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The Ever Crew did not struggle as I did. It was a little frightening the way the men spilled over the shore, cutting down any man in Eilifur with a blade.
For Boneseer, Legbinder, Steelcarver, Fireweaver. I could see pain for their lost men in every strike.
Innocent folk sprinted for their homes. Women screamed and gathered littles in their arms. Elders ducked, shielding their aged heads, muttering old words to the gods.
Then a crack of heat flashed over the shore. From the gates, a coil of molten rope lashed free of a flickering torch, like the flames reshaped into a long cord. The stand of fire cracked like a whip, striking the first line of crewmen.
They roared in agony, flesh hissing and bubbling in blisters.
Lena stood atop a watchtower, eyes closed, dropping glass vials along the shore. Whenever a vial shattered, another blazing whip formed.
“Their sea witch!” I screamed, aiming my blade toward Lena.
No hesitation before a group of sea fae formed a curve around half a dozen of the Ever’s sea witches, Tavish in the center. I did not hear what Bloodsinger’s uncle told his fellow witches, but each one closed their fists and eyes.
The shoreline lifted higher and higher into a towering wall of water. I watched in a bit of awe as sea plants were bared to the night, shells exposed, and small fish flopped on the damp sand of the sea floor.
Every sea witch opened their eyes as one. At Tavish’s shout, they flung their palms in front of their bodies, and the tidal wave seemed to leap over the rush of sea fae raiding the shores and crashed over the watchtowers of Eilifur.
Lena’s fire whips extinguished. Guards toppled forward. Wooden posts cracked and bent.
When the water faded, Lena was gone, but one corner of the outer walls had bent, leaving gaps where we could cross into the lower township.
“At your side, Princess.” Gavyn Seeker, face already coated in a layer of blood, winked and drew a silver cutlass from a sheath on his belt.
Sander and Jonas took the lead in our swift scheme. From a household of thieves, the twin princes were cunning tricksters.
“You’re heading for Heartwalker,” Jonas told me. “Clearly, no one will be able to stop you. But you aren’t going alone.”
My friend had gestured toward Gavyn’s ship. From over the rails, the Bone Lord had called, “Care to join me in spilling a bit of blood, Princess?”
“I thought you’d never ask!” I shouted back, hands cupped around my mouth. Most folk on the ships did not know Gavyn’s true voice, but there was no doubt having the Ever King’s secret assassin would be useful in finding Tait.
Now Gavyn gave me a curt nod, silently acknowledging our first mark was met. The plan would send me and the Bone Lord away from the village to the rocky staircase.
A blade swung close to Gavyn’s head. Parek. Djur’s brother shouted and made another hasty swipe for Gavyn’s chest.
The Bone Lord parried. Parek stumbled when Gavyn landed a strike to the man’s thigh. It was enough to send Djur’s brother sprinting for a copse of trees near the shore. There, he reached for someone.
Zara.
Djur’s daughter was no child, and she tried to shake off her uncle’s grip. Parek only tightened his hold on her, dragging his niece, amidst her protests and shouts, into the trees.
Zara held a dagger, but her pale eyes took in the chaos on her shores. There was rage in her features, but also a strange sort of betrayal. Like she did not understand why we would attack her kingdom.
How much did Djur’s daughter even understand about what went on in Eilifur?
“Three hells, if they all flee after one strike, this will be over soon enough,” Gavyn said, winking. “Let’s find Heartwalker.”
48
The Illusionist
We ran for the stairs leading toward the Head House. Archers lined the gates of the village, but the range of their arrows was lacking.
Ironcaller, a man from Gavyn’s crew who could summon ore, hummed until the arrow tips veered off course. On the other side, Sandcrafter, a robust man with cropped hair from the House of Tides, lifted towering hills of sand with a loud tune and hardened the hills into sandstone. Any arrows not controlled by Ironcaller struck the carefully crafted sand barriers. Sea fae sprinted around the bulges, free from the risk of the mortal arrows, and took Eilifur. Wave after wave.
I caught sight of my mother’s dark hair. She sprinted through the gap in the gate. Eilifur guards raced to the watchtowers, an attempt to refill the position after the wave forced them to flee. They pointed at my mother and shouted orders to take aim.
