Page 74 of Daughter of the Dark Sea

Out of sight, out of mind. No one would be able to find it, or steal her power—

Crunch.

31

Kora whipped her head to the direction of the sound. Heart hammering once again—she’d need to visit Koji at this rate—she placed the talisman under her shirt, the glow faded—thank the gods—and she scrambled from the rockpool to peer around the arching rocks.

Her sight strained into the darkness, and she held a bated breath as she listened intently for signs of someone watching her. In the distance, she could make out the campfire, the tents, and the horses. But where were her crew?Had one of them seen her and reported it to the others?

Her fingers fumbled over the laces of her boots, and she cursed as she tightened them in haste, severing her blood supply to her feet. Sprinting back to the camp, her heart lodged in her throat. Mouth turned dry. Her stomach knotted and writhed within her.

Please be there, please be there.

She’d rather face an attack from the rebels than discover one of her crew had seen her using magic.That she was a mage.A mage with a power that’d never been recorded in history. Agatha would simplydiewith glee when she found out.

As Kora neared the camp, she sighed with relief when she spotted Aryn propped up against Rayne’s broad pale back, tending to his longbow. The fire blazed, warming both archer and horse, and he tested the taut bowstring, his gaze full of targeted precision.

Samuel emerged from his tent, situated behind Rayne, rubbing his belly and belching deeply. His face twisted as he belched again, pounding on his chest. He paused at Kora puffing from her sprint and smiled sheepishly.

“Apologies, Captain.” He patted his stomach. “Something’s not agreeing with me.”

She casually waved her hand like she wasn’t petrified she’d been discovered and was about to be hanged from one of the palm trees. “Not to worry, Sam. Nothing I’ve not seen before.”

Indeed, she’d witnessed her crew go through all manner of illnesses on months-long voyages—where they’d even had queues for the latrine after a bout of dysentery. Many ended up jumping into the sea just to clean the filth from their bodies.

She’d take that over facing a death sentence, though. Kora surveyed the small camp and her voice wavered, “Where’s Blake?”

“Sulking.” Samuel pointed towards the sea to their right.

Against the blackness of the ocean, an equally dark figure sat alone on the shore staring out at the fathomless expanse.

“Did you see anything over there?” She motioned behind her towards the rockpool.

Aryn followed her pointed hand and his eyes narrowed. The dancing flames of the fire ignited the golden flecks in his irises and it intimidated Kora. “No . . . why?”

“Did something happen?” Samuel tensed, his hand clasping the sword at his hip.

“I-I don’t think so . . . I think the darkness is playing tricks on me.”

“It does that,” Aryn’s voice lowered as well as his eyes, hidden beneath his thick lashes. She glanced at him curiously. “Why are you wet?” he asked without looking at her.

“I went for a swim,” she replied dryly. Both males paused and glanced at each other with a certainlook. “You both could do with one,” her captain’s tone surfaced.

Rayne huffed in response, and Aryn raised a brow, whilst Samuel glanced down at himself as if he could visually see the stench and dirt before grinning.

“You just want to see me with all my clothes off,” he chuckled.

There was no denying they all absolutely reeked from the sweaty, hot journey. Before they could ask another question, Kora rolled her eyes and muttered about speaking to Blake, which shut them up, and she stomped over to his brooding pit by the sea.

With his back hunched over, Blake’s arms rested on his bent knees. A small lantern shone by his feet, casting shadows on his bowed head, hair covering his face. He sat just enough out of range of the sea water reaching him and the lantern.

Fine, she was happy to avoid the sea for a little bit, too. Calypso had given her enough jump scares already. She sat beside Blake, mere inches apart, and copied his exact position, letting her head fall forward, necking craning. After a few minutes of stony silence, her neck and back ached, the pebbles bit her bum, and she couldn’t stand being this near to him without being able to touch him. Even if he vexed her.

“How on earth do you sit like that?” Kora groaned as she flexed her legs, rolling her neck with a wince.

“Helps me think.” His words were short and flat.

“Don’t hurt yourself thinking too much,” she replied overly cheery. “Don’t want that pretty head of yours breaking.”