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Nineteen
Havana
Water rushed around my body. I kicked as hard as I could to the surface as I breached the sea, gasping for air. I had to swim somewhere other than where that monster thrashed around. The octopus attacked my father’s guards, who shot fire arrows and magical bolts of lightning at the beast. Other people of the Oasis rallied around the royal navy, joining in the fray.
Where was my father? Was he inside watching? Did he think I was still sitting in my cabin? My father never shied from a fight and many times he cursed his own genes for making me so strongheaded like him.
Was I scared?
Very much so.
But that fear is what drove me forward.
Funneling fear into fury is how I trained.
I kept swimming toward the docks on the western side. Far from where the main fighting took place. So far, there didn’t seem to be any other creatures in sight, but that didn’t mean there weren’t more coming. I glanced to where I had last seen theRavagerand wondered where Leon had gone. It was too dark to see his ship anywhere. Did he truly leave? My heart lurched in that direction, part of me believing he left. He had said once before the ship and the crew came first.
I maneuvered around my father’s massive ship, using the side as cover. When I got close to the front, much of his guard fought the octopus. Tentacles slapped across the docks, black ink squirting out. I cringed as burning guards jumped into the sea to extinguish the flames destroying them. A tentacle grabbed a figure too small to be an adult and flung it across the broken piers, smashing into a palm tree. I froze, unable to process the scene playing out as screams and fear tore through the Oasis in a carnage I wasn’t prepared for. Black ink shot out from the sea, landed on the fire, igniting the raging flames into an inferno that destroyed a line of my father’s guard.
Those weremypeople, and they were dying.
No matter how I thought about it, this was my fault, and I didn’t know how to fix it with these ridiculous dampeners on. Unable to bear anymore of the death, I swam away toward an area that I could climb out. I would have to find somebody to remove the magical dampeners. Though I had no idea how that was even possible. From my understanding these were created by the Magi Council and one key was unique to each set of bracers. Other than that, I had no idea how to remove them.
But it didn’t mean I wouldn’t try.
Swimming under the next dock, I kicked my legs as hard and fast as I could. The fabric of my dress pulled against the current, making my movements slower than I wanted. I found a pier off behind a large wooden structure where nobody seemed to be. I grabbed a ladder and climbed out of the water. As soon as my knees hit the wooden dock, I took a few long breaths.
Okay, what do I do now?
I couldn’t go to the fight. The moment any of the guards saw me, I would be taken right back to the ship, and I would be useless against that octopus. I thought of the only other place I knew on this island. Not that I wanted to go back there, but maybe Lily could take these off or knew someone who could.
Grabbing my soaking dress, I ran around the building and through the docks. I didn’t stop until Lily’s brothel came into view. The females who normally hung on the balcony and around outside calling males to come in were nowhere to be seen.
It was eerily quiet.
Out of breath, I pushed open the door.
No one was there, not even a passed-out patron.
Would Lily have abandoned this place? Was there anyone left here? My thoughts went to the female Leon had visited in the basement. He never told me who she was, and I was too nervous to ask because then I’d have to reveal I had snuck after him. I didn’t know if he left with her, but if she was still here, it was better than nothing.
My heart raced wildly as I moved to the stairs that led down to the basement. Nervous flutters made my stomach twist and turn, my heart pounding so hard I had to stop and grab the wall to calm myself. I was afraid of what awaited outside. I was afraid of facing my father, and I was afraid to walk into that secret room and find out that Leon never belonged to me at all.
I stood in front of the door, holding a hand up, wondering if I should knock or just go in. It would be rude to just enter. I didn’t know this person. Would they even still be here with everything going on outside? And why was the brothel abandoned? I held up my hand, and I rapped against the wood.
“Hello?” I waited for a reply but didn’t hear any. “Is anyone in there?”
I leaned my ear against the door, listening to the sounds inside the room: shuffling of blankets, then feet across the floor. I stepped back as the door opened and a dark fae female greeted me.
Long silver hair fell past her waist, golden eyes, a long, straight nose and high cheekbones. There was something off about her skin tone though. It was dark, plum colored but not as bright as Leon’s. It was closer to charcoal as if all the vibrancy had dimmed.
“Who are you?” she asked, her voice low, staring at me and holding one hand on the door.
“My name is Havana.”
Her eyes widened, and she opened the door all the way. “Has something happened to Leon?”
“I’m not sure. Do you know what’s happening at the docks?”
