“A moment,” Sabine interrupted, placing her hand on Malek’s arm to stop him. “I need to warn you about something before we do this.”
He arched his brow. “What is it?”
She darted a quick glance at Bane, then turned back toward Malek and said, “When we were in Akros, you showed me I could trust you. If we are to be allies in truth, you need to understand this effort will consume my remaining power. Once I send the crew to sleep, I will be unable to aid you until I have sufficient time to recover.”
Malek frowned. “Will this harm you in any way?”
She smiled and shook her head, his question easing the last of her fears. “No, but I may need to enter a restorative slumber. The goddess consented to aid me in the negotiations with the Merfolk, but she’s now silent within me. Her power is still weaker than it was in the days of the Dragon War, and I suspect it cost her dearly to help me.”
Blossom nodded and landed on the desk. “She’s sleeping. The goddess thinks it’s silly to spend so much energy saving humans, but she likes Sabine. She calls Sabine her little silver flower.”
Sabine stared at Blossom in surprise. “What?”
Blossom grinned. “She asks questions all the time, about you, your family, and why you went to Akros. She’s really curious about why you like Bane and Malek.”
Bane scowled and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m not sure it’s wise to confide in this absent goddess. She already observes enough. We are giving away too much information without understanding her motivations.”
Sabine frowned. “Blossom, I have to agree with Bane in this. Until we learn more about what she wants from us, it may be best to use caution.” At Blossom’s worried look, Sabine softened her tone and said, “I’m not saying to stop speaking with her. Continue to converse with her as you will, but I want a detailed accounting of everything that’s discussed. I would like to know the reasons for her interest, and her questions may give us some insight.”
Blossom nodded. Sabine turned back to Malek, who was regarding her thoughtfully.
He rubbed his chin. “I’d assumed the Fae would blindly follow the gods should they ever return to this realm. That’s not the case, is it?”
Sabine hesitated and then sighed. “I can’t speak for all of Faerie, but the gods have been absent for too long. Some would follow unconditionally, of that I’m certain, but others would exercise caution—especially the Unseelie.” She shrugged. “Perhaps I’m too much my mother’s daughter, but I have no intention of returning to the old ways.”
Malek searched her expression for a long time. “You keep surprising me, Sabine.” He held up the bottles and added, “I’ll take the wine out to the crew, but it may be safest if you remain within the cabin while I’m flying the ship out of here. I can’t promise it’ll be a smooth flight. I trust Bane will keep watch over you if you need to rest?”
“She’ll be protected,” Bane snapped, not bothering to hide his irritation at the question.
Sabine ignored Bane’s comment. “I’ll join you on the deck after the crew drinks from the wine. It won’t take me long to send them to sleep. Then we can move them to the other cabin.”
Malek nodded and headed toward the door.
When it closed behind him, Bane muttered, “I don’t like this, little one. Even if he intends you no harm, we don’t know what we’ll face once we land. We’ll both be too weakened to do much.”
Sabine turned to regard Bane. “I know, which is why we need to trust him. Our best chance of success is for all of us to work together—as allies.”
Bane frowned and paced the cabin. Sabine reapplied her glamour, the task more out of habit than necessity. Until they made landfall, she would be safe enough from any spies her family had retained. Her glamour used no small amount of magic, and keeping it engaged would act as a failsafe to ensure she had enough magic left over to keep her presence hidden. If necessary, she could always remove it later.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Sabine closed her eyes and focused on isolating the magic of the wine she’d woven into her own power. Drinking from the bottle had been part of the ritual. When each crew member drank of the foreign magic and her blood, they would be linked together for the duration of the spell.
It wouldn’t do any good to express her doubts to Bane; their path was already set. The only thing left was to try to make the best out of a difficult situation. Between all of them, she had to believe they’d find a way to rescue Esmelle, Levin, and the rest of Malek’s crew.
Pushing aside these distracting thoughts, she opened her eyes and asked, “How many of the crew do you sense outside?”
Bane walked to the cabin door and pressed his hand against it. After a long moment, he said, “No more than thirty, and closer to twenty. Perhaps twenty-two or twenty-three.”
Sabine nodded and closed her eyes again. The magic within the wine had already begun to spread to each crew member. Faerie wine had never been designed with humans in mind, and their psyches were different from the Fae. In some ways, they were more susceptible to her magic, but they were far more resilient and adaptable than other magical races. The trick would be to lure them to sleep without allowing them to know it was her power at work. Any resistance on their part would require more magic, which she couldn’t afford.
Dimly, she was aware that almost two dozen people had drunk from the wine. If anyone else had yet to drink, they would shortly. Lifting her hands outward, palms facing upward, she focused on the magic linking her with the crew and the feelings of relaxation needed to send them to sleep.
She imagined a night sky with a smattering of stars and the moon shining brightly overhead. The ocean waves were calm, and a gentle breeze stirred the sails of the ship. She infused her own memories of the scent of the salt spray, the sound of the waves lapping against the hull, and the creak of the ship as it moved through the water.
Sabine held the image in her mind for a long moment, infusing it with as much realism as possible and a sense of calming peace. It was the same type of magic used on Fae children when they didn’t want to go to bed. The phrase “sweet dreams” had been created by the Fae as they sent their offspring to dream their dreams of power. All of life was a lesson, both waking and dreaming. No one understood that more than the Fae.
After a long moment, she projected her vision outward and whispered, “Somnia.”
A pregnant hush fell over the ship. Her magic explored the occupants of the ship in a subtle caress, searching for those who had consented to her magic by imbibing the wine. Once upon a time, humans had been wary about accepting food and drink from the Fae, but the Fae’s solitude and absence from much of the world was now to Sabine’s benefit. These people either didn’t remember the warnings from ages past or they’d chosen to trust in their captain. Either way, the result was the same. If Sabine were a different type of person, she could hold these humans in her thrall indefinitely.
She should. The humans were nothing, less than playthings. They were no match for the powers of the Fae, and they should be used as tools. If she needed an army, she would take an army. None of her enemies could stand against her might. She’d destroy anyone who might dare oppose her will.
These foreign thoughts shocked Sabine enough to bring her back to a semi-state of awareness. Struggling to break free of them, she whispered, “Bane, I need you.”
He immediately came to her side and placed his hand against her shoulder. She reached up blindly and brushed against his heated skin. She grabbed his hand, needing the skin contact to help clear her head. Blinking up at Bane, the demon came into focus and then back out again.
“Something’s wrong,” she managed to say, gripping his hand tightly.
Bane frowned and knelt beside her. “What happened? Did the magic not work?”
Blossom flew toward her, her eyes wide with worry. “It’s the goddess, Sabine. She’s sleeping. You tapped into her dreams with your magic. You have to release her, or her thoughts will merge with
yours.”
Sabine frowned and focused again on the power of the wine. Intent was a large part of magic, and it had never been her intention to snare the goddess in her spell. It was equally worrisome she had the ability in the first place. Either the goddess was weaker than Sabine had imagined, or her magic had somehow changed.
Following the thread of power from the Faerie wine, she focused on each individual who had succumbed to the dreamlike trance she’d woven over the ship. It was the equivalent of capturing dozens of rocks in her hands and trying to find the one pebble unlike any of the others. Sabine paused in surprise, recognizing the goddess’s stone in her hands. It was multi-faceted with a strange glow; however, it wasn’t the differences that interested her but rather the similarities.
“Is she all right?” Malek asked from somewhere nearby, but Sabine couldn’t answer him. She needed to disentangle her magic from the goddess without waking her. If the goddess ever learned Sabine had the ability to affect her, such knowledge could endanger her and everyone around her. The Wild Hunt was fearsome, but the wrath of the gods had destroyed entire worlds.
“She’ll be fine,” Bane snapped, still keeping his hand on her shoulder. “Are they all asleep?”
“They are. Sabine’s plan worked well. I took them into Levin’s cabin before I gave them the wine, and they all just drifted off to sleep. They should be safe enough in there while I fly the ship.”
Sabine severed the last of the magical threads ensnaring the goddess’s mind and gently eased away. It was done. With a sigh of relief, she opened her eyes. Her vision swam for a moment as the room tilted. Bane caught her before she fell backward. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest.
She reached up, needing the touch of his skin to help keep her centered and awake. It wouldn’t have been this bad if she hadn’t also ensnared the goddess. The cold chill was a sharp reminder of her depleted magic, and she blinked up to meet Malek’s concerned gaze.
He knelt in front of her. “Are you all right?”
She managed to nod. “Yes. Just tired. It took more out of me than I expected. Unless we find a forest soon, it’ll take me a while to recover.”
He reached over and took her hand. “As soon as we land, I’ll share what power I can with you. If I need to fly you to a forest, so be it.”
She smiled and closed her eyes again, leaning against Bane. “I might take you up on sharing power, but I don’t think I’m willing to take to the skies with a dragon just yet. Maybe not ever.”
Malek chuckled. “Just say the word. Until then, it looks like everything’s under control here.”
She heard Malek move away, and the cabin door closed with a click. Bane’s arms tightened around her and he murmured, “Just rest, little one. We’ll be on land soon enough.”
“Good,” she replied and cuddled against his warmth. It helped alleviate the worst of the chill from the absence of her power. Unfortunately, it couldn’t ward against the fear of what might happen if the goddess discovered Sabine had the ability to manipulate her with magic.
The ship dipped suddenly as though a great weight had landed upon it. Sabine inhaled sharply and bit back a scream when the ship tilted backward. The sounds of the ocean faded away, and Sabine knew they were airborne. It wasn’t a smooth flight. The ship lurched in time with the flapping of wings, and Sabine pressed her hand against her queasy stomach.
“Sabine!” Blossom fluttered her wings excitedly as she peered out the window. “We’re up really high. I didn’t know Malek could touch the clouds!”
Despite herself, Sabine smiled and asked, “Help me stand?”
Bane stood and helped her up. She climbed over the bed to look out the window, and her eyes widened. Blossom was right; the clouds were everywhere, and the ocean was an endless blue floor below them. At this height, she couldn’t see the individual waves. Even within Faerie, where some of their homes were built within the most ancient of trees, they didn’t reach these heights.
Sabine bit her lip as she stared out the window. “Do you think he’ll be okay? The ship must be heavy.”
“As long as the idiot dragon doesn’t drop us,” Bane muttered from behind her. “If he does, I’ll have to kill him.”
Sabine’s mouth curved upward. Bane might be an extremely powerful demon, but she wasn’t convinced he’d win in a fight against Malek. So far, the dragon had demonstrated he had strengths beyond anything she’d imagined. Still, she wouldn’t tease Bane about it. Demons relished a challenge, and he’d find it necessary to prove himself the victor or die in his attempt.
She turned back around and sat on the bed. “I’m just glad he’s on our side.”
Bane grunted in response and continued staring out the window. “If you’re going to rest, you should do it before we land. I’ll keep watch.”
Sabine nodded and curled up on Malek’s bed. Bane sat beside her, but his focus was still on the dragon flying with the ship.
She yawned and said, “Don’t be too hard on him, Bane. We wouldn’t have escaped Akros or the Merfolk without his help.”
“Perhaps,” he murmured, not tearing his gaze from the window. “Sleep, little one. We shall arrive soon enough and then I suspect you’ll have little time to rest.”
A jolt awakened Sabine.
She flew upward into the air, and a scream ripped from her throat. Bane yanked her close and tucked her against him in a protective gesture. They slammed hard onto the bed, the force jarring enough to leave her somewhat dazed. Her heart pounded in her chest as she tried to figure out what had happened.
“I’m going to kill that damned dragon. Are you hurt?” Bane demanded, his gaze roaming over her as though assessing for any injuries.
She shook her head and tried to disentangle herself from the blanket Bane must have used to cover her. This was the second time in less than a day she’d been awakened with a start. Sleeping aboard the ship was proving to be hazardous. “No, I’m fine. Where’s Blossom?”
Blossom zipped across the room. “We’re here! I see land, Sabine! Now we can go save Esme.”
Sabine turned to look out the window, her eyes widening at the sight. Night had fallen, but the moon cast a silvery glow over the prone figure of a dragon lying on a beach.
“Malek,” she whispered, leaping up from the bed. She ran to the cabin door and flung it open, then staggered out onto the deck. They must have been traveling for hours, much farther than she’d imagined.
“Careful, Sabine,” Bane warned, grabbing her arm. “We don’t know what kind of condition he’s in.”
“We need to find out,” she said, rushing to the edge of the ship. Malek had dropped them close to shore, but the ship was angled on its side in water much too shallow for sailing. She wasn’t sure how they’d get back out to the deepest part of the ocean, but that was something they’d need to figure out later. Right now, she had to focus on the dragon who needed help.
Sabine frowned, scanning the length of the deck. The ship had a ladder they used to get down, but she couldn’t take the time to locate it. Until Malek was back in human form, she couldn’t risk waking the crew and alerting them to his identity. She gripped the railing to climb over it, but Bane stopped her.
“Not like that. Let me go first,” he ordered, pulling her away from the edge. Without waiting for a response, he leaped over the side, landing amid the waves. The water was shallower than she’d thought, reaching only to halfway up his chest. He motioned for her to jump.
Sabine climbed over the railing and jumped down. Bane caught her and placed her gently on the ground. With her much shorter height, the waves threatened to knock her over, but Bane kept her steady as she navigated closer to shore. Blossom flew past them toward the dragon, but Sabine barely noticed.
She approached Malek slowly, but he still hadn’t moved. Worry lessened her fear as she searched for any sign of injuries. Up close, Malek’s dragon form was even larger than she’d thought when she’d seen him flying over Akros. Hi
s skin was formed by thousands of tiny scales, the moonlight making them shimmer like stars across the night sky.
“Malek?” she whispered, unsure how she could help a dragon. “Please tell me you’re alive.”
His head shifted a fraction and then he opened his large serpentine eyes to stare at her. She froze in fear. He blinked slowly but made no other move toward her, and she let out the breath she’d been holding. In her younger years, she’d heard stories about how some Beastpeople had to be put down when they had displayed more animalistic traits and turned rabid. She’d hoped that wasn’t the case for dragons, but her experience was far too limited. Intelligence shone in Malek’s eyes, and it reassured her enough to believe he was the same person even in dragon form. The magic must be different, like he’d said.
Sabine started to reach toward him but paused and clasped her hands together instead. He was magnificent to behold, but it probably wasn’t wise to touch a dragon without an invitation until she was sure it was safe.
Malek closed his eyes again, and she frowned. Turning toward Bane, she asked, “I don’t know what he needs or what we can do for him. Do you think he’s hurt?”
“Well, if we can’t figure it out, I could always use a pair of dragonskin boots,” Bane said with a shrug.
Malek exhaled in a huff, sending the sand in front of his nose flying. Sabine’s mouth twitched in a smile, suspecting he’d found Bane’s comment amusing. Bane might stir fear in the hearts of ordinary humans, but the same couldn’t be said for a dragon.
She tilted her head, still awestruck by his true form. It wasn’t just his size, but there was an elegance in the lines of his body. The glimmer of moonlight across his scales reminded her of the precious and magical gems harvested only from dwarven mines. “I’ve never seen your equal, Malek.”
Malek opened his eyes again and stared at her. He turned his head, angling it closer to where she was standing. She frowned, unsure if he wanted something from her. His tail lifted and wrapped around Sabine. She inhaled sharply, but his touch was gentle as he eased her closer to him. Malek was trusting her not to panic, and she refused to let him down.
By Blood and Magic Page 5
