Page 107 of Of the Stars and Sea

Whirling on him, I’m about to remind him of his promise that he will not stand in my way, no matter the risk, but the moment my eyes set on his, I see the fear etched in his irises.

“Please,” he whispers.

I take a moment. Two. Then I concede. Swallowing the knot in my throat as I glance at Collin, who’s still on the ground while Zaos and the other men try to get the sail back under control.

“He needs help, Grayson.”

A muscle feathers along his jaw. “I know.” Interlacing his fingers with my own, he leans over the railing and commands two of his men off the foremast to help Collin, but they don’t reach him before the ship begins to shudder violently.

Everything happens so quickly, I barely see the large stone isle to my left before the wind blows us right against it. Shards of wood splinter off the railing along the main deck, shooting out in all directions.

“Starboard side!” Grayson cages me against the railing again. The hull roars an ominous groan as wood scrapes against rock. “Hold the line, Zaos! Hold the line!”

Everything slows. Each heartbeat sounding in my ears feels like a lifetime passing by. Grayson continues yelling orders from behind me, but all I can feel is the unearthly wickedness of this place threatening to damn us to the hells for daring to pass through.

Zaos’s body slides forward as the ship takes another hit—on the right side this time. My teeth gnash together from the impact.

“We’re almost there, Little Pearl,” I think I hear Grayson whisper next to my ear, but I can’t be sure.

“The hull is breached!” someone from bellow us yells and panic grips me like a vise.

This can’t be it. This can’t be the end. Not when we’re so close and certainly not when we have vipers at our backs, waiting to strike.

The next time I hear Grayson’s voice, I’m sure it’s real as he yells, “Release the sails! Now!”

Fabric jostles loudly in the wind and I watch the rope slide through Zaos’s hands as the sail lowers, catching the full brunt of the wind. TheCaelestiajolts forward and just as I think we’re about to take another hit against the isle, we pass right by the final emerged stone and straight into a sea of fog.

Chapter 26

Dense moisture hangs in the air, coating my skin and hair with little droplets of water. In the rush of making it through the stone isles, I hadn’t noticed the heavy fog just on the other side.

The gentle roar of the ocean’s currents weaving their way through the isles fades the further we move into the haze. It doesn’t take long for an eerie quiet to settle over the water until there’s nothing but the sounds of the men working the ship.

“Was it like this when you came through?” I whisper to Grayson, feeling uneasy about disturbing the silence.

The dark strands of his hair are coated with mist as he looks down at me. “No. Not quite.”

Tension shoots through my muscles, making my stomach tighten.

“Well, that’s great,” I mumble more to myself than him.

The mainmast sail starts to droop, all the wind that had pushed us over that final cluster of rock has died in an instant.

Squinting my eyes, I try to peer through the dense cloud, but can hardly see the stern of the ship from the quarterdeck. I move to the right side and look over the edge. Ripples of grey water permeate outward from the ship.

“We’re still moving,” I say to Grayson over my shoulder.

Boots hitting the ground sound from behind me. Turning, I see Zaos striding toward Grayson. His palms are splayed open, like they hurt too badly to close. Angry red lines mark the insides of his palms. Rope burn—from that final gust of wind, no doubt.

My own palms itch with a phantom ache. I’ve had that very same burn etched into my hands before. It takes weeks to fully heal, to be able to hold a weapon without pain shooting up your arms.

“How bad is it?” Grayson asks.

“The hull was breached on the port side, but the men were able to get it under control. She’ll hold. For now.”

A sigh of relief wooshes from my lungs and I see that same relief hit Grayson’s shoulders as they finally ease down a little.

Walking back over to them, I feel a slight shift in the air. Almost like a crackling energy that buzzes in my ears and across my skin. Pausing, I hold out my arms and assess them. Wondering if there might be a lightning storm high above us that the fog conceals.