Page 12 of Pirate Witch

“Intelligent enough to interpret visions of the future, though?” Ry wonders, stroking Opal, who slinked into his arms about ten minutes ago and is now purring, ignoring the battle with an ease which I envy. “Most of the time, their beasts seem pretty focused on food and sex.”

“How is that any different from most males?”Opal retorts, but I’m too tense to appreciate her own cutting brand of humour.

Will Nos’s sight make a difference? Cas is obviously more experienced. Just the way his beast moves through the water shows he's more confident in his own scales. His attacks are choreographed, the strikes precise, even when they don't land.

Goddess, I pray, staring up at the Lady's crescent face.Please don't let this be a mistake.

The minutes drag by, each clash of serpent on serpent making the waves around them roil until the sea foams and churns like they're caught in a storm, despite the cloudless night.

They're both bleeding. I can see the dark slashes on their bodies from here. At one point, Cas's jaw bites down hard on the end of Nos's tail, and I wince. That has to hurt.

They dive back below the waves, and I have to remind myself to breathe. We can’t see what’s going on below, and I’m not sure I want to. I expected it to be over by now. I think we all did. Long, gut-clenching moments pass, and we stare at the waves in silence, straining to hear anything that might give us a clue about what’s happening in the depths.

Water erupts from beneath us, soaking all of us as Cas and Nos explode out of the sea too close for comfort.

Val shouts out a curse, and the ship glows even brighter as he tries to keep us steady.

“Are you twotryingto capsize us?” he demands.

Of course, they don’t answer. Both leviathans have their teeth firmly buried in one another, their long bodies contorted in a fierce, writhing knot as they fall back beneath the waves. There’s so much animalistic fury in their eyes that I worry they can’t even feel how much damage they’re doing to one another. The water that’s dripping off of me is tinged pink from their blood, and I bite down hard on the inside of my cheeks. I can’t keep watching, but equally, I won’t look away for fear that, if I do, something awful will happen.

When Nos’s head bursts out of the sea a few moments later, roaring into the sky, my heart tries to leap out of my chest. His long neck falls back into the sea with a dramatic splash that sends water flying in all directions. He reappears seconds later with the end of Cas’s tail held fast in his vicious jaws, but his white eyes are glazed with pain. When Cas’s head follows him out of the waves seconds later, he looks just as worn down. His blue mane has a chunk missing, and I cover my mouth with my hand when I realise one of his eyes is filled with blood.

“This can’t go on,” I whisper.

“We can’t interfere,” Ry says, shaking his head.

“This isn’t going to end without one or both of them dying,” I object.

My words are swallowed by another leviathan roar, and I blink away helpless tears.

Please, Goddess, let them both live.

NOSTER

We’re tired. Our strength is fading, but we can’t submit. Won’t.

Neither will Cas.

We’re equals. Twins in every sense of the word. The truth deflates some of our instinct fuelled rage and the distraction costs us. Cas’s body jerks out of our reach, and we lose our grip on his tail. With a frustrated hiss, we break the surface, waiting for him to come up and face us.

He doesn’t disappoint. We feel the spray of water, scent him rising out of the waves beside us. Our coils tense, bracing for another attack.

It never comes.

Cas lets out a surprised chuff, and our head moves to one side in confusion.

The warmth that consumes our tail is strange at first. Like the sea is heating. It isn’t until the tingles start that it becomes clear we’re shifting.

Only we’re not. Our body doesn’t shrink. Our scales aren’t forced behind human skin.

An awareness of a different presence slowly grows at the back of our mind. It’s painful. Disorienting. Like having our already full head invaded.

“Nos?”

Is that Cas?

“Nos? Can you… is that you?”