Page 6 of Pearls of Salt and Sacrifice

“Sand and sharks, what’s happening there?” Rency shouted.

But Reva couldn’t tear her gaze from the desecrated vessel. A part of her brain couldn’t quite make sense of what had happened, but then the truth hit her like a punch to the gut.

People are dying.

Figures, some of them with flames devouring their clothing, jumped into the ocean in an effort to quench the blaze.

Rency hollered to his men who were on the beach. “Gather round, lads! They’ll need our help!”

Reva stumbled forward to assist but paused when she skidded past the prince of Destan. The one person who should have been dashing into the sea to aid his crew still stood with mouth hanging open.

“My prince!” One of his advisors tugged at his sleeve. “My prince! The crew needs our assistance!”

Still, Felix simply stood there, seemingly incapable of movement.

That told Reva all she needed to know about this man her stepmother had arranged for her to marry. If he could not even be counted upon to act for the good of his own ship and crew, how could she depend on him to care for a wife? For future offspring? For her kingdom?

Shaking, Reva fumbled with the ties on the back of her overdress, ignoring her stepmother’s outraged gasp.

“Reva! What are you doing—”

“There are people dying, Cassandra!” Reva yanked up her skirt so that she could peel the dress over her head. “I’m going to help, and I can’t do it in this thing.”

In her haste, however, she hadn’t loosened the ties enough and the dress caught halfway through her disrobing. With the skirt over her head, blinding her, and her arms still caught in the elbow-length sleeves…

Drat and blast!

“Perhaps I can be of assistance.”

A low voice spoke from beyond the veil of fabric. Hands tugged at the sands-blighted dress as she struggled furiously to free herself. At last, it loosened and released her.

The elf blinked at her, holding her dress in both hands with a strange look on his face. Two bright spots of color slowly warmed his high cheekbones.

She couldn’t say she blamed him for being embarrassed: under any other circumstances, she would have been properly mortified. But there wasn’t time for it here.

“If you want to be of assistance,” she said, her words clipped, “do something about the Endellion!”

He held her gaze for a fraction of a moment then offered a nod.

She lifted her arm, signaling Captain Dren of the Perseus who waited on the shore near the two dinghies that had brought Reva and her companions to shore. “Let’s go!” she cried. “Longboats in the water. Offer what help we can!”

Rency and his crew had already boarded their own longboat and pushed free of the shore. As Reva dashed across white sand in her sleeveless tunic and trousers, she heard Felix shout after her, “What if there are more explosions?”

Despite her irritation at Felix, it was not a stupid question. However, could they simply leave these suffering people to die without trying to rescue them?

“Do what you want!” she shouted over her shoulder. “I’m going to help!”

“My prince—” She heard Felix’s advisor insist again, and then nothing else.

Reva didn’t wait to see what he would decide to do. For her part, she’d lost all respect for a man who could let his ship burn, immobilized by fear for his own safety. Ironically, she was far more impressed by the mouthy Captain Rency who rowed alongside his men to reach the survivors.

As she kicked off her own boots and splashed into the cold waters of the South Oloren, she only hoped they’d be in time to save the crew.

A young woman with a scarlet bandana tied over her hair, held out a hand to help Reva scramble into the dinghy. Isla, the first mate of the Perseus and a personal friend to Reva, made room on the bench beside her so Reva could sit. The prince of the elves eased into the water beside them. He observed Reva with sober eyes, whose color shifted between green and blue like the water itself.

“I will call for help,” he said.

With that, he dove into the waves and vanished. His bare feet flashed briefly, and then he was gone. Reva barely had time to admire the supernatural grace with which he disappeared into the ocean swells before she followed Rency’s example and took up an oar.

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