Storm Raiders: Age Of Magic - A Kurtherian Gambit Series (Storms Of Magic Book 1)

by PT Hylton

  She heard footsteps approaching and crouched in the shadows behind the ladder. Two female voices began talking.

  “The smart money was on Gregory. Who would have thought Ned would be the stronger of the two?”

  “Ah,” the second voice said. “You’re confusing muscles with strength. Ned was a little thing, but he was in shape. Have you seen the way he scurries up the mast?”

  “Perhaps I was. Those arms on Gregory, though. It’s a shame to imagine them rotting beneath the sea.”

  Abbey listened, trying to figure out what the two women were talking about.

  The first voice spoke again. “Gregory made it forty minutes before he went under. That’s respectable. Especially considering the extra weight Randall had them wearing.”

  “It goes to show, when Captain Tor gives an order, you best follow it to the letter. There was no excuse for them to rough up that pathetic Captain Roy.”

  Abbey pressed herself against the bulkhead, willing the women not to see her. Thankfully, they seemed too involved in their conversation to notice the person crouching in the shadows. The women went up the ladder and disappeared onto the deck.

  Abbey waited a minute to make sure they wouldn’t double back, but all she heard was the groaning of the ship and the sound of the water. She took a deep breath and headed down the passageway.

  When she reached the door that Syd had indicated on her sketch, Abbey paused and pressed her ear against it. For a while, she didn’t hear anything. Then, just when she was about to give up hope, she heard footsteps beyond the door.

  Now that she’d confirmed her target was inside, all she had to do was find a safe place and wait until things began. When they did, everything would happen quickly. She needed to be ready.

  She’d come to terms with the fact that she might never get off this ship alive. That was all right. If her life would buy the freedom of The Foggy Day and allow it to travel back to Holdgate and reveal the truth about Thunderclap, it would be worth it.

  Abbey scurried back to the spot in the shadows behind the ladder and waited for the signal from Dustin.

  ****

  Dustin was calling a wave, and he wasn’t touching seawater. He and Syd were in a small boat—though not the same skiff they’d used to escape The Foggy Day as that one was still sitting on the coast somewhere to the south. They’d borrowed this one from a man in Bode who’d practically thrown it at them in fear when he realized Dustin was a Storm Caller. Dustin felt bad using his station like that, but in this case, he didn’t have a choice. They needed to get out to the two Holdgate ships, and quickly.

  This boat didn’t have a sail, so Dustin had called waves to carry them. It meant traveling more slowly, but it also allowed them to be less conspicuous. They’d been able to approach Thunderclap unseen, under cover of light fog. Abbey had thrown a hook with a rope attached over the railing and climbed aboard.

  It had been nerve-wracking watching her board the enemy ship, knowing there was nothing he or Syd would be able to do to help her. But he also knew she was one of the most capable people he’d ever met. If anyone could pull off the Thunderclap portion of the plan, it was her.

  After she’d disappeared over the rail, he’d called back the waves to carry them onward to The Foggy Day.

  It still boggled Dustin’s mind—he was doing something he’d always been taught was impossible. He was Storm Calling without touching seawater. This tiny fishing boat wasn’t made for stormship usage, so it hadn’t been built with the iron cup of seawater at the prow. If not for Dustin’s newfound powers, they would have needed to rig up some way to contain some seawater.

  As it was, it didn’t matter. His staff was touching the dry bottom of the boat, and yet he was Storm Calling! Now that he’d learned how to do it, it felt like the most natural thing in the world. It was starting to seem odd that he’d ever thought there was a difference between Storm Calling in water and on dry land.

  Yet, it had taken two factors for him to unlock this ability. First, Abbey had planted the seed in his mind that such a thing might be possible. That alone had made a huge impact. The way she talked about magic—the way she’d learned it from her father—was so different than what he’d been taught by his mentor, Harald, that it made him consider that perhaps he hadn’t learned everything there was to know about magic.

  Second, it had taken a moment of great stress. While under attack by the Barskall Warrior, he’d been furious that the man had knocked Vern from the tower, and he’d been desperate to find a way to help Abbey on the ground below. That combination of circumstances had pushed him to a place he’d never been, a place where Abbey’s seed of an idea had taken root and suddenly sprouted into this new ability.

  He’d shared some of these thoughts with Syd and Abbey on the wagon ride down the mountain—when they hadn’t been napping.

  Syd’s eyes had grown narrow with concern as she listened. When he’d finished, she’d said, “This new ability, it could change things. It could make the Storm Callers rulers of the land as well as the sea. And not all of them are like you. I suggest you keep this ability secret. The last thing we need is Dahlia Storm Calling on dry land.”

  Dustin had quickly agreed.

  Now, as they moved through the water, he considered what it could mean if the secret got out. Perhaps Tor and his Storm Raiders would move inland. The coastal villages wouldn’t be the only ones subject to his horrifying attacks.

  As they approached The Foggy Day, Syd nudged him.

  “Swing around and approach on the starboard side. Get as close as you can. I’ll take care of the rest.”

  “You got it.” Now that they were clear of Thunderclap, Dustin’s confidence was increasing. Maybe they could actually pull this off.

  He approached cautiously from the starboard side as Syd had directed. There were allies aboard this ship, but Dustin knew there would be sailors from Thunderclap aboard, too, keeping the crew under control and making sure they didn’t try anything. Not that they’d be able to get far without their Storm Caller before Dahlia and Thunderclap caught them.

  They pulled up alongside The Foggy Day, and Syd threw a hook over the rail and tied the end to the fishing boat, securing them from drifting away. She let out three sharp noises that Dustin would have sworn had been made by a bird if he hadn’t seen them come out of her mouth.

  Only a moment had passed before three dark shapes appeared at the rail.

  “Holy hell,” one of the men called down in a loud whisper. “Syd, is that really you?”

  “Of course, it is. You think I’d abandon my crew, Mitchell? Make sure it’s safe, then toss down a couple of ropes and haul us up there.”

  Less than a minute later, Dustin was hanging onto a rope, his foot secured in a loop in the bottom of it as they hauled him up. Rough hands grabbed him as he reached the top and pulled him over the railing.

  “You all right, Storm Caller?” one of the men asked.

  Dustin nodded. To his shame, he realized he didn’t know the names of any of these three men. When he’d set out on this voyage, he’d been so focused on impressing Tor and Dahlia that he hadn’t taken the time to learn the names of his own crew.

  The men hauled Syd up next. When she was safely aboard, she motioned the men in close.

  “How many Thunderclap sailors aboard?” she asked.

  “Three dozen,” one of the men answered. “Maybe a little more. But with Dahlia and Tor so close by, we didn’t dare make a move.”

  “They roughed up the captain pretty good,” another man said.

  Syd grimaced. “You’re alive and so is he. That’s what matters. Now, it’s time to do some roughing up of our own. I want you to go below deck and gather as many of our people as you can without attracting attention. We’ll have to hope the rest join in the fun when it starts. When Dustin gives the signal, attack the Thunderclap sailors. We want them dead or overboard as quickly as possible so we can be on our way.”

  One of the men turned to
Dustin. “What’s the signal, Storm Caller?”

  Dustin smiled. “Trust me. You’ll know it when you hear it.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Abbey crouched in the shadows, a balled-up oilcloth in her hands, ready and waiting for the signal.

  It felt like she’d been sitting like this for an hour, though she knew it couldn’t have been more than twenty minutes. A few people had passed her going up or down the ladder, but her hiding spot held true. No one spotted her. She just had to hope Dustin and Syd were having as much success in boarding The Foggy Day and preparing the crew for the attack.

  Abbey wasn’t used to trusting other people except for her father, and it had turned out even he was keeping secrets from her. Normally, if there was something she wanted to make sure got done, she did it herself. Now, she was forced to trust not only Syd and Dustin, but also the entire crew of The Foggy Day. Timing was going to be crucial for this plan to work. If things didn’t play out exactly as they’d planned, she’d be left either stranded on the enemy ship or drowned. Neither of those options was particularly appealing.

  Abbey concentrated on keeping her breathing slow and even while she waited for the signal.

  Then, it came.

  A massive thunderclap sounded, rattling the ship. It was so powerful, Abbey felt it in her teeth.

  Very nice, Dustin, Abbey thought. I’d like to see Dahlia beat that.

  Abbey knew she didn’t have long, so she sprang into motion. She took a step down the passageway and threw the oilcloth in front of the door to Dahlia’s private quarters. Then she centered herself and conjured a fireball. It wasn’t a perfectly controlled sphere like the ones her father created, but that was all right. She wasn’t going for control here; she was going for destruction. She hurled the fireball into the oilcloth, and it burst into flame.

  She conjured three more quick fireballs and tossed them into other parts of the passageway. Stormships were built to resist fire, but she hoped at least some of them would catch.

  Men began pouring out of the sleeping berth, drawn by the sudden thunder. It was time for Abbey to go.

  She risked one last look before she headed up the ladder, and she saw Dahlia’s door open. The Storm Caller let out a high-pitched shout of surprise when she saw the flames outside her door.

  It probably hadn’t been smart of Abbey to stay below deck so long after starting the fire, but boy had it been worth it.

  She turned and raced up the ladder, aware from the panicked shouts coming from behind her that the passageway was erupting into chaos.

  The deck was no less chaotic. No one even noticed as she climbed through the hatch. The sailors of Thunderclap were scrambling around the main deck. Some were gathered around the prow, where Dahlia usually stood when she Storm Called, perplexed that she wasn’t there. The thunderclap was their signature as well as their namesake, and they always sounded it when they arrived back home in Holdgate. But why had it sounded now, and if Dahlia hadn’t created it, who had? It was a clear night, so the thunder couldn’t have been a natural occurrence.

  Abbey looked across the water and saw The Foggy Day’s prow was also vacant. Good. Dustin must have Storm Called from somewhere else on the ship. That would further add to their confusion.

  She couldn’t help but smile as she took in the chaos around her. The plan was working. Confusion reigned on Thunderclap, and Dahlia was trapped below deck with a raging fire. Abbey didn’t have any illusions that the chaos would last long or that the fire would do permanent damage to the ship—though, she could always hope—but that was all right. They only needed a few minutes to make this happen.

  She turned and glanced up at the quarterdeck. Tor stood, hands on hips, looking as confused as the rest of them, his eyes on The Foggy Day. Then he turned his gaze back to his own ship and quickly scanned the deck. His eyes settled on Abbey, and he went pale.

  “Time to go,” Abbey muttered. There was just one more thing she needed to do first.

  Holding out her hand, she briefly closed her eyes and concentrated. When she opened them, she was holding a fireball. This one was much larger than the one she’d conjured below deck, and she knew she couldn’t keep it up for more than a few moments. She drew back her arm and hurled the fireball at the main mast.

  It struck its target, and the mainsail burst into flame.

  The surprise on Captain Tor’s face quickly morphed into fury. He pointed a shaking finger at her and bellowed, “Get the Arcadian bitch!”

  The crew turned toward her and drew their weapons.

  Abbey took off running toward the prow of the ship. As she ran, she concentrated, gathering her magical energy.

  A sailor ran at her, his sword held high, but he hesitated at the sight of her black eyes, and she darted past him.

  As she reached the prow, she thought back to the day of Dustin’s Testing. The way she’d pulled on him, giving him just enough extra support, so he was able to make it to shore. She needed to do the opposite of that now.

  She leaped into the air, hurdling over the rail and out over the water. As she did, she pushed on the ship, focusing on moving it away from her. Just as she hoped, the ship didn’t. Instead, she moved. The push sent her flying through the air much farther than she could jump on her own.

  A strong wind pressed against her back, and she saw Dustin was now standing at the prow of The Foggy Day, his eyes glowing blueish-green.

  The combination of her magical push and Dustin's wind didn’t get her all the way across the gap between the two ships, but it got her far enough. She hit the water about halfway between them and started swimming hard.

  A few moments later, the crew of The Foggy Day was tossing her a rope and hauling her up.

  ****

  While Abbey was hiding on Thunderclap, waiting for the signal, Syd and Dustin were gathering the crew below deck on The Foggy Day. The Thunderclap sailor assigned to guard the sleeping berth lay unconscious in the corner, the victim of Syd taking him by surprise with a plank. Dustin had winced at the sound the board made when it connected with the man’s head.

  Captain Roy was there, too, his face alight with a wide smile, even though he was sporting a busted lip, a black eye, and a serious knot on the left side of his forehead. “I’m not sure whether to slap you two upside the head for coming back here or to hug you.”

  The joy Dustin felt at seeing this man surprised him. Only a few short days ago, he’d been annoyed that Roy was his captain. Now, he wanted nothing more than to sail with him.

  Syd ran a hand over her head. “I suggest we delay both of those until later. Besides, we didn’t come back just because we felt sorry for you. We need a quick ride to Holdgate.”

  “I think Captain Tor and his Storm Caller will have something to say about that.” The joy was melting away from Captain Roy’s face as the realities of their situation began to hit him. “You’re good, Dustin, but Thunderclap is a faster ship than The Foggy Day. Call all the wind you want; we won’t get far before they catch us.”

  Now, it was Dustin’s turn to smile. “That fact hasn’t escaped our attention. A certain fugitive blacksmith’s daughter is aboard Tor’s ship right now sowing mischief.”

  “I’ve discovered it’s kind of her specialty,” Syd said.

  Roy’s eyes narrowed with concern. “You’re telling me that Abbey is aboard Thunderclap? Alone?”

  Syd chuckled. “Not alone. There’s a shit ton of Storm Raiders on there with her.”

  Dustin leaned in closer to the group. “That’s why we need to get moving. Go above deck. When I give the signal, you attack Tor’s sailors. We need you to be fast. Then get the ship ready to sail.”

  “How’s Abbey going to get back here?” Roy asked.

  Dustin grimaced. “A little magic and a lot of luck. Point is, we need to be free of Thunderclap crew and ready to push off as quickly as humanly possible. Syd, you’ll coordinate?”

  She nodded.

  One of the crew, a tall man with a beard
that looked like it hadn’t been touched by a razor in a decade, leaned close to Dustin. “Due respect, but you’ve been a Storm Caller, what? A week?”

  Less, Dustin thought, but he wasn’t about to say it.

  The big man continued. “And when you were here, you never said word one to any of us. You thought you were too good to talk to the crew. Why the hell should we listen to you now?”

  Syd stepped into the space between Dustin and the tall man. She pushed her index finger against the tall man’s chest. “You’ll listen because he’s your fucking Storm Caller, and he gave you an order. Do I make myself clear, Edgar?”

  The tall man took a step back and rubbed the spot where she’d poked him. “Yes, ma’am. Apologies for my question. I was merely—”

  “I’m sorry, are you still talking?” she barked. “You heard your orders. Get your ass above deck!”

  The crew briskly headed up to the deck, not saying another word, leaving only Roy, Syd, and Dustin.

  When they were alone, Dustin said, “He was right, you know. I was an arrogant asshole when I came aboard.”

  Roy laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. “You certainly were. But if you can get them out of this mess, it’ll go a long way toward setting things right.”

  Dustin looked at Roy, then at Syd. “You two ready for this?”

  Syd nodded as she drew her swords. “My only regret is that Tor’s not on The Foggy Day. I would like to have words with that man.”

  “You’ll have your chance yet.” Roy turned to Dustin. “When you’re ready, Storm Caller.”

  Dustin gripped his staff and closed his eyes.

  Roy said, “Wait, don’t you need seawater?”

  Syd replied. “It a new thing he can do. Don’t interrupt.”

  Dustin breathed deeply, gripping onto energy from both the ship itself and the water below it. He let it swirl inside him until it felt like a tempest. Then he let it loose.

  Thunder roared, and the ship shook with the force of it.

  Roy whistled. “Damn, son, that’s mighty impressive.”

  Syd grabbed the captain’s arm. “Be impressed later. We’ve got work to do.”