Page 2 of Blood on the Tide
Against my better judgment, my gaze cuts back to Evelyn. She’s stopped playing grab-ass with Bowen, and she’s currently carving a circle into the deck of the ship. It’s supposed to create a shield when triggered, which frees up Bowen to use his telekinetic powers for attack instead of defense. Evelyn is a damned good witch, so I have no doubt it will work.
Her pale skin has tanned a bit in the sun, and her blond hair is nearly to her shoulders now, constantly wavy from the wind and salty air. She laughs more, too. I never noticed how little she laughed when she was with me. She’s also taken to pirate fashion wholeheartedly, though she’s skipped wearing the traditional Cwn Annwn crimson in favor of black pants that fit her full thighs and big ass to perfection, and a billowing white top that would be at home on those romance novels she loves so well.
Happiness looks good on her.
I hate it.
“Captain! The Dragon!” The call floats down from the crow’s nest.
“Fucking finally,” Nox says under their breath before raising their voice to nearly a roar. “Look alive, chaps!”
I give them a sharp look. “Surely you don’t mean to attack another Cwn Annwn ship out in the open?” We might have a crew full of powerhouses, but so do most Cwn Annwn ships. I don’t relish the idea of a sea battle against another ship. The monsters we’ve come up against in the three months I’ve been aboard are enough to give me nightmares—not that I’d ever admit it aloud. Give me a fight on solid ground any day of the week. Not this watery bullshit where one wrong move means your enemy might not even have to kill you—the sea will.
“Of course not.” They snap their fingers at their navigator, Eyal. He’s a tall, lean man with dark brown skin and gorgeous bright blue locs. “Keep us on this course. I don’t want it to look like we’re in pursuit.”
Eyal nods, but I have questions about the order. “We are in pursuit.” We’re moving fast, too, thanks to the air elemental users on the crew filling the sails with their magic. I can clearly see the Drunken Dragon now. It has to be a ship nearly the same size as ours, and yet it looks no bigger than a quarter. I shudder. I fucking hate the open water.
“You’re lucky that you’re pretty, darling.” Nox leans close. “I can only take one person with me, but I need someone who can do crowd control without risking my asset. We have two options for who that person is. It’s you or Bowen. Choose.”
I stare. An attack on an entire ship with only two is a massive risk, though both Bowen and I are more than capable of taking out a group of humans within seconds. Except we aren’t talking about mundane humans. Most of the Cwn Annan crews are filled with magic users and paranormal beings, some of whom are easily as powerful as I am. At least in theory.
I should tell Nox to take Bowen. If he dies, then Evelyn can fall weeping into my arms, and... I glance at my ex again. She’s finished the circle and is sitting on her heels, chatting easily with two crew members.
Happy. She’s so fucking happy.
Damn it. “I’ll do it.”
Nox leans closer. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone about your noble streak.”
I’m not noble. I wouldn’t know what noble looked like if it bit me in the ass. “They might have information on the Crimson Hag aboard that ship. I want to get to it before any of your ham-handed crew fucks up my evidence.” The sooner I find that ship, the sooner I can get back to the familiar: death and darkness and familial obligation.
“Sure, darling. Whatever you say.” Nox once again raises their voice, roaring orders. I follow them to the stern, watching closely as they shrug out of their dramatic crimson coat and hand it off to their quartermaster, Poet. “Keep this safe for me, love.” They keep stripping, taking off their crimson vest and crimson shirt, then peeling off their crimson pants. Nox really commits to the bit when it comes to being one of the damned Cwn Annwn. “These, too.”
“You know, your cabin is right there. You don’t have to strip out in the open.”
“Lizzie, has anyone ever told you that you’re a stick-in-the-mud?” I didn’t realize Poet brought replacement clothing until Nox pulls on a formfitting black catsuit and grins at me.
“They’ll be in your cabin when you get back.” Poet—a large woman who looks like she kicks down walls for fun—has broad shoulders and a thick waistline. Her light brown skin is covered with sailing tattoos and her long brown hair is tied back from her strong face. She turns severe dark eyes on me. “Don’t get our captain killed.”
I smile, baring my teeth. I like Poet for the most part, but she’s disgustingly loyal to Nox. “It’s your captain’s plan. If they die, it’s on them.”
“Lizzie, you’re a constant delight.” Nox throws an arm around my shoulders, laughing when I snap my teeth at them. “Truly, I mean it. A constant source of amusement.”
They don’t give me a chance to formulate a response. They throw their weight backward, toppling us both over the side of the ship. The drop sends my stomach into my throat. The ship is taller than it looks, and it’s a long fucking way down.
Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit.
We hit the water hard enough to steal my breath. My curses are a string of bubbles leaving my lips. Oh fuck, I didn’t realize Nox meant we were swimming to the damned ship. It’s cold and wet and so dark that I can’t see a single thing. There could be anything in the depths below us, and I wouldn’t know it until it appeared right before me—and maybe not even then. The pressure of the water makes it impossible to move, to breathe, to think, to... but I can’t breathe because I’m underwater.
If this is how Nox plans to kill me, they chose well. It’s everything I can do not to panic... except I am panicking. I can’t move my limbs. My body isn’t responding to the increasingly shrill commands my brain shouts. I have to swim to the surface. I have to reach the boat and get out of the water as soon as possible. I can’t be here. I can’t...
A pocket of oxygen forms around my mouth and nose, courtesy of Nox’s elemental powers. I hate the harsh breath I drag in, hate the relief that fills me, hate that I’m reliant on them to keep me alive during this little excavation. Being able to breathe doesn’t decrease the horrible feeling in my chest, though. It just gives me enough space to think about exactly what kinds of monsters might be lurking just out of sight, waiting to make a meal of us. Would that be worse than drowning? Better? I have no idea, but I don’t want to die.
Nox pulls me tight against them, close enough to be lovers. The air pocket expands and then their voice is in my ear. “Breathe, Lizzie. I’ve got you.” And then we’re shooting through the water, propelled along by their magic. They are one of those rare beings with access to all four elements. It makes them damned hard to kill, but I’m distantly able to admit that they’re useful for situations like this as well.
The movement helps calm my thoughts. Nox isn’t going to kill me or leave me to the depths. I can’t believe the thought even crossed my mind. Everything is perfectly fine. Except for the fact that I’m still in the damn water.
Within a few minutes, we slow and then ascend to the surface in the shadow of the Drunken Dragon. The pocket around my mouth melts away as I drag in salty sea air. “I hate you.”