Page 53 of A Wraith Beneath the Tides (Beyond the Tides #1)

Atlas

T he air in the dungeons was thick and damp as Atlas silently crept through the shadows. His heart galloped in his chest, his mind racing with worry for his brother and the gnawing frustration of being kept in the dark by their father.

He had to find Draevyn before it was too late. And the only one who might have answers was the gods-damn pirate lord they currently held captive.

The guards were half asleep, their attention elsewhere as Atlas easily slipped past them beneath the cover of his shadows. He approached the velsinyte-barred cell at the end of the chamber, his boots barely making a sound on the cold stone.

Inside the cell, Cyrus Blackwood sat with his back against the wall, his shackles clinking faintly as he shifted. His eyes lifted to Atlas as he approached.

A smirk formed, but there was no humor in it—only pure hatred lay in his dark eyes. “Well, well,” Cyrus rasped, low and mocking, even through his uneven breaths. “The prince himself. Come to poke the bear in his cage?”

Atlas didn’t waste time with pleasantries. “I need information,” he said, each word more clipped than the last. “Tell me where Draevyn is. ”

Cyrus raised a brow, his lips curling into a slow grin. “You’ve got a lot of nerve, Prince . Coming down here, demanding answers from me as if I owe you anything.”

“Trust me, you’re the last person I wish to speak with,” Atlas admitted, his tone growing sharper. “If you ever want your life to be somewhat bearable again, then you will tell me where Draevyn is.”

Cyrus chuckled, a rasping sound that echoed like a gurgle beneath water. “Your brother, eh? Rumors claimed you have a soft spot for each other. Is that because your father is a spineless prick who offered your souls to Irah for power?”

Atlas’s hand clenched into a fist, his shadows swirling around his fingers as his frustration grew. “You’re wasting my time, Blackwood. I need answers. Now .”

His beady, black eyes gleamed in the dim torchlight. “Ah, there it is. And here they say your brother holds all the fire.” He let out a laugh as if the words were actually funny, but it ended in a hacking cough.

Atlas took a step closer to the bars, his patience fraying. “Enough games, Cyrus. Where is my brother?”

“How in all gods would I know when I’ve been locked down here?” he growled.

Atlas kicked at the cell’s door, the reverberations of the bars echoing through the dungeons.

“The only information I have is that he’s possibly with a beautiful woman and likely has no choice in the matter at all.

” The words came out in an angry bellow, and he took a deep breath, trying to reel in his self-control.

His lip curled. “Now, I’m assuming it has something to do with the little ambush your crew attempted the night of Lephyrin’s ball. ”

Cyrus let out a wicked chuckle. “I promise you, Atlas, if the beautiful woman I’m thinking of is who holds him, your brother was lost to you before you even realized he was missing.”

“Who is this woman?!” Atlas spat, his throat tightening with rage and terror.

A cruel grin crept up Blackwood’s face. “Rumors claim your daddy is after the treasure that was left behind in the fall of Maerinys. ”

“So?” Atlas’s brows furrowed.

Cyrus leaned forward, his voice dropping to a low, secretive murmur. “Sail south. That’s where you’ll find your answers.”

“South? That’s all you have for me?”

“Aye.”

Atlas scoffed. “Pirates and their stupid fucking games.”

The pirate lord’s smile widened, his gaze cold. “There’s more, boy, but you’re not ready for it.” His eyes went distant. “The realm itself isn’t ready for it. Just be prepared for what comes next.”

Atlas’s frustration flared again, but he reined it in, forcing himself to stay focused. He glared at Cyrus, wanting to rip the answers from his lips, but something in the man’s eyes told him he wasn’t lying—not about sailing south, at least.

“If you’re wasting my time, I will make you regret this,” Atlas said, his voice low while shadows coiled up his arms.

Cyrus only smiled, that same cold, mocking grin. “No, you won’t. You’ll sail south like the doting older brother and future king you are.” A click of his tongue sounded. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Atlas turned on his heel, and the echoes of his footsteps mingled with Blackwood’s fading, cruel, hacking laugh as he left the dungeon. His mind was a whirlwind of questions, but at least now he had a heading.

Atlas didn’t care what it took. He would sail south to find his brother and kill anyone who tried to get in his way.

Now, all he had to do was convince Draevyn’s crew to do the same.