Page 116 of A Vow of Wrath and Ruin

The creature reared back his mighty head in pain, letting out a cry that shook the boat. Men fell to their knees, clasping their hands over their ears.

“Make it stop!”

I hunkered under the ship’s railing. Water soaked me through, chilling me to the bone. I tried to keep my teeth from chattering, but even my best attempt was feeble.

Baylis nocked another arrow. Pulling the string back, I noticed her mouth something to herself.

“Can’t turn anyone to stone if you’re blind.” Another arrow whizzed through the air, blinding the snake fully.

In a fit of rage, the creature violently swung its head back and forth while the crew continued to unleash their arrows. Even in the dark, blood stained the water, turning the once clear water red.

“We’re beating her back! C’mon, men, give ’er all you’ve got!” Conrad yelled. More bolts buzzed through the air, finding a home in the snake’s hard flesh. Reluctantly, the creature retreated into the water.

A cry of joy ripped through the crew. They shook their fists at the sea.

“Nice try, Calliope! But you know I don’t die easily!” Conrad pulled a bottle of rum from a chest near the helm. Tilting his head back, he took a celebratory swig before handing the bottle to Baylis. “Nice shooting,” he said.

“Thanks,” Baylis said, drinking back some of the amber liquid.

“Good work, men! The sea witch has yet to take us down!”

The men cheered in return, taking swigs of their own bottles of ale.

I let out a long sigh and slumped onto the deck. All these men had risked their lives for me. I almost got them killed and did get a fair number turned to stone.

“Will you be able to fix them?” I asked Conrad, trying not to throw the contents of my lunch overboard.

“The men?” He arched his brow. “Yeah, I’ve got a witch who raises basilisks to harvest their venom for a remedy.”

“Sounds like dangerous work.” I took a long pull off the bottle of rum. The alcohol burned away the queasiness still lingering in my stomach.

“She’s blind, so it works out well for her.”

“We all play to our strengths.”

“That’s all we can do.”

A silent understanding passed between us. We survived the hydralisk. Surely nothing else could be worse, and we were almost out of the ring Conrad pointed out earlier. I let my body relax a little. We just needed to make it out of the danger zone, and it would be fine. Just a little farther, and we would be safe.

The sound of rustling waves behind us made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. By the time I turned around, it was already too late. The hydralisk bared its giant fangs before diving headfirst at the boat.

“Abandon ship!” Conrad cried out.

The massive snake split the ship like a toothpick, sending men and pieces of debris flying into the shadowy water. Grabbing Baylis’s hand, I stepped onto the ledge of the hull. “Jump!”

We plunged into the icy water just as the serpent’s tail decimated the remainder of the ship. Debris flew into the air in a thousand different directions.

Heart pounding, we sank farther and farther into the icy depths—so deep, the light of the moon barely trickled through the water. Still, I did not let my sister’s hand go. I saved her from Gideon. Calliope would not take her from me. I kicked my feet hard toward the surface, pulling Baylis the entire way. I could not look back. I would not look back. My lungs begged for air, burning like a hot fire as they squeezed tighter.

Breaking through the water’s surface, I gasped, savoring the feeling of my lungs contracting and expanding. Grateful for another few moments of life. Baylis popped up behind me, taking in a large breath of air as well.

“It’s so cold, Aelia. We’ll never make it,” she said through chattering teeth.

All around us, bodies and debris floated in the water. Some men clung to crates and barrels, while others floated lifelessly. A pang of guilt stung my heart. They would be alive if it weren’t for me.

My self-pity was cut short by the screams coming from the men closer to the ship. I whipped my head around to get a better look, but all I saw was bodies being dragged under the water. One by one, they disappeared beneath the waves. Their cries muffled by water filling their lungs.

Adrenaline coursed through my veins. We needed to get out of here.

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