Jamie swore under his breath. “Prepare to repel boarders!”
But as the ships came closer, it became clear that the pirates had no intention of boarding. They came broadside on to Jamie’s vessel and slots slid open all along the galleys’ sides, revealing the gaping muzzles of cannons. Cannons that would tear the ship to pieces.
Elise went cold. This was no raid. This was no opportune attack. This was planned. The three youths hadn’t escaped by chance. They’d beenallowedto escape. They were bait, luring Jamie to take his ship into treacherous waters where it would be difficult to escape.
Her eyes flicked to Jamie where he was striding along the deck, bellowing orders and encouragement to his men.
Hehad been the target all along.
The anger simmering in her belly burst into incandescent rage. No! She would not allow this.
She closed her eyes, tried to shut out the chaos that was raging around her to focus on her breathing. Only when she’d managed to steady herself did she reach down into the core of power inside and grab it.
It responded to her immediately, rising up like an inferno. But this time she didn’t try to restrain it. This time she gave herself over to it and let it blast through her like a gale.
Opening her eyes, she steadied herself on the deck and thrust her arms out to each side, in the direction of the attacking vessels. Power blasted out, a raging torrent that scythed into the water on either side of the ship, whipped the waves up into a frenzy.
She felt rather than saw the huge waves slam into the sides of the enemy vessels, knocking them off course and causing them to slew dangerously in the water. Cries of alarm carried across the water and closer to hand she felt Jamie’s crew stop what they were doing to stare at her.
She had no time to spare for them. She sent more of her power arcing out towards the attacking ships, this time whipping up the wind into a thrashing gale that slammed into the wooden hulls with the force of a hurricane. Sails tore. Rigging snapped. Timbers creaked and groaned. And men screamed in terror.
A flash of euphoria went through Elise. It felt so good to finally let go, to finally ease the rigid control she always kept on her power. There was a sweetness that bordered on pain as she finally surrendered and felt the magic surging through every cell in her body. It was as blissful as it was terrifying.
Her mother’s words suddenly echoed in Elise’s mind.Power is seductive. It will try to sweep you away if you let it. You must always be on your guard.
How many times had her mother given that warning to her and her sisters? She had never really understood before. But now? Now she understood. Now her power was as sweet and alluring as nectar. Around her, everything suddenly seemed more vivid. She could taste the wind. She could hear the song of the oceans. And she was mistress of it all. With a flick of her will she could reduce those ships to splinters. She could send those pirates down into the deeps…
No, she thought.That’s not who I am.
With a supreme effort of will, she pulled her fractured focus together. The attacking ships were damaged but still seaworthy, trying desperately to come about and escape the raging waves and howling winds that tore at them. The cannon ports had been closed and now the attackers seemed intent only on escape.
Elise kept up the barrage, hurled the maelstrom of her power at the ships until they had managed to turn about and flee back the way they’d come.
It took a moment before she registered that somebody was speaking to her. A hand closed around her arm, and she looked up to see Jamie standing close.
“Let it go, lass,” he said gently. “They’ve gone.”
She blinked and realized that the attacking vessels were little more than specks on the horizon. With an effort, she let her power go and then stumbled forward into Jamie’s arms. He caught her and held her close. His strong arms around her were the only thing that kept her upright as blackness rose up and pulled her under.
Chapter Nine
Acrackling noiseslowly brought Elise back to wakefulness. Lured by the sound, she rose up from a dark, dreamless slumber, and through the haze she realized the noise was the sound of burning logs. She didn’t open her eyes, taking a moment to listen to the crackle and hiss, to feel the warmth of the flames against her skin, to smell the faint, reassuring tang of wood smoke. She was alive. Wrung out, exhausted, but alive.
Slowly, she opened her eyes. She was lying in her bed at Dun Arach with the covers tucked up to her chest and a merry fire burning in the hearth. Beneath her, the feather-stuffed mattress felt wonderfully soft, and it was all she could do not to let her eyes drift closed and fall back into oblivion. But she couldn’t allow herself that comfort. She had to know if everyone was all right.
She pushed herself upright, only to feel the weight of a reassuring hand settle on her shoulder. “Easy, lass.”
Jamie was sitting in a chair by her bed. He hadn’t changed his clothes, and they were still damp from the voyage. His hair was damp too, curling more tightly than usual around his face. He looked tired, as exhausted as she felt, and there were dark circles beneath his eyes.
“Thank the Lord,” he murmured. “Ye had me worried there for a while.”
The drapes were drawn across the window so she couldn’t tell what time of day it was. “How long was I out?”
“A while,” he replied. “Ye passed out on the ship and we couldnae wake ye. I thought for a moment that ye…that ye…” He passed a hand over his face and took a deep breath. “No matter. Ye are awake now.”
“Is everyone okay?” she asked. “And have the pirates gone?”
“Aye, fled, thanks to ye. We took no casualties. Everyone that went out with us made it home. Again, thanks to ye.”
