The Myatheira Chronicles: Volume Two: Beyond the Veil

by Melissa Collins

  The crew remained in high spirits. Unlike the men that had traveled on foot from Tanispa, these soldiers were fresh. Energized. Ready for battle. She wanted to be envious of their jovial demeanor but she couldn’t be. The experience she’d had while in the desert was one she would not soon forget. One that she cherished, in a way. It had opened her eyes. Made her realize the error of her ways prior to setting foot on the road. She was certain without the horrible things she’d witnessed, she would still be the same naïve child that ducked away in that supply wagon, what seemed so long ago now.

  Absently, she twirled her wedding ring about her finger, aware of the ease with which it spun. She had lost more weight along the way than she realized. Where once the thin band had fit snugly, it now was at risk of slipping from her hand without her knowledge, finding little resistance from her bony knuckles. Afraid of losing the precious crest, she removed it from her hand, comparing its size to that of her other fingers. It would be better suited to her middle finger for now, granting more support from the slightly wider base.

  Before she could secure the band, the ship rocked unexpectedly from a large wave, her body pitching forward against the rail as she stumbled to keep her balance. To her horror, she felt the smooth surface of the ring slip from her fingertips, glinting brightly in the sunlight as she reached for it, frantic, heart pounding wildly. She could think of nothing but the ring, watching it fall, further and further over the edge. Without care of the consequences, Aiva extended her arms, bending sharply to grasp at the plummeting jewel. It was so close, just within her grasp. If she could just reach a little further…

  Her fingers closed around the ring, not soon enough for her to recognize the flaw in her actions. In her haste to reclaim the band, she failed to take heed of the danger she placed herself in by leaning so far over the edge, crying out at the sensation of her body toppling over the rail. With her free hand she tried desperately to find something, anything she could get a hold on to stop her fall, afraid of the water’s depth below. There was nothing. The side of the ship was clean, freshly painted, devoid of any rope or other object which might offer safety.

  From above she could hear voices shouting, calling her name. Too far away to offer assistance before it was too late. Resigned to the fact that falling was inevitable, Aiva inhaled a deep breath, prepared for the splash which would soon follow. It was the cold that struck her first, nearly causing her to choke from shock at the sensation like tiny pricks of ice along her skin. She floundered about in the water, hand clutched tightly around the ring, surprised that despite the fear of the fall she had managed to keep hold of the object, unwilling to let it go.

  Through the cloudiness of her thoughts Aiva was aware that someone was coming closer, the sound of their voice ringing in her ears. Grab their hand. Everything would be okay. It was a nice sentiment, but in her current predicament, it was difficult for her to believe. The water was so cold! How was it possible for the liquid to be like ice when the desert was so hot?

  The voice was closer, a feeling like a hand grasping for her arm urging her to stop moving. Afraid of sinking into the depths of the sea, she couldn’t bring herself to do as the voice said, her arms continuing their frantic flails in attempts to keep afloat. Hands were grabbing at her, losing their grip from the water which covered her skin, making it harder to maintain a secure hold while she struggled. In the back of her mind she knew she needed to stop and allow the hands to help but instinct told her to fight. Stay above water. If she didn’t keep moving she was certain she would freeze to death.

  Finally the hands managed to get a firm grip on her right arm, tugging hard to lift her from the water. In that instant she could see Callum’s face in her vision, shouting for her to grab onto him. He dangled from above by a rope held by several soldiers, the sight bringing more painful memories to mind of the last time she had seen him in such a way. The ravine. Once again her foolishness left him risking his own life to save hers. All things considered, she was amazed he hadn’t simply left her to drown. She deserved nothing better from him. Instead he now gave the order for the men to pull them up, his fingers slowly sliding along her forearm. His hold was tenuous. If she didn’t offer some kind of assistance, she would find herself in the sea again.

  Her head quickly started to clear once she was free of the icy water. Her strength was restored, reaching up with her left hand to grab onto Callum’s arm, relieving some of the strain he exerted to keep her in his grasp. With the help of the soldiers, it didn’t take long for them to reach the rail, several pairs of strong hands pulling them from the rope and back onto the ship’s deck.

  Back on the safety of the ship, a cool breeze sent a chill down Aiva’s spine, causing her to shiver uncontrollably, her arms wrapped around her upper body for warmth. The men were gathered around, looking her over for injuries. It was frustrating, knowing it was her own stupidity which had placed her in so much danger. And all over such a tiny piece of jewelry. Ignoring the inquisitive stares of the men, Aiva opened her hand to stare down at the ring she still clung to, the gemstones having cut into the skin from the tightness of her fist. Callum’s gaze followed hers, the sound of his heavy sigh pulling her from her reverie.

  “Why have you removed your ring?”

  Her heart pounded at the question. Oh, how it must look to him! “It isn’t what you think,” she exhaled, quickly sliding the ring onto her trembling hand. Someone wrapped a blanket around her shoulders, distracting her briefly before she regained her train of thought, stumbling after Callum as he started to move away. “Please, Callum. I swear to you, it was an accident.”

  He paused suddenly, motioning the other men away with a sharp flick of his wrist. “We need to get you out of the wind until you dry,” he mumbled. His eyes were downcast, making no move to beckon her forward, though his posture indicated that he awaited her to follow. Anxious to clear the air between them, Aiva hurried forward, stumbling slightly, her legs still shaking from the cold and excitement. He offered no assistance as he led her toward the door to his cabin. Once there, he held it briefly for her to step inside before quickly allowing it to swing shut behind them. Cool in his mannerisms, Callum made his way to a large desk positioned in front of the windows at the far side of the room. He made no attempt to speak, leaving them in silence until Aiva couldn’t stand it any longer.

  “I’m sorry if I disrupted you,” she said quietly. Nothing else felt appropriate. So many times they had found themselves together, suffocated by the awkward tension between them, and still she had no idea how to get around it. How to break the ice and open the way for the conversation she so desperately wanted to have.

  “Don’t worry about it,” he waved dismissively. “I was only looking over the maps.”

  His eyes remained downcast, avoiding Aiva’s gaze. Aiva couldn’t help wondering if he could feel the tension between them the same as she did. It seemed impossible for him not to. If it was any thicker, she was certain it would be physically palpable. “It’s fortunate, though,” she said, her tone rising as she took a step forward. Callum stared down at the maps, holding his attention so as to not have to look at her.

  “Fortunate? You could have died – ”

  “But I didn’t,” she cut in, moving closer to the desk. She wanted him to look up. To acknowledge her presence with more than mere forced conversation. “I was hoping you and I might have a chance to speak. You’ve been avoiding me for days now.”

  “Aiva, I really…” he lifted his gaze to her briefly, instantly averting it once again, the tips of his ears burning a deep crimson. Quickly he came out from behind the desk, his hands moving to tug the blanket tighter around Aiva’s shoulders. “I – I’m sorry. The water makes your dress a bit more – sheer – than I realized. You should keep this around you until it dries.”

  Tilting her head to one side Aiva watched him, amused by the oddity of his behavior. Their eyes met, locked in an almost electrified silence before she took the blanket from his grasp
to hold it on her own, granting him an opportunity to break away, striding determinedly back toward the desk. Boldly, she pushed forward, coming to stand on the opposite side of the map Callum now pored over, making every effort to avoid looking at her. “I refuse to leave this room until you agree to speak with me,” she said matter-of-factly, leaning in to rest her slender hand over the map where Callum’s eyes were directed, forcing him to glance up. “You have put me off long enough.”

  Lacking his usual grace he dropped into the chair behind him, leaning back to rest his feet on the table. “Fine,” he stated flatly. “What is it you’re so insistent we speak on? I’ve already secured the annulment. What else could you possibly want from me?”

  “How about an explanation as to why you’ve been so disagreeable since we left Phaezut’s palace? I thought we made progress and now we’ve regressed to where we were at the start of this all.”

  “Disagreeable?” he blinked at her, a sarcastic laugh escaping him before he continued. “Am I supposed to just accept the fact that one of my closest friends counseled me against going to your room only to then crawl into your bed? I know we agreed upon seeking an annulment, but we are still married. Could you not have at least waited until the decision was final? And Gadiel, of all people…”

  “Oh, Callum! I knew it!” Aiva shouted, slamming her fist down onto the table. “I thought of any man you would know better than to assume something as fact simply because a single source passed on unpleasant information. The same thing happened when Dacian told me about you and Ireni and how true did that turn out to be? Did you even consider asking? To determine what really happened before washing your hands of me?”

  “Do you deny that Gadiel was in your room behind closed doors?”

  “I do not deny it…”

  “Then tell me, Aiva. What could the two of you have need to do out of view of anyone else? Lorand said he heard you say something about needing to tell me something. I suppose I have been dreading what that might be. These games are driving me mad. I can’t keep playing along.”

  “You’re the only one playing games this time, Callum. If you want me to tell you what transpired between Gadiel and me, then I will, but you cannot expect I’ll just forget the insult you cause by believing me so unchaste.”

  Slowly Callum removed his feet from the table, the expression on his face softening. A glimmer of guilt crossed his features. “I’m listening,” he replied quietly, leaning his elbows on the desk, chin rested upon his hands.

  Her heart felt as if it skipped a beat. The moment had come at last. Now she could explain all the mistakes she had made. The foolishness of her actions. To admit her love for him that she had carried since that day he left her in the gardener’s shed with nothing but the lingering sensation of his lips against hers. She felt ready to explode from the emotions flooding her heart. Where could she begin? There is so much to be said and so little time…

  Footsteps sounded from outside the door, distracting her line of thought at the realization that they were no longer alone. Turning to the noise, her shoulders bowed in frustration to find Edric standing there, an uncharacteristic look of fear upon his face. “I hate to intrude, but you’re needed on the deck, Callum.”

  Heaving a sigh, Callum appeared almost as put-off by the interruption as Aiva. “Is there any chance it can wait, Edric? Just a few minutes?”

  “Varik says it’s imperative you come immediately.”

  Concern creased Callum’s brow as he rose to his feet. With an apologetic nod he slipped around the desk to join Edric at the door, pausing before following him outside. “We will discuss this later. Feel free to stay here a while to get warm.” His face contorted strangely for a moment to see Aiva standing there, misery evident in her eyes as she watched him walking away. “I’m sorry, Aiva. I have to go.”

  At the click of the door closing she stared at the glossed finish of the wood, cursing silently all the things that continued to get in her way. How was she ever going to set things right with Callum if the gods constantly threw everything between them? It was as if they didn’t want her to tell him how she felt. But she had come too far already. She refused to let them stop her. As soon as whatever business was completed that had been deemed so important as to interrupt a private meeting, she would follow him back to this room. Edric knew the weight of what she needed to speak with Callum on. It was hard to believe he would have been convinced to come there at all.

  A sudden surge of doubt slowly crept over her. Edric wouldn’t have come if it hadn’t been of great importance. It wasn’t like him to behave in such a way. Fear gripped at her insides, forcing her to move forward out of curiosity, reaching for the door handle, blanket still clutched tightly around her dampened dress. Hurriedly, she found her way out onto the deck and up the stairs to where Callum stood beside Edric and Varik, their faces drawn with worry.

  “When did Gadiel notice it?” Callum inquired, accepting the spyglass from Varik’s outstretched hand. “It couldn’t have been there while we were near the ports.”

  “I sent the Prince to find you the instant he informed me. From here I was able to catch sight of the outline under the water. It is keeping its distance for now, but that means nothing.” The frown on Varik’s face was filled with concern, his knuckles white where they gripped the rail. “I’ve never personally been faced with anything quite like this before. To be honest, I wasn’t convinced the stories of its existence were true.”

  Moving the scope away, Callum handed it back to Varik with a sharp nod. “I witnessed one once, though it wasn’t anywhere near the vessel I was aboard.”

  “What do we know about it?” Edric questioned, peering over the edge into the water. “Should we find our way to a port until it passes? Continuing deeper out to the sea seems like suicide if it decides to attack.”

  Shaking with the uncertainty of what was going on, Aiva stepped forward, positioning herself between Callum and Edric. She couldn’t stand by and not involve herself. If whatever they were discussing posed a threat to the ship, she felt it was her business to know. “What is it?” she asked nervously. “Is there something in the water?”

  “Unfortunately so,” Callum furrowed his brow, motioning toward a large shadow under the surface. It was a good distance away. At a glance it appeared nothing more than an outline caused by the sun’s strange position behind the clouds, or a large rock somewhere below. The only indication that it was anything more was that it kept speed with the ship, lingering, trailing them. As if watching in wait of an opportunity to strike. “That is a sailor’s biggest fear on the Vai’ld Sea. The divastru. Capable of tearing whole ships to pieces along with anything and anyone on board. They’re fast, which makes outrunning them near impossible. And once they are on your tail, an attack is unavoidable.”

  “And this thing is following us?”

  “It most certainly is.” Turning to face Edric, Callum set his gaze over Aiva’s head, avoiding her terrified stare. “As for your question, Edric – if we turn back to port, it will intercept us. Our only option is to continue onward and hope it becomes distracted. As that is unlikely, I recommend we have the men prepare the weapons. Commander Varik, keep your eye on it. Tell me if it changes course or speed. From the crow’s nest Gadiel should have a good visual on it until nightfall, but the darkness will make it more difficult. I’ll help the men prepare the ballistae and have the archers at the ready.”

  “Could we not strike at it while it is far enough away to not cause damage?” Edric rested his hand nervously on Aiva’s shoulder. She could sense his rising concern mingled with her own at the fear of what was happening.

  “If we strike now, it will only expedite its attack.” Shifting his gaze to Aiva, Callum took her hand in his, squeezing it gently. “I’m sorry, Aiva. From the looks of things, we won’t have a chance to continue our conversation tonight. If the gods smile upon us, we may still have tomorrow.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Aiva sat, rigid and
still, eyes locked on the water through the windows of the helmsman’s quarters. She had refused to leave the deck, not wanting to be far if anything changed regarding the approach of the divastru. At times she would find it in her to stand and make her way to Varik’s side at the helm, staring silently into the distance for several moments before shutting herself back inside the room.

  It was less spacious than that of the Captain’s cabin just below, though far more luxurious than any of the rooms in the barracks. Aside from some of Varik’s belongings scattered about, it was otherwise clean and well kept. He only saw the room when he retired to sleep, which seemed a rarity given his importance aboard the ship. Before arriving in Palinon he was the soul commander of the vessel.

  Anxious to be moving again Aiva stepped away from the window, her steps deliberate as she pushed through the door onto the helm, taking her place at Varik’s side once again. The sky overhead darkened with the coming night, making the outline of the creature harder to distinguish amongst the waves. A second spyglass had been placed near Varik’s feet for when Callum or Edric came to check on the position of the beast. Sweeping it into her hands, Aiva held it to her eye, peering into the depths of the sea. It was difficult to tell any details from where it lingered under the surface. The head appeared large while the body gave an almost serpentine pattern, extending far into the distance. Whatever it was, the size was impressive. Frightening for anyone to behold when faced with the realization that it was known to be certain death to its prey. And their ship remained in its sights.