“Well, I’ll forgive you for that. But don’t think I feel any differently, General. You may have had me in your private quarters for a time, but if you’re trying to win me over with the intention of bedding me, it’s not going to work.”
“Nocturne—”
“You said we should keep our distance, and I agree.” As she began to walk away, a bitter wind shook the forest, tearing off her hood.
When she finalized what she was trying to tell him, her words were nearly carried away by the wind, but she knew he heard them. “It’s better this way. Trust me.”
32
The only thing Hadrian could think about was that he had to get Avalon to safety. The ship was thrashing from side to side, thrown about by whatever awful creature was lurking in the waters. He and Avalon were continuously pitched against the walls of the stairwell, and for nearly every step they took, they were set back by two. Saltwater sloshed down the stairs, rendering their ascent nearly impossible.
The captain cursed himself for having let his eyes close while in the middle of the ocean. If he hadn’t been so groggy from sleep, he wouldn’t be struggling so much.
He kept Avalon’s hand securely in his as he finally pulled them up the last of the stairs and onto the deck. When he took in the scene spread before him, his jaw fell slack.
Utter pandemonium had broken out among the crew. Nearly a foot of saltwater covered the length of the deck, breaking against the walls and spilling into the lower levels. The sail had lit on fire, flames licking down the mast. Men were readying the cannons, but the creature was smart enough to stay well below the water. It had no interest in claiming its prey above sea level; it was trying to get themintothe water, where it could take its sweet time devouring them.
Hadrian scanned the dark horizon, searching for any sign of land between the white-capped waves and the starry sky. There was a collection of islands in the distance, nothing but a speck from where he stood. But he was certain it was it.
It was Aquatica.
“There!”the captain exclaimed. They sprinted for the front of the ship, veering toward the starboard side that was steadily rising as the sea monster began another attempt to flip the vessel upside down. Dead men slid past in smears of blood.
Just as they reached the front of the ship, eight giant fleshy arms emerged from the water, glistening beneath the moonlight. The sides that were facing them were covered in suckers, like those of an octopus.
Avalon screamed as several of the arms came crashing to the deck, smashing right through it. In a matter of seconds, the ship was nearly blown to bits. Crewmembers tumbled into the water with horrified screams, while others took a chance by jumping into the waves and attempting to swim through the wreckage floating on the surface.
The octopus’s arms smashed down again, closer to where they stood. The force of the attack shot Avalon into the air, where she toppled over the wall of the ship. Hadrian dove for her, grabbing hold of her arm before she could fall to the waters below. A strangled sob slipped through her lips, and when she looked up at Hadrian, her wet, filthy hands desperately grasping at his wrists, there were tears in her eyes.
They had to jump. That creature would devour this hunk of wood like a hot knife sliding through butter. They didn’t stand a chance. It killed him to consider putting Avalon through that kind of trauma, but he knew it had to be done. If they stayed on this ship, they were as good as dead. But if they were in the water, they might stand a chance at swimming to safety.
“Avalon!”Hadrian shouted. “You have to let go!”
“Are you crazy?” she squealed. “I’m not getting in the water with that thing!”
“I’ll be right behind you!” he promised, his words nearly lost to the sound of the ship splitting in two. The deck veered to the left, and he nearly went down. “We need to get away from here or we’ll be sucked under! We have to swim to the islands.”
“I’m not getting in there!”
“Avalon,” Hadrian pleaded. He began to loosen his grip.
“Don’t you dare!” She clung to his hands, but she was soaked with sea water and her hold was slipping. “If you let go of me Hadrian, so help me—”
Gods, she wasn’t making this easy. “I’ll be right behind you.”
She swore colorfully at him.“If you let go of me, I will never forgive you!”The look of mistrust that flashed across her face nearly winded him. For as long as he could remember, she had trusted him. And tonight, he could very well end up breaking that trust.
But even if that trust was shattered, she would forgive him—he knew she would. So he let go, and he tried to ignore the piercing sensation that shot like a spear through his heart as she plummeted, screaming, to the thrashing waves below.
~
The swift current pulled Avalon toward the ocean floor. Water burned beneath her eyelids, and a deep cold knifed into her bones. Seaweed, masts, and wooden barrels drifted by, and it wasn’t long before the corpses of humans and Fey, their eyes blank with death, crowded the water.
She fought to untangle her limbs from her cloak, her lungs burning with the need to breathe. When she was finally free, she frantically kicked her legs and swam toward the surface. Soft moonlight filtered through the water, casting her surroundings in a cool glow that made it slightly easier to see.
The water trembled as the octopus dragged the ship below the surface.
Where was Hadrian? He’d promised he would be right behind her, and if Hadrian made a promise, he kept it. They were trapped in the middle of the ocean with a giant octopus. He wouldn’t have left her unless something had gone terribly wrong, and he’d had no other choice.
