Page 56 of Claimed By the Depths

A booted foot crashed into his left hip, the vigor of the kick enough to send Malrik into the side of the tavern. His collision with its unforgiving structure was audible, a groan slipping from him as a towering shadow came to stand beside me. The snap of wood, a squelch of blood, and the thud of an arrow’s broken shaft hitting the ground as a hissed snarl rolled from the man—Caspian.

“I will see to it that you learn the color of your insides for ever laying a hand on my woman.”

CHAPTER 31

The Currency of Time

ALASTAIR

Waves continued to roll toward the shore, but something within the current had shifted. The water churned, not with the sudden impending storm, but with deliberate purpose.

Ellira had arrived, her presence notable with each crash against the cliffs of Hollowmere. Wind whipped beneath her rage, slicing through every small alley and etched line of erosion worn into the face of the village. A soft sing-song joined each lashing breeze, cut off by the ravenous thunder overhead. But even in knowing she loomed, there was something else lurking below the very depths she commanded.

Attention transfixed on the shore, blue armor caught the light. The first polished helm broke the surface, and a curved blade followed, dripping seawater. Born from the ocean, men stood one by one, the armor they wore crafted by the hand of the goddess who had summoned them. Their bodies were carved by the very waves Ellira ruled, but their arrival brought a darkness one would never have expected—one molded by the God of Death, Ellira’s counterpart after her first lover, Sereyn, passed.

“Holy shit,” Leilani breathed from beside me, her gaze undoubtedly locked where mine had landed.

Ignis’ timbre chased hers, but where shock clung to every syllable of Leilani’s utterance, Ignis spoke with excitement. “So after centuries of rest, the mother of the seas has finally called upon the soldiers loyal to her.”

“You were aware of this?” Pivoting, I met his all-white eyes with my own. “You mentioned the prophecy, but this⁠—”

“Is part of it,” Ignis corrected, voice wavering a little as my chin shot in their direction. “The tales those of our lineage shared began with the arrival of the Others, followed by the slipping of humanity. But the first component of the prophecy itself is the stirring of the gods. It begins with the sharing of words between the Children and their respective god parent. From there,” they gestured toward the portal beside us, “the manifestations of portals linked to the Other Realm.”

“So, it’s a meshing of our worlds?” Syoran questioned, his sudden arrival near enough for me to draw my sword.

“No.” Ignis crossed his arms over his chest, watching as Ellira’s men flooded the town. “The portals serve one purpose: to wreak havoc. As soon as Sorva gets what she wants, they will seal, and this realm will remain. But that is not the end of it.”

“What follows?” Peering between me and the Fae from the tavern, Kael’s seafoam irises flared with concern. “If she gets what she wants, that is.”

“The control of two of the gods.” His throat bobbed, a lengthened exhale escaping him. “Caspian and Rohen. She will evoke their interest by agreeing to unbind Alastair’s former friend⁠—”

Two sets of bony fingers curled around the lip of the portal. Talons sank into the cobblestone, cracking it further with the wrath the Other Realm harbored. A head peeked from the chasm, and hollow eyes found us. Cocking its head to the side in a similar fashion to the first one we’d interacted with, the creature studied us as if harboring… intelligence?

A steady hum rolled from it, but it wasn’t the eerie tune that forced us back a step. It was the words it spoke. “The God of Luck and War peers at us through your stare, Alastair Seridean.”

My knees buckled as soon as its hissed claim assaulted my senses. Colliding with the fissure-laden street, a rasped breath slipped between my lips as a surge of something familiar yet foreign snaked through my veins. Ribs expanding with my next breath, a sensation similar to adrenaline swathed my system, and with it came a voice.

“It’s taken too damn long to break through that fucking barrier.”

Earth tilted under me, and my palm greeted stone as I struggled to keep myself upright. Every sound around me amplified, the grey hues beneath my hands pulsing with a newfound brightness.

“The more you try and fight it, the worse it’ll be,” the man crooned, as if in enjoyment. “You’ve always struggled with letting go of the reins of control, haven’t you, Son?”

I blinked once. “Jaskor?”

“The formality,” he groaned, humor clinging to his smooth tone. “I would prefer Dad, though Father will suffice, I suppose.”

“How is this even⁠—”

“We can discuss nuances later.” The familiar brush along the edges of my subconscious ignited countless memories, more specifically, each time I’d heard Elaros’s blaring call. At my wandering thoughts, Jaskor chuckled, “In anticipation of your curiosity, might I remind you that Rohen has been speaking to Ellira for… how long now?”

A fearful cry stole my focus. “Alastair!”

My head swiveled, and Leilani cupped my face. Her gaze frantically searched for mine, her shoulders rising and falling in rapid spurts. As her thumb traced along my cheek, I followed her touch, leaning into the comfort she always wrapped me in.

“Ace,” she practically whispered. “Are you…”

Her query faded as a crack of cartilage replaced it. A shadow loomed, and as I peered up, the creature's faceless expression greeted me. It twitched once, and I caught the sluggishness with which it moved. Compared to the speed of its former counterpart, something about it seemed controlled. Almost as if it didn’t have full access to its true potential.