Page 38 of A Wraith Beneath the Tides (Beyond the Tides #1)
Esmyra
S weat beaded on Esmyra’s brow, stifling under the long coat she forced herself to wear under the rays of the scorching sun. Even the males were sweating in their thin tunics, but she wasn’t ready for them to witness what she knew beamed beneath her clothes.
She’d peeked under her sleeve when she first set foot on the island’s stone as Jak, Ren, and Riven were forcing Draevyn to his feet to leave the pinnace.
And just like last time, the markings adorning her flesh radiated their subtle glow as if she were beneath the ocean’s surface, but this time, her skin wasn’t even wet.
There was something about this island that called to her, like a thread wrapped around her heart, tugging her in its direction.
She ached to know why, but was clueless about any potential reasoning. But she knew in her very bones that the answers she’d sought her entire life could be answered within the confines of the cavern before them.
Esmyra stepped forward, inspecting the cave’s entrance. Without a word, she motioned to her crew and stalked through.
It was just as she remembered: the air inside was cool, damp, and heavy with the scent of wet stone and brine. Droplets of water fell into unseen pools somewhere in the darkness as only small shafts of sunlight filtered through the crevices of the cave’s ceiling.
She paused for a moment, her eyes adjusting to the gloom as the rest caught up to her. Esmyra glanced back, watching as they each took in their surroundings.
“Bloody unnatural, this place,” Ren muttered, his voice hushed.
“It’s certainly something of that nature,” she answered, just as quiet.
“How far did you venture in when you were alone?” Jak asked as he stepped up to her, squinting through the darkness. He peered over his shoulder. “Keep up, Phoenix.”
Esmyra rolled her eyes. “Your tormenting of him is becoming tiring, even to me. We don’t know how long we’ll be here. Let’s not make me any more annoyed than I am.”
“Forgive me for not being so… forgiving when someone attacks my friend.”
Esmyra’s eyes softened, but her stare remained ahead on their path. “You’re forgiven.”
She faced the others. Ren and Riven’s stares drifted along the walls and ceiling while two others flanked Draevyn on each side, observing her silently.
“Hopefully, we won’t be too long, but we need to stick together.
I never made it very far in here, but there’s a small passage up ahead that will open to a larger cavern.
Once we arrive there, we can form a better plan. ”
“And what if there be beasts, Captain?” Ren asked.
Despite her nerves about the trench, she lifted a mocking brow. “Beasts? Don’t tell me you’re scared, Ren.”
“Something is off about this place, boss,” Riven answered for him.
“Regardless, we need to keep moving. We’ve only just arrived.” Her voice was firm, though quieter than usual. Even she couldn’t shake the feeling that the cave was listening, waiting, or even watching them.
But she’d never known fear, let alone made it known. She absolutely refused to show them any hint of it now.
“Am I not a good enough weapon to ease your pathetic nerves?” She crossed her arms as her hip jutted to the side. Jak let out a hushed chuckle, but neither of them answered her. “And, lucky for us, we have bait, if needed.” She gestured to Draevyn with her chin, and he rolled his eyes.
She didn’t wait for them to respond before her eyes shifted, lighting their way in the darkness.
Stalactites hung from the ceiling like the teeth of a massive, ancient beast. The echo of the crew’s footsteps was unnervingly loud as they emerged from the narrow pathway and into the open cavern.
“Esmi, there are carvings along the stone,” Jak announced.
She remembered them from before, though she couldn’t read them.
“Aye,” she said as she stepped up to the nearest wall, tracing her fingers along the unknown markings. “They appear to be a rune of some kind, or perhaps another language entirely.”
“They look familiar,” Ren interjected as he scratched the stubble on his chin.
Esmyra went to tune out their voices but felt eyes on her. She shifted on her feet as an uncomfortable feeling of being watched loomed over her.
When her stare lifted, it met Draevyn’s.
His whiskey eyes were piercing, even through the darkness of the cave. She couldn’t get a read on what he was thinking, but she didn’t appreciate how his stare narrowed in on her. As if he were trying to see through her.
“Do you have something you wish to say, Draevyn Rowe?” she hissed.
His gaze roamed over her leisurely, sending a sinking feeling in her gut. And when his stare halted on her arms, she knew exactly what was going through his mind.
“For once, I agree with a member of your crew. The markings are very… familiar .” His eyes, even in the dimness of the cavern, darkened as he assessed her.
She didn’t like it.
“Your usefulness is diminishing by the minute,” she snapped, her posture rigid.
Draevyn only lifted his bound hands before him in a defensive gesture.
“What do you think these mean?" Jak whispered as he stepped up to the wall, running a hand over the worn carvings. “These markings seem ancient. Carved into the rock by men. Or something… else . Spirals, runes, symbols, none of us can decipher. And each of us stem from a different kingdom.”
“What they mean, Jak, is that we’re in the right place. We should keep moving,” Esmyra said.
She led the way as they followed behind her silently. The path narrowed, forcing them into a single line, as it sloped downwards.
The sunlight that once pierced through the cracks in the cave’s ceiling had dissipated entirely, leaving their only light source stemming from her eyes, illuminating the markings that grew more present the deeper they traveled.
“I think they’re telling a story,” Riven said from behind her.
“A story of what, though?” Ren added.
“We’ll likely never know,” Esmyra answered, even though she desperately wished it wasn’t the truth, feeling as though they could hold answers she sought her entire life.
“They weren’t carved by mortals. If I’m certain of anything, it’s that,” Draevyn added.
“Obviously,” Jak hissed. “Your kind wouldn’t be capable.”
Draevyn let out a low chuckle, but there was no amusement in it. “A mortal, a siren, two woodland shifters, and an elven stumble into an ancient cave, and not one of us can decipher the markings on the walls.”
“Your point?” Jak snipped.
“It's odd. While we all speak the tongue of Rymelle, it’s clear that whatever creature carved these didn’t. So, how old are they exactly? ”
“Nothing your fragile mortal mind would know, I’d assume,” Riven said, a bit of bite in his tone that typically wasn’t there.
Esmyra turned to watch the bickering. Riven’s white hair and grey eyes nearly glowed in the teal light, a stark contrast to the rich brown hue of his skin—but the elven’s annoyance was clear on his face as he glared at their captive.
“Everything alright, Riv?” Esmyra called over.
“It appears the mortal prisoner forgets his place among us.” He took a step up to Draevyn, but the prince didn’t back down an inch. “Do you forget what us elves can do? What each of us can do?”
“Perhaps he needs to be reminded,” Ren chimed in.
As his words rang out, violent winds brewed in the small space while a misty fog emerged, surrounding Draevyn on all sides. Jak and Ren each summoned their powers with a raised hand, taking Riven’s tormenting as their cue.
Draevyn’s eyes flared, a sweat breaking out on his forehead.
“Do you feel the blade of my magic scraping down your mind?” Riven taunted, his hand now stretched before him. “If it weren’t for those damn cuffs, I would be in there, forcing you to see your fears.”
Esmyra watched curiously as the veins in Draevyn’s neck strained, his teeth clenching so hard she thought she might hear them crack even over the conjured, howling winds.
Nostrils flaring, Draevyn slammed his eyes shut. “Get out of my head, elf ,” he roared.
“Oh, just you wait until I can truly be in there, Phoenix,” Riven cooed, grinning at Esmyra before dropping his hand.
Draevyn’s body sagged as Riven released his hold.
The cave became eerily silent as the magic ceased—the crew members staring at their captive menacingly.
“What do you lot believe of mortals, anyway?” Draevyn snapped. “Do you believe us to be non-threatening just because we don’t possess magic? Perhaps what we lack in power, we’ve gained in knowledge. We’ve survived this long somehow.”
“I believe we’ve made it clear that you are a threat, Prince. Your hands are bound for a reason.” Esmyra lifted a taloned finger in his direction as her vision sharpened from the slits of her irises dilating.
“We’re not talking about me.” His voice dripped with venomous hatred.
“And we weren’t talking to you at all,” she said matter-of-factly, earning soft chuckles from the crew.
“Speak when spoken to, Phoenix.” Jak’s voice echoed in the cavern.
The remark was met with silence, and Esmyra fought back a smirk as she swore she heard a deep growl brew in Draevyn’s chest.