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“I’ll take you to the kids and back to the house,” Skarlyt says, stepping closer to us. “A few of your parliament have been asking for you.”
Loukas nods, stepping back next to Skarlyt. “I love you, Pearl.”
“And I you,” I tell him and watch as he and Skarlyt disappear.
After getting changed into the leathers that Breanne had waiting for me, I go stand with my assigned group, each of us leaving the office and landing on the sandy beach.
As we approach the abandoned pier where the boat is beached, the rhythmic creaking of the wood beneath our feet seems to echo the tension in the air. The moonlit waves whisper secrets of the impending battle.
The large wooden ship, an ominous silhouette against the night sky, is pushed up onto the sandy beach. Its sails billow in the breeze, an eerie dance that seems to mock the confrontation in our midst. Our group exchange knowing glances, a silent acknowledgment of the dangers that lay ahead.
Despite my argument that the nymphs need to be involved in this rescue, I know they are not the battle-hardened warriors from the other factions. Still, they deserve the opportunity to be part of the rescue. I don't expect bloodshed from any of the nymphs, but I wouldn't be surprised if their hearts had been hardened by the kidnapping of one of their own.
I can hear the soft padding of the wolf shifters' footsteps beside me as we move forward, each step resonating with the collective determination of our motley crew. Sebastyn and the rest of the witches trail behind us, their eyes focused and hands tingling with magical energy.
As we approach the pier's edge, the ship's crew become aware of our presence. Shadows shift on the deck, and the murmur of voices carry across the water. The moment for stealth is over.
"Prepare yourselves," Drake commands in a hushed yet authoritative tone. "We move as one."
The vampires descend upon the ship like shadows. The first cries are heard, and my small group of sea nymphs and shifters make our way toward the ship, our movements coordinated with supernatural precision. A wolf shifter leaps onto the deck, his claws glinting in the moonlight.
As I follow in his wake, I notice that the battle ahead of me already rages on, a symphony of clashes, roars, and incantations that reverberate through the night. The ship's crew, though armed with technology and weapons, are no match for the supernatural might against them.
I slip down below, searching for the location where they are keeping Sky. I slip around the corner and find myself face to facewith the man I assume is the ship's captain, a grizzled man with a cruel glint in his eyes. He grips a menacing gun in one hand, and the other is wrapped around Breanne’s neck.
“One more step and I blow her brains out,” he warns, and I raise my hands in surrender. I catch Breanne’s eyes. She gives me a wink, and I keep my face stoic though I want to smile. That’s the thing about Breanne, she is a tiny little blonde girl who you would expect to be weak rather than the lethal killing machine she is.
“We just want the man,” I tell him.
“The monster, you mean?” he asks, still snarling.
“You would know about monsters, wouldn’t you?” I ask with a snarl of my own.
He grips Breanne tighter, and she cries out, though I know it’s a jest, still I take a step forward out of instinct.
Because of this, he pushes the gun tighter to Breanne’s head.
“Stop moving?—”
He doesn’t get to finish. Breanne spins with her supernatural speed, snapping his neck in one quick movement.
“Gods, he stinks,” Breanne says, wiping off her hands as if she can wipe the stench of him off her.
“You okay?” I ask, stepping up and pulling my magic to my hands, healing the minor bruises she got from his grubby little hands. Of course, they would have healed on their own in time. But now we don’t have to wait the hour or so it would take.
“Never better,” she responds with a smile, taking my hand and leading us deeper into the boat. When we reach the lowest level of the ship, we are met with a chilling sight—a makeshift holding area where a captive sea nymph languishes in a saltwater-filled tank. His silvery scales with a bright red outline glow faintly in the dim light, and his eyes, filled with a mixture of fear and hope, meet mine.
"Stand back," Breanne commands, and Sky swims back up against the far wall of the tank, slowly, his face contorting in pain with each flick of his tail. Bree’s hand snakes out, shattering the glass front of the tank and freeing Sky from his watery prison. Sky, weakened but alive, lands on the ground, his tail slowly separating into two legs. The shift was the most painful thing I’ve ever seen.
"We're here to help," I reassure him, my voice a soothing melody. "You're safe now."
I reach down, my hands already glowing with my healing magic, and I push it into him. His eyes flutter closed in relief. I push as much of my healing magic into him as I can but it's not enough. Sky falls into unconsciousness, and I slump to the ground, my magic completely depleted.
“Breanne?” Matt calls out just as everything goes black. I realize too late that I gave too much magic.
Chapter Twenty
Loukas
