AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I need you to fly me somewhere,” I whispered, alluding to the destination in case any of Salenia’s followers were in the city, eavesdropping. “Can you get us out of the city walls safely?”
“Question is, love, can you use your magic to help us get there? Who knows how many aniccipere are lurking?”
I glanced up at the sky. “It’s still daytime. Now is the safest time. If we wait until this evening, they’ll be out waiting for us, and they can’t fly, anyway. Where we’re going, we should be safe.”
Elizabeth watched us from afar, and he shot her a pained look. “Okay, I’ll take you.”
I spotted a hundred, maybe more, aniccipere hiding in the shadows of derelict buildings and abandoned torture chambers outside the city as we flew over, heading east. Niall held me tighter as we flew, and I was almost certain he was Vener. Salenia panicked when she saw him and Elizabeth leaving too, just as much as losing me and I was the threat to her life.
He cleared his throat, flying away from the impending storm. “We’re fucked if more come. A hundred is already too many.”
“That’s why we’re going to the Edrich,” I said, pointing in the direction of the small coastal town in the east—one where most of the ships had been spotted, according to Adrian. I understood the strategy. It was a weak point of the island.
The sky rumbled as dark clouds rolled in, the storm catching up as we landed. Large drops of rain pelted the slate rooftops in the town. Niall followed me as I raced down the cobbled street with my hood pulled tight around my face, sweat dripping from my brow and stinging my eyes. Niall’s eyes focused around us, searching for threats.
The sea was alive with activity below. Boats swayed on the choppy waves, their wooden hulls drenched with rain. Lightning streaked across the sky like white jagged daggers. Seagulls screeched overhead, weaving through the air like paint strokes against a somber canvas. My breath fogged before me in wispy clouds as I watched the storm rage on.
The market was in a frenzy, merchants frantically packing up their stalls with worried glances and hushed whispers. Voices came from all directions, scrambling to find safety and reassurance within the chaos. I guessed the news had reached here two. We were under threat from all angles.
My heart raced as I stumbled past the traders, darting my eyes in every direction. As I reached the ocean's edge, I felt a multitude of gazes on me. The pebbles underfoot shifted and rolled beneath me as I hurriedly made my way to the shoreline.
I surveyed the navy vessels surrounding our island. The grandest ship’s sails billowed against the sky, and its tall mast gently swayed with the salty breeze. Despite their numbers, they remained still, observing and calculating, as if unaware that any delay in their mobilization would only give Salenia time to fortify her defenses.
They didn't know we were planning on launching our own. If we could fight Salenia at the same time as they launched an attack, then we might stand a chance.
Might.
I couldn't let the rest of the aniccipere reached the city. If they were in one place, we were screwed. With them mostly scattered, the odds of winning were better. Until we could capture Salenia. The question remained, however, how could we contain a goddess?
“We need to meet with the King of Asland,” I finally confessed, once we were out of earshot of anyone. “You were engaged to Penelope. Just act devasted by her loss, then tell him it was Salenia and that we’re not the enemy. We must make an alliance.”
“He won’t fall for it, and how do you know he’s on any of these ships?”
“Adrian.”
He sighed. “He’s usually right about this stuff.”
I found the grandest one surrounded by four other ships with cannons and pointed. “I’d bet he’s on that one.”
“I guess I’m flying you again.”
“No.” I stared at the cannons. “They’ll shoot us. We wait for them to let us on.”
“We’re already running out of time!”
“Calm down. This is the best and only way we have any chance of winning.”
His eyes latched onto the mark from my blood tie with Salenia. “Not the only way.”
I sucked in a deep breath. “Are you going to kill me, Niall?”
He sighed. “No.”
“Then let’s wave them over.”
Once they’d spotted us with their telescopes, they hoisted a flag on their sails. Niall picked me into his arms, and I shifted uncomfortably. He flew us across the short stretch of sea to the ship, then landed us on the ship's bow.
My eyes traced over the barnacles that clung to its side like an armored shield. The ship pitched and rolled beneath me as I landed on the deck with a thud. A man with a bucket next to him scrubbed the stairwell clean. The spars groaned in protest against the wind. My boots splashed through puddles of seawater as I jumped down and treaded across them.
