by Candy Crum
That was about all she could handle.
As he grabbed her by her long braid, wrapping it around his hand and yanking her backwards, he was met with coal black eyes. His own eyes widened just a half second before she smashed a bright blue fireball into the side of his face.
He immediately let go, stumbling back and screaming loudly. She ran forward and quickly ended his life. Then she took a deep breath and assessed her surroundings.
She caught sight of several bodies flying through the air toward the ocean, and the crowd parted enough for Arryn to see Bast and Cleo, their blue eyes blazing, as they kicked several asses at once.
Rearick all over were battling with guards and Raiders, battle axes sinking deep into the chests of their enemies. Samuel was among them, and she couldn’t help her awe as she watched all of them fight together.
Cathillian was fighting three on his own, and she was about to run over to help, when he skewered two at once, pulled his blade free, then spun and sliced the head off the other.
And to think… I was about to come save you, she sent to him.
His eyes only briefly met hers, a subtle smile on his face as he responded. You’re good, but don’t forget who trained you all these years. He winked before rushing toward another foe, sword raised.
She rolled her eyes and smiled as she turned and ran farther in.
Only staying connected to a single person at a time was keeping the headaches at bay. She didn’t even feel the faintest tingling of pain.
I wonder if that means I’m making progress.
The crowd of guards suddenly parted as several explosions of magic erupted. At least ten men teleported into the middle, holding strange devices in their hands.
She squinted her eyes as she came to a stop, struggling to see past the glowing blue amphoralds within them to identify the casing. Then she saw thumbs moving toward a button, and her eyes widened.
Her eyes flashed black as she turned and shoved out an incredible blast of power, throwing the first several lines of people back into the next as she created a barrier behind her.
But it had been a trap.
The men behind her teleported again, splitting in half and reappearing on either side of her as they threw the grenades into the crowd. They didn’t care that their own men were caught in the fray; they only wanted blood.
It was the fight in the forest all over again.
Arryn’s fear for the ones she loved got the best of her. “CORRINE!” she screamed, both out loud and through the link, urgency taking her voice to a higher pitch than even she had been aware she possessed.
As the first blast erupted, vines shot out of the trees and wrapped around Cathillian, Samuel, and the twins. Vines came for her, too, but she deflected them. It was bad enough that she couldn’t guarantee the safety of more than her closest friends; she wasn’t about to abandon the fight out of fear for her own life.
Arryn arced both arms over her chest as the men vanished once again. A barrier enclosed around her as her hands shot out.
At the sound of another explosion, she forced herself to ignore the fire, smoke, and body parts raining down as she used her energy to search for the amphorald crystals.
People were scurrying all over, screaming as they struggled to climb over the next person to get away. It was total chaos. She realized just how lucky they all were that the grenades hadn’t been made by Waylon or Elon.
Had they been, the explosions would have happened almost immediately, and everyone would be dead. These were poorly made by half-assed engineers, which gave them a slower response time. They were more than likely on a timer.
There!
She found the crystals. With a flick of her hands, the grenades lifted from the ground, the crystals glowing an almost blinding blue.
Elon had taught her a great deal about engineering such weapons; though she could never build one herself, she knew each part had a job to do. Without even looking into them closely, she knew that with every tick of the timer, something tightened down on the crystals inside. The timers were all set differently, and poorly crafted, but they were about to reach the crystals’ breaking point, which would cause them to explode.
Looking back over her shoulder, she found a large concentration of guards that hadn’t yet joined the fray. As soon as they saw her face, they began to run back toward their camp.
Twisting around, Arryn launched the grenades forward with her magic. She clenched her fists as they landed, and the telekinetic energy tightened around the grenades—the tiniest bit of pressure being all they needed.
Reinforcing her shield, she closed her eyes and turned her face away as the explosions began. Seven grenades detonated, raining ash, sand, blood, and various body parts all around.
She held herself together by reminding herself that it was exactly what those bastards had planned to do to the people she needed to protect.
Her eyes flashed white as she searched the trees. Is everyone okay? she asked Corrine.
Safe and sound, the young druid responded.
Good. Get Cathillian and the others down here. We have a fight to finish.
26
Lorelei watched in horror as explosions erupted. There were two at first, detonated inside a cluster of fighters from both sides.
The enemy had blown up their own men.
The darkness that humans were capable of never ceased to amaze her. Watching Arryn and her group work, however, reminded her that not all outsiders were bad.
There were several moments when she and the Daoine villagers were stuck just waiting. During those times, she watched in awe as Arryn used incredible magic to overcome the evil men coming to kill them.
The forest druid wasn’t the only one.
Though Lorelei didn’t like it, Brann was in the water, waiting for those who might wander too close. He would use his magic to wrap seaweed around their ankles and drag them into the ocean, where another Daoine villager would take over the fight.
Lorelei didn’t like the idea of him fighting at his age, but she knew he had been forced to kill men before, to save the life of his sister. This wasn’t new to him, but it also wasn’t something he needed to see.
Still, he had demanded to be a part, and she knew without a doubt that he would find a way to do so with or without her permission, which would have only put him in danger. At least with him next to her, she could watch him, protect him, and send him away if she needed to.
Several more explosions rocked the beach, and Lorelei turned to see dozens of men dying as they scurried away, running back in the direction from which they’d come.
Part of her was disgusted, but she would never forget young, innocent Katie, killed for the sake of a message, or her mother, dying to alleviate her grief. Lorelei would never forget the devastation on Arryn’s face as she eased the woman from this life into the next.
While the Elder knew it had killed a part of Arryn to do it, she was grateful to her for easing her cousin’s suffering.
As men continued to scatter, trying to get out of the way of any other impending explosions, they began to stray too close.
“Now!” Lorelei shouted.
She and the other villagers in the water thrust their hands forward, pulling water from the air and drowning their enemies on dry land. Brann went to work pulling some of them in, and other villagers grabbed hold and took his targets further out to sea.
Thunder cracked somewhere in the distance, and Lorelei turned. Brann’s eyes were already wide as he turned in the direction the sound had come from.
“They’re fleeing!” he shouted, as he pointed to a few small boats heading toward the Raider ship.
Out of her peripheral, Lorelei saw movement on the beach, just at the edge of the water. She turned to see Mariana and several of her crewmates running over.
“I’m sorry, I’m going have to pull my men and go,” Mariana said disappointedly. “I truly hoped this wouldn’t happen, but I can’t let them get away again.”
Mariana nodded, her eyes glazing over sea green. “I’m not finished yet.”
The Storm Caller stepped into the sea and placed the end of her staff in the sand. Her eyes flashed even brighter as thunder cracked directly overhead. Clouds quickly appeared, as lightning webbed across the sky.
Lorelei watched as Mariana tightened her hands on the staff, burying it further into the sand. At the same time, lightning reached down from the sky, striking two men. Then a third… and then three more.
The Storm Caller repeated this a few times, causing the enemy to scatter. The Daoine villagers quickly swam up the coast. In a flash, they were able to meet the fleeing guards and pull them into the sea.
“That’s incredible,” Lorelei said in wonder.
Mariana’s eyes faded back to their natural color as she smiled down at the Daoine woman. “Thank you. And now we have to go.”
“You should take Arryn,” Brann piped up. “You’ll be able to do twice as much damage with her on board; you’ve seen what she can do. If you want to catch up to the ship and take it down, you’ll need her.”
Mariana looked toward the other ship. She couldn’t see well, but from what she could make out, they were still boarding.
Finally, she nodded. “I think you’re right. It’s time to end this for good. I never want to see that ship again.”
“Let’s do this,” Arryn said, running up. “I’ll sink that bitch to the bottom of the sea.”
Brann waved to her excitedly, and she looked over at him and winked.
“You got here quick. Do you still have enough magic?” he asked.
She smiled. “Well, I couldn’t ignore your mental screaming. For some reason, your thoughts cut straight through my head—that sounds like a complaint, but I’m quite happy about it. It saved a lot of trouble. And believe it or not, I haven’t really used much magic. The barrier was most of it. I think I still have enough juice to sink a ship.”
Mariana nodded. “Glad to hear.”
Arryn held up a finger. “But before we go… Brann, I think I have a job for you. For all of you.”
Corrine was escorted back into the cave, though not before she healed Arryn. The Arcadian druid hadn’t used much magic, but that was only because she hadn’t been healing her wounds either. She had sustained several bruises, cuts, and her right cheek bone had been broken.
The healing helped rejuvenate her energy as well as improve her sight. Despite Arryn’s continuous worry for Corrine, she knew the girl worried about her just as much.
The battle on land had completely wrapped up once Selena and Esmerelda began making their escape. It was obvious that the women had no plans to take anyone else with them, though she was certain they wouldn’t turn down help if they managed to catch up to the ship in time.
Arryn couldn’t imagine serving someone so cold and cruel. They were no better than Alaric and his brother, or Talia, or Adrien. Each of them had been more than willing to sacrifice their own people if it meant they came out ahead. It disgusted her.
She was glad this Storm Caller seemed to be different. Mariana and Captain Veren were readying everyone onboard for what was about to come.
“Do you really think they can pull it off?” Mariana asked her as she approached.
Arryn looked over the edge of the ship and saw several Daoine swimming down below. Others were farther out in the water.
She nodded. “I do. Let’s get the ship going. We aren’t going to find out anchored here.”
Cathillian walked up, his eyes flashing green as Mariana’s turned blue green. Once again, storm clouds began to rise as they combined their magic. The wind blew against the sails, as Mariana held tighter to the staff she had placed in the cup of water.
The ship began to turn and make its way farther out to sea. Arryn could see Selena’s storm from miles away, but the enemy Caller didn’t have what Mariana had. She didn’t have Cathillian.
Mariana’s ship raced across the water, and Arryn was awestruck. She had never been on a boat, let alone a large ship. It was fascinating to her. The scent of the saltwater mixed with the storm overhead, and it was beyond exciting. Somehow, Cathillian’s storm smelled like the forest when it began to rain, and it felt like home. The forest meeting the ocean.
Looking over, Arryn couldn’t tell if beads of sweat had formed on Mariana’s face, or if it was ocean water. Strict concentration furrowed the Storm Caller’s brows and flared her nostrils.
“We’re getting close,” Arryn said. “Don’t exhaust yourself, but stay focused.”
Mariana and Cathillian both nodded, Cathillian’s eyes flashing even brighter.
Arryn looked over the edge of the ship, and her eyes widened. An entire pod of dolphins was swimming just below the surface of the water, leaping out, and then diving back in. It was beautiful, but she knew why they were there.
She too could sense Brann close by.
He had gone out with his family on her orders. They were to keep close until she said otherwise. If things went the way she planned, she would need their help to get free of the water.
“Get ready, Arryn,” Bast said. “Are you sure you don’t want us to go with you?”
She turned back and nodded. “Trust me, you don’t want to be on that ship when I bring it down.”
Bast hesitated for a moment, then nodded and stepped back.
Facing forward again, Arryn watched as the storms collided. The coast was long gone, and all that existed now was the wide-open sea. Anxiety began to prickle in her belly, and she took several deep breaths to calm herself.
Her eyes flashed green as she added even more wind to the sails. She wondered how it was possible that they hadn’t torn, or the masts hadn’t broken, but that was a worry for another time.
Selena’s ship was now close enough that Arryn could see the few men and women who had managed to escape, scurrying about on board. They were preparing for battle, but they had no idea what they were in for.
Black faded into the green of Arryn’s eyes, and her magic exploded around her, transporting her from the bow of Mariana’s ship to the stern of Selena’s. Six men ran for Arryn, but her arms thrust forward and moved to the left in a sweeping motion. Wind slammed hard into their sides, throwing them overboard.
Arryn didn’t need to know what happened after that. The Daoine were sticking close, just as she had asked.
Several knives were thrown in her direction by those who were too afraid to approach directly. With a telekinetic shove, the knives were thrown back at their owners. Most did not penetrate, but a few men dropped to the ground from their wounds.
Begin, Arryn sent to Lorelei. Swim hard and fast.
Breaking her link with the Daoine, Arryn quickly linked to Mariana. Back off. You don’t want to get caught in this.
Mariana began to protest, but Arryn broke the link, focusing hard on the task before her. She stepped forward, walking down several steps as guards and Raiders alike backed up, fear on their faces as they raised their weapons.
“A party? For me?” Arryn said with a smile.
Esmerelda appeared on the bow, enraged with her forces. “What are you doing? It’s one girl! Kill her!”
The men and women looked at one another for a moment as they debated what to do.
Then, Arryn felt it. The first lurch in the ship.
She smiled as she arced both of her hands over her chest, then pulled them away as two fireballs surrounded them. She looked up and threw them both, striking at the sails. The fire raged, quickly devouring the fabric despite how wet it had become.
She heard an angry, “No!” shouted from the front of the ship and was happy to see Selena losing her mind. The Storm Raider’s magic would no longer serve her. With no sails, she was stuck, forced to surrender to the Daoine people below.
The ship lurched again, and then began to turn. The ship was slowly rising on t
he edge of a whirlpool, turning slightly on its side as it did. Arryn could see the rushing water off the side of the ship, and the twisting clouds above.
Arryn smiled. “Enjoy the ride.”
Her eyes flashed again as she turned toward the twisting water below. Her arms moved fluidly as she once again swept them to the right. Ribbons of water lifted from the surface of the sea, turning into bendable ice.
Arryn took a deep breath as she flicked her right wrist, darting ropes of ice forward and wrapping them around the group of men coming for her. The ropes hardened, and she anchored them to the ship.
As the remaining crew began to realize there was no escape, they began to claw and fight one another to get below deck. Surprisingly, Esmerelda and Selena stayed put, staring daggers at her.
“What’s the matter?” Arryn asked as she walked forward, carefully measuring every step as the ship began to lurch again. Every time she planted her foot, she twisted her fingers to bring the ice over her boot and freeze it to the deck until she took her next step.
She had to focus on the women in front of her to keep from getting sick as she watched the spinning surroundings. Mariana’s ship came and went, and then again, as Selena’s ship rode nearly sideways into what was quickly becoming a massive maelstrom. It wouldn’t be long before Arryn would be able to take the ship down completely.
“This is where it ends?” Esmerelda asked.
Arryn nodded. “You had an opportunity when your husband was killed; you could’ve used your terrible experiences to become an advocate for the downtrodden. Instead, you chose to be just like him.”
Esmerelda only smiled, shaking her head as she met Arryn’s statement with silence.
“You might be fine with dying, but I’m not,” Selena spat to her leader.
The Storm Raider’s eyes flashed, and lightning webbed across the sky. Arryn surrounded herself with a shield just before a wave of water crashed over the side of the ship.
A barrier wouldn’t save her if a bolt hit the deck—charging the water beneath her feet.
Arryn leapt as high she could, unsure if this would work or if she was about to kill herself. Lightning crashed to the deck as her eyes flashed black. Just before she landed, ice ropes wrapped around her ankles to anchor her to the ship as a torrent of air twisted around her body. Staying afloat was already draining her, so she had to move fast.
