Then so would she.
The corners of her mouth tilted upward as she opened it to tell Meyah that she followed Lessia’s orders now.
Then everything went black.
Lessia’s heart banged against her rib cage as she blinked.
Then blinked again.
But it was useless.
Someone slipped up behind her, and as familiar arms wrapped around her, pressing her against his body, a whimper escaped Frelina, with low snarls from Raine and Kerym following.
“I can kill every man and woman here in seconds,” Merrick snarled so loudly that his chest rumbled against her back. “And so can Raine and Kerym. The only reason we haven’t yet is because Lessia found it in her heart to spare you.”
“I know you can,” Meyah responded with a little laugh. “But you won’t.”
“Why not?” Lessia hissed, trying to push at the panic clawing at her as the darkness pressed in further. “You won’t work with us, so I don’t have any more need for you.”
“Bowen,” Meyah ordered. “Give them their sight back.”
Lessia lifted her hand to shield her eyes when the bright wintery light ambushed them.
Squinting, she found Ardow standing in the same spot before Meyah, his hands rubbing his eyes.
As she tried turning, Merrick dropped his arms, and she didn’t know why, but a sense of unease crept up her neck as she met Kerym’s eyes, then moved to Raine’s, finding them wide and filled with…
Fear.
There was fear in Raine’s eyes.
Her eyes flew to the side where Frelina had been standing.
She wasn’t there.
Lessia spun the other way.
She wasn’t beside Venko, who held onto the railing as he stared daggers at the rebel leader.
No.
This was not happening.
“Where is she?” Lessia screamed.
“Somewhere you won’t reach her. And if any of you”—Meyah shot a glare behind Lessia, her eyes probably trailing over her friends—“try to use magic, I can promise you’ll never see her again.”
A huge grin spread across Meyah’s face when Merrick’s whispers, which had danced through the air, faded until only breathing and the squalls of the sea against the vessel could be heard.
A soulless, freezing smile that, despite what had just happened, made Lessia’s magic burst to the surface.
Bowen took her sight once more.
Lessia didn’t care, and storming up to where she could smell the shifter, she grasped for her.
But only air met her furious hands.
“You coward!” she cried. “You fucking coward!”
