Page 61 of Daughter of the Dark Sea

Kora was a daughter of the dark sea. She was a harbourer of death and a siren of oceans.

“He . . . what?”

Her ears roared, and her stare helplessly snapped to Erick as his eyes begged and pleaded with her. He’d forced lies upon her, warping her mind to loathe pirates and Galen. Made her believe she was acting in revenge.

He’d betrayed her, and Galen, and had the audacity to parade as her father. It was the final sickening twist in her heart. To top it all off, he’d condemned her true father to the bottom of the darkest trench. Was he still alive down there? Nothing could survive the Black Abyss.

Erick’s conversation with Theron rang in her mind. A kraken lived in its depths. Was it real? And that meant . . . her father was Davy Jones. Good gods. Her father was folklore. He was legend.

He was death.

Barron’s thunderous dark eyes roved over her hungrily. He wanted her. Coveted her blessed gifts. He’d done everything he could to obtain her, to isolate her, and to break her. He’d used Erick and Blake in the process to keep tabs on her, to manipulate her feelings and to blind her.

“Bastion!”

Erick tugged his gag free, wrenching his face from the mud.

“We had a deal!”

Barron whirled, dark shadows leeching from his skin, and writhing in the air as his voice boomed, cracking like a whip.

“You’re a traitor who tried to take Kora away from me! Where were you taking her? Back to Galen?”

He scoffed.

“They’d never accept you now. You’d die in their Mist before you could reach their wretched shores. But that’s all you’re good at, isn’t it? Being a traitor. You betrayed the Windwards, you betrayed Kora, and now me.”

His power speared for Erick and he flipped back as black tendrils of tar wrapped around his body, squeezing, choking, draining his life. Kora screamed, the ground rumbling with her power as her heart shattered in her ears. Erick’s life faded, his body paling, his eyes rolling into the back of his skull.

The ground vibrated and shook, and Blake stumbled, warily glancing at her. He shrank away from Barron’s inky tendrils, cringing at the might of his father’s magic.

As Erick’s breaths shallowed, Barron released his power, seemingly satisfied with the torture.

“Take him away. I’m done with him.”

The guards hoisted Erick’s limp, unconscious body, and carried him towards the Citadel. Kora panted, her heart pounding in her chest. She was well and truly fucked.

“You called it . . . their Mist,”

she spoke between wrenching breaths.

“It’s not from the gods?”

Barron hissed. “No,”

followed by a sigh.

“I have spent a decade observing the phenomenon. I threw mages at it, testing their powers against it. But, alas, nothing. Whatever the source, it’s coming from within. It is not external. And it’s not the gods.”

He spat the final word.

“Mages,”

she repeated, trying to detach the vines whilst Barron was distracted. He certainly loved a show, and an audience.

“You have access to mages?”

He nodded, a gleam in his eye.

“Yes, but don’t worry, pet. None of them are as exquisite as you.”

This fucking male.

“So, you’re working with the Skytors?”

She took her shot and hoped it would land.

Barron stormed closer.

“Those rebels will die for everything they stand for. They’ve been hunting you for a decade, and they nearly succeeded.”

“But they didn’t. Because someone intercepted their lead and killed Finlay Blackstone.”

She pushed against the cold vines, their grip loosening.

“I see it now. I see you for who you truly are . . . Blake.”

His head whipped up, eyes flaring.

“You were the rat!”

An inch gap formed between her back and the trunk.

“The letter delivered to the crew had my seal, and only the two of us had access to it. Only you and the pit guards could unlock the cells. You knew who Finlay was. That’s why you were so harsh on him. And you used Silas to silence him before we made port.”

“Clever.”

His hand ran through his onyx hair.

“I tried to keep you away from it.”

His gaze flickered to her lips, down her body, and she halted. He had used seduction as a distraction.

“But Finlay made it to the bell before Silas could finish the job. I hadn’t accounted for the second twin to intervene.”

Bile bubbled up her throat.

“And that’s why you sent the messenger hawk ahead of time to Erick,”

the pieces of the puzzle fit together.

“You wanted Jack disposed of before he could reveal your secret.”

“Their twin bond was unfortunate. But I had to protect you from the Skytors.”

“Protect?”

she snapped, as the vines loosened further. She could nearly reach Barron, who observed the exchange with heightened interest.

“They were trying to rescue me from you! Doran knew, didn’t he? The exiles weren’t only after me, they wanted you dead!”

“Yes, but Samuel disposed of him for me, without realising the favour he’d bestowed. In fact, you pretty much wiped out all the exiles in one go. Saved me a job.”

She scoffed in repulsion.

“So much death, all so you could control me, force me to join your petty war. Samuel is in there right now! He could be dead and you don’t care. Theron and Ivar, too.”

“They’re all traitors, they deserve their fates,”

Blake’s eyes frosted over as Barron beamed at his son.

He’d orchestrated Finlay’s death, and her essence screamed at the depths of his betrayal. And what about the remaining Skytors? John had fled the tavern. Had Blake somehow disposed of him, too? Had he stalked her throughout the town, killing any connection she created?

Gods, had he been to the Silvermaid Emporium?

Panic swelled, her skin alighting with the endless list of possible names floating in Thanos’ cloth. How many souls had recognised her?

“Hmm,”

Barron mused, observing her.

“What to do with you.”

“You had your fun,”

Kora snapped. He had enjoyed revealing the betrayal layer by layer, his smile sickeningly gleeful.

“Be done with it.”

“Sending you back to the God of Death would be most unwise.”

His head tilted and he signalled to Blake.

“Desiccate her again, some time in the forest might make her change her mind.”

Desiccate?

She needed to escape.

Now.

She lurched as the groans of the dead swarmed the forest. Blake hesitatingly stepped forward, and the ground rose to meet his foot. Knots of grass latched onto his boot, the ground coming alive and rumbling in response to him.

She shoved with her might against the tree as the groans increased. Clawed, tree-barked hands erupted from the ground, grasping for her legs, searching for a fresh body to pull under. Vines cracked around her body, and the one circling her head crumbled.

“It was you, in the forest!”

she cried as he neared.

“As I said, asterya, I was quite disappointed you didn’t recognise me then for what I was.”

“You see, my son has a singular exceptional gift.”

Barron placed a hand on Blake’s shoulder.

“He can drain the life from any being, and gift it upon himself. Unfortunately, it doesn’t extend to another, otherwise I’d have exceptionally smooth skin.”

Blake’s injuries from the battle with Skylar healed as he leeched her life, his skin knitting together, blood re-absorbing into his body and smoothing over, leaving no trace of injury. Pain spliced through her as her leg shrivelled, her trousers sagging as her muscles atrophied. She collapsed, the weakening vines holding the upper half of her body up as she lost one limb.

“Stop!”

“Not only that, but he can also keep someone on the precipice of death, in a state of limbo, if you will. And that’s where we’ll keep you. Desperate to die, unable to live. Unless you change your mind about joining us willingly.”

Barron flashed a smile.

She attempted to spit at him, but she only managed a couple of dried, blood-crusted teeth as the decomposition spread up her left side. Her drying tongue scraped against the hollow sockets in her mouth.

Blake flicked his wrist and the vines snapped in half. Kora tumbled, falling at his feet, and a devoid, expressionless face graced her as he directed his power across her frame. Her bag-of-bones frame tickled her mind, dragging up figures of familiar gaunt faces with rapidly thinning bodies that possessed impossible strength.

Barron applauded Kora’s decaying form.

“Well done, my son. You’ve earned a promotion. A spot for commodore has just opened . . .”

Their voices trailed off, and her mind spun. She’d be gods-damned if she died now. Not after everything that’d been revealed. With a mighty roar, she painfully pushed her decaying body up and lunged at Blake, grabbing on to his hands.

She was descendent of Calypso. He was descendent of Kaiah.

And so, she called upon the gods.

Power erupted between them in a clash of green and blue, wisps of darkness leaking through. Her teeth gritted as water pooled, writhing around her body, lifting her hair into the sky. Nature exploded around Blake, leaves of all colours, vines and rocks cutting through the air as her power reached out and reclaimed what was hers.

Life slammed back into her all at once and she rocked back, her body and power invigorated. She conjured her water-sabre dagger as Blake unsheathed his golden cutlass sword. They dropped into a fighting stance, mirroring each other, and memories of the Darkoning Trials swarmed her mind.

He blinked, shaking his head.

“You went through all of that,”

she hissed.

“Subjected yourself to the trials, under your father’s orders to spy on me?”

“You’ve no idea what I’ve been through,”

he snapped.

“I never lied about us . . . about my feelings . . . everything.”

“Everything?”

she parroted.

“Everything, asterya. You were the light in my dark life.”

“Your life was never dark.”

“There’s more going on here than you know.”

For a moment, desperation flashed from his face and she screamed, unable to fathom the complexity of her own emotions towards him. He had betrayed her. He was her enemy.

“I don’t believe you!”

Just as they lunged for each other, Barron raised his hand, a giant slab of inky tar slicing down between them.

“Enough of that! I need you both alive. It’s clear we need another motive.”

Barron sighed, and shot a beam of shadowed power into a nearby cluster of pine trees. A moment later, a dark, malachite guard and a tall female emerged.

“Bree?”

Kora faltered, her power winking out.

“Don’t hurt her!”

Bree was faultless. She glided in a green dress with golden embellishments, her head held high. Her long braids swished around a golden circlet placed across her head, and her bright blue eyes narrowed on Kora.

“Why is she still here?”

Bree snapped.

“Why is this taking so long?”

“We need some extra . . . persuasion.”

Barron rocked on his heels.

“What . . .”

Kora staggered.

Her water beast growled viciously, her mind dizzying. Bree was . . . her power crested, surging to the surface, and she panicked. Her open palms glowed, blinding her.

“What is happening?”

Bree’s musical laugh floated across the air, her jewelled hand clasping something at her chest.

Kora’s power welled uncontrollably, pouring from every pore of her skin, every strand of hair, and lifting in a stream that floated through the air—straight to Bree. She flung her arms out, a wicked smile on her full lips as Kora’s shimmering power flowed into her chest.

Kora cried out, collapsing to her knees as a familiar numbness overcame her. As her power tapered off, leaving her completely drained, Bree hummed, her eyes sparkling . . . near glowing.

And around her neck, was Kora’s talisman, brimming with her power contained in its diamond lighted core. Bree waved a hand, conjuring a few drops of water, and giggled.

“This is going to be so much fun!”

Kora couldn’t connect. The droplets of water twirled, but she couldn’t feel them. She was such a fool. Splashes of tainted wine trickled through her memory from a hazed evening of ballgowns and tiaras.

“Why?”

Kora sobbed. Bree was a snake in a ballgown.

“You drugged me that night, didn’t you?”

“I need the velesma for power,”

Bree snipped.

The what?

“My family are destined to rule, and we need magic to do so. I will be the conduit for yours. Seeing as you want to waste it on . . . vermin. As an heiress, my union with the Barron’s will see us thriving and leading for generations. Leaders of the new mage world. The new gods.”

“Union? You can’t become gods!”

Kora’s world was shattering all over again. Thanos had sent her back to this shitshow?

Bree smiled, wrapping her hands around Blake’s arm.

“We are betrothed!”

Blake grimly peered down at Bree’s clasped hands, his lips curling, and glanced back to Kora. His jaw clenched as his shadow-rimmed green eyes enveloped her.

“It’s a recent development,” he added.

She’s nothing compared to you.

Everyone here knows that you’re nothing.

Kora glanced between them, and her gaze settled on Bree’s bright blue eyes.

He’s been calling for his blue-eyed beauty.

No . . . it couldn’t be . . . had this been going on for that long? Or longer? She revulsed from the couple, nausea churning so deep that she vomited all over the ground.

“No . . . I . . .”

“He’s mine now, and I’m not letting him go.”

Bree’s grip tightened.

Rage surged within Kora, smothering her heartbreak as her eyes tunnelled on Bree’s slender jewelled fingers curling around Blake.

“You can have him,”

she snapped, and Blake flinched.

You blind, ignorant fool!

“You can’t become gods!”

she repeated.

“You will kill everyone. Just because the gods are not here, doesn’t mean they’re not watching. You’re messing with forces outside of our control! Please,”

she resorted to begging.

“Please don’t do this. These islands will die. Mages will die. Azaria won’t back off. Galen won’t stop. I won’t stop.”

“I have seen the future, and it is magnificent,”

Barron boomed.

“The old gods are dead.”

“You have Devani gods in your gardens!”

she cried.

“You still worship them, I’ve seen it!”

Barron paused.

“Those are relics. Unfortunately, my wife insists on keeping them. And she’s a hard female to say no to. Now, let’s get this over with,”

he sighed, boredom seeping into his tone.

“I have a kingdom to rule. Until you come to your senses, we will keep you in a suspended state, siphoning your power over to Lady Hydrafort.”

Kora clawed at the ground, dragging her weakened body away from Blake, his green eyes burning once again as he knelt, vines trapping her in place on top of a small collection of boulders.

Her back cracked against the sharp edges, her skin slicing open, and the soil-like dust on his fingers spread to his knuckles as he conjured his power. Kora sobbed and whimpered. She couldn’t go back to that state again.

No, no, no, no! Panic seized her, her mind erupting. “NO!”

Bree watched beside Barron, a ruthless smile pasted on her full lips.

Blake gently placed a hand on Kora’s healed shoulder, and she froze under his touch. It was soft, gentle, and reminded her too much of the male he used to be. Sadness coursed through his stare, and her shattered heart fell apart, the pieces flying to the furthest corners of the world.

“Things could have been different.”

And then he blinked, replacing it with cold detachment.

Every inch of her life drained, seeping into him. This close, she could see a greenish light flicker in his veins—her life force. Her skin sagged once again, turning leathery and wrinkled before decomposing as her organs shrivelled, her bones protruding, pores shrinking, eyes crusting.

The pain was immeasurable.

A wrenching scream tore from her collapsing lungs, scratching up her atrophying vocal cords and past her sunken lips as the agony burned her alive.

“I told you asterya,”

Blake murmured quietly.

“When I finally took you, I’d make you scream.”

She screamed and screamed as he absorbed her life into his hands, suspending her into a prison of his own making. Trapped forever.

As her grasp on reality fell through her withered fingertips, Kora emitted one final flare of hope—a beacon to the only person she knew could listen.

“Raiden . . . please help me.”