Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 93948 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93948 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
“You’re really not,” she says tartly. She doesn’t look much steadier on her feet, but Evelyn would have to be dead to not run her mouth. It’s what I like about her. She frowns at me. “You look terrible, too.”
I’m not about to admit that I’m fighting to avoid weaving on my feet. I can channel more magic than most elemental users, but even I have limits. All of us reached them today.
But I’m the captain, and the captain can’t show weakness.
I dredge up a roguish grin. “Keep talking sweet to me, and I’m going to have to challenge Bowen for your heart.”
She rolls her eyes and Bowen mutters under his breath as she turns them toward the hatch leading belowdecks. Poet snorts. “You done playing hero? You need to be looked over.”
“I’m fine.” It’s more or less the truth. My ribs ache, but my breathing is uninterrupted so nothing’s horrifically broken. “Save Orchid’s tender ministrations for those who actually need it.” Our healer is a miracle worker, and he believes in the cause. We might all be serving the same purpose—to undermine the Cŵn Annwn and help the people and creatures who end up in Threshold by accidentally wandering through the wrong portal.
Poet sighs. “You’d tell me if you weren’t.”
“Of course I would,” I lie. I want nothing more than to peel out of my wet shirt, but I suspect if I do so, Poet will come down with the vapors. There’s sure to be a rainbow of bruises across my body. It’s fine. I heal faster than most people.
The sea around the Audacity is red and chunky. Bowen might have been a captain at one point, but he’s extremely good at following orders. Good enough that there’s only carnage left of the beastie. I fight down a shudder.
This is Threshold and I sail under the banner of the Cŵn Annwn, for all that I find their policies loathsome. Each of their captains is a bigger monster than the next. It means I’m a monster—and Bowen, too. It’s natural to wonder which of us would walk away if it came to a fight.
His telekinetic power is fearsome, but he’s still human. He needs to breathe. The question is whether I could suffocate him before he tore me to pieces…
Cheery thoughts.
I motion to Poet. “Let’s wrap this up. I hate the smell of gore.”
A few months back, half the crew was killed in a hostile takeover—mine, notably—and we still haven’t filled out our numbers. Even so, it only takes an hour before we’re moving, cutting away from the frothing waters. The blood has summoned other predators, but they aren’t our business.
I make the rounds, talking to my people, checking in, until I circle back to where Eyal stands at the helm. He’s a tall, lean man with cool dark brown skin and blue locs—or he is normally; currently, he’s the same shade as our sails.
Which means it’ll be a bit longer before I can change out of these clothes. “You’re going to undo all of Gable and Callen’s hard work by dripping all over the newly clean deck. Go shower.”
“Won’t be time for that.”
I narrow my eyes. “What are you on about?”
“We have company.” He points, and I follow the motion to the horizon. I don’t see anything, but that doesn’t mean much. Eyal’s got better eyes than most.
This day just got exponentially longer. “Trouble?”
“Hard to say.” He squints. “Smaller vessel. White sails.”
White sails don’t mean much—the only ships that fly crimson sails are Cŵn Annwn warships. We’re on the trading route between Drash and Three Sisters, so it might be a trader. Or smugglers. Neither fall within our purview.
Still, there’s no reason to be foolish. I raise my voice. “Everyone, on alert. It’s time to meet some new friends.”
Chapter 2
Nox
A thread of unease goes through me as we get close enough to pick out the details of the ship. It’s easy enough because they’re heading directly for the Audacity. They aren’t attempting to pretend to do anything else.
“Orders?” Poet murmurs. She stands at my right shoulder.
I’m tired and itchy from the salt water drying on my skin, and I want nothing more than to get this over with, but that’s just my impulsiveness talking. I know better than to listen to that voice. “Let’s give them a nice warm welcome…at least until we know what they want.”
Almost as soon as the words leave my lips, Gable yells from the bow. “It’s Lizzie!”
“Lizzie?” I can’t stop my shock. I thought for certain we’d seen the last of that murderous vampire. She ran off with Maeve ages ago. I fully expected her to find Maeve’s stolen skin, retrieve her stolen family heirlooms, and then take a portal back to her world, never to return. She shouldn’t be here.
Except she is. She stands at the bow of the small ship, her long dark hair trailing behind her in the wind of their passing. She’s just as beautiful as the last time I saw her, but there’s something looser in her body language. Interesting.