Thief of Dreams (Star Requiem Book 2) by Adrian Cole

Author:Adrian Cole [Cole, Adrian]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Open Road Media Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Published: 2014-04-01T00:00:00+00:00

14

CYCLONE

Ussemitus put himself between Aru and the first of the attackers, but she pushed him aside, eager to defend herself. Armestor and Fomond unslung their bows, but there was little room on the deck to put them to good use and they had to resort to their swords. The crewmen moved in, pinning their passengers back, forcing them away from the gliderboat: two of the pirates fell, run through by Aru, who was far more skilful with the sword than they had expected, and by Fomond, who narrowly escaped a serious wound as he made his kill.

Stormweave reshaped himself, his figure hovering at the edge of the skirmish, barking commands. His men drew back cautiously, spreading their circle. Stormweave stood beside the gliderboat, looking down into it. He touched it with a hand that was almost transparent, but Jubaia felt a response in the craft, as if it had been stung by an insect.

‘Don’t harm her!’ he cried instinctively and there was a meaningful smile on the face of the apparition.

‘If she means anything to you,’ his voice rasped above the wind as it raced furiously about the ship, ‘you’ll surrender yourselves to me.’

‘What do you intend?’ said Ussemitus.

‘This storm gathers power to it. We must go back to Kelpoora. I’ve no desire to continue our voyage. And you’ve broken the charter. Drop your weapons and be sensible.’

Jubaia stepped forward. ‘Listen to me, Stormweave. It’s true that I deceived you about the gliderboat. But you dare not go back to Kelpoora.’

‘I’ve no fear of the League.’

‘No. But you have no knowledge of the thing that follows us. It will be making for Kelpoora, following our trail.’

Stormweave scowled. He recalled the shadow he had sensed in the east. ‘Why should I fear this thing?’

‘It is indiscriminate in what it kills.’

The motionless figure studied Jubaia, the waves thrashing at the side of the ship, the membranous sails stretched back in a tight curve as the craft arched up and over another huge surge of water. Stormweave pointed to the bow. ‘Go there. Open your mind and let me see your thoughts. Show me this thing that comes. Quickly, or I’ll turn about very soon.’

Jubaia put down his weapon on the deck and carefully walked up towards the prow, the shape of Stormweave gliding behind him. The water that showered over the little man was icy, but he gripped ropes attached to the sides of the ship and held on grimly. Jubaia knew that the living ship would read his thoughts, so he pictured to himself the shadow he had glimpsed in the east, Zellorian’s creature that followed them. He was careful to shield other thoughts, projecting only the image of the dark gliderboat.

The shadow figure of Stormweave called something above the raging seas. Lightning seemed to answer him, spearing down ahead of them.

‘What is this thing?’ he called to Jubaia.

‘An engine of death.’

‘There is danger to Kelpoora?’

‘Only if we return there. But it will not attempt to cross the Ocean of Hurricanes.’

Jubaia could sense the ship as it pondered over the terrible vision he had shared with it.

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