Page 115 of A Vow of Wrath and Ruin

“Why?” I said, my voice more of a cry than I intended.

“I cannot answer that question. I can only show you what you need to see.”

I went to speak but she vanished into nothing. Brushing the dirt from my butt, I hurried to the ship. Clotho’s visions rattled in my head. The grit of sand made my mouth dry. Baylis was a traitor. I already knew that from before. But was she really one now? I’d seen the creature lurking in her head. Did Gideon put it there? Did she?

I would have to confront her. Smacking my pack of smokes on my palm, I lit a cigarette. My hand shook as I held it to my lips.Get your head on straight, Aelia. Don’t be a fool like before. Trust your gut.

I couldn’t look at my sister as I boarded the ship. She stared out at the water. A hood covering her blonde hair. She looked so innocent. Could she really be the architect of my demise?

Taking a seat next to her, I tried to put it out of my mind for now.

The moon painted the sea with silver light, and I could see the waves were already rougher than when we arrived.Wind is natural, Aelia, you have nothing to worry about.Waves happen.

“Took you long enough,” Conrad said, taking a drag off a long, curved pipe.

“Fate doesn’t run on your schedule.”

Conrad smirked. “Maybe it should.”

I rolled my eyes. “Let’s just get off this island before our luck runs out.”

“As soon as you give me the siren’s song we’ll leave.”

I ground my jaw. Of course, I wouldn’t get out of this that easily. The crew drew their swords on us.

Conrad grinned.

“A deal’s a deal, sweetie.”

Reluctantly I reached into my pocket and handed him the sapphire.

“This really brings out my eyes, don’t you think?” he said, fastening the jewel around his neck.

“Let’s just get out of here.”

“As you wish.” He stalked up to the helm and spun it hard to the right. “Let’s go, boys!”

27AELIA

The waves sloshedagainst the hull of the massive ship, rocking us back and forth. My stomach turned at the violent movements. Across the Atruskan Bay, the lighthouse shone like a heavenly beacon, guiding us home.

“The sea is angry tonight. I wonder…” Conrad’s words were cut short by the back of a massive sea snake cresting through the water ahead. Its green scales shone in the moonlight.

“Hydralisk!” Conrad called to his men. “Ready your bows! Ready the Ballista!”

The men got to their stations, loading the massive crossbows while others grabbed their bows. The creature encircled the boat. Bigger than anything I had ever encountered; its head was the size of a hay cart on market day.

My breath hitched in my throat. I was powerless to stop it, never having been good at using a bow, nor had I ever tried to infiltrate an animal’s mind.

“Looks like Calliope got your message,” Conrad said, turning the ship violently.

The snake broke through the surface, sending a wave of water over the bow, knocking many of the men down. I held onto the railing of the boat. The last time I had seen a snakeeven close to this size was when Gideon and Erissa attacked the Court of Sorrows. The hydralisk made that snake look tiny in comparison.

The snake hissed, turning a few unlucky men to stone. Frozen, fighting for their lives for an eternity. “Don’t meet its gaze!” Conrad called his men. “Try to aim for the body. A hit is a hit!”

The men fired at the great sea creature. But only the mighty bolts of the ballista could penetrate the serpent’s thick scales.

“Get down and out of sight,” Baylis said, taking aim at the creature. I watched as her arrow soared through the air—hitting the hydralisk dead in the eye.

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