Page 95

Draevyn

D raevyn woke with a jolt, his body sprawled on the cold, uneven ground in complete darkness. His skull pulsated in pure agony from Azarian knocking him unconscious at Syrena’s command.

Wherever they left him, it was deathly silent, save for his rapid, shallow breaths that sounded unnaturally loud, as if echoing in an empty space. Heart hammering, he forced his breathing to slow. But the absolute pitch black pressed in around him.

Draevyn lifted his fingers to his brow, feeling the deep grooves within his flesh from the queen’s talons. He hissed at his own touch, but was thankful her claws narrowly missed his eye. His face was likely maimed for life, but he didn’t give a damn—the only thing he cared about was Esmyra.

Instinctively, he summoned a flicker of fire in his palm, surprised to not find a velsinyte band encasing his wrists. As the flames grew, the surroundings materialized. His heart nearly stopped at the sight.

The damp, uneven floor beneath him belonged to the cavern he and Esmyra had plummeted to when the ceilings above caved in.

The walls rose endlessly around him, and the small lake he had nearly drowned in was across the space.

Draevyn whipped around to the tunnel Esmyra had opened with her powers, and he was met with a sight that filled him with dread.

A massive wall of stacked boulders loomed before him, blocking the passage back to Maerinys—back to her . They once again sealed themselves off from the rest of the world, trapping him just beyond its borders.

He ran to them, fingers tracing the rough, unyielding surfaces. “No,” he breathed, taking a step back as panic nearly consumed him.

Esmyra’s face flooded his mind, recalling the way she gazed at him when he confessed his feelings for her—the way she looked as he claimed her and threatened anyone who dared to take her from him in the same breath.

And then that memory shattered, overtaken by the haunted look on her face when she walked in on him and her sister. Syrena had compelled him into thinking she was Esmyra—his Wildfire. The queen had taken over his mind, and there was nothing he could do to fight her off.

She intentionally drove a wedge between him and Esmyra, destroying the trust they’d carefully built, and then banished him before they could speak. Before he could tell her the truth of what happened.

The only question was why ? What could she possibly have planned to need the two of them separated, and Esmyra hurt? Was it so all of her attention would be on Syrena? But if so, why would she leave him alive? And with his power at that…

The sharp ache in his skull was barely anything now compared to the agony piercing his heart.

The cavern walls seemed to close in with every breath. His pulse raced the more his thoughts spun. Esmyra was still in Maerinys, somewhere beyond that impenetrable wall. Alone, with no one but a sister who was dangerous, who had only hidden truths and twisted intentions—all to gain her trust.

Everything they uncovered in that cave, Syrena already knew. And she intentionally kept Esmyra in the dark.

Summoning a stronger blaze, he poured fire toward the boulders, forcing himself to channel all his power, all his fury into the flames as he let out a bellowing yell.

The walls glowed under the assault, shadows leaping wildly in the cavern, but the stones drank in his fire as if absorbing the magic.

He tried again, pouring more power, more fire from his palms, until sweat beaded on his forehead.

Each blaze he threw faded against the wall’s surface, barely making a mark. Nothing melted, charred, or burned.

Draevyn slammed his fists into the rock, the pain barely registering over the fear clawing up his throat. “ FUCK !” he shouted, his voice reverberating in the silence.

The firelight sputtered and faded, leaving him in darkness once more.

Breath heaving, he raked a hand through his hair. Every instinct he had screamed to break through, to tear those stones apart piece by piece if he had to, but nothing was working. And every second felt like she was slipping further away.

First, she thought he betrayed her trust and heart, and now, she would think he abandoned her—leaving her alone in a world where she already felt so isolated.

He gritted his teeth and pressed his forehead to the hot stone, welcoming its burn. “I’m coming. I swear on every wretched fucking god who has hurt you, I’m coming for you.”

Draevyn hoped that somehow she’d hear him through the stone and depths, but all that answered him was the cold echo of his voice.

In the stillness, a memory surfaced—Syrena’s taunting words: Very small crevices in the rock act as a ladder.

Draevyn turned back to that wall and the black, glassy lake resting beneath it.

The edge of the water felt ominously still, a dark void stretching out before him, and when he re-summoned flame, he saw them—subtle crevices in the rock wall leading up as high as his sight reached and beyond. In the center of the fucking lake.

Steeling himself, he approached the edge. But before he could get any closer, a ripple disturbed the glassy water, then another, and another, until the entire lake was no longer still. His body tensed as their unblinking eyes surfaced just above the water’s edge .

Grindylows .

“Fucking Irah,” he huffed.

They watched him with dark and fathomless eyes—the creatures who had tried to feast on his flesh the last time he was in this gods-forsaken place.

Draevyn gritted his teeth, letting the fire surge in his hands, casting an amber glow across the water and the monsters watching him.

Raising the flames higher, he shouted, “Unless you wish to burn, I suggest you crawl back to whatever hell you came from.”

The creatures hissed, retreating slightly into the dark water, but they remained there, still watching and waiting.

He didn’t waste another moment. Wading into the icy lake, his fire illuminated the water just enough to make out the vague outline of the crevices embedded in the wall on the far side.

Only able to use one hand to swim, the water slowed him, tugging against his legs as he moved, eyes glancing back and forth between the wall and grindylows waiting for their next feast.

Reaching the wall, he craned his neck, following the steps disappearing up into shadow. He’d have to climb—and he’d need both hands.

“Godsdammit,” he hissed.

Gods . That was who got him in this situation in the first place.

Exhaling, he extinguished the fire, plunging himself into pitch darkness. The moment the last bit of light winked out, the sound of splashing water reached his ears.

His eyes flared, knowing they had been waiting to attack.

Draevyn reached out, his fingers finding the sharp grooves within the wall.

He quickly hoisted himself up, letting instinct guide him as he climbed, his hands moving cautiously over the rough stone, gripping each crevice as he replaced the last one with his boot.

A sharp hiss-like screech filled the air, and then he felt it—a slick, scaled weight clinging to his back, then another wrapping around his leg.

His throat tightened as he forced himself to remain as calm as possible.

Draevyn twisted and kicked, but more creatures swarmed up from below, latching onto him with startling strength.

Sharp claws and teeth bit into his arms and shoulders, trying to drag him back down.

“Get the fuck off of me!” he bellowed, struggling to shake them off as their claws dug deeper. A brief burst of flame erupted at his fingertips, but it was snuffed out almost instantly by the cold water still clinging to their skin.

The creatures seemed to laugh, a gurgling sound that echoed in the cavern as more weight pulled him downward.

Draevyn’s fingers slipped, and he slid several feet down the wall before his fingers found purchase again in one of the carved steps. He gritted his teeth, fighting against their hold with every ounce of strength he had left, desperate to reach the surface—desperate to find help for her.

A fury unlike any he’d ever known flared in his chest, fueling his power. With a deep breath, he channeled every ounce of energy he had, igniting a fierce blaze across his back.

The flames roared to life, hot and merciless, scorching the grindylows clinging to him. Their piercing screams filled the cavern as the fire engulfed them, while the smell of burning flesh filled the air.

One by one, their grips loosened, their claws retracting until they slipped off and plummeted back into the lake. The water hissed and bubbled as their charred forms fell into them with a splash, leaving only steam rising from its surface and the occasional bubble.

Draevyn didn’t waste a second, forcing himself upward, his muscles aching as he pushed past the limit of his strength. He ascended the wall as fast as he could. His shredded, bloody skin screamed in pain, his knuckles turning white with each tight grip as he fought through the agony .

The darkness seemed endless, the cavern’s wall stretching on as if it had no end, yet he climbed faster, harder, pushing himself beyond exhaustion.

Finally, with a desperate pull, he heaved himself up onto solid ground, collapsing against the cold, wet stone. Draevyn drew in a long breath, his heart hammering so violently he thought it might burst as he lay there in silence just beyond a humming barrier.

He pressed his hand against the nearly invisible barrier, feeling a soft vibration against his skin. And now it wouldn’t let him pass back through to get back to Maerinys.

Shit . That must’ve been what Syrena meant about her guards not being able to pass through since they were trapped since the sinking. It was true that the only reason he could before was because he was with Esmyra.

Suddenly, a deep, thunderous boom echoed through the tunnels beyond. He shot upright, instantly recognizing the unmistakable sound of cannon fire.

Flame burst in Draevyn’s hand, and he held it close to light the way as he took off in a sprint.

Winding through twisting passages and narrow corridors, he stumbled over uneven ground as he wove his way through the endless labyrinth of the cave.

The firelight only extended a few feet in front of him, but it was enough to catch sight of crumbling rocks and the dust still drifting from the ceiling caused by the boom.

A second cannon sounded as he raced forward, driving him faster. A wild desperation clawed at him with each step he took. Draevyn didn’t let himself dwell on what cannon fire could mean, nor did he let himself worry about what Esmyra’s crew would do if they found he returned without her.

Finally, he rounded the final bend, the cave’s mouth coming into view right before he burst through it.

BOOM .

The ground shook beneath Draevyn’s feet as the deafening sound of another cannon tore through the sky while he bolted out of the cave, nearly tripping over the uneven ground.

He squinted against the sunlight, and gods, he’d never been more thankful to see it, but then his heart leapt in his throat as he looked out over the sea.

In the distance, dark plumes of smoke rose, swirling against the blue sky and mingling with the clouds.

He sprinted down the rocky hillside, ignoring the sharp twinges of pain from the wounds the grindylows had left across his back and down his legs.

Each step sent shocks of agony through him, but he pushed forward, boots pounding against the rough earth as the scent of salt and smoke stung his nostrils.

The small rocky beach finally came into view, and his pulse quickened with a mixture of relief and horror as he recognized his ship, Valor , locked in battle with The Night Wraith , their cannons firing relentlessly.

Draevyn ran across the stone isle, waving his hands above his head, shouting until his voice was hoarse. “Stop!” he screamed, but the word was drowned out by the roar of cannon fire.

How did Samwell find him? He never thought anyone would sail this far south, never mind for him .

His eyes locked on The Night Wraith , dread filling him as he noticed the vessel was already half sunken to the depths.

That damn ship was all Esmyra had left—her crew was all she had, and if they sank to the bottom of the sea, he knew hell itself would be kinder to the world than the wrath she would unleash upon it.

Something’s wrong…

Valor was unharmed. No holes broke her body, and no screams of horror rang from either ship. As he tried to settle his racing mind, he listened more closely to the sounds erupting from Valor.

It was cheering .

Not a single cannon fired from The Night Wraith , and no crew lay in wait on its deck.

“Mother of the gods,” he breathed.

Another cannonball crashed into the water nearby, spraying him with its splash. He staggered but kept his arms up, waving frantically at his crew as they continued to fire.

Desperation suffocated him as he stumbled further down the beach and into the water, cupping his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice.

“Hold your fire!” he bellowed, over and over again until his voice cracked. “Hold your fucking fire, you idiots!”

When nothing caught their attention, he lifted a heavy hand and heaved what remained of his energy into sending flame at his ship, watching as a small fire lit its rails.

Draevyn glanced down at the water he stood in to find the blood from his wounds had stained it red, and the outskirts of his vision began to blur. He didn’t realize how much blood he’d lost as it continued to pour from him.

Yelling sounded in the distance, but he couldn’t determine whether they were the lingering cheers or someone calling to him.

And then he crashed down into the water.