Page 146 of Daughter of the Dark Sea

Another secret.

Her life had never been real. All of her relationships were fake.

Aryn averted his gaze, his jaw working as he pleaded with Skylar.

Skylar’s eyes flashed at the mention of Kora’s name, and she surveyed the battle around them, her mouth thinning. Kora peeked a glance down to the deck and gasped at the horror. Bodies and blood littered the deck, and more mercenaries and soldiers were swinging onto the ship from flanking vessels, propelling into the clutches of death.

The booms of cannons ricocheted through the air as the naval battle undulated in the sea around them. Smoke billowed from ships, tainting the sky. Arrows and lances soared through the air, embedding into the chests and necks of their enemies. Waves of yelling, crying, and moaning rang in her ears, and her bowels turned watery.

This was what Barron wanted—and this was only the start.

Thinking his name somehow beckoned him, and a familiar, dark figure landed onto the foredeck, the sound vibrating through the wood of the ship. Darkness leaked all around him, and she felt his ripple of power all the way from the other end of the ship. Like a beacon, Barron’s thunderous eyes found her immediately, and he smirked.

Apparently, he wasn’t finished being an admiral. But how had he found her on this ship?

Her mind screamed, her scar burning with an intensity that made her cry out, clutching the side of her face. Skylar frowned at her, but then instinctively whirled, using her sword to block an attack.

“Get away from her,” a familiar voice growled.

Kora’s world tilted on its axis as Blake attacked Skylar. He was splattered with blood, his leathers torn, and his face twisted with savage rage. A thick, writhing shadow followed him, echoing every movement he made, causing Skylar to stumble, her efforts weakening.

“Get her out of here!” she shouted to Aryn.

Blake’s gaze snapped to Aryn and Kora, and it fell to their clasped hands. With a roar, he pushed Skylar back with frightening force, her body flying back into the side of the ship with acrack.Aryn stepped in front of Kora, firing an arrow. It shot into Blake’s shoulder and he cried out in anguish, reaching to snap the arrow from his body.

“Kora, you need to run—now!” Aryn fired two more arrows into each of Blake’s legs, but it didn’t stop him.

“I . . . I can’t. I’m not leaving you like Sam!”

Aryn offered a half smile, his hawk-like gaze trained on Blake. “We need you to survive—run.”

“I’m tired of running!”

Blake’s attention whipped to Kora. At the sound of her voice, he ripped the arrows from his legs and charged forward. With one hand, he grasped Aryn by the throat, and she cried out as he tossed him over the side of the quarterdeck balustrade, into the teeming mass of swords below.

“You don’t need to run, myasterya.” Blake stooped over her. His presence was suffocating, and her power shrank within his proximity. He ran a finger down the side of her face, tracing her scar. It burned so mercilessly that stars danced in her vision.

“I’ll take care of you . . .” he murmured as his finger trailed down to the collar at her neck. He smiled at it. “You look so beautiful in this.”

“You’re fucking deranged!”

Kora stepped back as Skylar bolted from the side, her sword swooping up between them. Kora dropped to the deck, sliding across the slick wood as Skylar fought Blake once again. She was limping, and her face winced whenever she raised her sword above her shoulder.

“You need to go!” she ordered Kora. “Find my siblings they’re—”

Blake cut her off as he lunged for Kora, but Skylar effortlessly blocked him, twirling around before bringing the pommel of her sword up to his chin knocking him back. The move was eerily like one of Kora’s. Skylar was . . . she wasprotectingher. Kora watched her with astoundment. Why was Skylar, a Galenite, protecting her? Surely, Kora was a threat to Galen. She could be used as a weapon—

She sucked in a breath.

A weapon.

I possess a weapon. A weapon that’s never been seen before.

Barron had insisted on her joining their war effort. Did he know? If Erick knew, then what’s to stop Barron knowing about her power?

Leaping to her feet, she descended the stairs to the main deck. Skylar was pushing Blake back to the edge of the quarterdeck, and Kora would rather take her chances in the throngs of battle than be left with her ex-lover and a brutal Galenite.

She ducked, dodged, and rolled away from attacks on the deck, and a gleaming piece of silver snagged her attention. She knelt, grabbing a light cutlass sword before she fought her way across the deck to Barron.