Page 26 of A Descent Into Darkness

“Mighty fine potion we put together, don’t you think, Katherine?” Drake spoke the words, but it was Edward’s voice I heard.

“Edward? Is that really you?” I reached out to him, touching his face. Wondering if the façade would falter, but the transformation was perfect.

“Course it’s me. Needed a slight distraction to ensure smooth sailing out of port. Drake here will do nicely. If only I didn’t have to part with such a fine hat,” he tsked as he laid it askew on the sleeping pirate, completing the ruse.

“You mean to leave him behind?” James questioned in shocked horror. “He’s your first mate. You’re offering him up as bait to save your own skin?”

“Don’t look so surprised, James. I told you before that this world wasn’t built for weak men. Besides, now that I’m in the market for a new first mate, I know the perfect man to fill the role. But only as long as you can prove you’re worthy. So, are you ready, boy?”

My heart thunderedin my chest as we ran for our lives under the cover of darkness. TheQueen Annehadn’t been anchored far, but it felt like we’d never reach the sanctuary of the ship. I was captured in a living nightmare where the air felt thick and branches pulled at my skirts, each step slower than the last. Never fast enough to escape what was coming for us. The wind had picked up and storm clouds gathered overhead. Thunder claps rolled over the island, each one louder than the last in an ominous crescendo to our seemingly inevitable demise. James still clung to my hand, pulling me along behind him. He hadn’t cared if Edward saw, not this time. With death breathing down our backs, James was the only thing holding me together, bringing me hope. When it really mattered, he would be there, and the simple clasp of his hand in mine proved it.

Relief poured over me the moment we reached theQueenAnne, but it was a foolish notion to think our escape could be that easy. A howling scream rolled across the land, and a wave of energy blasted into the ship. The impact sent ussprawling, the splintered deck digging into my palms as I landed on my hands and knees. I was petrified. My hands shook so violently that I couldn’t pull myself to my feet. Edward’s hearty laugh broke the silence that followed.

“Apparently, the bastard prince didn’t find our little spell very amusing. What I would have given to have witnessed it myself.” Edward got to his feet; an amused look plastered on his face. “Don’t sit there, get off your asses, and get this ship moving like your lives depend on it! James, take point as my first mate,” he commanded.

“You heard him, lads! Lay aloft and loose the topgallants! Hoist away the topsail! Steady out the bowline! Haul men! Haul taut!” James settled into the role, shouting orders with a calm confidence. He was a natural leader, remaining stoic in the face of chaos, not a hint of fear in his eyes. “Katherine!” he called to me once the crew’s orders were dished out. “I want you topside where I can keep an eye on you. If the ship goes down, I don’t want you caught below deck.” He reached for me, pulling me to my feet and leading me to the mainmast. “Stay here. The seas may get a bit rough. I’ll tie you in place, but if the ships going down, cut the ropes and save yourself. I will find you.” He placed a blade in my hand, lingering with his fingers fisted around mine. His blue eyes conveyed so much in that brief moment. And then he was gone, barking more orders as he went.

I trembled in place, thankful for the ropes around my waist to keep me standing. The men bustled around me, panic in motion. Edward stood at the helm, his gaze dartingback to the coast as the ship pulled out of the harbor. I could see it in his eyes. We were cutting it close. Everything felt wrong. An arcane fear had crept into my chest, seizing my soul. I could feel him, the evil that was coming for us. I chanced a look back at the shoreline as it slowly drifted away. The wind whipped the trees and foliage, parting them perfectly for a dark figure to stalk out of the forest. When he reached the beach, his body disintegrated into a cloud of mist, rolling toward the sea. Everything went silent after that. The winds ceased abruptly. Our sails hung limp. Nothing more than a skitter of lightning darting across the sky.

“Do something!” I screamed, unable to remain quiet as my fear bled into panic. “He’s coming for us! We have to move.”

I tried to keep my eyes on the swirling mist, but all trace of him had disappeared. I frantically scanned the water as an overwhelming sense of dread filled me. Even the crew fell silent. The only sound was the creaking of the ship as it bobbed like a cork, completely stalled in our escape. Then the water began to boil, and a preternaturally handsome man emerged from the depths. His silken locks were so pale, they looked almost silver as they framed his face. He was every bit the shadow that Manann had described, dressed in fine black clothes. A pair of feathered wings, black as a ravens, stretched out behind him. He walked on water, stalking toward the ship, like a demon intent on dragging us to the pits of hell. Shrieks pierced the air as the crew saw the samefate coming for them. I couldn’t pull my eyes from him. I knew this man. I’d seen him in Edward’s future. But this couldn’t be it. There was so much more to my visions. They had never failed me before, and yet I felt my confidence fading with every step he took toward the ship.

“Manann!” Edward bellowed. His voice piercing the dead silence that had settled over the sea. Manann stood on the shore with his entourage, all of them watching the spectacle. It was a plea. A desperate request. A clutch favor. My eyes fixed on the sea god, waiting to see his response. If he denied it, I couldn’t see how my visions would ever come to fruition. It felt as though time slowed, each second dragging out as I waited for our fate to be decided. No potion or spell could save me now.

With a smirk, Manann pulled a curled animal horn from his robes, held it to his lips, and blew. The wailing moan hit my ears just as the wind filled our sails, pushing the ship forward with great speed as an unnatural fog swallowed us. The last thing I remember was the thundering howl from the bastard prince as we slipped from his grasp, and the ship plummeted into its dark descent back to the mortal realm.

I stoodat the window in the captain’s quarters. My arms still tucked in around me, waiting for something to rise from the sea and pull us down to the death we’d narrowly escaped.Edward sat at his desk, pouring himself a healthy ration of rum, while James paced the room. Once it was clear that we weren’t about to be devoured by evil, James had demanded an audience with the captain. His anger was boiling just below the surface, a coiled snake waiting to lash out. Edward had kept us all in the dark about the bastard prince, and we’d almost lost our lives because of it. All for the sake of this ruby.

“Alright, James. Say your peace. The tension radiating off you is giving me a headache.”

“You owe me answers!”

“I don’t owe you anything. The sooner you realize that the world doesn’t owe you a damn thing, the better off you’ll be.”

“Your secrets could have gotten her killed!” James snarled, and Edward raised a brow in response.

“But she didn’t die, so your point is moot. And furthermore, do you ever listen to what I say? I’ve told you before, never let a woman distract you. Had she died, it wouldn’t have mattered. I would simply find another way to get what I want.” His words cut deep, deeper than I wanted to admit. I’d been Edward’s concubine for years, and somehow I’d convinced myself that I was more than just a useful slave. His callous words brought me back to the reality that was my life. I was disposable. A warm place to put his cock until I was no longer useful. A lump formed in my throat. This couldn’t be my life. I’d let him use me for too long, but I was done rolling over for him.

“Well then,” James started. “Maybe I’ll talk in a language you understand.” He pulled a knife from his belt, rolled up his sleeve, revealing a perfect scar of a skull and crossbones. “I’ll cut out my loyalty to you and leave you to rot on this ship until the bastard prince disposes of you.”

Edward chuckled to himself. “How does it feel to finally grow a pair of balls?”

“Don’t fuck with me, Edward. I want to know everything about the ruby. I want to know your connection to this bastard prince, or I walk.” James held the blade tight to his arm and blood began to pour over the scar, a crimson trickle running down to his wrist.

“I’ll tell you what you need to know. But don’t you ever try to blackmail me with your loyalty again,” he growled. “Or you’ll find that blade hilt deep in your chest.”

The two men glared at each other for a long moment. And for the first time, I could see that James had outgrown him. He wouldn’t last long as Edward’s subordinate. The man was destined to be a leader in his own right. He was a growing tempest that wouldn’t be contained.

“Sit down, James. Have a drink.” Edward poured out another glass of rum, pushing it toward him. James pulled up a chair and sat across from Edward.

“Now talk,” James barked.

“Once upon a time,” he began theatrically, pausing to take another swig of rum. “I served the King of Patreyus. The great king of the first realm. I’d worked my way through the ranks, and I was next in line to command the entire fleet.That’s why I was personally chosen for the assignment. You see, the king likes to indulge in forbidden pleasures, but he’d gotten careless and one of his mistresses managed to slip away and bear a child. Not just any child. A bastard child born with his power. One that could match his own—a direct threat to his kingdom. I was the unfortunate soul tasked with cleaning up his little indiscretion. I was ruthless in my pursuit. Years of my life wasted. When I finally hunted them down, I dispatched the mother without a second thought. I’d disposed of my fair share of whores, so it was nothing. But when a silver-haired boy stared up at me with innocent eyes, I hadn’t been able to kill him for the crime of being born. A regret that I carry with me every day.”

“That boy is now the bastard prince that hunts you?” James asked.

“One and the same. He’s already taken my life once. Sparing him that day cost me everything. The king is not a forgiving man, and I was exiled from all fae lands as punishment for my failure. Now the bastard I spared all those years ago is dead set on ending my life as payment for killing his mother. But I’m not so easy to kill and I have a plan.”

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