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Killian
The rippling water reminded me why I’d always been more comfortable sailing the skies than the seas.
Water was a powerful element, and when so clearly controlled by a magic caster, it could be downright horrifying.
“Ainsley, love.” I leaned in close to her ear. “Remain near my side.”
She arched an eyebrow in annoyance at the comment but softened almost instantly. “Given what Jo told us about Evelyn and her mother, I’m not quite certain what to expect.”
Rek steered us away from the rising city, and we hovered, observing the impossible happen as more and more of Varium revealed itself to us. A dome structure had been erected around the entirety of the township, and we watched as water cascaded as it rose higher and higher.
“Should we enter?” Ainsley questioned.
“Not sure how,” Rek grumbled, a deep crease lining his forehead.
An airship appeared inside the dome, exiting through a small opening as it approached, nearing the Phantom Saber. Jo’s boots thudded on the deck as she trudged up the steps and joined us. Jackson followed her, standing nearby, ensuring he was as close to Ainsley as he could possibly be.
Jealousy was a dastardly, dark emotion I had never been accustomed to, and so far, it was repugnant. I wanted nothing more than to put the boy in his place, but the captain inside me balked at my unwelcome insecurities.
“What do you think?” Ainsley asked Jo.
Jo cracked her knuckles one at a time, her gaze fixated on the vessel as it grew closer and closer while Rek maintained our position. “I lived in hiding—a life of secrecy—while in Highvein most of my life. Evelyn concealing the entire city like this? Removing it from the map and attacking airships that dare to come too close?” She shook her head and glanced at me over Ainsley’s shoulder. “We would be wise to be prepared for anything. A magic caster has taken over Varium.”
“In a time when magic casters are hunted,” I added. “No small feat, I assure you.”
Ainsley shivered next to me, and of course, Jackson noticed, taking a small step forward in what I assumed would be a gesture to comfort her—likely with his hands. Yes, I knew they were childhood friends; however, I could not bring myself to cease the brooding thoughts that entered my mind when Jackson so clearly wished for more between them.
Halting his advance, I placed my palm at the small of her back. She stilled under my touch, and the lot of us watched on, with nerves clearly growing in our bellies at what the ship heading our way may bring.
As the vessel approached, a burly-looking man with a grim set to his mouth, accented by a dagger-shaped tattoo on the right side of his face, menacingly stood with his hand gripping the hilt of a sword. “Who is your captain?” he shouted.
Quickly, I moved away from the others and down the stairs, to directly face the vessel that had tossed hooks onto my deck, so as to dock beside us midair. That did not sit well with me in the least. “My name is Captain Killian Flynn. And you are?”
“Prepare your ship to be boarded,” he commanded.
Chuckling, I donned my captain persona for the first time in a long while. “I am not accustomed to allowing a strange ship’s crew members entry amongst my crew. Who are you?”
The man lifted his blade and ran a finger along its edge. “If you’d like, we can simply bring your airship to the depths of the sea like the other one.”
“Such drastic measures for the courtesy of a simple name?” I retorted, although I knew I should tread lightly. However, this man had pissed me off. We required permission to land if Ainsley and Jo were to meet with Evelyn, which apparently, needed to take place, given this new “uncertain of the end game” quest we had embarked upon.
The henchman swiveled his head to the side, pausing, before returning his gaze to my ship. “Where are the magic casters?” he bellowed.
Standing to my full height, I shook my head and planted my fists upon my hips. “Your name, sir.”
Tattoo Face would not get anywhere near Ainsley or Jo if I had any say in the matter.
And I would.
Quest be damned.
I’d come across many men such as him in my travels over the years, and I’d not allow the women to be burdened by his kind.
“Captain Flynn, is it?” A woman with flowing black hair and a warrior’s tunic stepped into view, placing her hands on the rail of the ship. The dagger-faced guard bowed his head and took a slight step back to accommodate the small-framed woman. “You must forgive Bruno.” A slow smile spread across her face. “He is cautious and only does as I ask.”
Studying her carefully, I ensured that I did not reveal a hint of surprise. She appeared to be a woman who was accustomed to getting exactly what she wanted and would surely be able to manipulate nearly anyone in order to do so.
“A name is all I ask, and I’ll happily allow you passage onto my ship,” I reiterated. However, I’d be watching their every move should anything go awry, protecting Ainsley and now Jo at all costs.
