The Black Moon's Curse (The Stellara Trilogy Book 1)

by Alicia Restucci

  Pushing all his trinkets off the flat of the desk, she climbed up on top of it to reach for the decoration. Her legs shook from how the rocking of the ship, but she caught herself before she went crashing to the floor. Once she was balanced, she turned her attention to her target. She just hoped the blades weren’t fake, or worse, stuck in the piece holding them.

  With a few hard tugs, a grunt left her throat as the entire piece came off the wall and landed on the desk beside her. She fell to her knee from the weight of the decoration, not having expected the piece to be so heavy.

  Her eyes darted up at the sound of another crack, fear flashing across her face as she now saw a goodsized gap in the door. It wasn’t large enough for an entire body to fit through, but it was big enough for at least an arm.

  Her tugs on the sword became more frantic as the unknown arm slipped through the crack and searched blindly for the lock keeping the door closed. When it became clear she wasn’t getting anywhere with the sword piece, she decided to use the entire thing. Slipping off the desk, she dragged it across the room. She made sure to keep away from the opening in case they decided to shoot first.

  The hand had just found the lock keeping the door shut when she raised her weapon up as high as she could and brought it down. She ignored the crunch of bones and the cry of pain as the arm disappeared back outside the room. Though, she was pretty sure she heard the guard curse her out on the other side of the door.

  It didn’t matter, she quickly realized because as soon as the metal holding hit the floor, it freed the steel sword from its clutches.

  Adjusting her footing like Asher had taught her, she held the sword ready for whatever came in through the door next. Her breathing came out in pants as her grip tightened on the handle. The sword was heavier than the practice sword Asher had used when he was teaching her a few techniques, but she didn’t have time to worry about that. The faint sound of feet stomping up the stairs just barely met her ears over loud winds howling as they threatened to blew them off course.

  Without daring to poke her head through the gap to see who was now approaching, she waited on baited breath to see who came through. Whether it was friend or foe, she stood there ready to deal with either outcome.

  Suddenly the door pushed open, a familiar head of pure white hair entering cautiously. Ophelia’s blue-gray eyes searched the room frantically before they finally settled on her with a relief she wasn’t expecting to see. “Ember! Oh, Ember, thank god.” She said, her shoulders relaxing as she rushed to her side.

  The sword lowered to her side seconds before Ophelia embraced her tightly. Relief seemed to hit them both as Ember wrapped her arms around the Princess. Her eyes lifted to the doorway to see Asher standing there. He had blood running down his cheek from a cut and his clothes were soaked and dirty.

  Ophelia’s own outfit was no longer white, more of a dull gray with splattered red covering different spots. She was sure her own appearance looked like a drowned rat. From the sound of clashing steel outside she knew the fight was not over, but if Asher and Ophelia were both here in search of her? That meant things were not looking very well for the crew of the Obsidian.

  As Ophelia released her, Ember felt her shoulders drop is defeat.

  This couldn’t be the end.

  “What about the others? We can’t leave them.” She said, shaking her head as she pushed by Ophelia.

  Ophelia turned as Asher held out his arm, stopping her from passing him. “The only help we can give them is to break your curse and rescue them with Klaus’ help.”

  A scoff escaped her throat, her eyes narrowing on the Princess. She was still new here and while Ember hadn’t been here much longer? She knew she wouldn’t be able to stomach the feeling of guilt if she left them all here to die. They might not be her family, but they were at the very least now people who she’d consider as her friends.

  Asher didn’t budge as she stopped in front of him. “I know it feels like you’re betraying them if you don’t help them, but if you get captured by those guards? All of this was for nothing. Any one of their deaths would be for nothing. Don’t throw away their sacrifices. Come on, we need to go. Now, Ember.”

  Ember didn’t dare argue with that

  knowledge, but she still couldn’t move. “Where’s James? Sebastian wanted us to take him with us. He’s just a boy, Asher. They’ll kill him.”

  A dark look passed over Asher’s face. His gaze refused to meet hers and she felt her heart crumble in her chest.

  “No,” She gasped, her hand covering her mouth as a wave of sadness hit her.

  Taking a deep breath, Asher turned and put his hands on her shoulders. “Ember, we can grieve once we’re off this ship, but we need to leave now before they realize we’re not down there fighting with the others.”

  Ophelia reached forward, squeezing her arm as a way to give her some kind of condolences. Except, that shouldn’t be going to her. James wasn’t her family. He was Reid’s and she couldn’t imagine what he must be feeling. She knew in the moment Asher was right. They needed to survive this fight so they could fight another day. So that they could avenge the ones who’d fallen today.

  For James, she’d give in and do as she was told.

  With a small nod, she dropped her hand as her chin raised. “Let’s go.”

  Asher studied her for a moment, no doubt wondering if she was ready for this. He seemed to have found what he was looking for as he nodded and motioned for them to follow him back out onto the chaos on deck.

  Ophelia grabbed onto Ember’s hand as they stayed close behind him, following every direction he’d given them. The trio stuck to the shadows, only fighting when they had no other choice as they made their way to the row boat. Ember just hoped the boat would hold up against the rough waves below.

  The three made quick work getting the boat prepared to lower before the two women climbed aboard. Asher followed them inside as quickly as he could. Ember felt like a coward as her eyes made one last sweep of the battle going on.

  The rain had become a full-on downpour now making it hard to see clearly, but she could make out a few faces. The twins had found each other at last, fighting back to back as if they were one person. When one ducked, the other attacked. Reid was alone, but he was thriving as he cut through the group surrounding him with such a heartbreaking battle cry.

  As the boat started to lower, her searching became frantic. She had to see Sebastian one last time. She had to know he was okay.

  In the last seconds before the boat dropped too low, she finally spotted him.

  He was actually laughing as the rain drenched him, his long coat swinging as he met every sword that came at him with a block of his own. She watched as he raised his leg up and kicked away one of the guards just before he blocked another’s attack.

  Sebastian was truly in his element in a battle like this and she knew this was how she wanted to remember him in case it was the last time she ever saw him.

  Before she was ready, the on-going fight disappeared as they got closer to the water. As soon as the boat met the rough water, Asher made quick work of releasing them from the ropes as Ophelia grabbed the oars.

  “Keep us from being tossed around, I’ll get us to the island. We weren’t too far before the storm hit.” He said, motioning for Ophelia to give him the oars.

  She didn’t question him as she passed them over.

  Ember latched onto the side of the boat with one hand while the other gripped the old coin around her neck. With a glance back to the Obsidian, she just prayed that the people she left behind would survive long enough to forgive her for leaving them.

  She prayed that she would forgive herself for leaving them to die at her father’s hand while she ran like a coward to save her own life.

  Chapter 27

  The rain had stopped a half hour after they escaped the Obsidian. It was another two and half hours until they relaxed enough to rest. Though, they were sure the Black Eel wouldn’t be far behind them.
Keeping them from tipping over took a lot out of Ophelia as she shifted waves away from them. Ember and Asher took turns with the oars, neither wanting the other to use up too much of their strength.

  It was another three hours before they caught sight of any land. Sunrise wouldn’t be happening for another two hours at most, which gave them plenty of time to continue on their way toward the shoreline.

  “That’s it. That’s Cane Island.” Ophelia said, a tired smile on her lips. Ember lifted her head from her arms, her eyes blinking as she rubbed the sleep that had come over her away. “What? How can you tell?” She asked the Princess, her eyes shifting to the hint of land.

  For all they knew, they had been turned in the wrong direction and that was another island entirely. With no compass, no map, there was just no way to tell.

  “I can feel the magic and the death from here. That’s Cane Island. We only have until tomorrow night to do the spell. We need to get there soon before we waste too much time. King Ivan could be only an hour behind us, if even that.” She said as she looked back at them over her shoulder.

  Ember felt a chill run down her spine. One she wasn’t sure was caused by the deadline that was fast approaching, or by the wet clothing she was still wearing. Her gaze shifted back to Asher, who had paused in his rowing as Ophelia spoke.

  He rolled his shoulders, refusing to meet Ember’s questioning gaze. “If the water is kind to us, I can get us to the shore within the next hour.” He said as he seemed to be judging the distance between them and the island.

  Silence fell over them again as Asher continued rowing them closer. Ember wished there was something other than watch for the King’s ship she could be doing. Unfortunately, she didn’t have magic like Ophelia and she didn’t see Asher giving up the oars to give her the next turn. He was stronger, he’d argue. He’d get them to shore faster.

  With the others’ lives on the line and facts like that supporting his argument, how could she even try to fight him on it? So, she kept her complaints to herself and kept an eye out for any approaching ships.

  It was Ophelia’s voice that broke the quietness after another half hour. “Do you think they’ve already killed them or do you think they’ll use them as leverage over us?”

  Her head turned, her icy gaze looking back at them from over her shoulder. Tears swam in her eyes and for a moment Ember wondered how long Ophelia had forced herself not to grieve or feel any guilt over leaving their friends behind.

  Ember glanced between the two before she shifted around. Her fingers curled around the coin hanging beside her mother’s locket. “Sebastian didn’t have a small crew. King Ivan won’t let them all fill up his cells below deck. He’ll kill any he thinks aren’t useful to him. He’ll want to break Sebastian, keep him from trying to overtake the ship and escaping. He’ll kill whoever he thinks will break him fastest. Ari, Ana, Reid, maybe even Patch, he’ll start with them. At least James won’t have to …. at least he won’t have to suffer, and Ace …. I don’t want to think about what they’ll do him.”

  Ophelia looked rightfully horrified by the coldness in her voice. Her eyes turning to Asher as if he’d correct what Ember had said. The dark expression on his face was enough of an answer to tell her he wouldn’t be doing that.

  Tears rimmed Ember’s eyes as she

  remembered the last few moments that she’d seen her friends. “I didn’t see Patch when we were lowering the boat. I saw the others, but not him. With all the rain and everyonefighting, I couldn’t find him.”

  Ophelia’s eyes widened, a sadness passing over her features. “I was fighting two of the guards near Patch and Ari before Sebastian had told Asher to get me so we could find you. When I left him, he was surrounded by three other guards. He was holding his own, but the tides could have easily turned against him.”

  Asher’s eyes shifted between the two women, a sadness of his own hidden behind his eyes. “James and Ace saved me. I had been disarmed and one of the soldiers were beating the life out of me. Ace dropped down from the ropes and scratched the guard until he got a good grip on him and tossed him aside. I don’t know what happened to him after that. With any luck he hid and stays hidden until this is over.”

  “What about James?” Ember found the courage to ask. It was a story Asher didn’t want to tell, she noted, but she found she didn’t care. She needed to hear how it happened.

  Asher was quiet for a minute before he cleared his throat, fighting the tears that seemed to want to fall as the memories came back to him. “He tried to help me. He found my sword and tried to fight, but the guy was triple his size. I tried to tell him to run but the kid just wouldn’t listen.”

  A haunted expression came over him as he remembered what happened next. “I didn’t see the other guard. I didn’t see his gun until it was too late. I went to grab for James, but the guard fired his gun. All I remember is Reid’s yelling as James was hit. He was gone before he hit the ground.”

  Ember found she co uldn’t move, her breath stuck in her throat. No more tears swam in her eyes, she wasn’t sure she had any left. With a glance to Ophelia, she knew the Princess would cry enough for the both of them as she covered her mouth, sobs raking through her body.

  Ash er’s gaze was far away as the awful moment seemed to replay in his head. “Reid didn’t have a chance to say goodbye. With all the fighting going on around us, he didn’t even have the second to grieve before he was back on his feet fighting someone else.”

  Em ber didn’t care what he said as she reached over and took the oars from him, motioning for him to switch spots with her. “It’s my turn to row. Don’t argue with me about it this time.” She said, not giving him a chance as she squished in beside him until he decided to switch spots with her.

  The boat rocked with the movement, but none of them seemed to notice and let alone cared as Asher’s story sunk in. Ember needed to focus on something, even if it made her sore and more tired than she already felt. At themoment, she didn’t care if Asher could have done it faster. She couldn’t sit and do nothing any more. Not after what had just been shared between the three.

  Soon enough Ophelia’s sobs had slowed and silence had fallen over them again. They didn’t talk agai n until they made it to shore.

  As they got into shallow water, Asher didn’t say a word to either of them as he hopped out of the boat. Ember followed his lead, knowing this was as far as the oars were going to get them. If they tried to use them now, they’d just break and then they’d be stuck here on the island with a monster they might be able to change back if he doesn’t kill them first. They still had to survive one night on the island with the beast who killed her mother before they could attempt to break both of their curses.

  That was enough of a reason to be afraid.

  As she and Asher pulled the boat onto the shoreline, she let her eyes scan the empty beach. Would any trace of her mother’s presence still be here for her to find? Part of her hoped so, but she knew realistically there was probably nothing left to find. Not after so many years since her mother had been here.

  Asher held out his hand, offering to help Ophelia out of the boat once it was stuck in the sand and secure. The three would have to pull it further in so the tide didn’t bring it back out and leave them stranded here, but it would stay put for the moment.

  The Princess placed her hand in Asher’s, accepting his help as she climbed into the shallow water outside of the boat. She had discarded her coat over an hour ago, claiming because of the rain it was now too heavy to wear. If the boat were to flip, she’d sink too quickly because of the heavy material. No one argued with her reasoning.

  She was left in a gray silk shirt with a darker gray shaded vest hanging on her shoulders as it fell down past her waist. Her brown pants were darker because of water that had soaked them, though the material disappeared once they tucked inside of her blank knee-high boots. Her stark hair was wild, only now starting to dry into waves of curls. Even drenched from the rain and splattered
in other men's’ blood, she was dangerously beautiful.

  Her hand slipped from Asher’s as soon as his help was no longer needed. It was so quick that Ember might have thought she’d been burned. The glare the Princess had shot toward her friend was another action that had confused her. Where had that hatred come from? She’d have to remember to ask one of them later once they found shelter and were safe for the night.

  Ember pulled her own mess of hair onto one shoulder, running her fingers through it as if she might attempt at taming it. Stepping forward, she let her eyes search for any sign of life. Whether it be a cursed pirate captain or some wild life, it didn't matter. She honestly wasn’t sure which she was hoping to find first. It was day time, or would be within the next half hour. That meant Klaus should be already turned back into a man again, or if nothing else, about to transform back.

  She was hoping for the former in that case.

  “We should find some kind of shelter before it gets too hot out here and then find some food and drinkable water. We don’t know what kind of life Klaus has made for himself out here or even if he’s even completely sane at this point.” Asher said as he went about dragging the boat further up the beach with Ophelia’s help.

  Ember turned to look back towards them, her brows knitted together with curiosity. “Why do you think he might be insane?”

  Asher paused as he dragged his sleeve across his forehead to wipe away the sweat. “He’s had to live with the fact he killed the love of his life for the past two decades, Ember. Not to mention how he’s had to survive by himself on this island as man and beast. We don’t know how that’s affected his mental stability. He might not be the same man Sebastian remembers.”

  Ember hated to admit he had a point.

  There was just no way to know for sure until they found him.