Page 94 of Daughter of the Dark Sea

You’re not going to follow me around all day, are you?

I wouldn’t be a very goodskildajif I didn’t.

Kora’s hands rushed to his face and Aryn flinched at the contact. She remembered . . . he was . . . they were . . .

The memory faded, pouring through her fingers like grains of sand, and tendrils snapped in her mind, burning the sound of his voice away. Cold darkness spread through her, dousing herreflexes, and for a moment, his name toyed on the edge of her memory . . .

This male’s eyes were stunning, and they traced every line of her face. He was a pretty male. Young, but pretty. A longbow arched around his back. Oh, an archer. She could do with a skilled archer on her ship to whip her archery squadron into shape. Perhaps Samuel could take him under his wing?

“Who . . . I . . . you . . .” she fumbled for the words. “Are you . . .” She frowned.

Wait.

The probing darkness hissed as she conjured a white thread, anchoring her essence. As it retreated, her mind clearing, she gasped—

Aryn.

She had forgotten him,again.Why was she grasping his face? She reared back, her cheeks heating. How embarrassing. She couldn’t go around clutching her crew’s faces. She was a captain for gods’ sake.

He stared at her in astoundment. “Do you—”

Aryn’s eyes flared in fright and he dragged her towards him, wrapping an arm around her as they collided. Retrieving a dagger from her back, he pivoted, blocking her as the sand blast settled, revealing Doran charging and screaming, Blake’s cutlass sword in his chained hands as he attacked.

“Get away from her!” Doran shouted.

Aryn met Doran blow for blow, and Kora stumbled. Samuel yelled, his enormous form hurtling towards them, leaving Blake crumpled on the ground, his nose streaming with blood. Theron and Ivar were already by the horses, mounting them to race back to the commotion.

“Kora, run!” Aryn’s voice strained as he fought Doran. The exile was so agile, so swift andfastthat she watched dazedly. He was faster than Aryn. An impressive yet frightening feat.

“Run.”

She faltered as Doran forced Aryn to his knees, his slender frame weakening against the bulk of the other male. Her heart clenched.

“Aryn!” Kora threw her second dagger, aiming at Doran’s heaving chest. Before it hit, Aryn caught it by the hilt, using the momentum to propel against Doran’s weight. Why wasn’t he killing him? Why was he continuing the fight? Aryn expertly ducked and parried, andsomehow, she innately knew what movement he would do next.

Duck. Parry. Swipe.

“I know what ye are!” Doran seethed as he tried to pivot around Aryn towards her, and her blood ran cold.

“Run!” Aryn yelled once again, forcing Doran to crumple as he became a fury of strikes.

“Run.”

Kora’s mind whirled as she bolted.

“Run.”

Her mental ice block crumbled.

“Run.”

One word screamed in her mind. A smooth, deep voice, pouring over her like silk, wrapping around her limbs, strengthening her fortitude.

“RUN!”

Towards Aryn.

Samuel mimicked her, and they converged on the fighting duo. Samuel’s sword gleamed in the sun, and she barrelled into Aryn with the full force of her weight, knocking him into the sand as Samuel drove his sword into Doran’s back, its end tearing through his stomach.