Page 105 of Of Serpents and Ruins
I bit the inside of my lip. There was still nothing when I looked at him, nothing except what I had experienced with him in this life, and as Kine had said, Elias had been a faithful friend.
"So long as we understand one another."
"We do."
"Then I am glad to call you friend." I pulled the necklace from my dress pocket and fastened it around my neck although my reticence had not passed. "Thank you for all you have done for me, Elias."
"It has been my honor." He removed the bracer from his wrist and turned it up so that I could see the dark tattoo on his tanned skin. "My life is yours, and I will gladly give it if it will save you even if it is a fool’s hope."
I paused. The marking on his arm had changed. There was now a skull woven within the design.
"What did you do?" I grabbed his wrist.
He twitched his broad shoulders. "If you die, I die."
"Elias, I never asked you to do that. Why did you do this?" I stared up at him in shock.
"I just needed you to know that I am doing everything that I do for you and in your best interest. I don’t care what it costs me so long as you can thrive, Stella," he said hoarsely. "And while I may think you could have found someone better than Brandt—someone who would have saved you from Earth and the misery of your existence there—I will fight for whatever it is that you want. That includes fighting for you to be with Brandt. Whatever you want, Stella. I’ll give all I have to give you the best."
With that, he strode away.
STELLA
Despite the darkness that loomed within my thoughts and the crushing timeline that we were up against, I found myself enjoying our voyage across the seas. The salt air filled my lungs and brought bouts of memories rushing back.
The sailors we traveled with apparently knew me as well, men and women who had perhaps traveled with me before. None made me feel awkward. They simply reintroduced themselves, sharing little snippets.
My time was split between sketching out my memories, assisting with tasks, working on my intuition, and practicing my shifting. At my suggestion, Kine even allowed me to become a water serpent and help draw the ship along. It felt good to be able to aid the speed of the ship. Even Elias mentioned that it seemed like we were moving faster than we anticipated.
Kine remained my faithful protector and steadfast brother. He even swam alongside me when I became a water serpent. Whenever the form slipped away, he darted down to seize me and bring me out from under the double-hulled ship. If my dress did not reform, he either brought me another or hid me from sight until I could get clothing. Each time, he coached me on howto keep my clothing intact without even once making me feel shamed and as I regained the finesse I once had.
The warm, surging waters covered and cradled me the way I’d always craved. The water serpent lungs gave me the strength I needed to delve into the depths, but it also allowed me time to practice.
Buttercup did not think much of my towing the ship. But she only lowed and stomped her feet when I was gone too long. Her distinct knock-knocking as I swam along soon became the signal I needed to resurface if my own muscles hadn't given out.
That night, the dreams returned, bold and vivid but fragmented, like streaks of oil paint across a white canvas. The need to be with Brandt intensified. Auntie Runa had warned me that it would be harder.
It was.
It hurt now like an infected wound, but it had been worth it for that night.
I couldn’t bring myself to regret the closeness Brandt and I had shared. What I regretted more than anything was that we had not had more time together. But there would be more time in the future. I promised myself that.
If sheer strength of will could make us go faster, then we had it. Whatever good there was in the world seemed to favor us. Kine whispered to me in the morning that we were making excellent time and might even reach the Wild Lands early.
Halfway through the second day, we neared our destination. A heavy fog embraced the island, creating shadowy silhouettes of the jagged cliffs and dense forests. The craggy shores offered countless hiding places for predators and sentient enemies. The fog grew thicker as we approached, blanketing the island in an impenetrable haze. I strained my eyes searching for any sign of danger, my nerves on edge.
The sailors worked quickly and quietly, faces grim. Even Kine was subdued, constantly scanning our surroundings as the captain guided us to a rugged dock stained with algae, heavy slick weeds wrapped around portions of the coarse wood. Dark fish wove in and out of the shadows, most no larger than my forearm.
"How much do you remember?" Kine asked. "Do you remember Lorna and Arjax?"
"A little. Like vague shapes. I remember that the Wild Lands are always changing, and Lorna and Arjax aren’t like us. They're Vawtrians, full or true shapeshifters. Their ancestors are the ones who gave us the rings so some of us can shift. We’re the ‘little cousins.’" The facts rattled off my tongue, not really hiding my nerves.
"Right." He squeezed my shoulders, but that cautious timbre remained in his voice. "There are all kinds of monsters here. Most of them are large. This side of things and this time of year…" He shrugged. "Terror birds and boars, the five-tusked kind. Basilisks farther in. Seven-clawed raptors, of course. Magic changes it up a fair bit depending on who is here, but even that isn’t always consistent."
"So basically, danger." I moistened my lips.
"Yeah, that’s the sum of it." He gave me a worried look. "You sure you don’t want to wait on the ship until we find them? We can lead them back here, and then you can talk. I didn’t know them as well as you, but they trust me."
