Cedric lifted himself onto the railing. “I wish I could have brought you some tarts for your journey. If you hadn’t run away in the first place, you could have saved yourself the hassle.”
I tried to pull my fingers through my hair. “Well, I didn’t know if I could trust you.”
“I get it. You’re in a strange land, away from home, without your staff.” He looked down at my bare palms. “I’d be scared too, but you did a pretty good job of making it through.”
“Again. I’m sorry for running.” I stretched out my words.
“You don’t need to be… but you’re not used to apologizing, are you?” He shot me a bemused grin.
I flushed red. “I… Yes, I know how to say sorry—”
“I’m just playing.” He smirked, his eyes flashing silver from the moon. “You’re cute when you get flustered.”
He looked pleased with himself, which made me turn redder. I dug my fingers into my hip. “I’m not flustered.”
“Right…” He tilted his head sideways. “So tell me more about this betrothal.”
“You’ll just make fun of it.”
He propped his head up onto his fist and grinned. “Probably, but you owe me for the dinner, and the necklace, so come on, spill.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re infuriating.” I teased.
“Me?” He gasped, then laughed. “Says you. You just switched from saying sorry to insulting me in a matter of seconds.”
I joined him on the railing. I dangled my legs down, brushing the tips of my boots against the wood. I “His name is Blaise. He’s a faery too,” I explained. “It’s the first betrothal of its kind. Fae and sorcerers seldom mix in Magaelor or Niferum. The king wants to join fae and lunas together and unite the kingdoms.”
“First of its kind…” His eyes widened. “That’s so… archaic. For no marriage to ever have occurred between a faery and a luna.”
I puffed out my cheeks. “I knew you would judge me.”
He placed his hands in front of his chest, palms facing me. “I’m not judging you, but please, go on.” His menacing smile told me otherwise, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt.
“It’s important for us to bring peace to the kingdom. For the longest time, we have lived in the south and the fae up north where it’s colder. I’ve been there twice,” I said. “It’s freezing and hard to get to. On foot, the snowy peaks prevent us from passing over to their land, and the sea, there are long, narrow, near-impassable deep inlets of sea between tall cliffs surrounding the coast. It keeps them safe from invasion. They have glamours in place, and other traps around the borders.”
“Invasion? Are you sure your father wants peace?”
I hadn’t put much thought into it. “Why else would he be marrying me to Blaise?” I sighed deeply.
Cedric noticed but didn’t say anything.
“It is chaos there.” I looked him up and down. “But there is little order among fae. Maybe it’s different here, but in Niferum, well they’re immortal for a start, which means fae are not motivated to achieve anything, and enjoy games and sensual pleasure too much. There are no rules, therefore a huge imbalance in society.”
“That sounded recited. Did your parents tell you this?”
“They didn’t need to.” I retorted. “I have been to Lepidus, their royal court. I have seen firsthand that they don’t care. I don’t even know why they bother having a monarchy.” I threw my arms in the air. “Don’t get me wrong, I like them, I do, but not as rulers.”
“I see you’ll be a great ruler of the fae,” he said snarkily. “Well, there’s no changing your mind.”
“Have you ever been to Niferum?”
He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again.
“Like I said before, it might be different here, but in Niferum, that is how it is. Still, I’m looking forward to being their queen and evoking some change.” I saw Aquarius approaching us from a distance. “He’s back.”
Before I jumped off the railing, Cedric grasped my hand in his. His eyes met mine, and they were penetrating. I held my breath as he searched my gaze.
“I don’t know you that well, but at the same time I do.” He said quickly. “I need to say this because I feel like you need to hear it. You’re passionate, Winter. I saw glimpses of it in every conversation we had. You have so much power in you. I hope one day you see that. Believing the people you trusted and loved is not a weakness, so if you have in fact been lied to, it does not make you powerless. It means the people who have hid things from you are. Don’t feel bad if when you return you see your father and Magaelor a little differently. It just means you’re growing.” He released my hand, and I exhaled slowly. “Don’t become compliant with what you know.”
I shook my head. “I won’t.” I chewed on my bottom lip. “I also ask for you too not to believe everything you’ve heard about us either. We are not bad, and our magic is not a type of necromancy.”
“I don’t believe in there being only good or bad, so I won’t.” He smiled, and I couldn’t help but return it. “For what it’s worth, I’m glad I met you. You’re not what I thought you’d be.”
“I didn’t realize you’d ever thought of me.”
“Your family are famous among royals, maybe for the wrong reasons, but regardless,” he replied.
“But you’re not royal.”
“I spend enough time at the fae court to have heard the stories about your family…”
“Come with us. With me.”
He burst out laughing, slapping his knee as he did. “Good one.”
I crossed my arms across my chest. “Seriously. You could, uh, look at trade stuff there.”
“Are you insane? I wouldn’t be welcome in Magaelor.:
“No, but to visit, for the journey, then you could go back with Aquarius.” I nibbled on my fingernail. “If I tell them you’re responsible for saving me, they wouldn’t hurt you.”
The corner of his lip curved up. “Is that your distant, super-weird way of saying you’ll miss me?”
My cheeks heated. “I’ve never been good at friends,” I admitted.
He tucked his thumb under my chin, then kissed my cheek. “You’re not that bad at it. Take it from your new friend.” He dropped his voice to a whisper. “Good luck and safe travels, Winter Mortis. I would come with you, but we both know, sadly, it’s impossible. I can’t go where you live, and you can’t stay here.”
He jumped down, then started to walk away. I called after him. “Hey, you never did tell me your last name.” I wanted to be able to find him again one day, even if it was naïve for me to think it.
He looked back, winked, then left without another word. I cursed his name with a small smile, then waved at Aquarius when he reached the dock.
SIXTEEN
Long-breaking waves of white crashed against the ship. I couldn’t tell where the sky began and the sea ended. I staggered about the deck, trying to stop myself from throwing up.
Each touch stole the warmth from my aching body as the icy water sprayed the deck. I shuddered, wrapping my arms around my waist. The howling wind nipped at my ears, biting my cheeks and frosting my lips. I grabbed onto a wooden pole, my nails gripping into the splintering wood. The sea was cloudy and dark, covering anything under its depths. Flashes of white were blurs in the storm. Birds struggled against the eastern gusts, falling prey to the perilous ocean. The sky grumbled restlessly. Darkness prevailed as storm clouds roared overhead. Large tails swept out of the waters. My heart hammered as thunder boomed. Tears pricked my eyes. I was sure we were going to die.
Mercreatures leered at us, then leaped through the waves with ease. The merman’s head at the bow of the ship was sure to provoke, not warn them.
Talons clawed at the sides of the ship, trying to drag us under.
“Pull the sail!” Aquarius shouted at one of the crew.
The mercreatures’ eyes were as dark as the depths they had emerged from. Scales of silver, glistening like steel,
beat against the waves. Their thin nostrils sliced down their flat noses, and hisses escaped through two layers of razor-sharp teeth. Their skin was smooth, from the top of their heads to their waists, tinged green and blue. Eyes wider than any I’ve seen compelled me closer to the edge of the boat.
An arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me back. I gasped as the same crewmember threw themselves in front of me, then dove off the edge of the boat. My hand shot up to my mouth, covering my scream. The water where he’d landed turned crimson as flesh was torn from his bones. Tears fell down my cheeks. How had I survived a mercreature attack when that one had so viciously ripped apart its prey in seconds?
“Are they attacking because of the head?” I pointed at the bow of the ship.
Aquarius fought breathlessly against the howling wind. “It’s not real. It was made to deter them. They’re immortal. I’d hoped they’d have thought we had a weapon to kill one.”
“Do we?”
He shook his head.
I shuddered. He grabbed a spear and threw it with force over the side. The creature dodged it in time, then submerged. Another one attempted to climb on board.
“Can they stay out of the water?” I shouted as it pulled itself up.
No one answered. I stumbled back. They couldn’t die, but they could be hurt, enough to keep us alive. I gripped my sword and pointed when the creature’s long fingers gripped the bulwark. Its round, black eyes latched onto mine. My hands were shaking. It crawled onto the deck. I charged it, along with another member of the crew. As I did, it pushed me away and grabbed the man next to me. Its teeth sank into his leg, and the man screeched. It looked me up and down, growled under its breath, then dragged the man’s body overboard with it.
My scream froze in my throat. Water splashed as they disappeared into the depths. A trail of blood remained on the deck.
Catching my breath, I stumbled across the wet planks, holding onto wooden poles to regain my balance. Aquarius was lying on the deck, bleeding from his shoulder. He screamed into a cloth, while one of his crew pressed mugroot into the wound.
I wrestled through a tangle of ropes and over broken swords and spears. “Aquarius!”
Muffled howls left the cloth he was biting down on. His eyes rolled to the back of his head, his fingers spread out over the deck, and his head flopped back.
“I-is he dead?” I stuttered.
A stout, short man shook his head. The only woman on board dropped to her knees at his side. She had long red hair and golden skin. “My love.” She ran her hands along his chest. Drooping her head over his, her hair fell around her in waves. “Can you hear me?”
“He’s going to be out for some time,” the short man explained.
She leaned back, crossing her legs as tears leaked out of her eyes. Her gaze flitted up to me. “You better pay up.”
My fingers were like ice. I nodded, then looked around. Two men from what I had seen had died, maybe more. Everywhere I went, I felt like death followed. I didn’t want to be around the carnage anymore. The mermen were gone, and we were, at least for now, safe. I looked over Aquarius one more time, then proceeded to my room. I locked the wooden door behind me, then walked down the creaking steps. I sighed when I reached the bottom. My bed swayed in the corner, with a gray blanket covering it. I hurried over and sat down, leaning my back up against the wall. Pulling my knees up to my chest, I let out suppressed sobs. I couldn’t breathe properly, and my heart felt like it was pumping a thousand beats a minute.
Why had that merman let me go? How had I survived the first attack when I was run off the cliff on Inferis? I’d heard stories, but seeing the predators of the seas up close was spine-chilling. I should have been dead twice. I pulled up the leg of my pants and pressed my fingers against the pinpricked scar. I had been spared. There was no other way I would have survived. They had let me live.
***
Rain lashed down, and waves relentlessly beat against the wall of my room. Rubbing my eyes, I stretched my legs and yawned. I emerged to the deck, covering my face from the stinging rain. The stench of human sweat and salt hit my nostrils. I rolled my eyes upward. The sky was dove gray.
I sighed with relief when I saw Aquarius. His eyes were bloodshot, his skin tinged blue, and dried blood was crusted onto his shirt.
“Morning,” he said.
“I’m so glad you’re alive.” I croaked. “I’m so sorry—”
“It’s not your fault.” His eyebrows forced together and frowned. “Every person on this ship knows the risks that come with the job.” His mouth twisted in disgust. “One day, I will find a way to kill those damned creatures. They will pay. Those are not the first men I’ve lost to those beasts.”
“I’m sorry.” I lowered my head. “Life of a pirate, huh?”
“We prefer sailors. We don’t attack other ships.”
“But, you steal?”
“We’re sailors for hire.”
I shrugged. “Doesn’t matter to me.”
He pointed up at the sails, which shimmered under the dappled sunlight. “We spell the sails and bow of the ship to quicken our journeys.”
“Oh. I guess I did wonder how we got here so fast.”
He smiled. “What’s the point of magic if not to make life easier?”
I nodded. That we could both agree on. “So, tell me more about the mercreatures.”
“Evil.” He said summing them up in one word. “They have always been predators, and would eat a man if he fell into their waters, but never were they as vicious as they are now. They actively seek ships out. Both times you’ve been aboard they have attacked our ship.” He growled under his breath. “Something changed. Years ago they were not like this.”
“What do you think happened?”
He pressed his hands against the edge of the ship, exhaling slowly. “To heck if I know. Navigating these waters since has been a menace.”
“I wish I could have fought back!” I admitted, feeling less than useless. “If I had my staff, I’d have paralyzed them or something.”
“Was it lost to the sea?”
I shook my head. “No, but it may not have been retrieved.” The thought made my heart ache. “Home.” I said to the horizon, stealing a glance at Aquarius. “Yet I’ve never felt more alone.”
“At least you’re not dead.”
I laughed. I liked his honesty. “Was that your wife with the red hair yesterday?”
“She’s my partner. I’d be lost without her. My beautiful Bella.”
“She was cross with me, but probably because she thought you were going to die.”
He chuckled softly. “It’ll take a lot more than some mer-venom to keep me down. Especially when we have mugroot to heal us from their bites. Speaking of, soon we will go and get some more. We can’t have enough of it. I’m lucky I wasn’t torn to shreds to be honest.”
“I’m glad you weren’t.”
He gestured at the horizon. “We’re here. Magaelor.”
Pressing my fingernails against the side of the ship, a smile pulled up my cheeks. I took in the shores, the white cliffs, and tall trees as they came into view. I was finally home.
SEVENTEEN
After waiting for three hours on the ship for my mother to give word for me to come in and
arrange payment, I was finally allowed onto the island. A bridge was lowered, and I quickly crossed it. I wondered what had taken so long, then spotted a messenger from Magaelor come on shore.
My mother had been waiting for word from the king. I can’t believe she’d kept me waiting for that. I hurried inside, already agitated on what should have been the greatest day of my life so far.
I had made it home.
News of my return swept through the Inferis court. The castle seemed smaller somehow. Scattered dignitaries and servants sparsely occupied large, cold rooms. Those who were left behind delighted in my return. Words of “survivor” and “beacon of hope” floated around. People were smiling at me; for the first time
in my life, they liked me.
I was revered, a story of a lost princess who made her way home.
I wasn’t surprised when she ruined my moment.
My mother’s expression gave nothing away when she saw me, peering down at me from her lonely throne. “Your father is finally pleased with you. Do not mess it up for us. He wants to see you.”
I scoffed. “That makes one of you.”
Her eye twitched. “Your time away has given you an attitude. Did the solises rub off on you?”
I clenched my jaw. “Just realizing some things for the first time.”
“Don’t you dare act like that in front of your father.” Her shoulders curled over her chest. “Everyone, out!” Her voice boomed.
The room emptied, leaving us alone. She stepped down from her throne, walked down the few steps, and looked me up and down. She clasped my wrist, digging her nails in. I pulled back from her tightening grip, scratching at her bony fingers until she let go.
“How dare you disrespect me.”
I pushed her away from me. She stumbled but caught herself before she fell. “Disrespect you? What is it you think you do to me? I could have died. I made it home. How could you not be happy to see me?”
Her expression faltered. Confusion flitted in her eyes. “I…”
I don’t think I’d ever seen her at a loss for words. “I’ll be leaving then, to see my father, and you’ll be alone.”
Her lips quivered, but she quickly regained her stance, then crossed her arms across her chest. “Lose the attitude before you see him. Royalty or not, don’t think he won’t take away your crown.”
“I didn’t think you cared.” I turned away from her, but she reached out, grabbing my arm. Her grip was softer that time.
“Everything I have done, I’ve done for you. For him.”
The Fate of Crowns: The Complete Trilogy: A YA Epic Fantasy Boxset Page 12
