Page 71 of Death’s Kiss (The Order of the Tide Raiders #1)
Doing a quick scan, I realize each and every captain has begun staring at me behind the helm like I’ve lost my godsdamned mind. From this distance, I can even make out Captain Agni, as he too has turned around to see if the announcer is telling the truth.
Imagining the dumbfounded expression on his arrogant face makes me laugh while donning the last of my accessories.
He continues staring from the place at his bow far, far , ahead of ours.
The thought of kicking that arrogant prick out of his precious first-place position twists my mouth into a wicked grin before I slam down the reflective helmsman visor over my eyes.
“THIRTY SECONDS!”
A savage smile dances on my lips when feeling the ship come alive beneath me.
Its buzzing energy is like kindling to my own excitement.
Gripping the wheel, I relish the feel of it between my fingers and the console between my thighs.
There is no place better in all three realms than behind the wheel of a terrifyingly fast racing vessel.
No matter my origins, I know that this is exactly where I’m meant to be and precisely what I was born to do.
“TWENTY! ”
Not even the announcer's voice counting down our cast-off can delude the elation coursing through my veins. Large drum beats are added to the count and soon the entire stadium is chanting down the time.
My eyes narrow in on the near-invisible crevice in the kórallian maze, located approximately five miles from us across the watery expanse.
I must be the first one inside that pocket.
Then I need to lose whoever we run into next.
“TEN.”
Taking one last scan around, I make sure my crew is in position. All seven of them hold onto the vessel's iron-bound railing and crouch low to the speeder's floor. Their heads stay tucked in tight as practiced.
“THREE.”
My eyes flit towards Corvina in the mooring directly ahead of ours. She’s still turned around to face me and has been studying my crew's odd stances with quiet calculation. Understanding dawns in the glower of her face just as I rip back the throttle.
“ONE!”
The moonlighter jolts forward with a daring force and I slingshot us toward the open entrance. The start-up is so volatile it would have sent anyone standing straight off the side of the craft.
We catch up to Captain Leporem's speeder in record time, even with their hundred-meter head start.
Her emerald eyes are almost comically wide with angry disbelief at our sudden approach.
Their helmsman, Raider Bellum, does a double take at our swift appearance and her nostrils begin flaring with outrage as we come deadhead to them.
Between the crowd’s madness at our spectacle of a start and the winds ripping against the side of the speeder, I can’t hear too much. But I am able to make out the growl of rage that emanates from Corvina when I flash her a grin and punch out in front of her crew with expert ease .
Keeping our speed cranked up dangerously high, the meters are rapidly swallowed beneath the midnight hull of our vessel. The pillars appear closer and Larceon’s speeder becomes my next target. I'm confident that with Javin as their helmsman, I can outmaneuver them without too much trouble.
Closing in on the two hundred-meter head start they were given, I enjoy the way in which Vash Larceon turns around to scowl at our rapid gain.
I’m not surprised by the blatant look of disdain he gives me up until a year ago it’s one I received almost daily from him.
But I am surprised by the frown he throws Kleio.
I’m then fully floored when Kleio returns him one of her own as we inch up through the water.
Looking to Captain Larceon and back to my second through the tint of my visors, I shake my head. I can’t afford to pester Kleio right now with questions. Vash calls something over to his seventh, Raider Aio, as she currently mans part of their stern.
The meaning behind his muffled command is revealed in the next moment when a net is hoisted off the side of their vessel and tossed in our direction.
I jerk us to the right in order to avoid getting our rudders stuck in the new obstacle.
The movement is so harsh that several of my crew members scream in alarm.
“Sorry!” I bark out above the noise.
Vash’s moonlighter keeps hold of the netting and drags it so I’m forced to move us further and further outside.
I lose meters as quickly as I’d gained them and begin cursing beneath my breath.
Racking my brain, I sift through years upon years of secret practice until payoff formulates in the form of a plan.
“Get back down!” I shout loudly. It’s the only warning I give before pulling back on the throttle and allowing the other northern craft to move back out ahead of us.
“ Merena ?” Kleio yelps in question.
My teeth lock together as my eyes devour the wake of Larceon's speeder, and I begin steadying our own craft's velocity.
My grip tightens so much that my knuckles peeking through the dark glove finger holes are as white as my hair.
I exhale slowly, aiming us as close to forty-five degrees as possible.
“Keep low and trim!” I order before taking on their moonlighter’s wake with as much precision as physically possible.
A small groan of effort escapes me while I grapple with the wheel against the wake’s brutal force. We slice through the chaotic waves and cut to the inside of their speeder with what I can only guess is pure fucking luck. Recovering control of the moonlighter, I smother the throttle.
The feeling of pure ecstasy alights my senses and I crow out loudly as we shoot forward past third place. My victorious shouting is reverberated throughout the night by my crew.
The northern ship's distraction cost us some precious time and even more valuable distance.
Fortunately, it seems both Brisa and Olsson are doing a good enough job of slowing the other so that we aren't too terribly far behind either.
The typical excited thrumming of my affinity has turned into a sharp clawing sensation due to the suffocation of kratosbane.
The pain helps fuel my competitive nature and reinforces the need to win, the first step to that is gaining entrance to the maze.
I glance up to where Kleio remains crouched at the bow, and I see her eyes already on me.
Tilting my head down to the throttle, I look back at her in signal.
She surveys the rest of the speeder and I wait until she gives me the sharp dip of her chin in silent agreement.
I crack open the throttle.
My laughter is frenzied in response to how efficiently the speeder reacts to my commands. I’ve decided I have to have one of these things. I actually think I’d be willing to trade my weapon arm for it.
Tearing up the midnight tides, our moonlighter begins stalking the two ships currently battling it out for first place. Their silver and crimson flags fly high above the boat's sterns, whipping viciously in the swiftly passing night air.
“Hiraeth—gauge and report,” I order Kleio while steadying our speed .
She rises up steadily before pulling out a pair of spyglasses and focusing in on the two crafts. “The West has hooked the South’s ship. It looks like they’re attempting to cut the grappling.”
My smirk meets Kleio's in understanding before I smoothly shift us over and begin claiming the inside line. The look I earn from both the west and south captains upon realizing our impending bearing is an image I would pay an obscene amount of silvers to have painted and hung.
Unfortunately, our unexpected presence fuels the others to make haste in their struggle. No more than a few moments later, Kleio reports back to me with a grimace, “Grappling's cut.”
The two speeders ahead of us instantly veer apart from one another.
The crimson-flagged moonlighter immediately drops down in speed, and at first, I don't understand the new ploy. It’s not until the slowing south positions themselves closer that I begin piecing together their intentions.
Captain Agni strides to the stern of their craft in order to give me a look of pure smugness as they jerk out in front of us and force our speeder to ride inside their intensely volatile wake.
Southern fucking pricks.
Waves begin slamming into us so hard my teeth feel as though they may splinter from clenching so tightly.
I try cutting through their backwash this way and that but each time I take a shot at carving up the side, they move right along with me.
Agni remains standing at their stern with an insufferable smirk while keeping a precise eye on my efforts in order to restrain us.
“ Such an ass, ” I snarl beneath my breath.
Growling low in frustration, I shout. “Opening her up! Trim the bow—roger?”
I wait to hear my crew members' voices ring back in acknowledgment before sizing up the next trough and immediately strangling the leather pommel. We jolt forward in a burst of savage speed and hit the trough right as another wave roars up before us .
I have no choice but to dive straight through the damn thing.
Salt water rains down all around and my crew scrambles backwards to redistribute weight while I fight for control over the wheel.
My filthy swears are swallowed up by the sea spray and thrashing winds until finally, my impulsive efforts pay off.
At last, we appear on the other side of the southern speeder.
My shoulders shake with triumphant laughter, while the muscles in my thighs begin to cry out in protest. I won’t allow the south the chance to push us again into their wake.
Keeping our speeds dangerously high, I take on the inside line. “Hiraeth—LeRoi—reports?”
"The north is gaining on the west," Herse calls from the stern. “Looks like they’re riding the slipstream, Captain.”
“DTG is one half mile, South is closing from the starboard!” Kleio shouts over the briny air running its claws through her curly braids. Looking to my right, I find she is correct. Captain Agni and his crew have cut in so close that I can almost see the embers burning in his irises.
I’m extremely pleased to find his hardened expression is one that flickers with contempt-coated outrage. He glances over to where Raider Ophios sits as their helmsman and back. For a moment, it looks like he’s actually debating taking the wheel from his second for himself.
“Maneuvering!” I shout and my crew hits the deck in preparation.
I flash Agni my captain ring finger, with a grin so cocky it’s sure to send him right over the brink and promptly begin wrestling the helm.
I push and pull the beautiful wheel until my arms bark out in pain from the effort.
Once I’m gritting against the exertion it takes to continue, I chance a glance at starboard and am flooded with relief.
The strategic zig-zagging has paid off.
The southern moonlighter has been effectively shoved further and further away with each of my forceful maneuvers.
I spot Agni bellowing at the top of his lungs from the bow of their speeder at his crew, absolutely furious .
His obvious enragement is satisfying as is, but even better is the dual effect it has of knocking back Brisa and her crew, who were once again on the approach.
Turning back to the widening mouth of the kórallian maze, I grin and yell out, “Heaving to!”
I can only hope all their grips are firm enough when I rear back the throttle and slow us down just in time to hit the opening without crashing straight through the ghostly reef.
“ First! We’re first!” Kleio crows loudly between cupped hands.
The others begin howling and cheering over the win now they’re actually able to stand. Herse begins shaking me by the shoulders in excitement, while the others all smack my helmsman visor in playful camaraderie.
"Okay, okay—now the real trail begins,” I tell them coolly, not wanting to get ahead of ourselves.
But my lips have a hard time remaining in a straight line.