Page 15 of Our Lady of War

Athania whirled on her. “What have I done? I’ve freed you!” She spread her arms wide, a dagger in each hand.

One of the girls vomited. And another began to cry.

“Wh–who will steer the ship?”

Athania followed Millicent’s line of sight, cackling when she saw land approaching quickly. Hawthrin’s shore was rocky, boulders nearly the size of the ship jutting out into the sea. Mountains rose up just inland, and she could make out a fishing village.

“Brace yourselves, my darlings!” Athania tipped herself over the railing of the ship, giggling like a drunkard when she almost fell all the way over. “We’ve boulders to dock us!”

“Bolders!” Millicent cried. “My lady, please. We could die!”

But Athania could hardly hear her over the girl that would not cease her fit. She sent one of her daggers to silence the girl. Silence was not what she received when Millicent and the other two girls began screaming and backing away from her.

She stalked toward them, perturbed by their wide eyes and trembling bottom lips. Pathetic. Athania pulled three daggers free from her magic and held them out.

“Please,” one of them begged. “Please don’t hurt us.”

“Take the weapons,” Athania demanded. When they did not, she lashed out at Millicent. “Make them take them!”

“My lady,” Millicent begged. “Please stop this.” Her eyes darted to all the knives surrounding Athania.

“Stop what?” she bellowed. “I’m rescuing you, and this is the thanks I get? Do you really think the villagers will welcome us with open arms?” She pointed a dagger at the village, then at the three other ships flanking them. “You will need to defend yourselves.”

Shakily, the three of them took the daggers.

“Now, put them on your person because we’re about to—”

The bow of the ship crashed headfirst into a boulder, sending them all flying. Athania slammed into the mast and landed on the deck with a thud. The ship still rocked and swayed, water flooding in quickly. Millicent was hauling up one of the other girls, her head bleeding and a large piece of wood sticking out of her shoulder.

Athania, holding her bruised ribcage, motioned for the girls to follow her as they waded into the water through the broken bow of the ship. It was only about waist deep, and her daggers followed like obedient wolf pups. Seeing the ship crash into the shore, villagers were running onto the rocky beach, their faces stricken. Some pulled back when they witnessed the women. Others stopped entirely and made signs of warding off witchcraft at the sight of Athania and her weapons.

Just to amuse herself, she sent them all flying out at once, save for the dagger in her hand, and watched with glee as several bodies fell to the pebbled sand. She inhaled deeply and pulled rocks from the surrounding mountains with her magic, launching them at anyone who came within range of her.

Slowly, painstakingly, Athania and the girls made their way inland. The other ships had docked, the other soldiers crushed, stabbed, and bludgeoned by her.

When she turned around after the last soldier fell, Millicent was sobbing, one of the girls in her arms. “She’s dead,” she choked out.

“Hm.” Athania looked herself over and found a cut on her forearm. “And I’ve only one little knick…ope…” She felt a trickle of blood run down her forehead. “Two, then.”

“Please,” Millicent breathed out, now on her knees and cradling the girl. But she wasn’t speaking to Athania. She had her eyes squeezed shut. “Please, Lady Magic. Help me.”

Athania’s blood went cold. Then white-hot with rage. Millicent was a witch. She was one of Asteria’s to keep watch over.

Athania lunged at Millicent, her magic pulling the dead girl from her arms and flinging her across the beach. “Unfortunately,” she growled as she held a dagger’s edge to Millicent’s neck, “Lady Magic can’t help you now.”

With a sick slice, she ended the traitor, hitting an artery that sprayed.

As soon as her blood spilled, Athania’s own life force sang. The blood called to her more than the others’. Her lips parted in curiosity, a droplet of the girl’s blood slipping into her mouth.

Her magic throbbed.

Her heart thundered.

She brought the dagger to her mouth and licked it clean, her magic flaming to a roar.

Chapter

Six