There’s a silhouette of a figure looking out at the ocean right at the edge, wearing a mask.
Soren.
“That’s thefuckingcastle on fire!” Jesper yells as the crew lowers the final the sails.
“What did you expect?” Blackwell yells back at him. “Soren has never been known to be gentle when angry, and we fucking pissed him off!” Blackwell shouts, motioning to me. “But he’s stuck on that harbor, and we’re on our way. Try not to piss your pants,Jesper. We’ll be out of this shortly.”
Blackwell begins to ascend the elaborate stairs, step by step, like his actions have articulation, climbing up to the wheel.
“Ride through the storm, Antony,” Misery speaks, his words clearly unnerving everyone around with how it sounds like they’re spoken right in our ear. “I’ll exhaust what I have left to keep the ship safe and get us to Boneglass.”
Everyonemoves with immediacy.
Jesper grabs a telescope from one of the men, pointing it out to the chaos. With my head lowered so as to keep the rain out of my eyes, I glare through my lashes at Misery, who hasn’t moved.The broken god continues to stand at the very tip of the ship as it begins to fully turn, veering north of the fire isles.
The morning sun is barely alive somewhere above the clouds, as there’ssomedefinition in the sky, the oceanbarelydiscernible. My eyes widen when I get a full view of where we’re heading, the heavy clouds a deep gray color that used to send Skull’s Row into lockdown; storms were always perfect for murder, as everyone was too busy focusing on their dwellings, families, and self-preservation.
Skull’s Row… my home. I can handle this.
The Cinders and I are guided below deck as Blackwell shouts, “Brace for the storm!”
S O R E N
Ascream rips from my chest and blends into the winds when all this spilled blood isn’t enough.
My body feels like it’s wrapped by a lighting bolt, every nerve alight, every thought consumed by the sight of Jane. She’s ushered on that ship, dressed in the same garb as the men, like they really think they can treat her like some cruel offering.
Even from this distance, I swear she’s looking right at me.
Smoke billows around the harbor, thick and acrid, filling my lungs as I grip my blade so tightly my knuckles go white. My body is soaked in the blood of others, cutting down any guards that were bold enough to attack me if they made it through the fire.
The flames crackle and roar behind me, painting this early morning in blinding hues of orange and red, their heat pressing against my skin. I take one step toward the edge of the harbor, as if sheer will could bridge the distance?—
A hand clamps on my shoulder, the grip like iron.
“We’ll follow on Storm's Fury,” Basilisk grinds out. “We need to create an opening for Jane, not get us closer to Misery.”
“She’s right fuckingthere.” My voice cracks with the rawness of beingso close. “The sirens can get me to his ship. She just needs to be freed and into the waters. Misery can have me, then.”
He gives my shoulder a shake. “You see Misery there? Right at the prow? That staff is about to become connected to that vessel, and the ship untouchable. Only ramming it with another will work. Not even the sirens can get their claws in it.” His voice picks up the carnage and winds. “And there’s a massive storm coming! That’s Tempest’s signature. Let’s get to Storm's Fury before we lose our chance!”
Panting through the mask, my gaze leaves Darkwater to glance around as my powers search the area while my mind disassociates—I see it: a flicker of blue fire on the water in the far distance, pulsing and rippling in the wind.Storm's Fury. My heartbeat races, a fresh wave of fury and urgency surging through me. “Then, let’s move!”
I do what I can to direct everyone, finding them in the mayhem, Basilisk moving to help corral everyone to the ocean as I search for Bones—my body bends as I feel an assault at my back, dodging without witnessing a single movement, only to see a man—his face a mask of rage—overextend from missingthe blow. I don’t hesitate. Jane’s blade finds his neck, swift and merciless.
The fire makes it harder to weed out who is where, as if it’s a barrier.From the magic, perhaps?As I near a corner of the courtyard, still feeling Bones in this direction, a woman in a black robe rounds the same corner, freezing when she sees me.
I felt her, but she’s so insignificant?—
Fear. She knows me. Why does she know me? Why does it feel connected to Jane?
I take a step directly toward her as she cries out, “No,please! I’m trying to flee, not fight you. I missed the ship. I just need away.” She peeks around me, as if the sight of Darkwater is comforting, like she still has a chance.
“Why do you seem to know Jane?” I yell out, the cracking sound of wood preceding embers spiraling into the sky like a blizzard’s inferno, somewhere far behind us.Toward Bones.
Her eyes widen, her black robes billowing in the hot wind. There’s an echo of Jane within her, and before she can even hold her hands up to defend herself, I grip her by the collar of her clothes. “You know her enough toloatheher. What do you know? What happened to her while she was here?”
Her face pales, her mouth opening and closing as if searching for an answer. Dancing, golden light waves across her eyes, even glinting against her teeth.
