Page 149 of Daughter of the Dark Sea

Aerion blinked, following Blake’s possessive gaze on Kora, and she reeled backwards. They were back to thisgame. He still thought he owned her. That she belonged by his side. That the façade was stillreal.

Gods spare her, what was wrong with him?

“I believe she can make her own decisions,” Aerion raised his hands, his tattooed fingers twirling.

She decided she liked this male, despite his bloodthirsty lineage.

“I have paperwork that says otherwise.” Blake inclined to the metal collar around her throat.

Aerion’s face twisted. “You utter scum.”

In an instant, Aerion waved to Kora and her bodylifted,carrying her away to the other side of the ship. Two mercenaries followed her, and she twisted in the air, her heart lifting with elation. She wasflying—albeit a couple feet from the ground, over countless bodies, and mounds of death. But she was flying.

Ecstasy filled her, and her mind flashed back to lavender skies and pearlescent clouds. The feeling of warm winds carrying her as she dived through the air, her laughter bouncing around her along with the inviting presence of—

Her memory cut off as she landed port side, and the mercenaries grunted as they helped her to her feet. Their armourwas fascinating. From far away, it looked like literal stone, but up close it was a shining opalescent metal, resembling gold, white, and pink all at once. Both guards were tall and broad, with dark skin and deep, kind eyes.

Had they been wrong about Galen?

Had everything Barron said been a lie?

Barron.

Kora cursed herself for being distracted, and she looked back to the foredeck. He was still there, observing the crescendo of warfare between ships. His back open and exposed to the battle raging below on deck.

Fool.

Retrieving her sword, she shouldered past the mercenaries, who followed closely behind. It was unnerving that they followed, like she was their leader. She approached the foredeck, her goal in sight, sweet revenge so close she could taste it on her tongue.

All she had to do was sneak up and plunge the sword right through his back, and it would all be over. There couldn’t be a war without a leader. The viceroys would fall into chaos, and the continent would amass control, silencing this nonsense. Even if it meant she’d have to go into hiding with her elemental power. But she knew, in that instant, she would never let go of it again.

“My lady, don’t go up there.” A mercenary tentatively obstructed her path.

“I’m not your lady. Get out of my way.”

“It’s not wise. Forgive me, but you won’t survive.”

She laughed hysterically. “You clearly don’t know me.” She motioned to the sword, her power rippling around it like a second blade. Flicking her wrist, a second stream of water shot from her grip, creating a three-pronged sword, and she revelled in her lethality.

The mercenary’s mouth thinned, and he held up a thick arm, blocking her way. “I must insist.”

“Don’t think I won’t kill you.” She placed her sword by his throat but he didn’t move. Didn’t even flinch. “Very well.”

She pressed the blade into his flesh, blood welling around the sword, running down his neck and—she jumped back. Something within her cried out at the sight of what she was doing.

This wasn’t right.

This was wrong.

This wasn’t who she was.

She knew better. Shewasbetter.

She . . . she . . . she was a . . . she belonged to . . .

Kora crumpled. What was wrong with her? Her mind was ready to split in two, her power frantic, and she was losing control of it too easily. Screams echoed as rivers of sea water splashed across the deck, writhing across the ship in a vice-like grip, its fingers clenching, ready to drag it down to the depths.

Panic surged. Building up and up. The ship groaned, wood cracking and splintering. Her breathing stopped and she bent over, trying to gulp down breaths, but nothing was satiating her.