Page 8 of Vanquished Gods

He took a step closer, his eyes piercing me. “Don’t trust me, then. Trust your instincts. What do you know about the Pater? How he operates? Do you think he’ll justletyou go out here, knowing that you defied him in such a violent and chaotic fashion? Knowing that you made him look like a fool and threatened his grip on absolute power? He needs to show he’s incontrol. He won’t forget you. He won’t give up. You know that about him, don’t you?”

My throat went dry, and I didn’t respond. He had a point, and maybe I’d been lying to myself with optimism, just a little.

Maelor raised an eyebrow. “You need to be secure behind protected walls like those of Donn Hall. An island the Order has forgotten. You think vampires are dangerous, and we are. We fuck and kill anything we want. I don’t blame you for wanting to keep Leo as far away from us as possible. But which of us has been actively putting your life in danger the whole time, vampires or the Order?”

Frustration sparked through my veins, tightening my lungs. He wasn’twrong.

I turned to Leo, who was staring wide-eyed at Maelor. “Can I see your fangs?” the boy asked.

Maelor pulled back his lips, baring his fangs, and Leo’s eyes widened even more.

I glanced at Godric, who’d gone pale. “I think we should go. Now,” he said.

Maelor shrugged slowly. “Of course, the Order is after you, too. Considering they already wanted to burn you to death just for being witches, I don’t really want to imagine what they’ll do to the witches who destroyed their walled fortress.”

Hugo stood, and his pale, wiry hair fell in front of his eyes. “I can’t risk getting captured again. I’d literally rather die.”

Maelor seemed to freeze, his gaze darkening. He cocked his head, like he was listening to something in the distance. When Maelor was unguarded, his movements seemed so inhuman. The way he stood stiffly, the sharp twist of his head, and the way he went eerily still…he calculated every move.

“They’re coming,” he said quietly. Gripping his torch, he pivoted and marched out the door. “We need to go.Now. If you stay, you die.”

“Fine.Fine,”I muttered. I grabbed both my cloak and Leo’s, then slipped my gloved hand into his and pulled him outside.

The cool night air whipped over my skin, and I scanned the forest for signs of the Order. Shadowy oaks loomed around us, their boughs pierced with moonlight, dappling the mossy earth with glittering silver. I cast one last glance back at our cozy little cottage. My heart thudded as I watched Godric, then Hugo climb into the back of the carriage—dark wood, wrought-iron fittings, black curtains pulled shut. Moonlight gleamed off its sleek exterior as the two bards scooted over onto red velvet, and I found myself still clinging to Leo’s hand, standing beside the carriage, unable to make myself move those last few steps. He stood by my side, looking up at me expectantly, and my chest tightened. I just wanted to wrap him up in a bubble and never let him out of the safety of the cottage, but that wasn’t an option.

As I stared down at him, I heard the sound of thundering hooves, of shouts coming from the forest. My lungs went still.

Maelor had been telling the truth.

And that was all it took to get me moving. I shoved Leo into the back of the carriage and slammed the door shut. Shaking, I ran to the box seat, where Maelor sat ready with the reins, and climbed up to sit beside him. Bracing my feet against the footboards, I clung tightly to one of the leather straps.

“Let’s go!” Maelor called to the horses in a sharp command, pulling on the reins.

As we took off, the night wind whipped at my hair. I gripped the strap to keep my seat as the carriage thundered over rocks, then turned to look behind me. Moonlight poured over the winding forest path. Behind us, the little cottage was receding into shadows, but there, in the distance—flickers of light. The orange pinpricks of distant torches. My stomach flipped. “They might have spotted us, Maelor.”

The moment the words were out of my mouth, shadows started to swallow the world around me. Darkness consumed the moonlight, then the flicker of torches.

Maelor’s shadow magic blotted out the light in the world, and dizziness spiraled through my skull. The darkness was so heavy, a blanket of ink that spilled over us, that panic flickered in my thoughts. But at least the Order would have no idea how to find us.

My blood pounded hot in my ears. In this heavy darkness, we were bound to lose the Order’s Luminari.

CHAPTER 4

To my relief, we lost the Luminari right away. What followed was night spent riding, then sailing through the western sea. I could hardly keep my eyes open as I pulled my cloak more tightly around me against the chill of the early morning air.

On the ship’s quarterdeck, the timber creaked and groaned beneath my feet, and I held on to the ship’s railing.

Hours ago, we’d sailed north up Merthyn’s eastern coast until we’d passed the great stone walls of Sumaire, the stones rising high into the clouds. Hugo had told Leo that centuries ago, the invading Tyrenian Emperor Severin had built those walls to keep the people of Merthyn safe from the unnamed monsters in the north. Then, he’d created the Order to purge Merthyn of the scourge of witchcraft that had created them.

Now, I stared out at the sea over the deck. The wind whipped at my hair, and above us, the rising sun streaked the clouds with shades of ruby and molten copper. Nearby, the ship’s vampiric captain stood at the helm, gripping the wheel. The sea breeze ruffled his red hair, and the rising sun tinged his skin with rose. His crew bustled around him.

Maelor stood nearby, strangely steady on the pitching boat. He stared out at the horizon, his body perfectly still, his black coat billowing behind him.

Saltwater misted over me. In the past hour, the waves had grown choppier, and the ship had started to pitch and heave. Sea spray washed over me. A few feet away, Godric heaved over the side of the boat, emptying his stomach. I swallowed my own nausea. Somehow, Hugo and Leo were sleeping through it all, as if they were being rocked gently to sleep.

At last, I saw it in the distance—Gwethel, a small, rocky island crowned with a great castle atop the craggy slopes. Sleek, built of pale blue stones, the castle looked like something from a fairytale. My heart sped up at the sight of it, at the mist twining around the island. On one side, a forest and fields spread out. On the other, a walled city stood beneath the castle’s towers.

Steadying myself with my arms outstretched, I started to walk to the main deck, taking the stairs. The door to the captain’s quarter was painted with symbols of the sea—Triton and the North Star. I pulled open the door, smiling at Hugo and Leo, who were asleep, nestled into two corners of the captain’s quarters. Through small, round windows, light filtered onto Leo, who slept with one arm slung over his eyes. My heart clenched as I looked at him. Someone had covered him with a blanket.

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