Page 54 of By the Flames of Her Fury

“I…” I licked my lips, then swallowed hard, but nothing could alleviate the dryness in my throat. I don’t know, I wanted to scream.

You shouldn’t have come for me.

I’m not worth it.

I miss you.

The door banged open once again. “Whirlpool’s back,” Karye said, breathing hard. “It’s got his ship.” She tilted her head toward Everett, and his eyes widened.

“Who else is with you?” I asked him.

“Tessa and Kieran, and a whole crew of Veridians.”

We both bolted out of the cabin, uneasiness forgotten. My heart sank. Tessa and Kieran. The Shifters were Nox’s closest friends, and while I hadn’t had time to get to know them well, they’d saved my brother’s life multiple times last year against Scarven. If anything happened to them⁠—

The White Moonstone rocked when a giant wave hit our side, sending me stumbling into Everett. His hand fell to my waist, the other gripping a post behind me to steady us. Strong, warm fingers bled through my drenched shirt. His thumb pressed into the sensitive spot above my hip, and my breath caught as I met his eyes.

He exhaled shakily, nostrils flaring. His face was so close to mine, I could feel his breath washing over my cheeks. My fingers dug into the post at my back, forcing myself not to lean into him.

Another jolt made reality slam back into me. I slid out from beneath his arm and inhaled sharply at the sight before me.

The sea was split open. Jaws of the whirlpool opened wider at the bow of Everett’s ship, swallowing water and sucking the ship closer in. The vessel lurched, bow tipping forward and the back end swinging wide. Its stern crashed into our starboard. The sound of splintering wood punctuated the air. Everett let out a curse and sprinted for the rail.

“Everett, no!” I leaped after him, but without my Shifter half, he was faster. Boots pounded against wood as he put on another burst of speed and vaulted onto the rail. The gap between our two ships widened, ocean churning with black water and foam.

A scream ripped from my throat. “Swift!”

He jumped.

26

Vera

Ithrew myself at the rail to try and catch him, but I was too late. For a heartbeat, Everett flew, suspended between our two ships. I couldn’t breathe. I imagined him falling, imagined the waves devouring him and his body flailing around and around in that whirlpool.

But he didn’t.

He slammed into the opposite rail, fingers slipping and boots scraping the side of the ship. He dangled by one hand as lightning flashed in the distance. Raw, animalistic terror surged through me. The same terror I felt when I had to listen to him scream in agony during Mortep’s tests.

Then his crew was there. Tessa and Kieran grasped his hand, and inch by inch, they heaved him onto their deck. Relief washed over me for a split second before their ship gave another deep, guttural groan. The ship’s bow dipped and barrels slid, smashing into crewmembers.

I scrambled to get a closer look as the whirlpool dragged them deeper and deeper. “They can’t get out of that, Vera,” Starke panted at my side, pushing back his soaked hair. “They’re too far in.”

“Then help them!” I cried.

“How? There’s nothing we can do! I can’t tug a fully-loaded ship without it pulling us in, too.”

Across the way, Everett’s crewmembers were in a frenzy. Several of them jumped off the side of the boat, landing in the water with a splash. When they resurfaced, their small bodies fought against the waves, aiming for ropes now dangling from our starboard side.

“We have to let them come aboard,” I said, already searching for more rope ladders to let down.

Starke matched my pace. “Vera, we don’t even know these⁠—”

“They’re my people,” I snarled, whirling to face him, “and I will help them, with or without you.”

His light eyes flashed, but he didn’t argue. With a stiff nod, he called to his men. “Ropes! Ladders! Get a gangplank; anything that will hold. Lenny, get back to your post. We have to be ready to yank ourselves out of this.”

Their ship’s mast tilted at an alarming angle, ropes whipping around like snakes. I searched for Everett through the rain, then spotted him by the wheel with their helmsman, both struggling to turn it.