His Final Secret Page 21

  Wilem's face paled. "What if he would rather destroy the world than allow us to take it from him?"

  CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

  Eryn

  Eryn stared out the small porthole of her prison, watching the sea roll past the sides of the Sorrow a few feet below. For the hundredth time, she placed her hand on the side of the ship and whispered, sending her magic into it.

  For the hundredth time, the ircidium dissipated the power.

  She couldn't remember how long she had been down here. A week. Maybe two. The days had all started to run together shortly after Worm had carried her through the hold where the barrels of ircidium were loaded and into this special room. A room that had been constructed specifically to hold wizards.

  A room meant for her.

  He had stayed with her for a while, standing motionless on the other side of the metal door with only the smallest slit to look in or out through. His eyes had been unblinking while she had called on her magic, casting it about the room, desperate for an escape and finding none. He had been expressionless while she had cursed at him for his treachery and deceit. He had been unwavering while she begged him to release her.

  When she had said, "I thought you loved me," his eyes had welled with tears, and he vanished from her sight.

  He hadn't returned. Not in the days since. Ballard stopped by to open a small sliding latch on the bottom of the door and deliver things to her. Food, a chamber pot, damp rags for washing, clean linens. Enough to give her a minimum of comfort. A bare minimum.

  She wanted to refuse to eat. To refuse to wash herself. To make a mess with her bodily waste. She thought that perhaps it would force them to enter, and she could use the opportunity to try to get away.

  But away to where? She was on a boat in the middle of the sea. She couldn't use her magic to walk across an entire ocean. Besides, if they did need to send someone into the room, she was certain that someone would be Worm.

  She wanted to see him. To ask him why.

  She wanted to see him, so she could gouge his eyes out with her fingers.

  She didn't want to see him because she couldn't stand the turmoil in her heart just the thought of him raised.

  She didn't want to see him because she had realized she had fallen in love with him despite herself, and the pain she was in from his betrayal was more than she thought she could take.

  No matter how many times she told herself she was strong, and she was a survivor, and that her feelings were nothing she couldn't overcome, she still found herself staring out the window with tears in her eyes, her heart in her throat, and her hope waning. For all the time she had spent believing he was taking her to kill him, only to discover he had captured her for him, for a purpose she couldn't even guess at...

  She wanted to hate him. She wanted to want to kill him.

  She loved him. She wasn't even sure why. She only knew that his absence was hurting her more than the distance from Wilem ever had. She only knew that she craved his silent confidence and strength. His oddly compassionate comfort. It was insane. She knew it was.

  She loved him, regardless.

  That was how she knew for certain that it was love. That was how she had become convinced of what love really was.

  She reached up and wiped away another tear. All she wanted was for him to come to the door, to stand outside and look in on her again, so she could see his eyes. She hated herself for her weakness.

  Can I kill him if it is the only way to end this?

  It was a question she had asked herself over and over again. They couldn't keep her in this room forever. The time might come when she would have a chance to break free. If she had one moment, one breath, one heartbeat to kill Worm, and as a result have the chance to kill him, would she be able to do it?

  Her heart often said "no." Her head often disagreed. She thought of Davin and Saretta, of Robar and Sena, of Lottie and her parents, and everyone else he had hurt. How could her love be more important than all of the people who had already died, and all of the people who would die if she didn't try her best to stop it?

  She had made a promise to her mother. She was going to keep it, even if it destroyed her to do so. Of course, she had to do something if she were going to have any opportunity to get herself free.

  She heard motion outside the door. Thoughts of Worm had raised her hopes, and her head whipped around to see who was there. Her heart sank again when she saw Ballard's dark eyes. They vanished, and a moment later the small latch opened and a plate of bread and fish was passed in. The latch slipped closed.

  "Captain," she said. "Ballard. Wait. Please."

  She heard him take a few steps and then pause. His eyes reappeared a moment later.

  "What is it, my Lady?"

  "How long until we reach the Unknown Lands?"

  "The wind has been favoring us. Four or five days until we reach the Fog. Three more after that to reach land."

  "What will happen to me then?"

  "We'll take you to Area North with us."

  "You're going there?"

  "To deliver the ore."

  "What does he do with it all?"

  "I don't know, my Lady. We drop it in a large chamber, and then we leave. When we come back next, the chamber is empty again. Someone takes it away somewhere, but we're not allowed to know."

  "Why not?"

  "If we don't know, we can't tell. I have to go, my Lady. I have a ship to run."

  His eyes disappeared from the door.

  "Captain?" Eryn said, rushing over to it.

  He appeared again. "Yes?"

  "Can you please let me out of here?"

  He laughed. "So you can kill us all? I don't think so."

  "Oh, please, Captain. We're in the middle of nowhere, and I don't know how to sail a ship. I could use some fresh air, and I promise I won't cause any trouble."

  "You promise? Apologies, my Lady, but your companion is known as the Liar."

  Eryn wanted to tell him who the liar really was. She bit her tongue instead. "Is there anything I can do to convince you to let me out?"

  "No. I'm sorry."

  He vanished again. She heard his footsteps retreating.

  She clenched her teeth, fighting waves of both anger and sadness.

  You will be.

  CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX

  Eryn

  Eryn didn't see Captain Ballard for the next four days. Each time her chamber pot was collected or her meals were delivered, a different sailor's eyes appeared in the small slit in the door, glaring at her with various levels of curiosity, fear, and anger. She tried to speak to them. They all ignored her, taking care of her needs and leaving her alone with her thoughts once more.

  Thoughts that had continued to ebb and flow like the sea around her. Her mind had traveled so many places that she was no longer sure where one idea ended, and the next started. Talon, Oz, Wilem, Worm, the Shifters and the cure and the Empire. It sloshed around in her head, the same way she could hear the water sloshing from the hull as the Sorrow cut through it.

  If she didn't get off the boat soon, or at least find someone to talk to, she was certain she would go mad.

  She sighed, leaning back against the cold ircidium wall of her prison. She started to sing His Merry Stones. She didn't know why. When she had thought about what the words of the song actually meant, she had realized how bawdy it was and was embarrassed to repeat them.

  Not that it matters. There's nobody else down here.

  She was on her fifth repeat of the third verse when she heard the first shout from somewhere above her.

  "Strange," she said, pushing herself away from the wall and moving over to the small porthole. She couldn't see much from there, but she twisted herself to try to get a view.

  She heard another shout.

  "What's happening?"

  She shook her head, realizing she was talking to herself out loud. She heard a third shout, and then realized that all of them had come from the same person - Captain Ballard. He
started firing off a stream of orders that she couldn't make out very well. She thought she heard him say 'arm the ballista.' Were there other ships out here? Pirates? Were they under attack?

  She couldn't picture anyone attacking one of his ships.

  She put her ear against the wall. She could hear a chaotic storm of motion echoing along the wood and metal, footsteps running all over the ship, something heavy being wheeled along the deck. More shouting from Captain Ballard.

  She thought it was odd that none of the other sailors were making a sound.

  Were they unable to speak, like Worm?

  Had he taken their tongues or their voices to keep them from speaking of what they knew? It was possible. More likely than not. What else could explain their frantic motion and utter silence?

  Finally, a new sound broke through the air. A sound that sent a chill through Eryn's entire body.

  The roar of a dragon.

  She rolled onto her back, trying to get her head in position to see the sky above the ship. Ballard screamed again, and then she felt the ship lurch and heard the echoing crack of wood.

  "Fire," she heard Ballard yell.

  She couldn't hear the ballista firing, but there was no reaction from the dragon. She continued to scan the sky, trying to get a glimpse of it. Instead, she saw the top of the mainsail drop over the side of the boat and splash into the sea.

  The dragon. It wasn't only looking to feed. It was following me.

  The chill intensified, her fear solidifying. It could have been coincidence that it had gone to the reactor while she was there. It wasn't coincidence that it was here, now, in the middle of the ocean. It wanted her. There was no other explanation. Wanted her for what?

  "My Queen."

  The voice of the Shifter General slid into her thoughts. She shuddered at the same time she saw the shape of the dragon swoop past the side of the Sorrow. It cried out again and vanished from her sight.

  "I have to get out of here," she said. The sailors couldn't hurt the dragon with a ballista, and Worm wouldn't be able to do anything to it unless it tried to land on the boat. Even if he did, it had nearly killed him the last time.

  She ran over to the door and began pounding it with her fists.

  "Let me out," she screamed. "It's going to kill us all."

  She heard the dragon, so close to the boat. She looked back to the porthole to see a spray of blood and what looked like a body splash into the water and disappear.

  "Let me out. I can help you. Please."

  She kept pounding. The boat began to list to the side. The dragon screamed again.

  "Let me-"

  Worm's eyes appeared in the slit. A moment later, the door opened.

  She pushed past him, running through the hold filled with ircidium to the stairs. He trailed behind her, following as she ascended to the deck.

  Her heart stopped when she saw the carnage. The mainsail was broken in half, the fore was on fire, and half the sailors were missing. The ballista lay abandoned on its side, broken and useless.

  Ballard was standing near the remaining stalk of the mainsail, Talon's sword in his hand. He waved it towards the dragon. "Come back here, and I'll lay you open from tip to tail."

  She scanned the sky. The creature was behind the ship, circling back for another run. It seemed to notice her standing there.

  She closed her eyes, calming her breath and reaching for her Curse. The dragon roared and swooped towards her, tucking its wings to gain speed while extending its talons.

  She felt the magic flow into her, the familiar tingle making her entire body feel like it was drowning in delicious fire.

  "Frigus," she said, opening her eyes and throwing her hands towards the dragon. It was close, so close she could feel the heat of it approaching.

  A white mist rushed towards it from all around her, the coldness of it freezing the moisture in the air as it passed. It rushed ahead and slammed into the dragon, which screamed in response to the frigid air, unfurling its wings and veering off to the right to escape it. It howled as it flapped away, gaining distance before turning around again.

  Eryn followed it with her eyes before moving along the deck towards the fore. She reached Captain Ballard, who eyed her with a look of amazement.

  "You should have let me out when I asked," she said. "Give me my sword."

  Ballard's eyes went from her to Worm. Worm nodded, and he handed Talon's blade to her. "Save my ship."

  Eryn kept going forward, towards the fire. She summoned her magic again, pulling the air from the flames until they died to a low smolder. Worm tapped her on the shoulder, and when she turned he pointed towards the dragon.

  It was coming back.

  She moved to the very front of the ship, bringing more and more of the power into her. The dragon shifted its approach to meet her head-on, circling around and tucking its wings for another run.

  Eryn's heart was racing, her body chilled despite the protection of the garum. She was using too much, too fast, but what choice did she have? She tried not to think about what Talon had said about dragons, about needing six wizards to take one down. She would have to be stronger than that.

  It dove towards her, claws extended. As it drew closer, she realized that its mouth was closed even though it had fire as a powerful weapon.

  It wants to grab me, not kill me.

  "My Queen."

  The Shifter's voice came to mind again. Was there another General out there, controlling the dragon? Had it sent the creature to capture her?

  There was no time left to think. She held Talon's sword the way he had taught her and extended her hand.

  "Ventus," she said, bringing her hand down sharply. A sudden wind buffeted the dragon from all sides, pushing its legs back against its body and bringing it lower towards her. She raised the sword as its head raced by. It could have snapped at her if it wanted to, but she knew it didn't want to eat her.

  It's belly flowed over her, large and thick, but softer than the rest. She brought the sword up towards it, ready to do as Ballard had threatened and cut it from head to tail.

  She drew her arm back. The dragon approached, howling and screeching, its mouth opening to belch flame. Impossibly, it seemed to be resisting her magic, and it managed to get its wings out slightly, pumping them once and gaining just enough altitude.

  Eryn reached forward, leaping with the sword in an effort to make contact. The blade bit into the softer flesh of its stomach, opening a small wound. It roared as it finished flying over her, its altered trajectory carrying it into the other two sails, slamming into them and shattering them with the force.

  Worm grabbed her, pulling her down as splinters exploded everywhere, and the dragon cried again and splashed heavily into the sea. The wake rocked the boat hard, and somehow Worm found a grip on the smooth planks of the deck and held her to keep her from going overboard.

  In the ocean next to them, the dragon surfaced, pumping its wings as hard as it could and hissing in pain. Its eyes glared accusingly at her as it began to rise into the air, and she could see the blood running from the hole she had made.

  It gained altitude, circled once, and flew away.

  CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN

  Eryn

  Eryn slumped against the railing. Her breath was ragged, her heart still thumping heavily. She could feel the effects of her use of the Curse now, the dizziness and weakness, the exhaustion. She looked at her wrist, to where her skin was already thickening. She wouldn't use a dose of the cure. Not yet. She might have greater need of it later.

  Especially now that the ship was torn apart and set adrift with no sails and no crew.

  Except for Worm.

  He stood ten feet away, his expression blank while he watched her gather her strength. Despite the damage to the rest of the ship, he had somehow come through the attack unharmed. Had he avoided the dragon? Or had the dragon avoided him?

  Eryn didn't know. She didn't care. She straightened herself up despite the weaknes
s she was feeling. She looked out at the sea ahead of them. The boat was floating with the current. There was nothing around them but water. It would be dark soon.

  "Now what?" she said.

  He finally moved, turning his head to survey the damage. The masts were gone, the front of the ship was scorched. They were still afloat, and not taking on water. He pointed towards the front of the boat. Keep going.

  "To the Unknown Lands?"

  He nodded.

  "To Area North?"

  He nodded again.

  "You think I'm going to just go there with you to meet him? You lied to me, Worm. You tricked me to get me here because you knew I wouldn't come otherwise."

  He shrugged.

  She glared at him, her anger growing. "How could you do that to me? How could you be so cruel? To lead me halfway across the Empire and let me think that you were going to help me kill him? You've been working for him this entire time." Her voice raised as she stormed towards him. He was immune to magic, but not her fists. "You know what he does. How he enslaves people to work in the mines and collect the ircidium down below. How he hunts the Cursed, people like me, and kills the ones who run or aren't strong enough. I could understand why you didn't care about that before, but you saw what the soldiers were doing to those women. You saw how I cared for them."

  She reached him, putting her face close to his. She was seething, her voice sharp and harsh, her heart pounding, her hands balled into fists.

  "How could you bring me to my village and give me a chance to say goodbye, and at the same time turn your back on everything I care about? How could you pretend to care for me and then betray me? Amman, I wish you could grant him the ability to speak so he could at least try to explain."

  She wanted so much to punch him. He stood in front of her, looking at her, his eyes locked on hers. She knew she couldn't do it. She also knew he wouldn't try to stop her if she did.

  "You lied to me," she said, her voice dropping to a whisper. "You let me fall in love with you, even though there's no reason that I should. I thought you loved me too."