by Laura Kaye
She stroked a passing siren. The creature’s skin glittered like sapphire dust in the moonlight. If only she could hold onto the mermaid, grab her long enough to travel into the hushed world beneath the waves. The tune expanded and the mermaids joined voices, creating one mesmerizing song. Soon, they would escort her to the murky depths, where men and Bane couldn’t go. Her fingertips hovered inches from the mermaid’s webbed hand. So peaceful. So beautiful.
Rhys stood and Ravyn tumbled forward off the bench. Pain shot through her head as she smacked her skull on the deck. A dense throb pulsed at her right temple. She groaned. A shiver rippled through her, the memory of the eerily beautiful dream fading.
Black dots danced in front of her eyes and she slowly sat up, rubbing her head. The song from her dream hovered on the breeze. Her hand stilled. The music ebbed and flowed with the movement of the ship. Where the melody had been beautiful in her dream, now the unnatural tune made her hair stand on end.
She looked around the deck. As if waiting for something, every sailor, including Rhys, stood staring toward the horizon.
“Rhys?” He didn’t respond. She stood. “Rhys?” Still no response. She circled him but he stared, unblinking, unseeing.
Gnawing fire raced up her arms. She gasped, doubling over to clutch herself. “Bane.”
Crouching, she scanned the starless sky. The impenetrable night hid her assailants, but she knew they were there, hovering and waiting to attack. Instinct pushed her into action. She cast her awareness outward. Cold dread doused her. The demons were everywhere. They swarmed below the hull and circled overhead.
“Holy Sainted Ones, help me.”
She crept to the side of the ship and leaned over the railing. The siren’s song swelled. Green luminescent shapes glided below the inky surface. Sleek and graceful, one rose from the water on foaming waves and reached for Ravyn. Gleaming lengths of emerald hair blended with the wave and diamond-like scales of her tail winked beneath the frothy crest. The impulse to take the creature’s hand pushed at Ravyn like a strong wind propelling her forward. The siren smiled, welcoming her with open arms.
Fire seared at the base of Ravyn’s spine and blistered its way up her back. She cried out and fell to her knees, clutching the rail for support.
Wave after wave of heat cascaded over her, shaking her body. Ravyn reinforced her mental shields and struggled to her feet. The ship lurched. She stumbled, careening into a pile of rope. Some of the men toppled and rolled across the deck like limp dolls. Bile rose in her throat as she struggled to keep her fear under control, but the song’s screeching pierced her skull. She clapped her hands over her ears and scanned the skies for an attack.
Zeek, the first mate, rose and took a step, instantly drawing Ravyn’s attention. His foot slid forward in a labored dead-man’s walk.
“Stop!”
He ignored her, taking another shuffling step toward the ship’s edge and the waiting siren. Panic tore through Ravyn. She clawed at the pile of rope, scattering the coils until finally locating the end. She grabbed the line and raced toward him, wrapping the rope around his skinny waist. Despite her effort to form a tether, all she managed was a bulky mass.
Another sailor, one whose name she couldn’t remember, step-ped forward.
“Hey you, stop!” The ship rocked at exaggerated angles, forcing Ravyn to shuffle toward him. “Don’t move.”
Only a few feet away, she leaned forward, her fingers almost close enough to touch the sleeve of his shirt. The grating pitch of the song escalated and the man smiled, raising his hands to the sky.
Too late, she saw the creature spiraling out of the darkness. Ravyn dove for the man, but the demon wrapped her talons around his wrists and yanked him off his feet, lifting him into the sky. Ravyn hit the deck hard, taking Zeek down with her. Laughter from the nameless sailor faded as the blackness swallowed him. Ravyn lay on the deck, tears burning her eyes, but she didn’t have long to mourn.
Crewmembers inched toward the rail with heavy-legged scuffs. Ravyn jumped to her feet, pulling Zeek behind her, and rushed to Gem. She circled the portly sailor with the line and gave a hard jerk. The cord tightened, sending the men crashing into each other. She stumbled from man to man, binding and yanking. Sirens surrounded the railing, calling to the sailors. Ravyn circled a pole twice and lashed the end of the rope around a heavy water barrel. They fought their binding, trying to answer the demons’ call.
The ship lurched, sending the bundle of men toppling toward her like a human wheel. Seconds before the tangle rolled past her, she jumped out of the way. Waves washed across the deck and drenched the men. Unable to gain their footing, they flailed about, reminding Ravyn of a giant beetle on its back.
Notes from the sirens’ song ground like an ax against a sharpening stone. She wanted to scream, wanted to cover her ears, wanted to block out the once-beautiful melody that now sounded like cats fighting.
Ravyn searched the deck for Rhys but located Luc first. Her breath caught. He walked, not shuffling, toward a singing siren. Fire raged through Ravyn, pushing her to react. With nothing but her body to stop him, she raced across the deck. Luc placed a foot on the ledge of the ship’s railing. In a move motivated by sheer desperation, she launched herself at him. The force of her blow carried them sideways, away from the reach of a shiny blue demon.
As they went down, Ravyn twisted and blasted the siren with a spinning ball of fire. The creature dove into the waves. The energy sizzled past, narrowly missing the demon. Ravyn lay on top of Luc, panting and nursing her bruised ribs. Now, if he would just stay down. Before she could react, the siren rose again, undulating on the wave. She beckoned Luc toward her with open arms. He shoved against Ravyn, rolling her off of him, and stood. The screeching melody rose, knifing through her head. Warmth trickled beneath her nose. She touched her finger to her upper lip—blood.
A fortress. Ravyn formed the image in her mind but still the song cleaved through the barrier. A blanket of ice. The song lessened. The smooth, black stone walls of Alba Haven. The song fell silent. She sent up a prayer and looked around.
Entranced, Luc once again moved toward the creature as it hovered, singing to him. He extended his hand, ready to receive his siren lover. Ravyn jumped to her feet and released a spinning ball of light, missing the creature by mere inches. The demon hissed, wrapped her fingers around Luc’s wrist, and jerked. Ravyn blasted her again, this time making contact. Bolts of lightning blanketed the demon. She seized and convulsed, but didn’t release Luc’s wrist.
Ravyn crammed her body between him and the side of the ship. With her legs braced against the railing and her back against Luc, she pushed. He fought her.
Suspended between Luc and the demon, Ravyn was close enough to touch the creature. Fire raged inside her, pulling her into its heartless control. She slammed her hands against the demon’s chest and pushed her energy into it. The creature exploded.
Millions of glowing bits swirled and gathered into a spiraling vortex. She continued to fight against Luc, her legs trembling from the effort. The funnel rotated faster, sucking the breath from her before plunging into the water and disappearing into the dark depths. Waves hammered the ship, rolling over the deck.
Even though the demon was gone, Luc still struggled to climb overboard. Her legs burned with the effort to restrain him.
“Luc, wake up.” Sweat drenched her tunic and fire raced through her body. Tears welled and spilled from her eyes, turning to steam from her heat. She needed help. “Wake up, you stupid oaf!”
A loud clang echoed behind Ravyn. Luc twitched and went limp, barreling toward the ground. Ravyn went down, too. Her rear end hit the deck hard, and pain ricocheted through her hips and lower back. Unable to stop her backward tumble, she landed half-on, half-off Luc. When she opened her eyes, Jaden and a very large shovel stood above her.
“Jaden?” His name grated from her throat. The joy of seeing anybody who was not entranced warred with the fear of being bashed in the head.
“What did you do?”
“Knocked him out.” He gave the shovel a quick spin. “I’ve been waiting to do that for a long time.”
Ravyn pressed her ear to Luc’s heart. Strong thuds pulse against her temple.
“He’s fine. Hopefully he’ll be out for a while.” He stuck out his hand. “Come on, you better get up.”
Ravyn stared at his offering. Good or bad, she needed help. Whether she died at the hand of a demon or Jaden clubbing her, the result was the same.
He pointed in the air. “Bane. Succubus, to be exact. They’re trained to lure men, and they shift to become anything carnal. They may sound like sirens, but they’re just Bane.”
“Just Bane? There’s no such thing as just Bane. And why aren’t you affected?”
“Talk later. Kill demons now.” He scooped Ravyn’s crossbow up off the deck and shoved it into her hands. “Shoot as many as you can.” He pointed behind her. “Starting with that one.”
Ravyn spun and released an arrow. The tip buried deep inside a demon’s chest but Ravyn didn’t have time to congratulate herself. The creature grabbed the bolt and yanked, but the barbed end wouldn’t dislodge. She shouldered her crossbow, gathered her fire, and released her power. The ball of light struck the arrow’s metal shaft and pushed her energy into the creature’s body. The demon convulsed, its eyes bulging from its head before exploding. Sparkling pieces seared her face. Nausea rolled through Ravyn. The embers rotated, the glowing bits spiraling into a flaming vortex.
Waves tossed the ship, and Ravyn grabbed the railing before she skittered over the edge. The ship lurched and the sea boiled, hammering the vessel. Her fingers slipped free of the wet wood, pitching her forward against the handrail. As the spinning cloud drove into the water, it separated the sea, sending a massive wave against the side of the ship. Ravyn toppled away from the edge and onto the safety of the deck.
She struggled to her feet on the slippery wood but her feet skidded, unable to find her footing. After a few seconds, she found her balance and wiped the stinging seawater from her eyes. The waves continued to batter the ship, causing her stomach to revolt.
Her hands flailed for something secure to hang onto, but nothing was within reach. A loud clang rang out and she glanced to her right in time to see Big Al drop like a chunk of rock to the deck. Ravyn flinched.
Jaden scooted around the ship, knocking his fellow crewmem-bers on their heads. Rhys climbed to his feet and stepped forward.
“Stop him,” Ravyn shouted. A strong gust of wind buffeted the ship and she stumbled sideways. “Jaden, stop him.”
Jaden lurched toward Rhys and swung. The thunk rang above the wind’s howl and Rhys fell forward, leading with his face. Ravyn grimaced but was relieved as Jaden snapped a metal leg iron around his ankle. Rhys might not thank her, but at least he’d be alive.
Jaden turned and smiled. “This is fun.”
Maybe a little too fun. Ravyn nodded and looked around the ship. She noticed Jaden hadn’t shackled Luc. As she took a step toward him, a demon swooped from out of the darkness. Ravyn bellyflopped onto the deck, barely avoiding its talons.
As it turned and dove for her again, she rolled to her back and blasted the succubus. The night lit up with a shower of sparks. The particles collected and, with a blazing spiral, plunged into the water. The demons circling overhead called to her fire, causing her energy to demand its freedom. Heat seared her skin and she cried out, convinced her body would erupt into flames. She struggled to restrain the internal blaze as it pulsed and pushed against her shields. If released, her fiery devastation would ignite the ship and send them all to their deaths.
Ravyn picked up the crossbow and zigzagged her way toward the scattered arrows, retrieving one lodged in a coil of rope. After notching the arrow, she spanned the bowstring and locked the trigger in place. Her breathing slowed and she relaxed, sending her awareness into the heavy darkness. Fire rolled through her. As she gave it more freedom the power surged forward and melted into liquid energy. Heat slithered through her body, igniting every cell. Her cavernous well of energy yawned, its power flowing into instead of around her. As on the training field, her vision shifted. Night turned to day, and the lines of energy sparked and crisscrossed over the deck.
She saw the demons circling above. Two broke formation and swooped toward her. The grating bites on her skin intensified into painful jabs. She gave the fire permission to flow. The succubi dove, one behind the other, wings tucked, fangs bared. These were no beautiful sirens. Ravyn leveled the crossbow and touched the tip into a thread of energy. Her barriers fell, and she took aim.
“Two birds with one stone.”
Her finger snapped the trigger. Fire engulfed the projectile and struck the first demon, only to pass through and lodge in the second. Both Bane exploded before they had time to register what hit them.
“Two birds with one stone, indeed,” Jaden said behind her.
Ravyn spun to face him. His body radiated brilliant blue light, but the black edges still remained. He pointed and launched his body at her as another demon swooped toward them. Ravyn’s head hit the deck and her vision shifted, returning to her normal sight. Darkness once again blanketed everything, and she grappled for another arrow, but they slid out of her grasp as the funnel clouds from the two demons swirled, tossing the ship from side to side.
Jaden snatched up an arrow as it slid across the deck and grabbed Ravyn’s arm, hauling her to her feet. He shoved the arrow into her hand. “We have company.”
A circling demon descended. To her horror, the creature flared its wings and landed on the deck with a heavy thud. Energy surged through Ravyn, consuming her with the need to obliterate. She notched the arrow and pulled back the bowstring. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she locked it into place. The situation was bad—if she blasted the demon, the spinning vortex would drive through the hull and sink them.
The succubus folded her large blue wings behind her back and crossed her arms. She flicked a nod toward Ravyn’s crossbow. “Planning on using that?”
“Yes,” Ravyn said.
She leveled the arrow at the demon’s heart, or at least where her heart should be, terrified of what she would have to do next. She’d rather burn or drown than be taken by the Bane and suffer their torture. Siban’s face swam into view. The haunted set of his eyes and his brokenness shook her to the core. Whatever it took, she’d defend herself or die trying.
The succubus sauntered a few steps closer, her hips undulating with each footfall. Ravyn glanced over her shoulder to ensure the ploy wasn’t an ambush. The creature seemed neither hurried nor the least bit concerned about the arrow aimed at her.
Clawed feet scraped against the deck as the succubus inched forward. Ravyn and Jaden stepped back, matching the creature’s pace and stepping over unconscious sailors. Everything on the demon glimmered blue except for her eyes. Her piercing yellow gaze slid from Ravyn to Jaden and she smirked.
“Jade, nice to see you again,” the demon drawled.
Ravyn jumped as the hiss of a blade being pulled from a sheath whispered beside her.
Jaden pointed his sword at the demon. “Can’t say the same, Sha-hera.”
“Jaden?” Ravyn said slowly.
“Jaden, is it?” The Bane tilted her head back and laughed. “What’s the matter? Couldn’t you snare a man? I’d offer to teach you some tricks, but I doubt you’d agree to my price. Although, you do make a very pretty boy.”
Jaden sneered. “I don’t want anything from you.”
“Well, never say I didn’t offer.” Her reptilian eyes fixated on Ravyn. “I guess I’ll just take my Bringer and be on my way.”
Ravyn’s finger brushed the trigger of her crossbow. “I don’t think so.”
“I must insist.” Sha-hera prowled forward. “My king desires a chat with you, among other things.”
“I don’t fancy a chat with him.” Her heart pounded, pushing the blood into her ears. She tried to swallow but her body rebelled
against every effort she made to manage her fear. “Besides, I have a previous engagement.”
“What previous engagement would that be?” Sha-hera asked.
Ravyn depressed the trigger and loosed the bolt. “Killing demons.”
The arrow whistled toward the demon’s heart, but the creature spun and snatched it from the air. Ravyn clenched her teeth, trying not to gape.
“For the life of me, I can’t understand why Vile wants you.” Sha-hera snapped the metal shaft in two and tossed the fragments to the side. “You’re not very powerful. Or very smart.”
Ravyn curled her hands and released the barriers. Power pooled in her palms, building and pulsing. She centered her focus, exhaled, and gave herself over to the fire. Time slowed, and as with Brother Powell, Ravyn knew the demon’s move before she made it.
Sha-hera launched herself at Ravyn, talons extended. With a thrust of her arms, Ravyn released a bolt of lightning that penetrated the center of the demon’s chest. Sha-hera’s hatred melted to shock as the strike lifted the succubus off the ground and held her several feet above the deck, writhing.
The demon’s yellow eyes protruded and her stunned expression turned fearful, seconds before she exploded. The blast catapulted Ravyn and Jaden backward. Ravyn slammed her head against the deck Lights burst behind her eyes as she slid across the deck and rammed into a post. She groaned and rolled to her side.
“Ravyn.” Jaden’s voice penetrated the haze. “Ravyn. Get up. Get up. She’s spinning.”
Ravyn cried out as Jaden propelled her upright, nearly pulling her shoulder from its socket. “What?”
Jaden pointed. “She’s spinning.”
Ravyn blinked and swayed, her gaze following the direction of his finger.
“Sha-hera,” he shouted. “She’s spinning. Do something.”
Her mouth went dry and her mind raced. The embers had gathered and were spiraling into a tall funnel cloud directly over the deck, much larger than the ones the previous demons had created.
