel and see how many forces Evangeline has with her. Wes…” Lorelei paused and drew a shaky breath. “Wes would have been the best, but now we need to figure it out for ourselves.”

  Vandermere sighed. “We don’t even know if we’re on the right side of the river.”

  “But knowing is your thing.” Lorelei gripped his hand. “Vandermere, please. I need to do this. We can’t have lost Amara and Wes for nothing.”

  Vandermere sighed and closed his eyes. He was silent, his hand giving the slightest twitch in hers. Then, he opened his eyes, raising his head, and pointed to their right.

  “That way,” he said. “It will be a bit of a hike. We should set a fire to dry ourselves and rest before we go. We can leave at dawn.”

  Lorelei nodded and set about gathering branches and wood. Vandermere joined her. They worked on setting up a meager camp without speaking. With a short song, Lorelei had a fire blazing. She stripped down to her thin chemise and sat down beside the fire, shivering. Most of her clothing was still damp. Vandermere removed his clothes, as well, and the two of them sat side by side.

  Lorelei swallowed and stared into the flames as a different kind of heat suffused her. Ever since the Menhir, she hadn’t had a chance to seek out a lover. They’d been on the run so much and she hadn’t wanted to cause any tension between herself and the others. But now, she was here alone with Vandermere.

  She cleared her throat. “How far to the town?”

  “It will probably take several hours to get there.” Vandermere kept his gaze on the river. “Longer if we left now in the dark.”

  “Too bad,” she said. “We could have used cover to enter.”

  “We’ll have to make do.” He sighed and stretched out on the ground near the fire. “We should get some rest.”

  Lorelei nodded and curled into a ball. A shiver went through her.

  “You know,” Vandermere said, “it would help if we slept next to one another. For warmth.”

  Lorelei couldn’t help the grin on her face
. “Is this your way of flirting?”

  He laughed. “No…just being practical.”

  “Oh, well, for the sake of practicality.” She shifted until she was laying with her back to him.

  He rested his arm across her waist. She scooted back and drew in a breath at the heat that radiated from him. She wanted to roll over and wrap herself in that warmth…to press her lips into his and run her hands along his body. Maybe she could lose herself in him and forget the ache in her chest for Amara and Wes.

  No, this was Vandermere. She wouldn’t use him like that.

  She stared into the fire for a long time before she drifted off into an uneasy sleep. Even then her dreams wouldn’t grant her peace.

  Hands clasp hers as she falls. But the fall is endless, and she can’t hold on. She drifts away from her sisters and plummets into darkness.

  Lorelei awoke with a start. The sun was above the horizon and the gentle roar of the river filled her ears. The fire had died to ash and wisps of smoke.

  Vandermere stood across from the fire, fully dressed, with his back to her. She sat up and stared at the river. A few wooden planks of the Winddancer had floated onto the shore, but other than that is was impossible to tell the ship had sank.

  Lorelei swallowed back tears and shoved to her feet. She pushed aside thoughts of Wes as she dressed. The sinking of the ship meant they’d lost most of their equipment, including her heartstone. Vandermere didn’t appear to have his sword either. Going against Evangeline and whoever she had with her would be difficult.

  “We should head out,” she said. “Not much point in staying here.”

  He turned her direction and nodded. Together, they hiked through the woods without speaking but the forest spoke for them in the sounds of singing birds, rustling trees, and cracking branches.

  Lorelei’s stomach growled. When was the last time she’d eaten? She couldn’t remember. She felt exhausted and sore with a piercing ache forming just behind her eyes. Her Aether was low. She shook her head with a sigh. No food or alcohol in sight. Things were looking grimmer by each passing moment.