Strength Read online

  And then there was the bond...

  “Babe,” she began tentatively, “did you ever—”

  “So I’ve rationed out everything the Carpathians had in the hull,” Cosette interrupted suddenly, waving them back down to the deck. The others were already gathered beside her, oblivious to the tense conversation they’d managed to disrupt. “If things hold steady we should have enough for about three weeks, give or take. Given that there probably isn’t anything usable in the Dunes, it’s going to be a lifesaver. Granted, there’s only so much we can carry off the ship.”

  Evie and Asher slipped noiselessly off the banister, landing beside them.

  “The weapons are in order as well,” Ellanden added, slinging a massive crossbow across his back. “We can take our pick. Of course, it would help to know what we might be fighting.” A shiver swept across his shoulders and he muttered under his breath. “...just want to get this over with.”

  As if to echo his words, a flash of lightning shot across the sky.

  The friends looked up at the same time, staring at the black storm clouds gathering on the horizon. All day long, they’d appeared to be heading south. But as the hours dragged on the winds had shifted, and they looked much closer now than they had before. Already, the temperature was dropping—even more dramatically as they lost the last of the setting sun.

  “Let’s try to get some sleep,” Evie said quietly, fighting a feeling of unease. “With any luck, we’ll see land by tomorrow.”

  Luck? When have we ever had luck?

  The others nodded quickly, gathering their things before heading to bed. As Ellanden held open the door they filed below deck, one after another. The princess was the last to go, casting one final look at those troublesome clouds spreading over the sky.

  She’d just stepped inside as the first of the raindrops started to fall.

  Chapter 6

  The princess closed her eyes at midnight and woke up on the deck of the ship. The storm was gone, her friends had vanished, and ripples of silver moonlight were dancing on the crests of the waves.

  For a moment, all she could do was stare.

  It was beautiful. The ship might have been stolen, the night might have been freezing, and their destination might have been a sprawling wasteland full of the bones of people who’d come before. But it was still beautiful.

  She stepped closer to the edge, resting her hands on the railing.

  It was only then that she heard them—a chorus of voices coming from somewhere underneath. Her lips curved into a smile as she leaned closer to hear. Such unearthly sounds had never been heard in the halls of men. This was something different. Something less heard than it was felt.

  Her body warmed and flushed as the descant rose higher and higher, closing her eyes as it crept into her very soul. She felt as though she could do anything. Her arms lifted as though she might fly.

  Then a lone scream shattered the heavenly chorus.

  Her eyes shot open and she leaned over the railing, only to see a handful of beautiful people rise up from the depths and float gently upon the waves. Their faces were pale and familiar, their eyes closed in a peaceful slumber. Her friends hadn’t vanished after all, they’d simply made their way down into the sea.

  The sight of them steadied her, worried her. Filled her a strange tension she didn’t understand. She wanted to reach out and touch them, pull them back to the safety of the boat. But they were too far away, resting on the waves.

  If only she could get closer—

  “Everly.”

  She lifted her head and saw the one person who hadn’t been with the others. The vampire was hovering on the other side of the railing, his feet resting on nothing but air.

  “Come with us.”

  He looked like some kind of angel; light playing with shadows, eyes glowing silver in the moon. The wind picked up and danced around them, blowing strands of dark hair across his face.

  The princess stared, transfixed, but was unable to answer. Her feet braced slightly against the deck.

  “Come with us,” he said again, offering his hand. A flash of lightning tore across the sky, vanishing his skin and illuminating the skull beneath. She recoiled in terror, but it was gone as quickly as it had come. His lips curved up in a gentle smile. “There’s nothing to fear. We were mistaken. It’s been here all along.”

  She frowned in confusion, then followed his gaze down to the water. One by one bodies were floating up to the surface, drifting beside her sleeping friends. Only these weren’t living. They were only bones.

  The lightning flashed again and she let out a piercing scream.

  “Wake up!” she cried, desperate to warn them. “Get out of the water!”

  Except there wasn’t any water. At least, none that she could see. The entire ocean had turned into a skeletal wasteland. The ship was floating upon a sea of bones.

  “Come with me...”

  Lightning flashed again as torrents of rain plummeted down from the sky. Water poured over the railing of the ship, splashing in freezing puddles around her feet. She could barely see Asher hovering in front of her. Tangles of wet hair were plastered to her forehead and her voice was lost in the howling wind.

  “Wake up!” she screamed again, clutching the railing as the ship began to writhe. But her friends were lost in unending slumber—oblivious to churning currents, oblivious to the skeletal fingers curling into their hair. “Wake up!”

  “I tried to warn you,” Asher said sadly, still offering his hand. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  There was a mighty crash and the ship was violently knocked backwards, throwing the princess off her feet. She scrambled back up in the icy water, grabbing desperately for the railing, just in time to see a giant tentacle slipping back into the sea. A burst of fire exploded above her. A sinister laugh began rumbling underneath—

  “WAKE UP!”

  Evie opened her eyes with a gasp, bolting upright in bed. Asher was standing exactly where he had been just moments before, but there was nothing of that moonlit angel about him. His eyes were lit with wild panic, and tangles of dark hair clung to the sides of his face.

  “It’s the storm!” he gasped, barely managing a full sentence. “We kept thinking the wind would have to die down, that it couldn’t sustain—” The ship lurched violently and he grabbed the wall for balance, reaching the other hand towards her. “Evie—you’ve got to come with me!”

  Come with me...

  She froze a suspended moment, staring at his outstretched hand. Then she leapt out of bed.

  “Holy crap!” she gasped as freezing water splashed up her legs. The floor of the cabin was flooded, at least four inches deep. “Asher—are we sinking?!”

  The torchlight flickered and he grabbed her arm.

  “No, I...I don’t know. I think that’s the rain.”

  As if on cue, the window carved into the wall burst open—drenching both occupants and everything inside. He let her go for a split second and threw the weight of his body against it, but more water was coming from the other side. Even more was bubbling in from under the door.

  Sure...the rain.

  She nodded because she wanted to believe him. She nodded because there was literally nothing else to do. Then she grabbed his hand as the two of them battled their way outside.

  It wasn’t easy. There was trouble at every turn.

  Not only was the floor submerged in an ever-rising layer of water, but the ship was rocking violently back and forth—tossing them around like a pair of half-drowned dolls. No sooner would they scramble to their feet than they’d go careening forward again—sliding uncontrollably through the water before crashing into the opposite wall. It was a miracle neither of them lost consciousness. It was a miracle they managed to keep hold of each other’s hands.

  At one point the churning water reached their waists and Evie lost her footing entirely, vanishing underneath. It was almost a full minute before Asher managed to drag her up again, coughi
ng uncontrollably and disoriented to the point where she could hardly stand.

  “Are you okay?!” he gasped, cupping the sides of her face.

  She tried to speak, but couldn’t. She merely nodded and they took off once again.

  Most of the torches had already been extinguished by the time they reached the upper levels of the ship. By the time they got to the final corridor, they were down to the last one.

  “There,” Asher panted, eyeing the stairwell on the other side, “we made it.”

  Evie twisted around in his grasp, staring back the way they’d come.

  “What about everyone else?” she stammered.

  The vampire followed her gaze for only a moment, having tortured himself with the same question every second since he’d stepped inside. “Freya and Ellanden were already on deck when I left to find you. Seth took off to get—”

  A gust of wind swept inside, knocking the final torch off the wall. It spluttered into darkness the second it touched the water, vanishing completely with a silent hiss.

  For a second, they both froze.

  They had seen the hallway just a moment before. They knew it was deserted. But standing there in the sudden darkness, it was impossible not to imagine all sorts of beasts and terrifying creatures swimming around inside. The hem of Evie’s dress brushed against her leg and she jumped a mile. Asher’s fangs were digging into his lower lip, filling his mouth with the taste of blood.

  Then the moon broke free of the clouds, splintering in through the windows in jagged streaks of light. The hallway was just a hallway. They started moving once more.

  Almost there...just a little bit farther...

  The ship knocked them forward and they reached the stairs in a full tumble, grabbing the banister and holding on for dear life. After a few seconds, it steadied enough that they were able to get a foothold. They were about to go charging up, when a distant voice reached their ears.

  “Hello...? Is anybody there...?”

  It was coming from somewhere behind them, so muffled by the storm they could hardly hear. In a dark moment of self-preservation, they were almost tempted to pretend they hadn’t heard it. But when it rang out again, they turned to each other at the same time.

  “Seth.”

  They turned around the next instant, abandoning the stairs and charging back down the way they’d come. The water had risen even higher in just the few moments they’d paused, and when Asher tried to yank open the door the countering pressure threw him back against the wall.

  “I can’t get it!” He gritted his teeth, trying again. “The current’s too strong—”

  “Then forget the door,” Evie interrupted, sloshing her way to the window instead.

  Without stopping to think she punched right through the center of it, knocking away the loose shards of glass. The ship tilted dramatically, but she still managed to climb onto the sill before a strong hand yanked her back down.

  “What are you doing?!” she demanded, staring up at Asher’s face in the dark. “You said he went to find Cosette. They’re probably both trapped—”

  “Let me go,” he interrupted, already pushing past her to the hole. “The ship’s taking on water too fast, Evie. I’ll go find them. You just get to the deck—”

  “Not a chance.” She seized the back of his cloak, spinning him around to face her. “That’s not what this is, do you understand me?” She emphasized each word. “That’s not what this is.”

  Their eyes met for a brief moment then he nodded.

  The two of them made their way carefully out the window before swinging back to the other side. The split second when they were dangling over the roaring sea was bound to give the princess nightmares, but she kept her composure until they’d landed back in the hall. From there, the corridor branched in two directions. And they had no idea which way to go.

  “Seth!” she screamed at the top of her lungs, cupping her hands around her mouth. “Seth, can you hear me?”

  “Cosette!” Asher shouted beside her, staring down the diverging halls.

  There wasn’t enough time to check them both. Even if there was, both directions splintered into a dozen other stairwells and chambers—each of which was sure to be flooded by the time they arrived. Unless they had some idea where to go—

  “Evie?” a voice called out of the darkness. “Evie—is that you?”

  At the same time she and the vampire took off running, abandoning the floor and simply swimming down the hallway when the water got too high. They came to a stop in front of a closed door, staring uncertainly before banging frantically on the other side.

  “Seth!” she cried again. “Are you in there? Are you okay?”

  There was a muffled splashing, followed by a quiet curse.

  “We’re here,” he answered breathlessly. His voice was much closer, coming from just on the other side of the door. “I found Cosette, but...but the water’s rising and we’re locked in.”

  Something in his voice sent chills up the princess’ spine.

  “What do you mean, you found Cosette—”

  Asher pushed her aside.

  “Stand back, okay? I’m going to break it down.”

  There was some more splashing.

  “Okay—we’re ready!”

  The vampire squared his shoulders, then swung at the door with all his might. Instead of breaking through the skin on his knuckles ripped open, staining the water with blood.

  “He wasn’t kidding,” he panted, shaking out his hand. “The whole room must be flooded.”

  Evie glanced up and down the hall as the water rose to her chest.

  “Can you do it?”

  “Is it working?” Seth called from inside. “Asher—hurry up!”

  The ship creaked precariously beneath them, and the vampire pulled in a breath.

  “I don’t really have a choice.”

  Without another moment’s pause, he threw himself full-tilt at the door—attacking it with everything he had left, leveraging his full strength against the power of the flood. Evie rushed forward automatically to help him, then took an immediate step back. The force he was using was beyond her capacity. A glancing blow from one of those fists and she wouldn’t survive.

  It went on long enough that his hands were surely broken, long enough that those waiting on both sides had begun to lose hope. Then all at once, a plank sprang free. The entire door was soon to follow—releasing an ocean of water into the hall.

  The princess braced herself with a little shriek, digging both hands into the doorframe until the wave had passed. Only then did she realize how completely the room had actually flooded. At the same time, she waded inside to see Seth and Cosette perched atop the highest shelf.

  Seven hells.

  Evie sucked in a breath, then froze dead still.

  The shifter was staring down at them, but the fae wasn’t moving. She was lying in his arms with her head tilted back and her legs dripping streams of water. Those lovely eyes were closed.

  “Cosette!” she shrieked, splashing towards them. “Tell me she’s not...Cosette!”

  Seth blinked slowly, as if he was having trouble following along. The image cleared a second later and he shook his head—trying to reassure them.

  “She’s fine,” he panted in complete exhaustion, slipping off the shelf. “She just knocked her head—she’s going to be fine.”

  Evie grabbed the fae’s wrists the second they landed, searching for a pulse to be sure. The vampire waded slowly towards them, looking a second away from blacking out himself.

  His eyes travelled slowly to the ceiling before returning to Seth. “What were you doing up there?”

  The shifter pulled in a shaking breath, glancing down at the girl in his arms.

  “Looking for air...we couldn’t breathe.” It was quiet a moment, then he lifted his head suddenly—staring at each one in turn. “You came back. I didn’t...I didn’t think you would.”

  Evie shook her head blankly, crimson hair drip
ping down her face.

  “Of course we came back.”

  We’re in this together.

  A sudden hush fell over the four friends, broken only by the noise of the storm. For a moment, they didn’t think they could continue. For a moment, it was all too much.

  Then the ship creaked again and Evie’s heart quickened.

  “Come on—we’ve got to get to the deck.”

  THE JOURNEY TO THE surface was even harder than the one down. The churning ship was dumping plenty of water back off the side, but no sooner had it righted itself than it filled back up again, sweeping suddenly down the hallway and knocking the friends right off their feet.

  The climb out the window to get into the final hallway was especially tricky—even more so given that the water had risen up to their necks. Evie doubled back the second she was through, reaching for Cosette, but Seth refused to part with her. He merely tightened his grip and swung them around to safety, cradling the sleeping princess tight against his chest.

  When they finally pushed open the door to the surface, Evie felt as though several lifetimes had passed. But she quickly realized that she was mistaken. The worst was yet to come.

  “What the...”

  It was if the ocean was exploding. As if her terrifying dream had come to life.

  The sky was black, the wind was howling, and the waves were crashing with such ferocity it was a miracle they hadn’t already capsized. A second later, she saw the reason why.

  Ellanden was rigid as a statue, braced against the deck with such pressure that the heels of his boots had begun to dig into the wood. Both hands were locked against the wheel, using every bit of his strength just to keep it steady, giving his friends they time they needed to make it back.

  There was a reason he hadn’t come for them. He was busy keeping them alive.

  “Landi!” the princess shouted the second they reached the deck.

  He jerked his head, but wasn’t able to twist around enough to see them. But the second she called, a shadowy figure jumped up beside him—racing towards them across the deck.