by G. Bailey
“I’m going in, you can come or not,” I tell him, before walking through the snow. I pause when the first people to see me stop in their tracks. They lower their heads slightly, a show of respect I think, before waiting for me to say something. Cullen catches up to me, sliding his hand into mine and carries on walking next to me when I finally move. Everyone we pass does the same thing, stopping and lowering their heads, watching me for something. I don’t question it, or them, having the feeling that this is normal. We walk straight down the path shoveled out in the snow towards the hut, which has large leather fabric stretched across the entrance. I push it open, before walking in and stopping as the room goes silent. There are at least fifty people in here who stop what they are doing to watch me. In the middle of the room is a large table, with seven seats which are all empty. The room has pillars that reach the top of the ceiling and fabrics with a dragon symbol on them spread around.
“Eowynn, you are back?” An older man says, running over to me and taking my hand in his. The moment his hand touches mine, a flash of memories assaults my head, making me fall to the ground.
25
Chapter Seven
Eowynn
“Mother you can’t die, I can’t run this whole town alone,” I say, holding her tightly in my arms on the bed. She looks up to me, smiling.
“I must tell you the secret the king left here when he was a young man, before I die. You must save everyone here before it’s too late,” she says and I shake my head, tears falling down my eyes. I look over at the door, knowing my husbands are outside and I want to run into their arms, not be strong for my mother like I need to be right now.
“Eowynn, you know the white cliffs on the other side of the island? The ones I used to take you to as a child to see the sea?” she says, and I nod my head, meeting her eyes that are so much like mine. The cliffs are high on one side that fall into the sea, but there’s another side to them that has a deep pool of icy water. My mother always told me that someone could survive a jump in the pool, but not so much the sea. The pool has a small beach on the other side, one that you could swim out of.
“Jump into it, swim down and there’s a cave at the bottom. In the cave is the secret, the map to a crown that can give a changed one the power to kill the king,” she says and I watch her in silence as her words run around my mind.
“The war, the whispers of war and the changed one that could win it, it’s all true? You believe this story?” I ask her.
“Yes, find the map and take our people to the mountains. Take them to the princes and the changed one. Help them win this war because they will need you. The war must be won, there is nothing left good in this world if it isn’t. The old gods will rise, and the true heir needs to be on the throne for when that happens. Everything will be lost Eowynn, everything,” She says desperately as I wonder where she has heard this from. Old gods rising? What gods? I look down when she starts squeezing my hand tightly enough to hurt me.
“Promise me you will jump,” she says and I nod.
“Say it Eowynn, I need this promise,” she demands, still the strong women I know even as she dies.
“I promise,” I say, choking on my tears as the light leaves her eyes and her grip on my hand loosens until it drops into my lap. I sob quietly as I lie her body down on the bed, lifting the sheets and pulling them over her body before getting off the bed. I pace next to her body, harshly wiping the tears away as I think about what she said. War is coming and it’s up to me, the last council member to decide which side we are on. The evil king, who has murdered and rules with fear, or the whispers of a changed one. A girl who faced the king, almost killed him and escaped. A girl who has the heart of the princes and an army behind her.
“Eowynn, I’m so sorry my treasure,” Fen says, looking at my mother’s body and back to me. He goes to walk over and I let him hold me as I cry my eyes out. I eventually pull away, straightening my spine and lifting my head.
“Call everyone to the town, I need an emergency meeting,” I say, and he nods, walking back out.
“I will deliver my promise,” I tell my mother, before looking away and walking out the hut.
“Is she alive? Eowynn? Wake up?” I hear Fen demand, as the hands on my arms start lightly shaking me. I open my eyes to see I’m on the table, lying down and my husbands are all around me.
“I remember everything,” I say, sitting up quickly as they look at me in shock.
“Fen, Diego, Cullen and Shan…we need a big meeting once more,” I say, and they all give me equal looks of relief and love. I look around, seeing the heads of most the families watching me before locking eyes with Neil.
“Can you arrange this for me, in an hour? I have somewhere we need to go first,” I tell Neil, my cousin, who nods before running away. I slide off the table, walking over to my mother’s seat and remembering the last time I sat here, telling the entire town the plan. My husband’s follow me over, watching as I stoke a hand over my mother’s seat and look to my father’s.
“We need to go to the cliffs,” I tell them, waiting for the bad reaction I know they will all have.
“No way, you nearly died there!” Fen protests and I shake my head.
“I was pushed, when I wanted to jump,” I say and they all look at me like I’m mad.
“We need to jump in, swim to the cave at the bottom and get something from there. It’s important and we need it before we leave. I went last time, but I got into a fight with Smith. He didn’t want me to get the map from the cave, he wanted to side with the king. So, he pushed me, and I banged my head on the cliffs as I was too close to them,” I say, and Shan growls lightly.
“We should have killed him slower,” he says, and my husbands all nod.
“So, we are going for a swim?” Diego says, stroking his beard, and stepping closer to me.
“Yes,” I say as he links his hand with mine.
“Let’s go,” he replies. We all walk out the council hut, straight to the right side of town and towards the cliff that isn’t far from the town. I walk straight up to the top with my husbands by my side and look down at the pool below.
“You don’t have to jump, we can do this for you,” Shan says, stepping next to me and I look up at him.
“I will wait with the clothes, as I can’t swim,” Fen says, and I walk over, kissing his cheek.
“Thank you,” I tell him, knowing how scared he is of the water.
“As much as I love you for offering, this is something I promised my mother,” I say and he understands, not needing to ask me anything else. I pull all my clothes off, standing in just my white lacy vest top. Shan, Diego and Cullen are all in just their trousers as we walk to the edge. The cold wind blows against my ears, as I look around and I swear I can feel my parents with me. Helping me have the courage I need to do this.
“For my mother,” I say before jumping straight down. I hear the air whistle past my ears and my heart pounding in my chest as I straighten my arms out above my head just before I hit the water. I swim straight down when I hit the water, trying my hardest not to let the cold freeze me like last time. I feel a push of water next to me, and I turn to see Diego and Shan on my left, and I turn my head to the right, as I swim further down to see Cullen. He points to the left of him, and I see the light he is pointing to. I turn, swimming after him and towards the light. I swim into the light, gasping for air when I break out of the cold water into the warm air of the cave.
“Why is it warm?” I ask, coughing and wiping my eyes from the water. I look up to see steam coming from the walls of the cave. I look behind me as Shan and Diego pop out of the water near me. The water is slightly warm here as well.
“Come on, we need to get what we came for and get out,” Cullen shouts, and I turn to see him climbing out the water on the other side. I swim over to him, grabbing his offered hand and letting him pull me out. I stand up, shivering from the cold water dripping down my clothes as I look around. Its empty in here, other than th
e water and one box I spot on the other side of the room. I run over to it, pulling the lid open. Inside is another box, a water tight one with a silver case. I snap the latch open, seeing an old map resting in the middle of it.
“What is the map for?” Shan says behind me.
“To win a war,” I say, snapping the box shut.
26
Chapter Eight
Eowynn
“Thank you for coming here, I appreciate the heads of each family spending their afternoon with me,” I shout into the room of people waiting for me to speak. I look back at my husbands, seeing them all give me looks of strength and showing their support for me.
“I fell into the sea, as you all know. I also forgot all of my memories for a day, and I have them back now. I remember why I asked everyone to pack, I remember why I hate the king,” I say and whispers follow my words.
“For years the councils have served him, every council on every island. We have let him send guards to take the changed babies and kill them. We let him come here to visit and kill our people for sport. We let him control us with fear and until now there was nothing we could do to stop this,” I say to them all. I look at the pregnant woman in the crowd, and her eyes meet mine. It’s a fear for every child born, as we are always scared that they will be a changed one. That’s why I never had children with my husbands and won’t until this world is better. This world is no place for a child.
“We have all heard the whispers of war. The whispers that come from Fiaten and the call they have made for fighters. For healers and for anyone that doesn’t support the king to come to them,” I shout, hearing whispers following my words, “I’m not going to stand here and tell you what you will do. I am telling you what I will do, and if you follow me that is your choice,” I say, waiting for them to stop speaking to each other and the crowd to wait for me to speak.
“I am going to take this map, a secret of the king’s to Fiaten. To the princes, the pirates, the changed ones and everyone that fights against a king who has destroyed our world for far too long!” I shout and cheers follow my words.
“We will leave in the morning, and anyone is welcome to come. If you support the king, then stay but do not expect him to help you. He helps no one but himself! We need a new ruler, we need a war and we need a winner. Fiaten has that, and we will return to our free home when the war is won. Now who is with me?” I shout.
“I am,” a man steps forward, and then another, and another. Until all I can hear is people shouting I am. I pick the box up of the table, turning to my husbands who watch me.
“We are proud of you, and your parents would have been also,” Shan says, wrapping an arm around me as we listen to the cheers.
“You’re right, they might have been,” I say, feeling like I have done something right. That what is in this box could change everything.
“Now what can we do to persuade you back to our hut and we all have a night in bed before we leave?” Fen asks as he steps closer and I smile.
“Nothing…that was exactly what I had in mind,” I say, seeing all of them react in the same way. With happiness.
Please keep reading for an excerpt from Blood Sea by Cece Rose…
Blood Sea
Blurb:
Don’t go in the water; Never go out at night.
For in the seas and darkness, are creatures that will bite.
I’ve always been drawn to the water, sneaking away to swim in the hidden cove. I know the dangers, but the water calls to me, its song luring me into the depths.
All my life I’ve been home by dark, but just once I want to swim in the moonlight. The vampires haven’t come to our isle in years anyway, it’s a stupid precaution to stay inside.
How could I know that the one night I choose to take a moonlit swim, the waters around our island would run red with blood?
**17+ Fantasy Reverse-Harem Romance. (Vampire Pirates)
Buy here on Amazon
-
Azula
His black pupils dilate wide, covering the blue irises of his eyes and stretching out to fill the whites, so all I can see is black. I try to dart away, but he grips my shoulders tightly, holding me firmly in place. “Do not fucking talk to me like that, Azula. You have no power here. This is my ship, and you will do as I say.”
“I’ll talk however I damn well please, you aren’t my captain,” I retort brazenly. I regret the words after they’ve left my mouth, though, as his grip tightens on my shoulders. The thought occurs to me that I should probably be a lot more afraid than I am, and I should definitely start acting a little smarter if I want to make it out of here alive.
“While you’re aboard my ship, I’m the authority because I’m the captain. I am the fucking god of all that lies aboard this vessel. Do you understand me, Azula?” he asks. His voice is low, not needing to shout to make his point. The power in his words is enough on its own. Shaking slightly in his grip, I manage to nod, licking my suddenly dry lips to moisten them. “Tell me that you understand,” he demands, my nod clearly not enough for him.
My mouth feels so dry as I try to summon words. I can barely breathe, my heart racing with fear. I can’t look away from his pitch-black eyes, and I couldn’t even move if I did try with his hands keeping me in place.
“I understand,” I whisper.
“I understand, Captain,” he corrects me, and he leans down closer, his face inches from mine as he does.
“I understand… Captain,” I choke out. He draws away, releasing me and stepping back a few paces.
“You will stay in here and not cause any trouble until we reach land. Once there you will leave, and I or my crew will never see you again, do you understand?” he questions.
“I understand perfectly.” He steps closer again and my heart jumps in my chest from fright. “I understand perfectly, Captain,” I correct myself, taking a deep breath in and out.
“Good. There’s a bed behind the curtain there, rest for now. Whatever you do, do not cut yourself on anything. You cannot let your blood spill. If it does, I will not be able to keep the crew away from you,” he says as he heads for the door.
“Yes, Captain,” I reply quietly, and he nods, hearing my words. “How far away from land are we? And what port do we near?” I ask, my voice coming back to me easier now that he’s on the other side of the cabin and about to leave.
“A few days at most, depending on the winds. We are passing by Asmia, and it is there we will leave you before continuing on our way,” he answers. “Now sleep,” he commands, leaving and closing the door with a slam behind him.
27
-
Azula
Smiling across the dinner table at James, I ignore our two fathers’ droning on about the merchant ships troubles at seas, not that I ever really pay much attention. James is dressed more formally than usual—the mix of white, black, and bright, royal blue standing out against his sun-kissed skin and pale eyes. His usually messy, dark blond hair has been tamed, the natural highlights showing off even more than usual. I feel his foot nudge mine under the table, I nudge his back and bite my lip to keep in laughter from the amused look on his face.
“Azula, are you listening to what Mr Burcham has said?” my father asks me, snapping my attention away from James.
“Sorry? What was that, Mr Burcham, I didn’t quite catch it?” I ask, smiling innocently. My father sighs, not falling for it for an instant. I tune back out as James’ father starts talking again. I take a sip of the ridiculous wine they brought over to be polite. It tastes like bath salts and I try not to gag as I swallow it.
“Azula,” my father says again.
“Yes, daddy?” I ask, turning back to face him again.
“Do you have anything to say about what Mr Burcham has kindly repeated for you?” he asks. I shrug.
“Not really,” I reply, taking another sip of the fowl wine to escape more small talk. As much as I enjoy James’ company, his father is a total bore and speaks about the same topics
every time they come for dinner. Thankfully, I learnt to tune out the drivel years ago; James had too.
“Do you not find it the least bit concerning that…blah blah blah,” I tune him back out. What is there to possibly find concerning about the state of affairs more than usual. The seas run red with blood, and we hide in our homes at night. We’re terrified victims just waiting to slip up. I’m sick of it, I want to live and do as I please. Better to enjoy a short life than to loathe every minute of a long one. There is nothing interesting about our small island, I want to explore and see the world, but my father barely lets me out of the house. My chances of ever escaping Carysi are minimal at best. Our closest neighbouring island, Smoke, is uninhabited, due to the volcanic activity that has wrecked any previous attempt at life there. The second closest is Eska. Eska is the home to trade, and bustling streets, or so James tells me. One day, I will get to see it, I won’t let him stop me. Just because of the near constant raids on the sea boarding towns and ports, they think it’s no place for a woman to go. When I argue that women do live in those towns, the response is always they’re a different kind of woman. I barely resist huffing aloud at the thought.
“I’m feeling quite full; would you mind letting me be excused?” I ask, already standing. My father sighs again, scratching at the grey stubble on his face.
“Fine, sweetheart, but stay inside the manor; it’ll be dark soon.”
“Of course, I was just thinking of going to read in the library,” I reply, knowing full well he will never go in there and check. He never steps into that room, he says it reminds him too much of my mother. I walk across and place a kiss on his cheek, before striding out the room, certain that James will quickly follow.
I wait at the end of the corridor, and sure enough, a few minutes later James exits the room and meets me at the edge. I slide my hands into his and draw him close. Leaning up and placing a kiss to lips quickly, before pulling away and stepping back.
