by Aubrie Nixon
CHAPTER 30
They waited at the docks for the ship that was to take them on a two-day journey through the Ballah Sea to The City of Light. There, they would meet with Baleem and the king and track down Reina. They were so close to the end of their journey. Sephera smiled. Valessa was wrong. Reina could stop this. Even if Sephera was the Balance, it didn’t matter. Reina had the cure. They would be able to heal the land without some broken savior who failed time and time again to unite the Realms.
The sun had begun to set when they boarded the large ship. The whole village seemed to have come out to gawk at the famous vessel. It was a passenger ship, one of the finest in all of Nostorra, shimmering white and carved from the oldest and strongest widowmaker trees. It was spelled with magic to preserve its pristine gleam. The brilliant orange and purple sunset cast a spectacular glow over the ship.
Sephera climbed onto the main deck, which had been constructed from the red wood of the almost extinct sequoia tree. The masts that supported the glimmering white sails were carved from ivory. Although it was beautiful, Sephera hated to think how many animals had been killed for the beautiful pillars.
“I have a surprise for you,” Zad whispered in her ear. “C’mon, I’ll show you.”
Zad wrapped his arm around her shoulder and steered her below deck. Her heart flipped when he opened a door and led her inside a small, private cabin. A large bed dominated the room. It was covered with black fur blankets and silken sheets and was big enough to fit their entire party. A small nightstand was squished into the corner of the room. Atop it sat a wash basin and mirror. “This is our room, Sephera. We will make great use of that bed,” Zad growled at her, tickling her sides and making her squirm.
“Oh, my goddess!” Chantry exclaimed from the doorway. “I guess we won’t be seeing much of you two for the next couple of days.” She giggled. “My room only has bunk beds which I get to share with a mute mage and the ever-so-lovely Daegan.” She sighed. “Speaking of which, I haven’t seen him since he stormed out of the inn, have you?”
Sephera didn’t care where he was. If he got too close, she might bite him. She grunted in amusement, thinking of the rude remark Daegan would have given.
“Well, I’ll see you two later. Have fun, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do! Actually . . . err. . . nevermind. Be safe!” Chantry quipped before leaving Zad and Sephera alone to their room—or bed.
“Is it too much?” Zad asked her quietly.
She shook her head. “No, not at all. I just—how did you manage this?” she asked as she took a seat on the bed.
Shutting the door behind him, he smiled wickedly. “I can be VERY persuasive when I need to be.” He started unbuttoning his shirt. Sephera’s eyes widened.
“I thought you wanted to wait! It hasn’t even been a day, and you’ve already skipped the wooing to take me straight to your bed?” She couldn’t deny the reaction her body had to him as he stripped bare, and crawled towards her on the bed, pinning her. He kissed her neck softly. She closed her eyes and brought her lips to his, kissing him passionately.
They were interrupted by a knock at the door. “Leave it,” Zad growled as Sephera moved to answer it.
Sephera laughed. “They know we are in here,” she said, her eyes wide with laughter.
“Then let them listen as I make you scream.” Sephera pushed him off.
“Zad! We have two days. You can wait,” she said, answering the door.
A man in a white military uniform was waiting on the other side, his face red with embarrassment. He cleared his throat before speaking. “I’m very sorry if I interrupted anything. But there appears to have been some sort of mixup with this room. I fear we may have mistakenly booked two couples for this suite.”
Sephera stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her. A nervous young couple with a baby in tow was standing behind him.
“You see, I misplaced this family’s booking card, and when your husband—”
Sephera interrupted him, “He's not my husband. He's just . . . Go on.”
The man nodded, his face turning an even deeper shade of scarlet. “Well, they booked the cabin first, and we don’t have any other private cabins available. And they have a child.”
Sephera nodded. “It's quite all right. Let them have the room. We can bunk with our group down below.”
The man's shoulders sagged in relief. “Thank you, miss. I can offer you a full refund if that pleases you.”
Sephera smiled, “Yes, I will send my . . . companion to collect it. Just give us a few minutes to gather our things.”
Sephera breathed a sigh of relief even as her traitorous body seethed at her. But she just wasn’t quite ready to go there with Zad yet. She smiled at him sheepishly as he lay buck-naked on the bed, waiting for her to return. “All right, Romeo, get dressed. They double booked our cabin. We need to gather our things and join Brenner and Chantry.”
Zad sat up, anger in his eyes. “What? No! Sephera—” he protested.
“It's done, Zad. It's all right. We will have all the time in the world after we find Reina. I want to take things slow with you, at least about this. Believe me, I want to—I really, really want to. But I don’t want to ruin what we have by jumping in too soon.”
She watched Zad carefully.
He nodded. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I just . . .” he trailed off.
“You’re just a horny bastard.” She laughed and kissed him. “I’ll meet you down below, all right? Don’t get lost.”
Sephera found Chantry and Brenner playing a game of chess on a small table in the middle of the cabin. The room was about the same size as the one she had just been in. But instead of one large bed, there were two bunk beds on each side of the room. There was no way that two people could fit on one of those together. They were just too small.
“Hey, you guys. Looks like we will all be sharing a cabin,” Sephera said, throwing her belongings onto one of the beds and laying down.
“What? Why?” Chantry screeched so loudly that Brenner made an annoyed face and rubbed his ear. “Sorry, Brenner,” she muttered. He waved her off.
“They double booked our room. Any sign of Daegan yet?” she asked.
They both shook their heads. “No, still no sign. I do hope he is all right. But he was so horrible earlier, he can sleep on the floor,” Chantry said, folding her arms.
“Ugh, two days stuck in a cabin with Zad and Daegan together? If he's smart, he will run back to the city,” Sephera said, pretending to vomit.
Zad arrived with his bags and a sour look on his face. He sat down next to Sephera and rested his head on her shoulder. “We should be leaving port in just a few minutes,” he yawned. “I think I’m going to take a nap. I’m exhausted,” he said, winking at Sephera. She rolled her eyes and pushed him down onto the bed.
“I think I will go see if I can find Daegan. Chantry? Care to join me?” she asked.
Chantry's eyes grew as wide as saucers. “Are you sure you don’t want to ask Brenner?” She pointed to the mage next to her, who looked up innocently.
“I think you’ve grown on me, Chantry,” Sephera said slyly. Chantry jumped up excitedly.
“Don’t get too comfortable, now,” Sephera cautioned. “I meant that you’ve grown on me like a case of the pig warts.” Zad chuckled from the bed, and Brenner looked amused.
“I’ll take it!” she said, pulling Sephera into a hug.
“Pig warts,” she murmured affectionately, patting Chantry on the back.
Chantry chattered on about the deck party that was to be thrown the following evening before they reached the City of Light. Sephera sighed. She was going to be trapped on this vessel for almost two days with a bunch of nosy strangers, a horny Zad, a brooding Daegan, and Chantry. The only one she didn’t mind was Brenner. Lovely. The party did sound nice, though. It was going to be a feast, with dancing and music and free-flowing drinks. Sephera wished she had access to her closet back home. Her lips turned up in
pleasure as she thought of her favorite fitted black silk dress. It had a delightful red-dyed border along the bottom hem that made the garment look like it had been dipped in blood. Baleem had given it to her to wear to the king's Autumn Ball in the coming months. She supposed the ball would still be held. If they could get the damned cure.
“Where did you go?” Chantry asked, waving her hand in front of Sephera’s face.
“Hmm?” she mused. “Far away, to the land of fancy clothes and delicious food,” she replied, smiling dreamily.
Chantry’s jaw dropped. “The Lady of Death pines for fancy dresses? How curious.”
Sephera glared at her, “Why? Just because I love the feel of death along my fingertips doesn’t mean I’m not a lady.”
Chantry laughed. “My apologies, mistress,” she said with a mock curtsy.
They looked out at the night sky, the full moon beaming brightly down on the water. The stars stretched like a glittering scarf across the vast expanse. One month ago, she had killed the Shasakar under a full moon such as this.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Sephera remarked. “I feel so safe in the dark. So at home. It gives me strength and hope, like I could conquer the world.”
The ship creaked and drifted away from the dock as a horn sounded three times, signaling their departure.
A man wearing a uniform similar to the attendant she had spoken with earlier tapped her on the shoulder. “Excuse me, miss. Are you Sephera Travelle?” he asked.
“I am,” she replied.
“This was left for you earlier today by a rather surly man.” Chantry let out a laugh, but Sephera didn’t smile. She felt her heart drop. She took the brown paper package and began to unwrap it. Inside she found a single apple and a dagger—Daegan’s dagger. A note written in sprawled handwriting was included.
Buttercup,
You know that I am not the type to beg forgiveness from anyone. Neither are you. But I feel the need to apologize for my behavior earlier. You did not deserve it. I just know that he wants to protect you, to change you, to keep you from reaching your full potential. Do not let anyone, especially him, tell you that your darkness is a thing to be hated and purged, Sephera, because it is not. It is magnificent.
I am sorry to say that I cannot join you on your journey back to the City of Light. However, we will meet again. There are many things I wish to tell you, that I wish I could have told you sooner. But the reasons will become clear soon enough. I know that you want Reina to be the answer to all of this madness so you that you can be free of the darkness. But I fear that this is only just beginning. Fret not. You will make it out of this, though I am not so sure about the rest of us.
Trust your gut and you will be fine, my friend.
Until we meet again,
Your Arrogant Ass
PS- Do not worry about Dorjan. I have him. Pups do not belong on ships.
Sephera clenched her jaw tight and sank down against the wall.
Chantry looked at her curiously. “What is it, Sephera? You look like you are going to be sick.”
Sephera held back angry tears and inhaled deeply before clearing her throat. “Daegan won’t be joining us. He left,” she said, her voice small. She folded up the letter and put it into her pocket. Then she picked up the dagger. It was cool in her hand. Daegan had somehow wrapped a chain around the hilt and fashioned it into a necklace. She could just imagine what he would say: A Lady of Death with such perverse desires ought to never leave her breasts unprotected. She threw the apple at Chantry and stood up. “I’m going to bed,” she muttered and left Chantry, who shrugged and bit into the apple with a crunch.
When Sephera returned to their cabin, Zad was snoring and Brenner was sleeping peacefully on the bed above him. She wrapped the chain around the dagger, pulled the letter from her tunic pocket, and sighed. She placed the necklace into the letter and folded it up, putting it at the bottom of her bag. Daegan was infuriating. She hated him and his sour moods. But that didn’t mean she wanted him gone. He had trusted her with his secrets. She loved their ridiculous, dirty banter and she hated to admit it, but she felt safer when he was with them. She resented how he caused her to lose control of her temper, but his darkness matched her own. He understood her as no one else did. With him, she could take pleasure in a kill without feeling like he was disgusted with her. It was refreshing. She sent a prayer to the Dark gods (did they even exist?) and hoped that wherever Daegan was, he was safe.
CHAPTER 31
Sephera woke around noon and found the cabin empty except for Chantry, who was still sound asleep. She wondered when the willowy girl had crept in last night. Sephera must have fallen asleep before she returned. She glanced at Chantry, who was sleeping with her mouth wide open, drool pooling on her pillow. Her golden hair was pulled into a knot on her head, and her arms and legs were sprawled behind her in what looked to be a rather uncomfortable position. But even in that awkward position, Chantry managed to wear her drool beautifully.
Sephera made her way to the main deck to search for Zad. She wandered into what appeared to be a fancy mess hall, where the ship’s galley crew was serving lemon roasted chicken and dumplings. Helping herself to a large ladle-full, Sephera scarfed down one plate and got another. She moaned in ecstasy. The chicken was so tender and juicy, it melted in her mouth. She washed it down with a pint of pumpkin mead. She grinned as the liquor filled her belly, making her feel warm and relaxed. She was just about to get up and leave when Chantry wandered in. She sat down next to Sephera, who offered her a sip of the mead. Chantry gagged, laying her head down on the table.
“Rough night?” Sephera teased.
“Bugger off,” Chantry breathed, flipping Sephera a rude gesture.
Sephera laughed so hard her stomach began to hurt, which made her laugh even harder. Chantry raised her head to glare at Sephera. Unknowingly, she had rested her head in spilled gravy. Sephera fell off her chair at the sight of Chantry’s beautiful face, covered in grey gravy and dumpling crumbs. She clutched her sides and howled uncontrollably until she had tears in her eyes. Chantry stuck her bottom lip out in mock sadness.
“Oh, gods!” Sephera gasped, still struggling against the convulsions. “Thank you, Chantry, for proving that you too can be human.”
“Glad this blasted hangover could amuse you,” she muttered under her breath.
“Where did you get off to last night anyway? I fell asleep before you returned. When did you get back to the cabin?” Sephera handed her a napkin, stifling another hysterical giggle.
“I was gambling with the crew. And I was winning, too, until the first mate bet double or nothing. The loser had to drink their weight in some goddess-awful concoction of everyone's drinks mixed together. I lost. I should’ve backed out while I was ahead, but it was such an intriguing offer. I couldn’t refuse.” Chantry waved a weak hand in the air.
“So I guess you will not be joining me in getting blasted drunk tonight and dancing till dawn?” Sephera laughed.
“Oh no, you underestimate my abilities, dear friend Sephera. I will most definitely be joining you tonight.” Chantry smiled, her eyes half closed.
“I’ll see you back in the cabin. I’m going to find Zad,” Sephera said, still crowing with laughter as she walked out of the dining hall.
She found him reading a book on the top deck, leaning against the mast.
He looked up when she arrived. “Good morning, gorgeous. You look lovely today.” He smiled, kissing her cheek as she sat down next to him.
She leaned her head on his shoulder. “What are you reading?” she asked. Zad shut his book, and held it out to her. She read the title:
The Shasakar and Other Legendary Creatures
By Amous Roderik
She raised her eyebrows in surprise. “As in King Amous, the one who defeated the Dark Ones?” she asked.
Zad nodded. “The very same.”
She handed the book back to Zad. “Hmm. Find out anything interesting?”
&nb
sp; “No, not really. Most of it is just fictitious tales of a handsome prince rescuing damsels from the clutches of monsters.”
Sephera laughed. “I didn’t know you liked to read fairy tales, Zad. You learn something new every day, I suppose.”
“Oh yes! I’m quite fond of tales where the handsome hero rescues a beautiful maiden from almost certain death.” He laughed, tickling her. She shrieked and made a feeble attempt to push him off. He tickled her more, causing her to fall on her back. Then he started in on her sides.
“STOP, ZAD!” she hooted. “STOP.” Finally, he relented and grabbed her hands. As he pulled her up, he planted a tender kiss on her brow. She smiled. “Are you excited for the celebration tonight?”
Zad put his arm around her, “Am I excited to spend the evening dancing with the most alluring girl in all of Nostorra? Absolutely.”
“Well, then, it's a date. I’m going to find Chantry and get ready. We’ll meet you and Brenner on the main deck tonight,” Sephera said, getting to her feet. “Enjoy your fairytales.” He obediently picked up his book and buried his nose in it, though she saw his eyes ogling her as she walked away.
On her way back to their cabin, Sephera hummed to herself, excited about the evening ahead. They all deserved a night of fun. After all, they were about to save the world. Sephera was determined to forget about all of it, just for the night—Daegan, Reina, her father Gregour, Baleem. If all of them had such an interest in her and her future, then the least they could do was give her the night off.
She met Chantry by the door to their room. She looked cheery and bright, despite her blood-shot eyes. She was chatting away excitedly with a couple of Elite women.
“Sephera! Come here!” she called when she saw her. “This is Charolette and Eviee. They are traveling across the Ballan Sea from Sarilo.”
Sephera smiled politely. “It’s a pleasure,” she said as she stuck out a hand in greeting. “I’ve been to Sarilo a few times. The Rose Fields there are lovely.”