Page 62 of Courting the Fae Captain
“That’s right,” the sea serpent said, aware of my gaze. “I didn’t drink your poison brew, because I know who you are, Aeris Lockhart. My comrades, on the other hand … They were no longer fit for their positions. Lazy, whoremongering fools who became too comfortable with the luxuries afforded them. You’ve done me a favour, removing them, and will be rewarded. I want to build a new world, Aeris. I want to restore power to those worthy of it.”
The way he said my name … it sent an oily feeling of dread through my veins. Even with the mask muffling his voice, my name on his lips felt overly familiar. I had suspected the serpent might have been Raithe’s father …Trepidation warred with my anger, but I shook it off and focused.
“You mean you want to overthrow those ruling the Shadow Court and continue your barbaric traditions,” I hissed. I looked at my friend, my lover, my mate, and smiled. “We will build a new world, but you will not be a part of it. Not for a second.”
That snake mask swivelled to Raithe momentarily before the dark eyes behind it darted back to me. A low, muffled laugh followed. “So the lady has indeed fallen for the lord. A poetic turn of events, don’t you think?”
“A poetic end, maybe,” Raithe supplied with a cruel grin. “For you.”
I gripped my sword firmly and stepped forward. “Stop stalling, snake, and meet your end with dignity.”
Silence reigned for a few seconds, then he stood. “Very well. Let us begin.”
Darkness fell over the serpent, as sudden as a lunar eclipse, and I blinked at the abrupt change in light.
My shadows seemed to shrink back at the sheer power vibrating from the other side of the room.“Raithe?”
“It’s not me,”he said.“This male is strong, Aeris, the magic old and trained. Be on your guard.”
Light flared back into the room just as suddenly, and I found myself looking at six different sea serpents, all in a semicircle across the room. They each laughed in unison, the creepy sound sending a chill up my spine.
“Come,” they said at once.
I grimaced but didn’t hesitate as I charged with Raithe beside me. My blade cut through one of the illusions, sending it puffing into a plume of shadow. I turned just in time to parry the blade of another, then screamed as searing heat sliced through my back.My feet stumbled over each other, but I managed to right my footing just in time to block the blade of my first opponent and send my sword plunging through it.
Raithe did not fare much better. One by one, the wraithlike illusions went down, until it was just the original once more. The sea serpent clapped his hands, then a flurry of shadow daggers sailed through the air.We blocked them with our shadows, plucking them from the air and deflecting the strays as they made it through our shield.
“He’s so fast.”I vaulted back, then flung my shadows out in an arc, trying to slice at the sea serpent. He blocked with a lazy wave of his hand.
“Remember what I told you,”Raithe said as he fought, this time blade to blade with the male himself.“Every opponent has a weakness. Find it and use it against them.”
The metallic ring of steel clanged throughout the cave, echoing back to us as the duo moved about the chamber. I studied them from afar, watching to ensure my mate’s safety whilst looking for something to use against the serpent. He was good, never missing a beat, always seemingly one step ahead of all Raithe’s moves. And yet there was a slight hesitation, sometimes a subtle roll of a shoulder after Raithe attacked. His parries were seconds slower against certain angled attacks on the left side. Bingo.“His shoulder is weak and stiff,”I told him as I watched.“Keep at it.”
“That’s my girl,”Raithe said as he battled.
I rallied my magic, sending my shadows in a cresting wave to smash against the serpent again and again to keep his wielding focused on defence instead of offence. He buckled but held his ground as Raithe closed in. As for my mate … my shadows passed over him, through him, recognising the bond without question. I watched my magnificent male as he moved gracefully, his slices fluid and his steps perfect. We were so close. Just a little further and we’d—No.
I blinked, unsure I was seeing things right. The serpent dropped his sword and slammed his palms against Raithe’s blade on the flat. The male’s finger twitched, then shadow daggers slowly formed in the air at Raithe’s back. Black as onyx and sharp as hell, they seemed to soak in the darkness surrounding them.
Shadows of my own lashed out in response, ready to pluck them from the air or form a wall of impenetrable darkness, but the serpent wielded vines that sprang through the earth. They grabbed my tendrils and squeezed, puffing out my magic like flames from a blown candle.I ran, slashing at those vines withboth sword and shadow as I bolted towards my mate. But I wasn’t going to make it in time. No, no, no,no.The daggers finished forming, their onyx tips glittering like stardust. Time seemed to slow as I extended my blade and sliced through three of the onyx daggers that I could reach, yet two remained.
“Raithe! Behind you!”I screamed both out loud and down the bond as my mate shoved the serpent back and turned towards me. He wouldn’t block in time, so I did the only thing I could at that moment. I willed all my magic to obey and shadow-walked into Raithe’s arms as he turned too late to see the daggers. Before he could have known what was happening, the onyx blades embedded in my back. The breath went out of me as I fell against his chest, warm and solid and safe. Raithe set me down gently, then turned towards the serpent.
He unleashed a roar that ripped through the room as he stood protectively over me. A hurricane of shadows lashed out in an explosion of fury, sending the serpent flying against the far end of the cave stone. A wall of impenetrable black formed around us as Raithe’s shadows swarmed furiously now. He turned and crouched before pulling me to him carefully, his eyes liquid pools of sapphire as they searched my own. He ran a hand down my hair, his hand shaking and his gaze imploring.“Why would you do that, Lark?”
“Because I refused to lose you to a place I could not follow,” I breathed.
Blood blossomed over Raithe’s hand, which shook violently as he tried to hold me still. “Silly little bird,” he said softly. “There is no ship I could captain without you by my side. No ocean I wouldn’t cross to reach you. You are the one thing I will never give up on and never let go of. Even in death. Even beyond it.”
“That’s quite the send-off,”I said in a lame attempt at humour. Even smiling hurt, the muscles of my body barkingwith the slightest shift. Blood was beginning to pool over the ground, and my vision was wavering.
Distantly, I could hear the serpent’s shouts of frustration as his magic repeatedly lashed at Raithe’s shadow wall. But none of the blows broke through.
Raithe smiled grimly as he stroked a hand over my face. “You’re not going anywhere, little lark. This dagger hit nothing vital,” he said as he moved his fingers towards the one embedded to the left of my spine. “And this one?” He moved his other hand slightly as he supported me. “This one is an inch away from your heart. You are lucky, my love. And you are very much going to live.”
“Good. Then I’ll sit back and watch the rest of the show.”
Raithe kissed me, long and slow and passionately as his mouth crashed to mine and his tongue curled most sensually. I could still hear the serpent trying to break through Raithe’s shield, to no avail, but when my captain pulled away, his grin was savage. Oh, the serpent had it coming. Power rippled from Raithe in thunderous, vibrating waves as he rolled his neck and turned. The shadows exploded in a shockwave that made the serpent stumble, and when Raithe stepped out and plunged a shadow tendril deep into the serpent’s stomach, I smiled.Raithe grinned as well, impaling that shadow deeper, ready to end this once and for all.
