Page 18 of Unseen Lord
Two pillars of stone jut up from the water and Aya maneuvers the ship towards one and presses her hand against it. Blood flows from her palm into the stone, and something below us begins to grind together.
The ship lunges a bit as the water is displaced and a platform rises beneath us, moving us between the pillars. The mechanics of this are incredible, and I wonder how my uncle achieved all this. Normally to use a Waystone we would walk into one after activating it with our blood. This actually took our ship and moved it into place. Remarkable.
Stone walls close around us and the Waystone grinds into motion, taking us deep into the center of our world.
I hear vomiting of a few of the crew members, and wonder how they will handle it when the gravity shifts.
Sure enough, mid-way through, everything is turned upside down. I worry the ship will be smashed to bits by this, but large metal stabilizers protrude from the stone to steady the ship and flip it, with us inside, at the exact moment gravity changes.
My stomach drops and I fall to my knees to catch myself. Others do the same. The crew is not happy, by the sounds of it, but Aya ignores them, and so do I.
When we reach Avakiri, we are sent into the world through another bit of engineering magic. The stone rises and lifts the ship into the sea beyond us, then returns to its place, leaving us in the water.
Aya snaps at her crew, getting their attention. "This is the real deal now, boys. Get back to work."
We are truly at sea now, with waves and wind and sun and salt.
There is no visible land in any direction, and I can only trust the navigational skills of my sister to keep us moving in the right direction.
Once we are in a comfortable routine, my sister and I sit on deck with a light dinner and talk.
"Are you enjoying your newfound power?" I ask, already knowing the answer.
"It's temporary," she says. "Mother and Father will return, don't you think?"
"I certainly hope so. I can't bear to imagine what has happened to them."
"What will you do when we find Iris?" she asks.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, she's the Unseen Lord. Her powers could be dangerous. Have you thought about how you'll handle that?"
I bristle at her implication. "She's not mine to handle. I trust her to use whatever powers she may have for good. She's… she's the best person I've ever known. The purest. She has a code of honor she never breaks. She is guided by a higher moral compass than most. I know she won't do anything that will hurt the innocent."
Aya goes silent after that, and we sit under the stars for a time before she stands, excusing herself. "I need some time alone. See you in the morning?"
I nod and return my gaze to the horizon. My thoughts wander as I contemplate Callie's words of warning. What did she mean? What truth should I be looking for? I don't have any answers, and I worry I will miss the clues when presented to me.
I do not have Iris's moral compass to guide me. Mine broke a long time ago, and I worry I will never get it set right again.
After some time, I retire to my quarters and attempt sleep. It's a restless night of drifting on waves, the rocking of the ship keeping me awake for much of it. Come morning, the day crew is already hard at work, scrubbing the deck, hoisting sails to work with the wind, tracking their progress to stay the course.
I don't see Aya and assume she's either in meetings with her First Mate or taking time alone. She always was a solitary creature growing up, preferring her own company over mine—or her friends—more often than not.
By mid-afternoon there's a buzz in the air, and Aya joins me on deck. She looks tired, but happy. "We should be there soon," she says. "Are you prepared to fight for her?"
"Of course."
It is nearing sunset when the coordinates come into view. It's a remote island, surrounded by mist. That's where the White Rider has been keeping Iris.
My heart beats in my chest and my pulse quickens. We will be together soon.
And if my brother has done anything to harm her… I will destroy him.
Chapter 6
Iris