by Apryl Baker
“You’re not far from the truth.” Tobias lifted his own eyes from the water below to the sky above. “We could probably break free from this second test, but that would be our exit from the Crucible. We’d be free, but where would that leave us? Roaming the ocean and further from Atlantis than ever.”
“So we continue on toward God knows what.” Stephen shook his head. He ignored Tobias’ glare as he chugged down a few more heavy gulps from his bottle. “The things we do to ourselves, right?”
Stephen didn’t wait for a reply. Instead, he stumbled back across the ship’s deck and below to his cramped bunk. He barely remembered falling into bed, and he didn’t remember finishing the bottle at all. He would remember his dream when he awoke.
***
In his dream, Stephen was standing in front of her door at the Academy. It was after another long, grueling day of drilling. The cadets were given the rest of the night off to do as they liked. Stephen and Val had decided to spend it together, going into the town of Tarvan to enjoy one another’s company.
It was this thought that had made the day bearable for Stephen. Each morning he toiled, studied, and pushed himself along because he knew there was an end to the day. An end that meant time with the woman he was growing to love, the woman who—looking back—he was in love with already.
Stephen knocked on her door, barely able to contain his excitement at seeing her. A female voice belonging to Val’s roommate answered from the other side. “Come in, Stephen. She’s in the shower.”
“How did you know it was me?” Stephen gave her a crooked grin as he let himself into the girls’ room.
Val’s roommate, Nancy, was looking at herself in a nightstand mirror as she applied makeup in anticipation of her own night out. “Please, you’re over so often I’ve practically memorized your knock.”
Stephen took a seat on Val’s bed, enjoying her familiar scent. Youth and first love had taken a strong hold on him in those early years, and even being in Val’s room seemed exciting to him.
Val and Nancy’s room was small like all the other shared quarters at the Academy. Two beds, two dressers, and two desks with chairs rounded out the furniture. A closed door leaking steam marked the restroom.
“You really need to get this whole puppy dog thing under control.” Nancy jerked Stephen from his thoughts. She grabbed a jacket resting on her chair. “I’m off for the night. You two kids be good.”
“We will,” Stephen said with a wave.
The door closed behind Nancy at the same time Val stepped from the shower. Wrapped in a towel with the mist billowing behind her, she looked like a ship on her maiden voyage cutting through mist and fog.
This was where things began to fade. One moment he was in her room, the next he was alone. Not even a note marked her departure from the Academy, from him.
She was just gone, and with her, a piece of his heart he would never—could never—get back. It burned him so deeply he could feel it in his soul, in the way only a first love could break a man. Stephen was broken and would never be the same again.
Stephen woke, still drunk, feeling the same unbearable panic he had when he first realized Val had left him.
Chapter Nine
Weeks. That was what it felt like to Valeria. It felt like they had been traveling this single, solitary path for weeks on end. It was difficult to keep track of time. Day never bled into night. Constant blue skies were their companion as they rode along the wind. Most of the crew was unnerved, barely able to sleep because the sunshine played across their faces when the kiss of night should have touched them. Even Valeria found herself restless when she tried to slumber, often waking with an uneasy feeling. Trapped like rats in a never-ending maze, only there was one path available to them. Tedious. It wore on them all.
Tobias made her practice using her magic daily. She got stronger, able to do more and more powerful feats. The man seemed to take pride in her abilities. More than just a teacher would, and it often made her wonder if there was something he still hadn’t told her. He kept his own confidence, not willing to share much of his past with any of them. Whenever she brought up the subject, he changed it.
Atlantis. She chuckled to herself as she walked along the deck, checking on the crew. A fairytale. She’d grown up on the stories, but had never believed in it until the night she’d met the old sailor who’d recognized her as a fellow Atlantian. After having been cast aside by her family because of her illegitimate status, she’d craved a family. Someone whose blood called out to her own. She’d set herself and her crew on a quest to track down every single legend about the fabled city. Along the way, they’d gotten themselves a small fortune, but that never mattered to her. She just wanted a home.
It wasn’t until the first trial she’d realized how stupid she’d been. Craving a family, people who loved her, when she’d had it all this time. Her crew. Sure, she’d called them family, but it wasn’t until that moment, when she’d faced the thought of killing them, that she’d realized just how much of a family they were. She’d let her need for blood relatives blind her to what really mattered. Family wasn’t about the blood that coursed through you; it was about time, effort, and love. It was about loyalty and the willingness to do anything for the people who mattered, the people who stood by you through the worst of life and the best of life.
That wasn’t to say she didn’t need to see Atlantis, to see where she came from. Every person alive had the incessant need to know their history. A human instinct to know your past, your heritage. She came from one of the most mysterious cities ever to cross the pages of any book. A city straight out of mythology. The stuff of legends. Even those on the crew who were frightened had her same sense of adventure and were eager to explore the fabled city. Some were even bigger adrenaline junkies than Valeria was. She chose them because of that thrill-seeking trait in their personalities. Kindred spirits. They would enjoy Atlantis as much as she would.
“You look lost in your thoughts.”
Stephen’s deep rumble startled her enough to jump. He always did have a habit of sneaking up on her like a cat stalking its prey. Sometimes she’d felt like prey when it came to this man. Not that he’d mistreated her. On the contrary, he’d been the first decent man she’d met. Someone who treated her as an equal despite her background. He’d made her feel as important as anyone else, her parentage be damned.
“You know I hate it when you sneak up on me.” She didn’t turn to look at him. She didn’t need to. She could feel the questions vibrating off him.
He came to stand beside her, his hands gripping the railing. “I hate it when you sneak off in the middle of the night without so much as a goodbye.”
A sigh rolled through her. She’d wondered how long it would be before he started asking her things she had no desire to speak of. Things that would only cause them both a great deal of pain.
“I’m sorry about your crew.” She turned sideways to face him, but not quite meeting his eyes. “I meant to tell you that earlier, but with everything that’s gone on, I just didn’t find the right moment.”
“Thank you for that, Valeria, but stop dodging the question.” Anger laced his words.
“You didn’t ask me a question.” She closed her eyes, trying to stop the myriad of memories flooding her.
A frustrated growl left him. “Let’s not play games, you and I. Don’t you think you at least owe me an explanation?”
“Yes, Stephen, you deserve an explanation, but…”
He grabbed her by the arms and hauled her around to face him. “No buts, Rhee. You ran off and left me in the middle of the night!”
“Let me go.” She put force into the command, and he automatically released her, soldier that he was. Valeria rubbed the sting out of her upper arms. Her crew looked up, curious and concerned. She gave them a wave that said back to work—she had it handled. “Follow me.”
Valeria pushed away from the railing then made her way back down below deck to her cabin, Stephen right
behind her. He closed the door, much as he had that first day he’d stepped on board The Emerald Queen. She took a seat behind her desk and motioned for him to sit in one of the two chairs.
“In here, you can say to me whatever you wish, Stephen, but outside these walls, I am Emerald, captain of this ship. You will address me as such.”
“A bloody pirate, Rhee?” The incredulity on his face spoke volumes.
“Yes, a bloody pirate.” She pulled out a bottle of bourbon and two glasses. Handing Stephen a drink, she downed her own before refilling the glass. She needed as much liquid courage as she could get. “One that you can’t manhandle in front of the crew.”
“I wasn’t manhandling…”
“You were,” she cut him off. “I know you’re angry, but some rules of conduct cannot be broken. You, of all people, I’d expect to understand that.”
He gritted his teeth. “Why would I give you the same courtesy as I would a captain of the Royal Navy? We hunt your kind down and bring them to justice, Valeria.”
She laughed, the bitterness creeping in. “I don’t expect you to understand my choices, Stephen. They were mine, not yours. It doesn’t reflect upon you.”
He barked out a harsh laugh. “Is that what you think I’m angry about? How your actions might make me look?”
No, she knew that wasn’t what he was mad about, but she nodded just the same. “Aren’t you?”
“No, Rhee, that’s not why I’m angry. I’m angry because you left, walked away from me, from us, without a thought. I thought we mattered, that we meant something to each other.”
“We did.” She downed another shot of bourbon. “It’s more complicated than that, Stephen. There were things I couldn’t tell you, things I tried to tell you, but you never wanted to understand.”
“Then explain it to me now.” He slammed his glass on her desk, the rage dancing in his eyes. “Explain to me why the woman I loved walked out on me.”
Valeria cringed away from the hurt in his voice. It had nearly crippled her heart when she’d left, so she’d never let herself think about what it might have done to him. She’d always assumed he’d meant more to her than she to him. After all, she was just a bastard child and he was a noble, related to the royal family that ruled all of DeCadia.
“I met a man who told me about the mark on my back, what it meant. He gave me hope of finding the family I’d always wanted. Of having a home. I needed that back then. I still do, to a certain extent. I couldn’t look for that while I was bound to the Navy. I needed money too, a lot of it. Neither could be had in the Royal Navy.” She filled both their glasses again. “You know I joined up to get away from my past, but I didn’t realize they’d own me for the rest of my life or that I had no hope of advancing through the ranks. I wanted my own ship.”
“I remember. We both dreamed of captaining our own ships one day.”
“It was a possibility for you, Stephen, but not for me, because of my background. When I wanted out, I couldn’t afford the buyout. I would never have been able to afford to buy my way out. I told you all this, and you just waved it away like it was inconsequential.”
“It was.” His voice quieted, some of the anger lessening. “I bought your freedom for you, Valeria. I know how much it meant to you. I came to hand you your freedom, only to find you’d snuck off like a thief in the night. I wasn’t too far from the truth, was I?”
Val closed her eyes. She heard what he’d done for her a few years later from an old friend. She owed him a great debt, one she’d never asked for. “I never wanted anyone to do that, especially not you.”
“Why not me?”
She took a deep breath to steady her nerves. “You bought my debt, Stephen. You own me now. Can’t you understand why I wouldn’t want that? You’re a nobleman. What you did made me your slave, for all intents and purposes!”
“Did you think so little of me?” He leaned forward, eyes narrowed. “I would never have done that to you. I had planned on giving you your papers so you’d never be owned by anyone. I loved you. I didn’t want to own you. I wanted to marry you!” His voice rose with each word until he was shouting at her.
What? Her mind reeled and she sat there, blinking. He’d wanted to marry her? But he couldn’t, not as a member of the ruling family. They’d have had her drawn and quartered first.
“It wouldn’t have worked.” Her voice came out hollow, a hint of pain edging the surface of it. “Your family…”
“My family be damned, woman. I loved you. Not some silly girl whose only concern was her wardrobe. All I wanted was you.”
“You would never have left the Navy, Stephen, to follow me across the world searching for a legend.” He had wanted to marry her?
“You’ll never know the answer to that question, Valeria, because you didn’t ask me.” His eyes were haunted, blurred with pain and regret.
Tears burned and she dropped her head. He was right. She hadn’t given him a chance. She’d made the decision for them both. “So where does that leave us now?”
“You’re a pirate, Rhee, and I’m a captain in the Royal Navy. Where do you think that leaves us?”
“I…”
The door burst open, cutting her off. Lukas stood there, his face grim. “We just found three crew members dead.”
Chapter Ten
“Dead” was an understatement. The bodies were found in the supply room located deep below deck, near the stern of the ship. The supply room was a wide chamber full of everything a crew would need on a long journey. Items ranging from hardtack to rope to ammunition were stacked expertly to ensure that every inch of the room was used to its capacity.
When Stephen arrived alongside Val and Lukas, a group had already gathered outside the supply room. To their credit, they had not disturbed the scene of the crime. A series of grim expressions from the hardened sailors told Stephen to prepare himself for what he was about to see.
Stephen had witnessed his fair share of battles in the sky, policing DeCadia. He would have nightmares for the rest of his life from images of seeing bodies blown in half, hangings, and much more. Nothing he’d experienced in the past could have prepared him for what they found in that room.
The dead bodies didn’t resemble bodies anymore. Limbs, severed heads, intestines, all still leaking blood, were scattered around as if whatever fiend had done this took pleasure in its work. The entire floor was smeared with blood to such an extent it was hard to remember the original color of the wooden boards. More splatter patterns decorated the wall alongside bits of innards.
“These bodies are still fresh.” Val stared at the carnage, her expression empty. She was doing her best to control the anger in her voice, but Stephen knew her too well not to hear the hint of rage. “Who discovered the bodies? When?”
“I did, just moments ago,” Lukas answered his captain. “I came to take stock of our foodstuffs when I found this.”
Their conversation continued in the background as Stephen maneuvered around the cramped room, careful not to disturb the carnage. Far from any kind of inspector, Stephen knew how to match a weapon with the wound it would inflict. Whoever or whatever had torn apart these people had done so with no kind of weapon Stephen had ever seen.
No holes through clothes or flesh marked the passing of bullets. Likewise, no slice or cleaving lines spoke of bladed weapons used in the murders. All Stephen could guess was that these bodies were somehow pulled apart. But that was no answer to what had happened. How much strength would have been needed to pull a person’s arm from its socket?
“This be a sign, I’m telling you,” Stephen heard one of the sailors standing in the crowd mutter. “We should turn back. This ain’t natural. This be the work of dark magic.”
“Steady yourself,” Stephen said over his shoulder, his years of leading his own crew kicking in. “We’ll find who did this.”
A month ago, a statement about magic would have made Stephen roll his eyes. Magic belonged in stories for small children, no
t in the real world. But after seeing what Tobias and Val could do with magic, was it really out of the question?
From the corner of his eye, Stephen saw Val and Lukas also examining the remains. For the most part, it seemed the two were as confused as he was regarding who or what the guilty party could be.
“Who could have killed three people so brutally?” Lukas nudged a leg with the tip of his sword. “No one heard the struggle. This had to be done quickly. If I hadn’t come down here, who knows how long the bodies would have gone undiscovered.”
“It’s like…” Stephen paused, standing erect with his hands crossed over his chest. He couldn’t believe he was about to voice this insane thought.
“It’s like they were pulled apart.” Val finished his thought for him. “But who has the strength to do something like this?”
One person came to mind. Whether it was his own bias against the Dragon or logic telling him she was the only suspect, Stephen couldn’t tell. He had no love for Ryder, but neither could he see her ripping apart members of their crew, not after she had saved them.
“As much as I hate to say this,” Lukas said with guilt clear in his eyes, “Ryder still possesses an incredible amount of strength, even in her human form.”
“Ryder?” Val shook her head and squatted to examine a severed arm. “Why would she flee with us, save us, only to turn on us later? It doesn’t make any sense.”
Instead of answering the question, Stephen walked toward Val and knelt beside her. His eyes had also noticed the piece of cloth clutched in the severed arm’s hand.
Without pause, Val reached forward, bending back the stiff, chalky fingers. Inside the death grip was a section of torn purple fabric, the same fabric and hue as Ryder’s dress.
Val took a deep breath before exchanging a knowing look with Stephen. “Let’s go talk to her.”