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“Asara wants both Kingdoms. You need to change.”
Aspen grabbed some clothes from an open chest. “I’ll get changed in another cabin.”
Oriel almost didn’t want to let him leave since he’d just gotten them back, and they weren’t safe yet. He grabbed the blanket from the bed to wrap around Roth. He had no idea who was using this cabin, and they were going to have to get over it if they found their blanket wet later.
“Who sleeps in here?” Roth sat on the edge of the bed and hunched over a bit.
“I have no idea.” Oriel dug through the open chest and pulled out some more clothes. “They’re bigger than you, but that’ll have to do.”
Thankfully, they’d packed their armor on a different ship since the cabins were kind of small. They had planned to get what they needed before landing on the Windswept Isles, and Oriel hoped that ship hadn’t been sent to the bottom.
He flung the clothes on the bed. “Here. I have to go see what’s happening.”
“I’ll be out in a bit.”
Oriel raced outside. He almost wished he could fly too so that he could help fight, but he also didn’t want to leave the others here. The Raindrop was still safe with the ships that had formed a barrier around them. He spotted a lifeboat with a lantern in the choppy water. The fighting seemed to have wound down on this side although cannons were still firing much farther away from the port side.
Fire, lightning, and energy flashed too, and occasionally, he caught a scream that sounded high and thin from the distance.
The formation they’d had that night was long gone, and some ships started moving to get around and help where there was still fighting. Kalen ordered a flier to pass a message. They wanted thirty to form a circle around the area. With lifeboats, they were to search the edges for survivors that might have helplessly drifted farther out while clinging to something.
Other ships started to send out lifeboats too, but Oriel knew plenty had already been lost from their side. Injured soldiers and sailors might die or grow too exhausted if they were struggling to swim and keep their head above water.
It took another forty minutes for the fighting to completely stop. Wreckage bobbed in the water, ships listed, and shouts sometimes reached his ears as searchers paddled around.
It took even longer to try and pull together what was left. Half of the fleet had been lost. Some of Asara’s boats had been salvaged from fairies who flew down to fight on the decks and stop them. Survivors were taken aboard, and plenty of enemies found in the water were killed upon being found.
Oriel and Kalen weren’t heartless, so any of the collected dead from Asara’s army were placed aside to be later buried in the Windswept Isles. While Asara was a traitor, and no soldiers had spoken up against her, families in the Windswept Isles would want their members back to properly bury.
He knew the army “splitting” had been fake. They had done a good job and even fooled Kalani and her women. They had planned all along to bring Meadow down, and then take out the new Kings along with Kalen and Rhys. Asara was probably already gloating over her territory. With fishing and mining, her wealth and power would massively increase. Oriel sat on a crate by the railing and leaned forward to cradle his head in his hands.
“All of this for money and power. I meant nothing to her. Father meant nothing. My brothers, my Mother. We didn’t mean shit in the long run. She’d take everything and forget about us. Her own blood was raped and tortured, and she just doesn’t fucking give a shit. I know I wasn’t close to her while growing up, but…”
Aspen rubbed his shoulder, wordlessly offering comfort, and Oriel grabbed his hand to press it against his face. Asara had tried to take everything he had left, including Roth and Aspen.
“She’ll pay.” Roth sat next to him on the crate to wrap an arm around him.
By the time the sun rose, no one had gone to bed. A wide circle had been formed around them, and lifeboats were still combing through wreckage and debris. Sailors worked the pumps on ships that had taken water to try and salvage them. The healers performed what they did best. Bodies were all collected on two ships and separated according to where they came from to make it easier later. Sailors did repairs, and some boats would have to be towed since their masts and sails were destroyed.
Kalani and her crew had made it through unscathed and helped to find survivors. They also had dealt some damage because the enemy had ignored the whore’s boat and forgotten that they had cannons too.
It was midmorning before Kalen said they could finally get some sleep. The ships they had left were more crowded now since so many had been wrecked. A cabin was given to them on the Raindrop, and Aspen didn’t even complain that Kalen and Rhys would be in the small space with them. There were two beds, so they’d make it work. As soon as Oriel and Roth lay down, Aspen nestled between them.
“You saved me.” Roth kissed his temple.
“You saved me too because you held onto me when we fell.”
“And Oriel saved you both,” Rhys said sleepily from the other bed that he and Kalen had claimed.
Oriel lay awake for a while even though he was exhausted. Aspen turned over in his sleep and snuggled closer to Roth. Oriel almost couldn’t believe how far these two had come in their relationship. Aspen had treated Roth like an unwanted pest at first, and now he was cuddling up to him. Roth’s unending patience with the initial, cold dislike had certainly helped with that.
Asara would rather tear it all apart.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Oriel was sure the size of the depleted fleet had wrecked the enemy’s morale.
The coast of the main Island, Wind’s Respite, was in the distance, and he could barely make out Harpsen. Asara had left her remaining fleet stationed to block the way. No doubt, a dove had already been released to warn her because it was clear Oriel and Kalen’s side had won, and the coming ships flew East Forest flags.
