Page 82

“What—” I started.

“Sea monster!” came a cry from above.

My gaze trailed upward past the enormous, tattered sails which billowed in the wind created by Galan. At the top sat a circular wooden railing with a man inside holding a spyglass

All around us people sprang into motion. But for me, time seemed to still as my waterlogged brain tried to wrap around what was happening.

It finally snapped into place when an enormous serpent, the color of murky water and covered in barnacles, crashed over the side of the boat, landing inches from where Devira had been moments before. Its mouth opened wider than should be possible, and it bit down, punching two holes in the deck with enormous fangs. The smell of rotten fish turned my stomach further, and I stifled a gag as Rivven set me gently against the side of the door.

“I’ll be back,” he promised, then ran toward the thing, sword drawn.

The bigger issue was that now, instead of one serpent the size of a giant tree trunk in the Night Forest, there were five more plummeting over the side of the ship and piercing the wood, like they’d decided to feast on the deck. This time when the boat tipped, it nearly went completely on its side, causing everyone to slide toward the creatures.

Rivven used the momentum to skid into the first snake-thing and swiped his sword across it with a cry that rose above the cacophony of terror that had taken hold of the ship. Black blood spurted from the point of contact as the head was severed completely.

The ship rocked violently, and a horrible screech rose above the waves, forcing me to relinquish my hold on the doorframe and cover my ears lest they bleed. All around me, the crew were batted back and forth, scrambling for purchase. On a surge of magic, I flung myself into the air to escape the wild ride and get a better vantage point.

I rose higher than the crow’s nest, where the man who’d been keeping watch clung to the railing for dear life. Below, Rivven had pried loose the head he’d sliced off the monster. He held it up with both arms, unable to entirely encircle it, the tips of the fangs shining in the sunlight like metal—wicked sharp points like giant daggers.

“Holy hells,” I swore as Galan floated up to join me, pallor tinged green to match his emerald robes.

“That sums it up nicely,” he agreed, placing a steadying hand on my shoulder, which was shaking violently—whether from the motion sickness, the cold, or the sight of the monstrosity beyond, I wasn’t sure.

Another sea serpent flew over the side where Rivven stood, still clutching the severed head of the first, and I screamed out a warning. He glanced up just in time to dive and roll out of the way before the fangs crashed through the floor exactly where he’d been standing.

He recovered quickly, coming back to his feet and rushing the thing with another cry as he jabbed the fangs of the head in his hands into the side of its kin.

Again, the boat rocked, and the monsters shrieked. From the depths beneath the white-capped waves, an enormous head emerged. Half as wide as the ship, it was covered in dull gray scales that encased it like armor. A curved beak opened, and another of the awful sounds rang across the sky as one giant black eye blinked, focusing on the ship.

“What is that thing?” I breathed.

“I don’t think asking its name will help in this situation, Your Highness,” Galan quipped.

“It’s me, Nye,” I corrected him. Without waiting for a reaction, I drew a deep breath and dove toward the battle.

Several men hacked at the other serpents that had gripped the boat. Torvo had severed the head of another, and Kendara had torn most of the way through a third, but more of the slimy, barnacle encrusted bodies crashed down around them, faster than they could fight.

“I need a sword,” I yelled, swooping down and shooting a flame directly into the giant creature’s one eye.

Rivven grabbed the weapon out of Devira’s trembling hands and tossed it to me. I used the air currents to direct it into my grip as I came around for a second hit.

Yet another serpent dove at me. I barely adjusted course in time to avoid being skewered by the teeth. But I couldn’t avoid the larger monster that rose from the water and swung its whole giant head at me, smacking me toward the water like no more than an annoying gnat.

I smashed into the sea, nearly blacking out from the force of the impact. Beneath the water, I saw the truth, and my blood went colder than the waves. This wasn’t multiple beasts, but one enormous monster with snakes for limbs. The sheer size of the thing was devastating. Our ship might as well have been a child’s bath toy. And the serpents—there must have been a hundred of them tangled beneath it—a nest of sea vipers. Worse yet, strewn across the seafloor were chunks of wreckage from what must have been a dozen ships. Wood torn and discarded. I didn’t want to look too close for fear of seeing what remained of the fallen crew. If any.

And our ship, already filled with holes, was snugged against the body of this thing like it had washed up on a large boulder. With a renewed surge of adrenaline courtesy of the horrifying sight, I swam for the other side of the ship. A moment later, I broke through the surface with a gasp.

Along with the rush of cold air, the sounds of battle and the smell of rot assaulted my senses, nearly making me gag again. We hadn’t come this far to be turned into a shipwreck at the bottom of the ocean. I had to do something, but what?

I gulped air again and dove. Like a balm, the water smothered the sounds from above. I closed my eyes, floating freely beneath.

I could see it in my mind, threads upon threads of ether undulating all around me. The monsters’ were dark. I recoiled slightly, remembering the way I’d been attacked by the poison that had killed Hymer. But these weren’t as blackened, not completely. They were more of a dark gray, like the color of the creature’s scales. And each serpent coiled beneath it appeared to me as a single, thick thread.

I focused on the ether and the dark gray color of the beast. It was angry, agitated for some reason I couldn’t understand. The last time I’d seen a dangerous beast agitated like this it was because—because her child had been taken. I thought of Ven’s mother and the way she’d fought those she’d perceived as the thieves of her egg. Tears welled in my eyes, adding an insignificant drop to the ocean around me. Did this thing have a family that was threatened?

I saw nothing around that could indicate a home or nest we’d accidentally encroached on until… Just beyond where the creature rested was my answer. It had been hard to see past the enormous threat of the sea monster, but there it was. A midnight black fissure, similar to the one that had opened in the Night Forest. I noted the difference between the blacker-than-black threads filling the crack in the seafloor and the dark gray of the creature.

An idea swam to the surface of my mind. Could the color of these threads indicate how evil something or someone was? I reached out with my senses, again shutting my eyes. I searched the boat. It was easier than I’d imagined it would be to reach that far.