Page 12

It would take only a moment for them to die.

I summoned my blade of shadow, eyeing the four.

Fae were easy to slaughter since they refused enchanted guns normally.

I could take out the ones with the human weapons first. The shifter wasn’t paying attention to it, anyway. It wasn’t his primary weapon of choice.

The same shifter growled, but the mage barked a laugh. “What’s one vamp going to do against us?” the idiot asked, digging the nozzle of the gun into the crew member’s temple. “You’re alone. And your Goddess isn’t here with you. One shout, and we’ll have an army storming this ship.”

Maeve offered him a smile one might have considered terrifying. “Who said I was alone?”

The mage fell without a word, throat sliced cleanly through.

His blood didn’t stop me from cutting through the Fae next.

I took a lot of joy out of sending that one back to Nyx, and I hoped she took pleasure in delivering the punishment he deserved.

The two shifters dropped their weapons, skin ripping with the intention to shift.

But I slid two charmed rune stones from my belt and tossed one to the vampire, who knocked out the team leader in her grasp.

Maeve took the stone and pounced one of the shifters, fangs popping free.

The other moved to tear her off his friend, but I shoved one side of the glowing stone into his chest and angled the tip of my dagger at his throat.

As soon as the stone cooled in my hand, I dropped it.

The creature’s flesh stopped shifting and moving, temporarily restricted by the power in the charm now burned into his flesh.

The shifter released a shaky breath and unsheathed another dagger. He’d been the silent one. From the corner of my eye, Maeve cracked the neck of the mouthy one. The large beast dropped, and the killing blow came when she shoved her hand into his chest, pulling out his heart.

I raised a brow at the remaining shifter. There was a brief flash of fear in his dark eyes, but he clenched his jaw, baring his teeth and fangs. “You will pay for this,” he growled.

Cocking my head, I shrugged. “I doubt it, traitor. My Queen will forgive all transgressions—with time.” I glanced down at the bodies before sighing. “But not until we clean the blood.”

“Your Queen is just as guilty as you are. She is a blight on our worlds?—”

Before I could respond, Maeve was there, a clawed hand curling around the throat of the last shifter. She slammed him backwards into a beam, making the entire ship rock from the force. The few remaining crew cried out, though with their mouths gagged, it didn’t sound like much.

Maeve brought her face close to the shifter’s, nostrils flaring.

“You speak a lot about things you do not understand,” she growled, the tips of her claws digging into the creature’s throat, drawing blood.

“I wonder—do you say these things of your own volition, or are you under the false king’s spell? ”

I cocked my head at the male, eyeing him warily.

If Blythe, my mind witch, was here, she would know.

Dante might have been powerful, but he hadn’t always been so…

in control. One day, I believed my friend might even be able to overcome him.

But without her, I would never be sure. And for now, she was safe.

I had no doubt Da nte and his little council of traitors were aware of her—of every powerful young creature from all the academies.

Maeve tightened her grip around the male’s throat, cutting off any potential response he might have been able to utter. “It is too bad you will die. But remember: your death could have been avoided. The Queen is our only hope.”

Claws sliced through his neck, right through his spinal cord, lopping the head right off his body. I watched, unbothered, as it thudded heavily to the ground.

“An important consideration,” I said, sighing as I kicked the shifter’s head away from my boot.

She stepped back from the body as it hit the ground, and her red eyes found mine. “One we should discuss when we move.” Those dark eyes left mine to sweep over the space. “Use your shadows to assess the rest of the vessel. We need to get it off the dock.”

One of the prisoners made a sound; I stepped up to the demon’s side and pulled the gag free from his mouth. “And who are you?” I asked.

The demon bared his teeth, spitting blood as he did. “I am the captain of this ship. And we will not go anywhere?—”

“Are you loyal to the Goddess and her Queen?” Maeve asked, stalking to my side, weapons now sheathed. “Or are you loyal to the betrayer, Dante, son of Sir Otto, the False King?”

The colour drained from the male’s face. He violently shook his head, desperation filling his voice as he responded. “We are loyal to the Queen. But they?—”

“There is no time to explain all the nitty gritty details,” I said, grinning down at the captain. “Queen Greer is dead. The Daughter of Nyx requires safe passage. Can you do that?”

Dark eyes drifted from mine to Maeve. His jaw ticked, but it was the way the other crew members shifted that caught my eye.

Upon first glance, they appeared afraid.

Either because of the situation, or their fear was directed at their captain.

But the longer I assessed them, it became clear that wasn’t the case.

Carefully, I looked at the vampire to see if she’d noticed the same as I had, but her eyes were locked on the captain.

I pressed my lips together and held firm behind her. There was no reason for me to speak up, and to question her would likely only add to the rift between me and Ivy’s other mates. What I knew about Maeve Grey was enough for me to trust she knew what she was doing.

The captain dropped his eyes for a moment, and it was all the vampire needed. “State your allegiance before Nyx. Let her know what kind of coward bows in her midst. Share with your crew who you choose to kneel for.”

“I kneel to no one,” he replied, baring his bloodied teeth. “Not to Nyx or Greer’s son.”

“Then we shall find another,” I replied, letting my stare drift over the crew. “Who here can take the captain’s place?”

There was silence for only a moment before a young witch lifted her head. “I can,” she said, voice quivering, though her stare held mine. “I will. For Queen Greer and Nyx.”

Maeve turned to me, her lips slightly upturned. “Let our Queen know we have a vessel. I will deal with the demon.”

I bowed my head and retreated into the shadows while the vampire did as she wanted to the demon captain. It was perhaps the first of many steps I would need to take in order to prove my worth to my mate and the others in her circle. But I would do it all for my flower.

Even if it meant tearing out the throats of every creature on this ship and the island. I would make her Queen again.