Page 26 of Voices in the Stars (The Lost Witch #1)

The day was filled with everyone on the ship working.

The larger men threw giant nets over the sides of the ship.

After minutes passed, they would pull the nets back in, hundreds of multicolored fish flopping inside.

Some other men would open a hole in the far side of the ship where the fish were dumped into.

The sun was starting to set now. All the work around me had slowed down.

Shades of pink and purples danced across the waves.

Everything had settled as night started to set.

The boat rocked less. There were less people wandering around.

Most had retreated down the stairs. Their laughter and voices could be heard above everything else .

“You won’ feel betta if you sit here all night,” a soft voice chimed behind me.

I slowly lifted my head, hissing as the world spun. I still managed to move too quickly as I turned to look at whoever spoke. A hunched figure stood behind me, long hair draped over their face as it tilted toward the ground. I squinted, trying to make out any of their features.

“You’re the first to care.” I couldn’t keep the annoyance out of my voice as I gave up, turning my head back to the open water.

“Cap’n scared most of the crew from you.”

A laugh bubbled out as I sunk deeper into pity and self-loathing.

“Maybe you should listen to your captain then,” I muttered back.

I felt the heat from my heart sink down to the smoldering ember causing it to start sparking back to life.

Footsteps scuffled closer to me. I closed my eyes, switching positions so the burnt side of my face was now pressed to the wood.

I just wanted to be left alone to suffer.

To not be put through the torture of small talk with a stranger.

My brows furrowed as I heard more steps behind me. Great. Now I was a spectacle they were coming to watch. That coal in my chest gave a weak throb at the thought of the crew watching my misery.

“Yes,” I snapped, hoping to chase some away.

“I’m so dangerous I’ve been kidnapped and almost killed multiple times.

I was taken from the only home I knew and thrown into this forsaken world that I’m still mostly convinced is some nightmare of my own imagination, because there’s no way anyone could survive somewhere so awful. ”

Tears were streaming down my face as I yelled the words at the river. My chest heaved as I tried to catch my breath.

“You can go, Sal.”

I ignored the way my heartbeat quickened just at the sound of his voice.

It was residual fear from everything he’d put me through the last couple of days.

The hunched figure left with Atlas’ words.

He was the cause of most of my problems. I quickly wiped at my face, trying to hide any signs of my crying.

It was pointless; I was sure everyone here heard my yelling.

Everyone below deck had fallen quiet at some point during my rant.

“Are you okay?” he asked, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I quickly shrugged off his hand.

“I’m fine.” I internally cringed at the wobble in my voice. I tried to hide my following sniffle.

“It’s not bad to cry.” His voice was soft. “It shows you’re better than most in this awful world.”

I glanced back at him. Any sign of the powerful man from earlier was gone.

His brown eyes were soft as he stared down at me.

His lips curled in a half small, the tip of one fang showing through it.

I felt some of the tension leave my shoulders against my will at the care that was written throughout his features.

My body rocked toward him as I ignored the way I wanted to sink into his arms. There wasn’t a single doubt in my mind that Atlas would’ve caught me.

Even knowing that my body was stuck in place as I fought with the idea that all of this wasn’t his fault.

I was being tugged around by the hand on my shoulder before I could speak up.

I squeezed my eyes shut tight as everything spun around me.

I took measured breaths through my nose, sending silent prayers that I wasn’t about to ruin his clothes.

My legs moved away from the railing until my back was now pressed to it instead.

There was a soft thump in front of me. When I opened my eyes again, Atlas was sitting in front of me.

My legs were crossed with my knees resting against his spread legs.

I felt the rocking disappear as my attention was, once again, completely on the mysterious man in front of me.

“It’s all a game here,” Atlas continued, gesturing to everything around us, “to see who will end up with the most power and who will be submissive.”

“Like you’re much different,” I commented. Everything he’d done had proven he was just as much a part of this game.

Atlas took in a sharp breath, and my chest tightened at the hurt in his eyes.

“I’m not trying to make anyone’s life worse.” He spoke like we were sharing some deep secrets. He even glanced behind, making sure we were alone.

“Except mine?” I questioned, bringing his attention back to us.

“Why are you acting like this is my fault?” he questioned back, refusing to answer as he looked over me. “I’m just doing my job. ”

Something snapped as I saw the confusion within his features. No remorse for anything that had happened.

“Your job?” My voice threated to break as my eyes misted with a new wave of tears. “It’s your job to take people against their will? To try to kill them whenever they don’t listen to you?”

I pulled my legs away from him, wrapping my arms around them until I could rest my chin on my knees. My emotions fought back as I tried to keep them locked away. It was a losing battle when tears starting trickling down my face.

Atlas’ head jerked back like I had hit him. His eyes wide as his gaze traced over my face.

“What’re you talking about?” He shook his head. “I’m escorting you to the city. You knew I was coming.”

“Knew you were coming?” I fought to stop from yelling, the confusion throughout him only working to make the anger flare up inside me. “What part of any of this has made it seem like I wanted to come with you?”

“Stop.” He stood, now refusing to look at me. “You’re working with my father. He’s the one who sent me. You could’ve killed everyone if I let you leave my sight.”

“I don’t know who your father is, nor do I care to.

The only thing I know about him is what you’ve said, which hasn’t been much.

All I’ve wanted this entire time is to go home,” I pleaded with him, hoping he would hear the truth in my words.

“And kill everyone? If I had that ability, do you really think I would’ve almost died as many times as I have?

” I scoffed at my own words. All of this sounded ridiculous.

He shook his head again like he was trying to push away his own thoughts before tilting his head toward the sky.

His hands furiously ran through his hair, grabbing at his own horns.

I grabbed at his hand when it came to rest at his side again.

His gaze shot back over to me. I quickly dropped his hand at the guilt-ridden look on his face.

“Please, Atlas,” I still begged, even with the ache in my chest at the way he looked at me now. Part of me preferred when he was threatening to kill me. At least then it didn’t feel like I had ripped something out of him .

“Don’t say my name like that.” His voice was weak when he spoke, only looking at me for a moment before looking away again.

“I just want to go home. Please, just take me back,” I whispered.

“I…I’ll be back, Cece.” He turned, practically running away from me.

I cursed, leaning back against the railing.

I looked up at the night sky and just started sobbing.

Everyone was already afraid of me, so I did nothing to stop the yelling.

I yelled for the family that I lost. The captain for making everyone hate me.

For the family that lied to Atlas. When my voice reached the point where it was raw and I could barely talk, I muttered a curse toward myself for getting sucked into this world.

For caring about the one who stole me further away.