Page 104 of The Wolf and Her Shadows

“Your captain sent us,” I whisper, offering him what I hope is a reassuring smile. “We’re here to rescue you.”

“Good.” He nods, almost as if he’d been anticipating that answer, then points a thumb over his shoulder at the hyenafolk. “If ye can do it without wakin’ him dat would be great. He’s a bit jumpy ye see.”

I shrug, sparing a quick glance over my own shoulder toward the sleeping guard. “Works for me. Apparently I don’t need to touch him for my magic to work. So…”

Without another word, I gather the heavy shadows blanketing their cell around the pirates, Stephan and I. After a brief moment of hesitation, I wrap them around a pair of sleeping children I happen to see in the next cell as well. Ignoring Stephan’s raised brow, I shadow us all back to the lake.

Back to Mariane.

The woman lets out a squeak of surprise as I appear in front of her, but that doesn’t stop her from throwing her arms around me the instant she realizes it’s me. “Looks like you kept your promise.”

“That I did.” I pat her back a couple times before reluctantly pulling away from her and gesturing to the pile of, somehow still sleeping, pirates. “And I brought Her Majesty gifts.”

When she notices the additional guests, she raises a brow and whispers, “Vannaria, I hate to tell you this, but I don’t think I’m cut out for motherhood.”

Swallowing down my laughter at the comment, I shake my head. “I’m not either, I was referring to the pirates. The children were…” My own brows furrow at my lack of foresight. “Well, I didn’t want to leave them there, but I’m sure they’ll be fine if we leave them here.”

“We will be doing no such a thing,” Kali snaps, doing her best to keep her voice low as she approaches the sleeping children. “Look at them, they’re half-starved.”

Cursing my own callousness, I force myself to truly look at them. A human boy no older than we’d been when we were orphaned with pale skin and hair so light it appears white has his arms wrapped protectively around an even younger girl with equally pale pink skin and two small bumps on her forehead. Where horns will likely be growing soon. It’s hard to tell, but I imagine she likely has a tail as well.

An angelblood and a devilkin. Isn’t that just poetic.

And just as Kali pointed out, neither look like they’ve eaten in quite some time. Or bathed, based on the state of their ripped clothing. Well Shit.

“You’re right. We can’t leave them here. I apologize for my temporary lapse in judgement.” Letting out a heavy sigh, I shift my gaze over to where Trick is currently in the process of throwing his arms around his sleeping partners.

Despite Bolabar’s warning, neither of the beastfolk react violently and instead they both immediately begin sobbing into Trick’s chest, muttering words not meant for anyone’s ears but their lover’s. Their captain’s.

“I think I understand what he meant now,” Mariane whispers, wrapping an arm around my waist. “Suppose they are a bit like us, aren’t they?”

“That they are,” I mutter, returning her embrace. I glance back to Kali, who now has Stephan’s arms wrapped around her shoulders while they kneel together next to the children. “Fools in love, the lot of us.”

“Do you think it’s safe to rest here for a while?” Mariane asks, leaning her head on my shoulder. “I’m fucking exhausted and I don’t think any of us are up for stealing a pirate ship right now.”

Apparently having heard her, Trick glances over his shoulder and says, “Oh, she’s perfectly safe. I may have technically lost her in a bet, but there’s a protective barrier around her that nobody can cross. Well, except for whoever Bolabar allows.” He nods towards the now snoring dwarf. “I’m sure there’s a few ruffians guarding the shoreline and the longboat we rowed in on, but as long as we bypass all that with your fancy shadow magic we should be fine.”

“You’re sure it’s still secure?” Mariane asks, a hint of excitement in her voice. “There’s no way they might’ve removed the enchantment somehow?”

“I would know if dey did,” Bolabar grumbles, not bothering to sit up or open his eyes. “I’ll even be nice enough te let ye cross it, if you’ll stop yer yabbering so I can finally get some damn sleep.”

Lifting her head off my shoulder, Mariane’s tired eyes meet mine. “Do you have enough magic left to get us there? You’ve never seen the ship, so you’d have to take us to the coastline first and then immediately shadow us all again once we find it.”

Doing my best to ignore my own exhaustion, I nod. “This is the only time I’ve used my magic since we left. While I’m admittedly exhausted as well, I should still have plenty of magic for us all to make the leap twice.” I glance up at the moon shining down on us. “As long as we do it before dawn. Shadows are always stronger at night.”

I’m not entirely sure if that’s true or not, but it’s something I vaguely remember hearing at some point in our early childhood. Now’s as good a time as any to test its legitimacy, I suppose. It’s well worth the risk if it’ll get us all someplace truly safe. For a while at least.

Pressing her face against the side of my neck, Mariane mumbles, “Okay. Wake me up when we get there.”

Snorting a quiet laugh at her adorableness, I look over our motley crew and say, “Alright everyone, gather round. We have a pirate ship to go steal.”

Chapter Forty-Four

Mariane

Closing my eyes, I lean further into Vannaria, listening to the sounds of shuffling as everyone moves to do as she says. She may not want the role she was born into now, but I can’t help but think she would’ve made a finer ruler if things had turned out differently for her.

“What about the children,” Kali says, her voice soft and still a short distance away. “Can you shadow without us having to wake them up?”