Which didn’t take long. He was on deck, next to Sancha, while the tall, ethereally beautiful woman straightened the collar of his shirt and jacket that had gotten rumpled from some activity.
“Best be careful, Captain. You almost fell overboard.”
Du snorted. “Water’s the least of what concerns me. Besides, Kalder would have fished me out.”
Mara didn’t miss the way Sancha’s hand stayed a little longer on Duel’s chest than what was necessary to fix his collar. Or the hunger in the woman’s eyes as she smiled up at him and brushed her hand down his arm to smooth the jacket down more.
As if sensing her presence, Du looked up and caught her gaze, which must have betrayed her irritation. At least the questioning expression on his face said he had a good idea that she was less than happy about their exchange.
And apparently their close proximity, as he quickly stepped back from Sancha and gruffly cleared his throat. Adjusting his somber cuff, he came over to Mara.
“Is there a problem?”
Aye, but she wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of stating it out loud. He was arrogant enough already.
Worse? She had a sudden, inexplicable urge to duplicate Sancha’s actions with Du’s standing collar, even though there was nothing amiss with it at present. “Nay. I only wanted to thank you.”
Her gratitude appeared to embarrass him. “Nothing to thank me for. If you’ll excuse me…” He moved past her to speak with William.
Mara started to call him back, but that would be cruel given her earlier words to him when he’d offered her friendship—perhaps even more—and she’d returned it with rude enmity.
Now she mentally kicked herself for that stupidity. Why had she never noticed before just how handsome he was? How caring he could be whenever he chose it?
Instead, she’d focused solely on his short temper. His caustic ways with those he didn’t care for, and the fact that he was extremely reclusive. But then, given his mixed heritage, she couldn’t blame him for the latter. His parents had saddled him with a horrible secret. One wrong move and his Aesir brethren would have cut his throat to claim the other half of his blood.
The Deruvians would have been no better. Indeed, what had they done to him and his family? Killed his sister and slain him while his guard had been down.
Vine had slit his throat, then cut out his heart to use for spells.
Which made her curious.…
She rushed back to his side. “How did you die?”
Du stepped back from the rigging he was examining to scowl at her. “Pardon?”
“How did Vine kill you?”
“You were there. I’m told you lived half a day before your curse took your life along with mine.”
That wasn’t entirely true and they both knew it. Somehow, Duel had managed a spell that had first elongated her life and then cast her to sleep while he’d been dead. A spell he must have done long before Vine had cut his throat and never mentioned to anyone.
Not even her.
She still remembered how shocked she’d been to find out about his death and learn that she maintained her own life for those precious few hours he’d provided. To this day, she had no idea how he’d done it. What magick he possessed that had trumped hers.
Or why he’d cared enough to bother.
“Aye, but if you’re…” She glanced around to make sure no one could overhear them. When she spoke, it was in a whispered tone. “… one of us, how could you die by Vine’s hand?”
He leaned down to whisper back. “It was my third death. And I was reborn.”
“I don’t understand.”
He let out a bitter laugh. “I placed you under a sleep spell to keep you from knowing that I came back. But I was reborn on the other side. It’s why I changed my name. As you know, on the fourth reincarnation, if we’ve gained enough powers and mastered enough skills, we are transformed. In such rare cases, never do we keep the name our mothers gave us.”
Her heart sank to her feet at that revelation.
Dear gods …
“You’re a coryn,” she breathed. It was the status they all prayed to attain. The most powerful of their kind. A sorcerer of unparalleled strength and abilities. Wiser than wise and virtually invincible.
“Better. I’m a corymeister.” His eyes turned vibrant red.
Gasping, she stepped away. “Why did you bring me back?” With those powers, he could have kept her asleep forever.
His gaze dropped to her lips, and the hunger in those red depths was terrifying. “I told you, Mara. I wanted you with me.” He lifted his gaze to lock onto hers. “I realize now that you’re one mistake I can’t afford to have at my back. It’s why I expect you to be gone in the morning.”
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll seek my sister?”
He laughed bitterly. “Tell her. It changes nothing, except my feelings toward you, and since you don’t care about those … it affects no matter of any great import. Whether she knows or not, the end remains the same. I will see her dead and scattered.” With those words spoken, he left her again.
Mara ground her teeth as Belle approached her.
“Trouble with the captain?”
Indeed, and yet … “Nothing new.”
Belle jerked her chin toward him. “Except you see him now, whereas you didn’t before.”
“Pardon?” she gasped.
She smiled at Mara. “You know me, mum. I see right through you both.”
“Then tell me how this ends.”
Belle tsked at her. “That I can’t do, Marcelina. Only you can. Our lives are always only up to us.” She glanced at the Deadman’s Cross on her wrist and ran her fingers over it. “As is our damnation.” Then she cut a sideways glance toward Duel. “And sometimes our salvation. What we seek is always what we find.”
Mara didn’t speak as Belle went over to speak to Rosie. The wind from the sea whipped across the deck, bringing a chill with it as they sped along their way over the hostile, unforgiving black waters that hid many secrets.
Just like she did. Like all of the passengers who were currently sheltered under her boards.
Her sister had offered her much for a bit of Duel’s flesh.
Nay, for his heart.
Her bargain with Vine had seemed a simple one. But now …
She rubbed her hand over her necklace and the warmth that came from having her harthfret again.
You hate him. You know you do.
Yet if that were true, why was she having to attempt to convince herself of it?
* * *
Devyl tried to ignore the pair of eyes he could feel on him. If only that was the part of her he wanted touching his flesh.
Damn it.
He had no one to blame for Mara’s hatred and resentment of him but himself. Nor could he blame her for it. It was better than he deserved, all things considered.
Still, he couldn’t keep his rampant thoughts steady to the course. The sooner he removed her from this crew, the safer they’d all be.
“Captain?”
He glanced over his shoulder to see Bart eyeing him. “What can I do for you, Mr. Meers?”
“Sallie’s soul has gone missing again.”
With an irritated grimace, he turned to face Bart. “Am I captain or the nursemaid of small children?”
“Apparently, you’d be both.” He flashed a sarcastic smile at Devyl.
Growling at the aggravation, he handed his spyglass to Bart. “Batten down, Mr. Meers. There’s a storm headed in. Secure the deck and sails. It’ll be a heavy squall.”
Bart looked up at the sky. “You sure? It’s as clear as it can be.”
“Won’t be within the hour. Trust me.”
“Aye, aye, Captain.”
As Devyl neared his cabin before he dealt with Sallie’s soul, he felt Thorn’s presence there. Or at least the remnants of it. Curious about the visit, he stepped inside to find a map pinned to his desk with four very specific kinds of
Your ex-bitch and her pack of demons can be found here. Guard your back, my brother. They will be gunning for you.
The Sarim send their best to you. Claim they’ll come should you call. Wouldn’t bet on that, but you can always try.
You know where I am.
TTUYA
Devyl actually laughed at the signature, which stood for “The Thorn Up Your Arse.” He’d give the demon credit. Thorn was even more antagonistic than he was.
He strangely liked that in a person. Liked it even more in a demon.
Prying the dagger loose, he glanced over the map. Then cursed and rolled his eyes as he saw where they’d be heading.
Meropis. He should have guessed that on his own. What better place to put a gate to a hell dimension?
Perfect. Just futtocking perfect.
A chill went up his spine. Not from the location, rather, there was a breach he felt. Cocking his head, he listened carefully.
He’d just about convinced himself that he was being paranoid when all of a sudden he caught the scent of the beasts that had crept on board, under their collective Sights.
Water sprites.
Shit! Grabbing a dagger, he rushed to let the others know before they were sent to the bottom of the ocean, compliments of Vine.
13
Cameron was talking to Kalder when a bit of the sea came up over the side of the ship. At first, she thought it nothing more than the usual spray.
Until the water took on the form of a muscled man. Then it quickly formed armor over his aquatic skin.…
Her jaw slack, she felt the blood heat up in her veins. Kalder turned, then called to the others as he dove for the creature. The moment he touched it, his body changed over to his merman features.
William, Rosie, and Kat unsheathed their swords to lend a hand. But before they could, more creatures came over the side in slick tidal waves.
Valynda grabbed her arm. “We need to get belowdecks. Fast!”
“What are those?”
“Water sprites.”
Cameron had never heard of such. “And how do you fight them?”
“With a great deal of skill … there’s a split instant when they solidify into flesh to attack. It’s a blink of an eye and the only time they’re vulnerable.”
Cameron saw what she meant when one went after Kalder. It rose up for him and just as Valynda described, it became flesh for only the merest heartbeat. Kalder quickly jabbed his sword into its chest right as it turned solid. With a fierce, ear-piercing shriek, it exploded into a gory mess and rolled across the deck.
She started forward to help, until another wave manifested in front of her. It rose up like a skeletal monster and turned toward her with fangs bared.
It reached out with a clawed hand.
Too petrified to move, she froze as it reached for her.
Just as it would have seized her, a sword went through its middle. Like the other, it exploded into a bloody mess to show her the captain who’d speared it. “You all right, Miss Jack?”
“Aye, sir.”
“Then you’d best be getting below.” He turned to fight another.
Mesmerized, she watched him as he took down two more with expert skill—one right before it would have killed Kat.
He was amazing. At least until one of the masts came free and slammed into him, an instant before two of the sprites sank their fangs into his flesh.
Kalder and William rushed to his side to fight the sprites off. Time seemed suspended as she expected the captain to be swept over the deck by the waves of attackers. Yet a heartbeat before he would have been taken into the sea, the side of the ship rose up to cradle him and hold him fast from their grasp. It took her a moment to realize that it was Marcelina as the ship who was now fighting off the sprites and protecting the crew.
But why had she waited to stop them?
Belle let out a chant. One that was taken up by Janice. Then Rosie. Together, their voices caused a shield to go up over the ship to protect it and block the sprites from accessing their decks.
Only then did Bart and William lift the captain from the deck and carry him between them toward his cabin.
Cameron and Valynda followed, intending to help. Though to be honest, Cameron didn’t know much about medicine or doctoring. A bloody nose or black eye were the worst injuries either she or Paden had ever suffered at home.
“The captain can’t die, right?” she asked them.
Valynda screwed her face up at Cameron’s question. “Technically true.”
“Technically?”
“While we can’t be killed the way a person can, we can be deported back to where we came from.”
“Meaning?”
“Remember what we told you about Thorn? How he could revoke our pass and return us to the hells he saved us from?”
“Aye.”
Valynda drew her brows together into a deep fret. “He’s not the only one who can do that. Other creatures have that ability, too. Problem is, we don’t always know which ones we’re fighting against what can do it. Until it’s too late for us.”
William sighed as he pulled the covers over Captain Bane. “And sometimes the process of being pulled back looks an awful lot like this.” He jerked his chin toward Devyl.
Bart nodded in silent agreement.
“Is there anything we can do?” Cameron asked them.
“Pray,” they said in unison.
Marcelina entered the cabin and quickly shooed them out.
Cameron hesitated in the doorway. She wasn’t sure why, but something inside her was unsettled. “Mum? Why did you wait so long to help the captain fight against the water sprites?”
“I thought he had the matter well handled.”
She narrowed her gaze on the older woman. For reasons she couldn’t quite name, she wasn’t sure if she could believe a word of that.
Mara arched her brow as she sensed a change in Cameron. A darkness inside her that hadn’t been there before. A sudden mistrust. “You have something more to say?”
“Why do you hate him so?”
“For reasons you’d best be glad you can’t fathom. I’ve seen a side of him that is inconceivable to one of your inexperience.”
“I’m not near as naïve as you be thinking, mum.” Cameron glanced back to the bed and frowned. “None is perfect. ’Tis what me mum always said. When first she met me da, he was hiding from the law. ’Twas what brought us to America, after years of living in terror of being found, and their fear of what would become of me and Paden should the law find me da over there. They’d have hung him in England as sure as I’m standing here. So they changed their names and left all they knew to protect him so that we could start fresh.”
“Is there a point to this story?”
“Aye,” she said sharply. “He got his own brother and me mum’s killed during a robbery what went bad in London. For that, she hated him. Yet she knew her brother had loved him as his friend and so she didn’t turn him in when he came wounded to her to hide.”
Cameron paused a moment before she continued. “As me dear father used to say, we can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark, but the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. When we refuse to see the truth that lies before us because facing it is too hard and scary for us. Because when we acknowledge that light, then we see the monsters the dark no longer hides and we are honor bound to do something to stop them. It’s easy to lock your heart with hatred. But only when it’s free will you be able to move forward without pain anchoring you to a past that’s holding you back.”
Grief filled her eyes. “Like you, mum, I’ve lost many what were dear to me. But were I ever lucky enough to find one who could love me, one who looked at me the way the captain stares after you whenever he thinks no one’s watching him … that I’d hold on to with a white-knuckled grip.”
How Mara wished it were as simple as the girl thought it to be. Unfortunately, Duel had a way of complicating the simplest of matters. He always had.
Her heart heavy, she went to the bed to inspect his injuries. The good news was that he’d heal. But he was rather battered.
And it was her fault. As Cameron had said, she’d let her indecision go on far too long and delayed helping him when she shouldn’t have.
He would never have withheld his protection of her. No matter their quarrel.
Grimacing at the bruises and cuts, she gently pulled his shirt over his head, then used her powers to manifest a towel so that she could dry him off.
Yet as she began to clean and dress his wounds, she became aware of the scars that marred his perfect physique. The roadmap of battles he’d fought for his people.
And for his sisters.
Every part of his body was covered with them. And in her mind, she didn’t see the captain. She saw the barbarian warlord in his black armor who’d ridden at the head of his army.
The bastard leader of the Dumnonii.
As she touched his hand and saw his ring, those thoughts scattered.
Was that …
Her heart stopped. It was a harthfret! How had she missed it? In all the years they’d been together, she’d never really looked at his ring. Never once noticed what the vibrant red stone was.
Biting her lip, she reached for it, then hesitated. He’ll kill you. Deader than even dead itself!
In fact, he’ll bring you back just to kill you again.
Aye, he would. But if she had control of him, he wouldn’t be able to harm her. She’d own him completely.
Scared and trembling, she forced herself to pry the ring loose from his finger.
Yet the moment it came free, it shot a light through the room. One that blinded her. More than that, it ripped a hole through her emotions as she realized too late that it wasn’t his harthfret, after all.
It was his sister’s.
Suddenly, she was in the past. In the Great Hall of Tintagel where Dón-Dueli’s family had ruled with an iron fist.
“Elf!” he roared as he came through the doors in all his massive glory and sent the hounds and servants scattering for cover. Even the watchmen seemed a bit nervous and in want of shelter from even so much as his passing glance.
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