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20
Scarlet
Ijoltawake,barelygripping the bed in time to keep from rolling over the edge and onto the unforgiving floor. The wooden beams above me wail as the walls creak and groan. My world swings along with the ship’s nauseating rhythm and the lanterns hanging near the bookcases send chaotic beams of light around the room.
Before I can get my bearings, the enchanted flames within the lanterns go out, and I’m in utter darkness. My senses go into overdrive. The scent of burnt lamp oil mingles with the salty air, the masculine scent of Sebastian, and the dusty smell of books. I feel for the bedpost, gripping it hard to keep still.
“Sebastian,” I call out into the dark. “Can you hear me?”
Distant, muffled shouts of men fill my ears, their panic tangible even through the thick walls of the captain’s quarters. The ship drops, along with my stomach, and I dare a chance of letting go of the post just long enough to reach across the bed, finding the spot next to me empty and cold.
My gut tells me I’m alone—again—in the midst of chaos. Great.
Sebastian must’ve gotten up before me.
Kicking off the covers, I feel around the floor for my pants. Everything has moved… Glass rattles against the shuttered shelves and I let out a deep breath. Blinking hard as I try to focus, I feel magic pour into my veins as I mumble the single-word spell for light. My hands glow, allowing me to see the room.
Finding my clothes, I pull on my leather pants and boots, trying not to taste the floor in the process. Even with my spell, I can barely see in this place. Dressed, I push to my feet, gripping the furniture as I stumble my way toward the door. I wretch it open, only to find madness waiting on the other side. The air stills in my lungs as fear creeps into my bones.
The crew dashes across the deck, some clutching weapons, others barking orders. They’re fighting something, but I can’t make out what. The fog is so dense, that there might as well be a wall around the deck. The ship takes another brutal dip, making my stomach feel like it’s disintegrating into nothingness. Before I can make sense of what is happening, a blue-scaled tail unravels and smashes into the wooden planks, making some ripple and snap upon impact. Men fly through the air, their screams flooding my body with adrenaline.
One of the crew spots me, standing in the doorway and skids to a stop. His blue eyes lock on mine as he points at me.
“Princess, you must—” A burst of otherworldly blue blocks the man from view. The light dims to reveal the man, still pointing at me. His body is frozen solid, enveloped in icy blue flame—alive one second and a statue the next.
My heart contracts. It can’t be the witch. She’s dead... isn’t she?
But then the ship heaves violently again, throwing off my train of thought. The sounds of chaos multiply—the shriek of tearing wood, the splash of someone being flung overboard, the screams of terror.
Sebastian. I have to find Sebastian. The monster’s thrashing is violent, more intense with each passing moment. With a force that feels world-ending, it encircles us, its scaly embrace threatening to tear us apart.
I search for him, finding three more frozen statues on the deck. Then I catch the tendrils of darkness piercing the fog. It surrounds whatever creature is trying to coil around the ship, making us jolt and slingshot left and right.
Blue scales peek through the shadows, a serpent-like face and a mouth full of sharpened teeth. It’s the creature. It followed us. But why? The witch is dead. Even if she spelled it, all of her magic would die along with her.
Sebastian stands, legs braced apart, and shadows writhing around him. His voice cuts through the air like a blade as he shouts orders at his crew. They rush toward him, spears in hand.
The creature’s jaw opens, revealing a glow like lightning itself living between its jaws. I open my mouth to warn them, but it’s too late. A blast of blue flames shoots and the men hit the deck. The boat tilts and I slam into the door frame, gripping the wooden lip of it until my knuckles turn white. The door swings wildly and I brace my foot, stopping it before it can crush my fingers in the jam.
“Ready! Fire!” Sebastian shouts, his voice strained with urgency.
Explosions rattle my eardrums as lights illuminate the dense fog. I take a deep breath, trying to quell the panic clawing at my insides. I can’t just hide while everyone else fights for our lives. I need to help, but how?
I peer into the darkened room for something thick enough to hide the glow of my mark. Sebastian’s shirts, as comfortable as they may be, are too thin. The mark will shine through the linen. I need a jacket or something…
Looking back at the beast, I spot Sebastian’s form. He’s wearing his red coat, and considering how frugal his closet is, I doubt he has another. There’s got to be something else… I could wrap a blanket around me, but I wouldn’t be able to hold on to it and cast. I need both of my hands to control that thing, and even then, I’m not sure I can—not unless I’m close.
“Scarlet!”
My name pulls me from my thoughts and I look up to lock eyes with Sebastian from across the deck. In the time it takes me to blink, I’m yanked back into his room. The door slams shut with a resounding thud and something crackles behind me. I whirl, coming face to face with him, trying to catch my breath.
“Stay here,” he orders, leaving no room to argue. He presses something into my hand, something bright. The boat rocks and he grips onto the shelf. “If anything happens, I’ll come for you, but you have to stay here.”
“Why is it attacking us?”
“I don’t know. Normally, they like it when we feed them.” His fingers thrust into his hair as the words fly from his mouth. “But the witch must’ve cast something on it before she died.”
“Anything she would’ve cast would’ve died with her. There’s got to be another reason.” My gaze zones out on the floor. “You don’t think she hoped into that thing, do you? Could she do that if it stayed close to the ship?”
