The Dark of the Moon by E. S. Bell

Author:E. S. Bell [Bell, E. S.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-08-14T18:30:00+00:00

Blood Oath

Sebastian clung to a stray line. The deck was sodden and cold beneath him, blood and water swirling across the planks. My blood. My ship. My Storm.

The wind howled in his ear and icy seawater crashed over the rail. More and more would come and then the Black Storm would capsize. The brigantine would break apart in the merkind maelstrom and they would all die.

My ship.

Unless…

Selena was up on the quarterdeck. Ilior had hold of her by the belt. Her arms were raised, her lips moved, tears streamed down her cheeks. Sebastian couldn’t hear her cast her spell under the roar of the maelstrom, but he felt the magic. His ship began to rise, and with it a relief in his heart so fierce he thought he might weep himself. He clung tighter to the line as his ship was lifted out of spinning whorl and rode the crest of an enormous wave. Selena’s wave.

Such power, he thought and then fear stole his air as the ship dipped down when the wave lifted the stern. The bowsprit snapped and was lost and Sebastian was sure they would be too. But the Black Storm would not be swamped. It righted itself and raced along flat seas, driven by Selena’s spell and nothing else.

Sebastian climbed to his feet and his gaze swept across his deck that was awash in seawater and cluttered with broken planks of wood, torn and sodden sails, and loose rigging. Bloodied and drenched crewmen were finding their balance on the ship that cut water with no wind to propel it. But for Grunt. Grunt held his leg that was bent at sickening angle.

Sebastian looked for Selena or Niven. He turned in time to see the spanker boom that had almost knocked him overboard earlier come loose from Cur’s knot that tied it down. The boom swept across the quarterdeck and struck Selena across the face. Her head snapped to the side and she reeled toward the port rail.

She’ll catch herself, Sebastian thought and for a second she did; she caught the railing and held on. But the spell must have drained her. Or perhaps the cold was finally too much. The ship bucked and Selena was thrown over the side, the blue of her tunic flapped in the wind and then gone. She was gone.

It’s done. My last job…

Time seemed to slow down even as his ship tore across the placid sea. Niven emerged from somewhere, sodden and shouting and waving his arms at him like a madman, though Sebastian couldn’t hear what he said. Cat appeared and Sebastian wondered absently who was at the wheel. Blood streamed from her brow and she made the sign for “man overboard” over and over. Distantly, the wave roared. Or maybe it was Ilior. Sebastian held his breath like a drowning man in a black abyss, trying to hold back the water that sought to choke him. His lungs felt ready to burst and finally he gasped. Time lurched forward again and Sebastian took another breath, and with it he screamed.

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