I shook my head, leaning back. “According to other maps Rebel Leader has studied, there isn’t a known island at that location. I’m not sure if the symbol is figurative or if the land mass is in the Fae realm.”
“And this?” Seb tapped a finger on a spiked water serpent, its long body undulating through the waves. “Are there sea serpents out here?”
“Sea serpents?” Micah squeaked—in real or feigned terror, I couldn’t tell—before he took an extra large bite of his sandwich.
I quickly looked away with a grimace. “Liam didn’t have the answer to that either. Anyone else know what dwells in this sea?”
Everyone shook their heads, including the girls. Great. Well, hopefully the boat wouldn’t spring a leak during our trip into serpent-infested waters.
Sebastian shoved back his shoulder-length hair as he looked me in the eye. “This mission to find allies and save our people sure sounds promising. The map only shows what we’ll be encountering on this side of the veil. Who knows what we can expect on the other side. And then there’s the Genesis Crystal, the key to opening this mysterious veil. Without it, we’re screwed. Are you keeping it safe?”
“Of course.” I reached for my pocket, but paused, deciding not to show them. Instead, I crossed my arms over my chest. “The only other person who’s been in contact with the crystal is Reagan and she experienced some nasty side effects. Until we better understand how it works, I think you should all stay away from it.”
“Tarik doesn’t want to share,” Micah teased.
“Shut it,” Seb barked at him. He studied me for an uncomfortably long time before finally saying, “If you’re to be its sole keeper, let’s hope nothing happens to you then.”
I blinked.
Well, crap. That wasn’t ominous or anything.
“Yeah, me too,” I muttered. While the conversation switched to inventory and how best to preserve our water supply, I silently reached for Reagan’s hand, sighing when her fingers interlocked with mine. She threw me a questioning glance, but I simply rubbed my thumb over her smooth skin.
Sebastian’s words had stirred awake doubt. What if one of us didn’t come back from this mission? What if none of us did? As I let that possibility sink in, I slipped a hand inside my pocket and gripped the crystal. The familiar electric shock zipped up my arm. Reagan’s fingers twitched, but she didn’t pull away.
Strength seeped into my veins while I stared at the faces of my friends, saving Reagan’s for last. Gaia, I swear I will protect them all.
We were all getting home alive.
Cigarette smoke curled from my lips, carried away by the soft breeze. My arms rested on the trawler’s railing, the chill metal biting into my skin. The ocean was peaceful at night. Calm. Soft sloshes broke the silence as the boat pressed on, but there was nothing else—no birds, no bustling city sounds. The stars shone brighter here, twinkling against the darkness more brilliantly than they ever did in Nathra. Unsurprising. That city was a black hole—any light that entered was inevitably extinguished.
I took a slow drag from my cigarette. The others were asleep below deck, but slumber escaped me. While I would love to believe that old habits died hard, that my night owl tendencies were too ingrained to shake, the truth was more complicated.
Every time I closed my eyes and tried to relax, the floodgates opened. Trying to calm my mind only made things worse, only brought to life the images I was fighting to suppress. So, instead of sleeping, I did the next best thing and tried to satiate the edge with this wicked vice. My eyes fell to the shortening butt, the glowing end brightly contrasting the dark span of endless sea.
Realistically, I should be attempting to sleep. Even if it was fruitless. Lack of sleep wasn’t helping the rising pressure on my spine or the itching need to explode out of my human form. We had been on the trawler for two days and I still had random tremors of burning pain. The urge to shift, to survive, to protect myself, was insatiable now that it was back.
But I also didn’t like the idea of leaving the group long enough to fly the ache off.
Caspar nodded to me as he crossed the deck. I tapped out my cigarette. At least, I could rest and listen to music, to try and keep my sanity. I took a long breath, filling my lungs with salty air, before I moved to the hatch.
Most of the lights were flicked off before we had laid down for the night, but a couple still glowed in the small kitchenette. I hesitated only a moment before I slid aside the curtain to the bunks, squeezing through so I didn’t let light in. No sense in waking anyone else. From the gentle snores and soft murmurs—which came from Sebastian, if the sharp tone was any indication—I assumed my little excursion hadn’t disturbed anyone.
I slid into my bunk, fishing my earbuds from under my pillow. Soft piano music filled my ears and I sighed, willing the images to stay away—willing myself to focus on literally anything but the thoughts railing against my carefully constructed mental shields. Exhaustion poked at those weak barriers though. Only a few moments passed before I started to slip, walls failing. I jerked awake before the song ended, shaking the emotions away before they could flood my senses.
My eyes didn’t adjust to the dim light immediately, but I tugged my earbuds out and released a slow breath. Pressure rose in my chest and I scanned the room; unease crept into the corners of my mind. I paused. A shadow sliding between the bunks caught my gaze.
Caspar?
But the hair on my arms rose as the slender form stopped to hover over Tarik, considering him, and I knew this wasn’t one of ours. Oak and gunpowder filled my nose. The pounding of my heart drowned out his soft movements, the careful shuffle as he tugged a dagger from some hidden pocket. A second passed, then I managed to slide from under my blankets. My bare feet were soundless as they touched the floor and crossed the small gap.
Silver glinted in the soft yellow light. He moved for Tarik’s throat and red clouded my vision. Instinct took over. I grabbed the man’s arm, twisting hard. The knife clattered to the floor. A second shadow drew my eye before the curtain shivered back into place. Tarik mumbled in his sleep beside me. I grabbed the man’s hair and slammed my palm upward into the side of his chin. The resounding crack sent a shiver down my spine. I dropped him and bolted after the man that fled for the deck.
Shifter.
I could feel it off him, the same vibrating energy that filled The Pit. But he had already jumped overboard, rapid-shifting into a golden eagle that soared for a ship across the water. Red light pierced the night and I glanced up, a flare sparkling just above where he had leapt off. My chest tightened and I spared a glance around the deck. I didn’t see anyone else. Where was Caspar?
From below, sounds of confusion echoed dimly under the chaos of my thoughts. The Fae would likely be above deck shortly. I could wait. We could form a plan. A low growl slipped free. I hated waiting when I knew I could catch him easily. But, for once, I had to condone the limits of my sleep-deprived body. I needed help with this.
I crept to the railing and peered at the ship across the way. Forms cluttered the deck, but I couldn’t make out anything—or anyone—distinctly. I couldn’t decipher their next move, and no faces drew my eye.
Except one.
As if he could feel my scrutiny, a male leaned on the parallel railing, the slight glint of his white teeth hinting at a grin. And then he leapt, falling toward the ocean—and exploded into the form of a massive hawk. The eagle returned, a raven at his side, and the two flanked the hawk as he swept up over the ocean.