Page 6 of Ship of Shadows
That made two of us. A light appeared ahead, squeezing through the round iron grate. We were almost out of the tunnel.
I’d confided in Leoni about my affair with the pirate lord, but not about my plan to run away with him. She hadn’t approved of the relationship, of course. Warned me that he was not to betrusted. I didn’t listen. She was right, in the end, but she’d never rubbed it in my face, never said the dreadedI told you so.Now she knew the full, ugly truth. Not only had I let that man into my heart, my bed, but I’d been planning to abandon my duty and leave with him.
“I don’t deserve you,” I said as I approached the opening of the tunnel.
“You definitely don’t.” I could hear the smile in her voice. “You were following your heart, okay? I can’t blame you for that. And you shouldn’t blame yourself either. If we’re going to blame anyone, it’s the pirate lord.”
That was too easy of an out for me. I couldn’t place all the blame on him. I was a grown woman, and I’d made my choices.
I reached into my hair, pulling out a pick and shoving it into the lock.
Leoni tsked behind me. “I thought I told you to get rid of that thing.”
“I keep it just in case.”
She muttered under her breath. “You’re a princess. What kind of princess keeps a pick ‘just in case’?”
“It comes in handy.” I wiggled it this way and that until the lock finally clicked and the grate swung open. “Like right now, for instance.”
I crawled out of the tunnel and jumped to my feet atop the rocky hill, the docks just below. Apolis spread out before me, taking my breath away like it always did. The rocks led down to the coastline, the sparkling sea spreading out beyond. The docks floated in front of a stone boardwalk, and steps from the boardwalk led down to the white-sand shore.
My heart stopped in my chest as I searched the water. There was my father’s ship, sailing straight toward the docks, those green-and-blue sails billowing in the wind, sea swiping at thesides. Its name was scrawled across the side:Pearl. It was real. Spirits below, it was real.
Leoni jumped out of the tunnel and bumped into me, forcing me forward. “Oops, sorry,” she said.
The roar of the crowd caught my attention as Priestess Amari led them toward the docks, all of them marching down the steep steps cut into the rocks that led from our castle.
“Let’s go,” I said.
I picked my way down the rocky hillside until my slippered feet hit the sand, and then I ran for the docks, sand flying in all directions as I rushed up the steps and across the boardwalk. I slowed as I approached the docks, watching the ship.
My heart pounded, blood thrumming in my veins at the sight of the vessel. I never thought I’d see my father again. Everything was going to be okay after all. After all the heartache, the suffering my people had gone through, their king was home, and we’d figure out the rest together. Maybe he’d found valuable information about how we could save our boys that had disappeared. My brothers.
Maybe he had them on his ship.
I lifted my skirts and ran across the wooden planks. Ocean water misted my face, the warm wind blowing my hair as more and more of it fell from the bun on my head. I swiped at my auburn strands and capped my eyes from the glare of the sun.
Leoni’s sandaled feet pounded against the dock as she approached behind me. “Why does the ship look so empty?” she asked.
Why, indeed?
A cold dread quickly replaced my elation. Something wasn’t right. The crowd grew closer, everyone yelling, shouting out as they stood on the sand next to the boardwalk. Furrowed brows and looks of confusion filled their faces. At this point, no one had any clue what was happening, and they’d be demanding anexplanation. One I’d need to provide. I prayed to Spirit Water my father would soon appear to answer those questions.
I peered at the ship as it sailed closer, but it wasn’t coming toward the docks like I expected. It was sailing right toward the shore—right toward all the people gathered.
Shit.
I waved my arms. “Move!” I called out as the ship barreled toward them, riding in on the rolling waves. “We have to do something.” I closed my eyes and tugged at that invisible thread of magic inside of me, pulling at it and imagining it traveling through my veins, filling me with its power, until it snaked down my arms and to my fingers. I opened my eyes and stuck out my arms, pulling them toward the sky and commanding the water up, up, up.
It obeyed, rising into a tall wall of shimmering sea. Seaweed, fish, and other sea life floated in the wall like little decorative ornaments.
Others from the crowd began stepping up, their elemental magic flaring to life in their opened palms: a ball of fire, vines stretching out and slithering along the ground like snakes, ice shards floating in the air and ready to strike like daggers. The humans staggered back, the seafolk shooting glances at each other, no doubt wondering if they should jump back into the sea and swim away from all of this.
“No,” I shouted, my panic rising, my magic wavering, as my concentration broke. Bits of the water wall fell away, splashing down into the sea. “Don’t! We cannot risk hurting the king!”
Wariness overcame them, but Leoni ran to the boardwalk and down the stone steps. She motioned to the other guards, who all formed a line in front of those who summoned their magic. With wary glances at each other, they let their powers fade away, hands dropping to their sides.
The wall I’d created ran right along the shoreline, separating the crowd from the sea. It shimmered, transparent, the ship coming ever closer until it finally crashed through the water, a thunderous sound filling the air. The wall slowed it considerably and gave everyone a chance to back away toward the boardwalk as the ship flew through my magic and landed in the sand with a resounding crash. I ran down the dock and onto the boardwalk, staring in horror.
