Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 97071 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97071 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
As if my thoughts summon the man himself, Hedd appears on deck. He holds a great ax that most people wouldn’t be able to lift off the ground and his shirtless body is painted in gray symbols.
At my back, Evelyn whistles. “A berserker, huh?”
I glance at her. “You have them in your realm?”
“Yes, though they’re rare.” She narrows her eyes. “They also don’t need the symbols in order to shift into their other form.”
“Neither does he. He’s just a dramatic fucker.”
Hedd hefts his ax. “They’re coming! Let’s show these monsters what the Cŵn Annwn stand for! Death to all!”
A chill shoots up my spine. That’s not what … Fuck, I’m going to keep doing this, aren’t I? It’s like there are ingrained paths in my brain and I can’t quite jump the tracks. Another time, I’d remind myself that it took twenty years to make those paths and they won’t be undone in a matter of days. Right now, I’m not in the mood to be kind to myself.
I reach back and touch Evelyn. “Stay here.”
“You said that already,” she murmurs.
“I did.” I consider my options and decide there’s no reason to pull my sword. Not yet. “And you have a history of ignoring my commands and doing what you want.”
“Well … yes.”
“Don’t do it this time.”
And then there’s no more time for talk because the mermaids arrive. The sea churns as they bound and leap over each other to get to their prey. To us. They’re truly monstrous. No one would mistake their top halves for human, though they have a torso and arms and a head. But human fingers don’t have that extra knuckle—and they don’t end in claws. Human teeth aren’t sharp, jagged points designed for ripping and tearing. Even their approximation of hair isn’t hair at all. It’s closer to tentacles than anything else. Add in powerful tails that allow them to jump well above the surface of the sea and they’re every sailor’s nightmare.
The shrieking noise becomes almost too much to take. There are more of them than I anticipated, but that makes sense. We’re rarely called out for small infestations.
They surge up in a wave almost as a single unit, intent on breaching the deck. I grit my teeth and throw up a wall of power, breaking them against it. The impact shudders through me. Those monsters hit harder than the dragon.
As soon as my magic drops, the crew is there with harpoons and fire and various magical attacks. The shrieking takes on an agonizing tone as those attacks find their victims. The water churns violently, dark purple blood coloring the blue.
And then they turn on their injured counterparts. They’re equal opportunity predators, and a little cannibalism doesn’t bother them in the least. I knew it was coming, and it still makes me sick to my stomach. It’s not enough to stop the next attack, though. They’re insatiable, bottomless destroyers.
“That’s it! Send them to a watery grave!”
The mermaids shouldn’t gather themselves for a singular attack again—not when a portion of their number are eating their injured comrades—but I still keep an eye out for the possibility as I bat individual creatures from the air before they can make contact with the deck. It takes nearly as much effort as the wall did because there’s an element of precision involved. If I’m not careful, I’ll sweep the crew members into the water, and that’s a death sentence.
In the chaos, I catch sight of Nox on the other side of the ship, their crimson duster flaring out behind them as they send streams of fire and air in turn against the mermaids. Very few people with elemental-based powers have access to more than one element. Nox can tap into all four.
Hedd appears next to me, his form shifting and growing. It’s not a pretty sight, but once he’s in his berserker rage, he can go for hours and he’s damn near unstoppable. There’s not a lot of room left for coherent thought, though. “Let them on board!”
I frown. “Excuse me?”
“Is this a fight or is it a fight?” He smacks my shoulder hard enough to stagger me. “Let them come. That’s an order.”
“People will die!”
“You will fucking die if you disobey a direct order. Let. Them. Come!” He raises his ax menacingly. “Or I kill that little witch cowering behind you.”
CHAPTER 27
Evelyn
I KNEW THAT THE CAPTAIN HAD A BAD VIBE, BUT EVEN I hadn’t anticipated this level of recklessness. Bowen is the only thing keeping those shrieking mermaids off the deck. Even from where I stand next to the mast, I can see how sharp their claws are, how vicious their teeth. Bowen is doing his best, but they’ve dragged no less than three crew members down into the deep.
And now the captain wants to make it worse.