by S Lawrence
“A goddess burned you?” Fallon asks, his eyes on the doctor's fingers, which have been joined by another’s.
I squeeze my eyes closed and fight to drag a breath in, but the pain... “Fuck, Douglas, you are killing me,” I grunt.
“There is nothing we can do for the burn—it is deep and will leave a horrible scar, Captain—but we can get the infection and fever under control. I am concerned about the damage under the burn.” He glances at the other doctors. “Can you tell us how exactly you were hurt?”
Coughing, I try to laugh but again I don’t quite manage it. “A goddess stole me from the King and when she got to know me, she cut me right up the middle.”
A gasp draws my eyes back to Reyna. “Then she burned you?” Her voice makes me want to hold her, but instead, I just squeeze her hand.
‘No. That was from a beast that makes Liam look like a pup. She was frightened of it. I couldn’t fight it off, although I realized quickly enough that I think it was trying help. It sniffed me and then licked over the wound and, boom, charred meat.” I don’t mention the holding in my guts part.
“We will need to keep a very close eye on you. You could be bleeding inside. We may need to open you up,” Fallon’s doctor informs me and those standing at my side.
I can only nod and pray that it doesn’t come to that. “We need to get these ships moving.” I look at Hagen, who jerks his head then whistles.
A flurry of movement takes place around me, and I realize I am lying on my own deck. Travis steps into view, his eyes downcast.
“I’m sorry, Captain, we… I failed you.”
“No, Travis, you always serve me well.” I shake my head and grimace at the slight movement pulling at my flesh.
“We had traitors, spies, on our ships, brother.” Fallon sits at my side while our other brothers move away to their own ships. “They have been dealt with, but we are still trying to figure out how they are communicating.”
“Can we discuss this later? He needs to rest.” Reyna once again doesn’t leave any room for argument.
“I will return to the Rose. Be well, Cyder.” He rises and nods at Reyna before doing just as he said.
We are alone and I feel exhaustion trying to pull me away from her. “Sleep, my Captain, I will be here when you wake,” she promises.
“I feel as if I have been asleep for entirely too long. I dreamt of death and darkness and I’m not yet ready to return. Tell me a story, my queen.”
“I could read to you from one of your books,” she offers and I nod.
I watch as she rises and then makes her way to my cabin. She returns in moments with the book of Celtic myths in her hands, and I actually manage to smile this time. I let my eyes close as she begins to speak, reading tales of the old gods, the gods that are at this very moment meddling in our lives.
The ship begins to move, and I can hear the sails as they catch the wind and snap tight to propel us away from the coast. Reyna’s voice dies away, and I hear the sound of the book closing.
“You scared me.” Her voice is tight when she finally speaks after a long silence.
“I was afraid they were hunting you and Lash on shore.” I hold out my hand, and a moment later, her fingers slide against my palm then thread with mine.
“Liam hunted you and we had a few guards the first night.”
I hear wonder in her voice and open my eyes to study her face. “Guards?”
“A pack of wolves.” She grins at whatever she sees on my face. “Lash is certain I called them to us somehow, although I have no idea how. That’s the problem, though. If I have some power, I have no idea how to make it an asset to us in this fight.”
“Miss?” Reyna glances away from me. “I’ve brought you some food and some broth for the Captain.”
“Thank you.” She smiles and I see how tired she looks before she turns back to me. “Here, let me get a pillow for under your head.” She starts to stand, but I squeeze her hand.
“I want to move into my quarters but I’m afraid I can’t stand.”
“You better not even try.” She scowls then looks around. “Excuse me. Your captain needs to be moved into his own bed.”
I hear the pounding of feet before she even finishes asking. Travis’s face comes into my view, and as he watches my face, the crew lifts me slowly and much more gently than their menacing expressions demand.
“Careful,” Reyna murmurs as I grimace from the slight jostling.
“I’m fine,” I assure her, even as I feel sweat bead on my face and shivers begin to rack my body.
She notices, as does Travis.
“Doc!” He yells and more feet pound across the deck as they shift me to my own bed, the beautiful picture hanging across from me.
“Cover his lower body and bring blankets to tuck around him,” Doc tells the young crewman helping him.
I’m fighting to not cry out at the pain coursing through me. The doctor feathers his fingers over the wound, and I grip the sheets in my fist.
“I am going to put some ointment on this burn, and it will hurt.” He grimaces as I nod.
Reyna squeezes my hand as the other crewmen leave the room, leaving just her and the doctor. Travis is last out and he closes the door, leaving me to a new torture. I squeeze my eyes shut as the ointment is spread down my midline. My muscles are shaking uncontrollably, and my body is soaked.
“I’m glad you are sweating,” Doc mumbles as he wipes his hand on an apron hanging around his neck. “If you stop, you are in trouble.” He looks at Reyna. “You must make sure he drinks and gets as much broth down his throat as you can, my queen.” He nods then stands. “I will leave this here, and you can apply some in a few hours.”
He leaves us and I groan, finally able to release the breath I had been choking on. I have no shame that tears have leaked from my eyes. I wish I had passed the fuck out, for the medicine might be worse than the actual torture.
“I’m so sorry.” Reyna’s tears are evident in her voice, and I open my eyes, locking them on her face.
“This isn’t your fault in any way. It is his fault. He has always been insane and he is becoming more so as the thing that we are all searching for calls to him, corrupting his already evil soul more.” I lift my hand and wipe the tears from her left cheek. “Do you hear it calling to you? I have heard rumors of so many being drawn to the north.”
“I hear nothing, but maybe if I knew how to unlock the magic everyone is sure I have, I could find it.” She chews at her lower lip and shakes her head.
I don’t think she realizes she is doing either.
“It’s new and unknown. Just like anything else, it will take time. You can’t rush it. As a matter of fact, I think this magic and the gods will only show us what they want, when they want. Maybe they are letting you get used to the idea of having a power before letting you have full access to the power. If it is supposed to be something that can save the world, I would think it’s going to be something to behold.” Talking to her has calmed her and also taken my mind off the pain for a few minutes.
“I guess you could be right. I just wish I knew what to even look for.”
She shoves her hair back, revealing her neck, and I see a slight smudge of dark flesh. I can’t stop my eyebrow from raising as I wonder what might have happened as she and Lash slept in the forest. A surge of jealousy courses through my belly, but I push it away. I am happy for my brother, and if any of us deserve to be held in her arms, it is Lash.
We might joke with him, but I know how much damage he suffered at the King’s hands. Hagen and I suffered the King’s need to inflict pain. Fallon and Wilder were tormented mentally with our pain, along with their own pain. Lash endured much worse things, things he will not speak of. I hope he finds some peace with Reyna.
I’m not completely unselfish though, because I wish the same for myself. I will have new nightmares to haunt my nights now. Nightmares of a bitch goddess and her shining blade. Hell, even the hound will haunt me. I’m
still not sure it was helping me or claiming me for a meal. Testing my blood.
Reyna shifts, and I realize she has grown quiet while I was lost in the past. Now she’s holding the bowl in one hand and the spoon in her other.
“Let’s get some broth in you before it grows colder than it already is.” She spoons some of the almost clear liquid and holds it to my lips.
We repeat the process until I grow tired. Holding up my hand, I stop her from scooping another spoonful and let my head relax back, letting my eyes close again.
“You should eat, yourself,” I murmur as I feel sleep trying to pull me away from her.
Just as I begin to fall, images flash and my body jerks. Forcing my eyes open, I beat the images back, along with the tension that has tightened all my muscles. My body shakes with fear. I taste it on my tongue and I hate it. I haven’t tasted it in a very long time. I know I will have the flavor of it in my mouth for a very long time to come. These creatures that are directing our destinies are unknown, powerful, and as far as I can tell, vicious, without a thought for how their actions affect us. Not just those of us on these ships, but humans in general.
The fear disappears instantly when she shifts slowly onto the bed, careful not to jostle me or touch my damaged skin. Her hand is cool as she lays it against the side of my neck, her thumb stroking over my collarbone.
“Are you warm enough?” She whispers, her forehead against my upper arm.
“I’m burning.” I don’t tell her it’s like Hades himself has hold of my guts.
I had always liked the stories of the old gods, both the Greek and Celtic, but now they seem too real. I remember how vicious and punishing they were said to be, and my run-in with Nemesis proved that to be true.
But she is straightforward in her hatred; it is the other one that I truly fear. I can get no sense of his intentions. True, he has guided and still is, but has he helped? I fear we are nothing more than chess pieces to him. He moves us to win a game that we know nothing about.
A breeze blows over my burning flesh, ruffling my hair, and I look at Reyna. Her eyes are closed, brows pulled down low, and a slight glow is coming from her luminescent skin. I hold my breath, afraid to disturb her.
The light pulses and the breeze grows cooler, and I can feel a dampness on my skin. It’s like a thick fog without the cloudiness. My ship begins to roll, and I know a storm is brewing outside.
Reyna begins to talk. Her words are so low I can’t make them out, but they have a cadence to them. The door opens and I hold up my hand to stop Travis from speaking. His eyes glide over Reyna, seeing her for the goddess she is.
The thought stops me, making me widen my eyes.
I whistle low, just a hint of sound to let Travis know I need my brothers. He jerks his head and backs out, shutting the door without making a sound.
We were fine with a queen but a goddess with massive or even possibly unlimited power? That, I’m not sure about. Reyna, I could love, but if she changes into something different, something cold, would she love us? Would she care about any human?
I hear the call go out and the response. The storm that is blowing outside is one I think Reyna is creating with her power. Turning my head, I glance out the window above us.
“Sweetheart.” I turn my face and graze the top of her head with my lips.
It does what I wish, breaking her concentration as she turns her face up to mine. She takes my lips in a hungry kiss, her hand sliding up to cup my jaw. Fingers add pressure, demanding I open for her, and I comply willingly. We kiss like only people who have almost lost each other can.
I’m so lost in the heat of her mouth that I don’t feel the waves calm or the ship grow still. A knock at my door forces us apart, and I can’t help but move in for one more kiss then I pull back, shocked. Not at the kiss but at the lack of pain from the movement.
“Oh my God.” Her eyes are filled with curiosity and a hint of fear.
I follow her eyes and feel my own sense of fear, but mine is mixed with wonder. The coolness and moisture was healing me, had healed me, and I hadn’t even known it. My finger traces over the horrendous raised and red scar that runs the length of my torso, but there is no pain.
“I just…” she stammers as she too reaches to touch my skin. “I was praying your fever would break. I didn’t…” She stops and looks up, locking eyes with me again.
“Well, you certainly did that. Your body was, for lack of a better word, glowing, like a pearl in moonlight.” I run my thumb over her reddened lips, trying to wipe away the fear still lurking in her eyes and replace it with the hunger that was burning so brightly in them only moments ago.
A harsher knock interrupts again, and without ever taking my eyes from hers, I call out, “Enter.”
“Damn it, Cyder, it’s pouring out here and you called us.”
Hagen stomps in and Reyna pushes up but slides her hand down to mine. I can feel her body shaking.
“A little rain has never hurt you, Hagen.” I smirk as I turn my face toward him and push up. My skin is tight but there is minimal pain.
“Holy shit.” Fallon stops in his tracks. “What…” He stops and his eyes move to Reyna at my side.
Lash enters next. “Why didn’t you…” He doesn’t finish as Reyna jumps to her feet and races out of my room, shoving by all of them.
Wilder enters moments later as I pull on a clean shirt. “She went to Fallon’s ship. Liam followed. It is unnerving how far that dog can jump at times.” He shakes his head and closes the door behind him.
“She healed you?” Fallon asks, even though I can tell from his face he already knows the answer.
“She did but she has no idea how. In all honesty, I don’t either, other than the glistening glow of her skin. She called the storm also.” I glance out and see the clouds are dissipating.
The sun is bright and high in the sky. It is amazing but terrifying because it hints at what she might be capable of.
“She glowed when I woke this morning to her standing in the clearing, hands held out at her sides. It was after that she said something was calling her, and we walked straight to you.” Lash tells us all. “I was going to tell you all when Cyder was well.”
“Anything else you were waiting to tell us?” Hagen scowls at Lash, who suddenly looks uncomfortable.
“Lash.” Fallon urges him to tell us whatever else he has been holding back.
“A woman. She found us in the forest and pointed us in this direction. Pointed us in the direction of Liam. I felt she truly wanted to help us. The way she told us was like someone just suggesting a direction because they knew the way ships traveled but it felt off to me.” He shrugs. “I can’t explain it any better.”
“One of the old ones trying to guide us?” I say pacing away.
“Maybe.” He nods.
“That’s why I called you all here.” I start but pause, unsure of exactly how to continue. I swallow as Nemesis’s face flashes in my mind. “After meeting a goddess and now feeling a hint of the power growing in Reyna, I wonder if maybe we have to worry about her.”
“Worry, how?” Wilder draws near me, watching me closely.
“I worry that the power might change her. We don’t know what they are driving us to. The prophecy says she will save the world, but we don’t know who she will save it for. The goddess Nemesis thought we were nothing, so much lesser that we don’t deserve a second thought. I’m afraid we will lose our queen.”
Hagen stiffens, as does Fallon. Wilder’s head shakes, and Lash cries out.
“No.”
“I’m not saying I’m sure of it. I’m saying we do not know what can or will happen. We have been set on this path and yet, we know nothing of the true nature of it. She is important to all of us. Becoming more so everyday.” I lock eyes with Fallon and then Wilder.
Wilder is the keeper of the tales, the reader, the scholar. I hope he might have some ideas or remember a story. But he is silent.
“We cannot stop it.�
� Hagen is the first to speak. “You said it yourself—she doesn’t know how or even when she is using this power. It’s growing, whether or not we want it to. Whether or not she wants it to. We are on this path. I don’t think we can get off of it if we wanted to.”
Fallon stays quiet, his fingers rubbing over his jaw. It is his tell, giving away his turbulent thoughts, because we all know the scar that hides beneath the short beard that covers it. It was a present from the King, made with a blade carved from bone. The infection had almost killed Fallon, and for the longest time, the scar had been raised and puckered. It’s a constant reminder of his punishment, not only to him but to everyone that looked at him.
“It scares her as much or more than it does us. Prophecy or no, we have sworn to protect her, to stand with her. Power or no, she is our queen. Destiny or no, she is mine.” Fallon looks around the room pausing on each of us.
“And mine.” Lash’s voice is filled with possessiveness.
“And mine.” Wilder sounds as he always does, so sure of our future and our part in hers.
“Mine.” Hagen sounds like the predator.
“Mine, also.” I smile as I tilt my head slightly to the side.
“Then there is no reason to worry.” Fallon turns and strides out, and I raise my brows.
We all stand silent for a moment.
“So... Was it all I think it will be?” I break the tense silence, looking at Lash.
“What?” Hagen glances between us.
“More.” Lash grins as he spins away and leaves us both staring after him.
Laughter bubbles up from deep within me, and I can’t stop it as Hagen stands confused and staring at me. The laughter is uncontrollable, a release of at least some of the tension that has been coiled in me since I was taken. I stop and swallow, looking at Hagen, and I notice he is watching me with concern.
I choose not to elaborate on my outburst and instead focus on our many problems.
“How did they find us?” Waving my hand, I ask him to join me in sitting.
“The spies.” He frowns like it was a stupid question.
