An invisible force was pressing against my hand, and I stared at my palm, shocked. Was I doing this?
Intuitively, I flicked my wrist, and the icicle flew back to its origin. It impaled Ugly’s shoulder, and he let out a rumbling groan.
Relief washed over me, but I was still shaking from the icy tremors. I had to move fast, but my body was sluggish. Gritting my teeth, I pooled my remaining energy and pummeled Ugly with three more wind punches. He staggered back, and I swept my arm through the air as if brushing something aside. The wind, moving at my command, knocked Ugly’s feet out from under him and flipped him over the side of the ship.
“Oh, hell yeah,” I crowed, and gazed down at my hands. These new powers would come in handy.
But I didn’t have long to celebrate. A thick fog crept over the deck, dulling all noise. The quiet was bone chilling, and I tried to peer through the sudden cloud. Was the fog growing thicker? I could see a foot in front of me, maybe two. I shivered, and my lungs burned. My fingers were numb.
A thud vibrated through the deck, and then another from the bow. Or was it the stern? I was totally disoriented.
I inched forward, ready to strike.
Footsteps crunched on the ice-covered deck. They were nearby, but where?
A dark shadow loomed at the edge of my peripheral vision, and an icy claw slashed out. I jumped back, but it ripped into my torso. Cold shot through me. I twisted, wrenching myself from its icy grasp. Dropping, I crawled across the deck, feeling slow and disoriented. With any luck, the fog would conceal me from the devils…
Nope. An icicle embedded into the deck beside me with a jagged crunch.
They could see me. Crap!
“Nevaeh! Where are you?” Damian’s voice sounded so far away.
I staggered to my feet and ran. Well, more like hopped. My ankle felt sprained, my lungs ached, and every step was like fighting through waist-deep water. The mist made it impossible to see, and I crashed into the deck railing, nearly toppling into the abyss below. I clung to the wood, panting as my heart jumped into my throat.
Where were the creatures? Where was Damian?
I shivered.
Out in the depths of the storm, a soft glow wove a path through the fog, as if searching for something. It turned and descended toward me.
I froze, mesmerized by the light. Something about it drew me forward. As it came close, I slowly raised my hand as if I were in a hypnotic trance. When the glow collided with my palm, it disappeared into my skin and sent warmth cascading through my body. The icy tremors stopped, and my lungs no longer burned. I drew in a deep breath with relief. Finally, I could breathe again.
What had just happened? Was this Damian’s magic?
The floating light appeared once more, rising through my palm and into the air, bobbing as if it had a life of its own.
“What are you?” I asked in a hushed voice.
The light hovered in front of my face for a second before splitting into multiple sparks. They zipped off across the deck and burst within the fogbank, illuminating the forms of three ice devils.
“Gotcha.” I summoned the wind to my palm and charged across the deck toward one of the glowing forms. Brightly illuminated by the strange sparks, they couldn’t lurk in the fog now.
The devil heard me and spun, raking the air with his claws. But I had the drop on him, and I ducked low, slamming my hand into his side and releasing a violent surge of energy. The devil shattered in a cloud of ice, which whipped away from me as if caught in a tornado.
Only two left. Probably.
I scanned the deck. A faint light illuminated the area around me. Feeling the hairs on my neck rise, I glanced up to find a haloed ice devil loomed over me in the rigging.
Before I could move, a bowstring twanged, and two radiant arrows soared overhead. The devil exploded, raining tiny shards of ice down on me.
I glanced around but couldn’t see Damian through the fog. It seemed he could see the glowing devils, too, though. Had he illuminated them with his magic? But if that had been his magic, why had it gone into me?
Could it be my magic?
No. Totally unlikely.
The third devil was far astern, locked in combat with Damian. I ran along the deck, trying not to slip on the ice.
I was about to call my magic when the hull of the ship creaked behind me, and I whirled around.
A dark form loomed. Ugly was back.
He lashed out, striking with wicked, icicle-like talons. I dodged and twisted as his claws cut through the air around me.
I wasn’t sluggish anymore. The light had rejuvenated me…somehow. The thrill of combat surged through my veins, pushing me to move faster. I pulled my khanjar from its sheath at my hip. As Ugly struck out with his icy claw, I brought the curved dagger down. His wrist snapped with a crack, and he roared with rage.
I roared back, striking with my dagger, over and over, attacking recklessly. Seeing an opening, he drove his fist into my chest, and I flew backward. The blow knocked the wind out me, and the deadly chill returned.
“Okay, bud. Let’s finish this,” I growled, my breathing straining my frozen lungs.
He charged forward, eyes blazing.
I leapt, and the wind lifted me high into the air, unlike anything I’d managed before. I twisted and let myself drop onto his back, then plunged my khanjar into the base of his skull. His icy form exploded beneath me, but as I was hurled backward among the shards, I stopped myself in midair and slowly sank to the deck.
Silence reigned.
There were no more glowing forms, and the fog was still thick. Adrenaline pulsed through my veins. Or was it magic?
10
In a rage, I called the name of the wind, sending a gust outward from me in all directions to clear the fog away.
Damian stood near the helm, silhouetted against the retreating fog. He leapt down and crossed the deck in seconds. “Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine—thanks to you. You saved me back there.” My arm tingled again.
“You were amazing.” He cocked an eyebrow. “Are you certain you’ve never done this before?”
“I’ve always been able to fight. The wind powers, though…they give me a wicked edge.”
Damian smiled. “You’re a fast learner.”
“Not a lot of options.” I sheathed my blade, and gestured to his smoking sword. “That’s a hell of a weapon. I need find a spell that will let me dismiss my khanjar like that.”
With a snap of his wrist, Damian dismissed the blade into a ribbon of smoke. “I forged it. It’s a part of me, for better or worse.”
“You made it?”
Something flashed in his eyes, but I couldn’t read it. He set his jaw and turned to stare out over the railing at the sky beyond. “I was a smith, once. A long time ago.”
Well, that explained his physique.
Not much else.
Blood plastered his shirt to his side. “You’re hurt. Can you heal yourself?”
He glanced down at his wound and frowned. “Their weapons must be poisoned. The spear tip is still inside.”
So his magic had its limits. Noted.
I opened my mouth, but the captain burst onto the deck, cutting off my words. “Blessed winds! You’ve saved the ship.” He took my hands in his. “Thank you, thank you. We wouldn’t have survived the storm without your help. These foul ice raiders are a blight on the skies. Is there anything I can do to repay your kindness?”
I looked at Damian and back at the captain. “Do you have somewhere we can clean up?”
“Yes, yes. You will take my cabin. It’s yours.”
I nodded.
“When will we reach port?” Damian asked.
“Tomorrow morning. But we will dock early at a port in Capri. I’m afraid we can’t risk going on to Azura like this.” The captain gestured up at the sails. One of them was torn and whipped in the wind. “Capri is only a couple hours from Azura. I’m sure you can hire a boat to take you the rest of yo
ur journey.”
The storm clouds were behind us now, and the sky was bright, the sun warm.
The captain led us to his cabin below. It was small but comfortable, with a single bed, a table, and a chair. Light streamed in through a pair of paned windows positioned at the stern.
“You must join us and the crew for dinner,” he said as he turned to leave. “Join us in the mess hall when the watch changes.”
“Thank you. We’ll be there,” I said.
Damian set his pack down and took off his jacket. He wore a black, fitted, long-sleeved shirt, which he pulled over his head in one quick motion.
Sweet fates, he was gorgeous.
His fair skin was smooth like sculpted marble. His muscles were…big. Not bodybuilder big, but chiseled to perfection. My eyes followed the indentations on his lower back. What were those called? Dimples of Venus? What a ridiculous name. Whatever they were, they invited my gaze as they disappeared under his belt.
He turned just then, noticing my stare. His eyes looked brighter now, a forest green.
My cheeks blazed, and I crossed to a small table, filling a ceramic basin with water from a squat jug. I took a small towel, dipped it in the water, and tried to steady my emotions as I wrung it out. Get a hold of yourself, Neve.
Damian had pulled out a first aid kit from his pack and held a pair of tweezers.
“Let me do it,” I said.
He paused, his expression serious, then handed me the tweezers.
I took them and bent to inspect the wound. The gash was deep, and the skin looked inflamed. I couldn’t see the tip of the spear.
I looked up at him. “You ready?”
He nodded, observing me closely.
I put my hand on his torso to brace myself. He twitched at my touch, which sent goosebumps up my back.
Focus.
Carefully, I inserted the tweezers into the wound until I felt a clink. Damian didn’t so much as flinch from the pain.
“There it is.” I pinched the tip and pulled as steadily as I could manage under the circumstances. It probably wasn’t the best way to get the damn thing out, but we weren’t flush with options.
Damian’s jaw tensed as the object came out. The tip was a good two inches long.
Still clamping it with the tweezers, I unlatched the window and threw it outside.
“Thanks,” Damian said, his voice as smooth as honey. The wound on his side slowly knit itself together until the skin was unblemished.
“Wow,” I said, watching him heal. “That was fast.”
Damian slowly stepped toward me, his eyes locked on mine. “Where are you hurt?”
“Umm...” I took a step back, bumped the table, and turned my focus to the pain in my body. “Everywhere.”
He was only a few inches in front of me, and he radiated heat.
“Here?” He gently touched my forehead, where an ice shard had sliced me. Its sting faded under his magic.
I was suddenly aware of my breathing. My pulse raced, and my chest rose and fell rapidly. Too rapidly.
Damian, however, appeared as cool as a cucumber. He smiled and put his hand on the side of my torso. “Here?” His eyes didn’t leave mine.
I nodded. A pulsing warmth flowed through his hands, and the throbbing of my bruised ribs subsided, only to be replaced by an aching heat in my lower belly.
“Better?”
Again, I nodded. My eyes fell to his lips. I wanted to taste him. Badly.
He leaned in but stopped short of my mouth. What was he waiting for?
My senses suddenly came flooding back like little alarm bells waking me up from a drunken stupor. My hand flew to his chest. It was solid and—
Stop that, Neve.
I pushed him back and scooted off the edge of the table. “We’d better go. It’s time for dinner,” was all I could manage.
Damn, I felt like a giddy schoolgirl. I had never been so flustered with a guy before, and I had seen my share of guys. What was it about him? His sinfully sexy body and gorgeous looks, obviously. But there was something else. Something deeper and less obvious. Maybe it was because he was off limits and extremely dangerous. A fallen angel, for fates’ sake. Someone I couldn’t get tangled up with—not without risking my career.
We cleaned up and headed to the mess deck. Damian secured the cabin door with a charm so nobody but us could enter.
A cheer erupted as we stepped into the room. The jovial crew sat around a long table. The captain stepped forward and handed us two mugs of what looked like a dark ale. I accepted one gratefully, needing something to take the edge off.
“Cheers!” the crew shouted.
I raised my glass. “Cheers!”
I took a swig. It was warm and malty, and if nothing else, it slaked my thirst. My drink of choice was gin, but this would do in a pinch.
We dined with the crew on a substantial meal consisting of steamed rice and some type of delicious spiced meat. The sailors were much more interested in me than in Damian, naturally. We shared stories of demons and devils, and they asked me about my life. Clearly, being a half djinn made me a curiosity. I had spent my life hiding my ancestry, yet these sailors knew just by looking at me—and revered me for it. It was liberating to let my guard down, if only in the realm, if only for a meal. My cheeks flushed. Was I glowing?
A few glanced at my new white tattoo. Did they know something I didn’t?
And that wasn’t the only thing they glanced at.
I caught Damian’s gaze a few times throughout dinner. Was that jealousy I saw? I hid the slight smile that crept over my lips.
The hour grew late, and exhaustion tugged at me. I turned to Damian and nodded toward our cabin. We rose and bid farewell to our new friends, then made our way to the stern. Thank fates that there was a bed waiting for me.
Wait a second.
We would be sharing a room. With only one bed. A tiny bed. A flutter of nerves rose in my stomach.
Damian unlocked the security charm on the door and opened it for me. It was still bright outside—the sun never seemed to set—but he drew the curtains. “You take the bed. I’ll sleep on the floor,” he offered. His demeanor was in stark contrast to his earlier mood, when he couldn’t seem to take his hands off me. I felt slightly dejected, but why? I hadn’t wanted this…right?
“At least take a pillow and blanket,” I said.
He accepted only the pillow. “Thanks, but I tend to run hot.”
Suddenly, I was running hot.
I sat on the bed and unlaced my boots, trying to vanquish the image I’d conjured: me sitting on the table, him pressed against me, wrapping me in his arms. I swallowed hard. It wasn’t working. I needed to change the subject, and fast.
“I meant to ask—how did you illuminate those ice devils?”
“What do you mean?” Damian raised an eyebrow.
“When we went into the fog bank, it got so hazy I couldn’t see them. A floating light—like a little softly glowing spark—dropped down from the sky and lit the bastards up with a radiant halo. It seemed like your magic.”
He looked confused, watching me closely. “That wasn’t me, though I saw it, too. I thought it was something you did.”
“Huh. Nope. That definitely wasn’t my power.” I didn’t mention how the light had warmed and rejuvenated me. Apparently, there were a lot of things here that I didn’t understand.
I climbed under the sheets and fell into a deep and fitful sleep. I dreamed of ice devils and of that strange glowing light, as well as the old bird-woman who taught me to fly.
And Damian.
We were standing on the stone square from yesterday. He faced me, his eyes darker than I’d ever seen them. The wind picked up and swirled around us. My hair tousled in the gusts. Terror shot through me, but…why?
I sensed his energy, and it felt dark. His aura flickered between a dark green glow and a fiery red.
Suddenly, I was paralyzed, locked into position. His gaze intensified, and I felt a cripp
ling pain. I would have collapsed, but I was frozen in place.
My magic surged inside of me, as if amassing into a ball in my chest. I screamed but couldn’t make a sound.
Damian reached his hand out, and I craned my neck in agony. I screamed again, and a terrible noise burst from my throat. It wasn’t my voice, though. It was the energy inside, rushing out in a torrent and shooting upward in a blinding column.
Then it was gone, and I was left wasted.
Empty.
As my soul rose into the heavens, I saw Damian below, glowing with a new aura.
My aura.
11
I woke to Damian nudging my shoulder, and I jumped. “Neve. Wake up,” he said. “You’re having a nightmare.”
I recoiled at his touch. I could still feel the dream. It was so vivid. So real.
“Yeah. Sorry, I just had a bad dream,” I said, trying to shrug off the sick feeling in my stomach.
“Ice devils?”
“Uh…yeah.” That was partially true. I got up and splashed some water on my face, but my thoughts remained foggy.
I opened the window for fresh air. A small speck of an island floated in the distance. Capri?
“We’re about an hour away.” Damian held up the piece of the lamp he was using to track the djinn with his seeker magic and gestured at the blue expanse. “I have a strong bearing now—the djinn is out there, somewhere close. Do you think you can fly for an hour or two? It would be better if we could take off from here and avoid Capri.”
I thought for a second. Could I fly? I mean, I had practiced hovering. I had also levitated over the ice devil last night.
“Maybe?”
“Well, we’ll try. If you run into trouble, I’ll catch you.” His perfect lips pulled up into a devilishly sinful smile. “But first, I’ll find us some breakfast. We’ll leave after that.”
I nodded, and he left the room.
I couldn’t kick the knot in the pit of my stomach. It was just a dream. But that image of Damian standing before me, paralyzing me with some unseen force, still haunted me. It was different than what he’d done to the thief in the market. This time, it was as if he’d been draining my power, wrenching the life force out of me.
Wicked Wish (Dragon's Gift: The Storm Book 1) Page 7