Page 1 of Of the Stars and Sea

Chapter 1

Should any monster take me, I hope it is the roaring mouth of the sea.

The thought of being lost to the strike of a sword or the heat of fire sends a shiver down my spine. I would much prefer the peaceful quiet of my head submerged beneath the waves as the subtle lull of the current pulls me under.

The sea is where I have always belonged. I am made of water and salt. It has been bred into my bones, etched into my soul.

One day, it shall claim me—but that day is not today.

Fire erupts along the horizon, where the ocean meets the stars. Cannon fire blasts, sending shards of wood and metal in all directions—surely, a violent end for the scoundrels being lit up by Grayson Tyde’s attack.

Shadowed whispers speak of his cruelty and disdain for others. It is said that he shows no discretion when it comes to the swiping of his blade. He kills at will—never letting another get in the way of the prizes he desires.

The entire realm cowers before him. Even the king has turned a blind eye to Grayson’s escapades for fear of his wrath. He goes unchecked. Unchallenged.

I watch from the rocky shoreline of Esoros’s port as the ships open fire yet again, igniting the dark smear of night with flashes of firelight.

It won’t be long before Grayson claims yet another prize, one that likely belonged to many others before him.

Every ignition of cannon fire sends another soul to the watery depths. Such is the life of a pirate. Especially ones that get in the way of Grayson and his . . .endeavors. I have done my best to stay away from him and his ruthless crew while still observing from afar. They say once he turns his eyes upon you, there is no safe place in all the Aelynthi Sea to hide from him.

To bethatpowerful . . . To have people quiver from the mere mention of your name . . .

What I would do for that kind of power…

Boots scrape over the rocks behind me. Instinctively, my hand slides over the dagger at my hip. Silvermoon Landing is no place to be caught off guard—but as I twist to see who’s approaching, my fingers release their grip from the hilt and my shoulders loosen.

Amara, my quartermaster, takes a long slug from the bottle in her hand. Red wine dribbles down her chin as she polishes off the remaining liquid and slams the empty container against a boulder beneath the seawall, where it shatters. Fragments of glass shimmer from the full moon overhead as they twist and twirl through the water below.

“You’re in rare form tonight,” I say over my shoulder at her.

She slides her bronze eyes towards me, and I note the glassy film of them that only hours deep in the bottle can bring about.

Wiping the back of her hand down her chin, she unsteadily makes her seat on the seawall beside me. “I lost my bed mate to a damn sea witch with red hair and two teeth. The bastard had to pay her a shilling too!”

A grin splits my face. “I’m sorry for your loss, Amara. But I’m certain there will be another debaucherous fellow willing to bed you, should you want it.”

She snorts. “Claude was the one I wanted, Rowenya. The bastard told me he would wait for me the last time we left port. Now, he shoves me off for a damn sea witch.”

My head tilts to the side. “She does have a split tongue.” I shrug.

Glassy eyes wide, Amara beholds me like I’ve grown a second head. “And now I’ve been betrayed a second time. By my own Captain, no less.”

Before I can respond, another cannon blast pierces the night air. We both look to the horizon and witness the sinking of another ship at Grayson’s hand. Loud cracks and gurgling sounds skitter across the water’s surface as theSea Dragonslowly makes its decent to the ocean floor, along with her captain and the rest of her crew.

“A monster in the night, that one,” Amara whispers. “Pretty soon there won’t be any of us left who he hasn’t pillaged or sent to the depths.”

Grayson Tyde is the most revered pirate in the entire Southern Realm. Ruthless to his inky core, it is known that crossing him means certain death or worse. Fitz—the captain of theSea Dragon—made a fatal mistake by sending a few of his men onto Grayson’s ship in search of loot. Now they’re all paying the consequence for it.Idiots.

Folks say the sea calls to Grayson—showing him the path to those who betray him so he might feed the briny darkness with their souls. Immortal, he was thought to be hexed by the Dark Moon witches to walk this earth as a vampyre—forever craving the blood of his victims. Other rumors suggest he betrayed the Queen of the Mer and she cursed him to sail the Aelynthi Seaforever—always waiting for the moment she might take pity on him and set him free.

I do not know what he truly is and I hope I never shall.

“Which is why we need to leave Esoros at dawn,” I say. “Did you set the meeting with Red Beard?”

“Aye. He requests we meet him upon the hour.”

“Good.”

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