“Bowen!”
I look up to find Evelyn leaning over the railing, her gorgeous face a mask of fear. At her side, Nox stands with their hands outstretched, their eyes narrowed in concentration. They snarl when they see me. “I can’t hold you forever, you fool. Get up here.”
They saved me.
It takes twice as long to climb up the side of the ship as it did the last time. My lungs are on fire and every muscle in my body shakes. I can’t help looking over my shoulder again and again, half certain that Hedd somehow survived after all that. But he never surfaces. No matter how extended his ability to hold his breath is, he doesn’t have gills. He can’t do it indefinitely. He’s dead. He has to be.
Evelyn practically tackles me as I haul myself over the railing. Her hands are everywhere, checking me for injuries. She makes a pained sound when she reaches my throat and brushes her fingers over the tender skin there. “Oh, Bowen.”
I look over her head to find the deck filled with absolute carnage. There are easily twenty dead bodies. At first glance I’m not entirely certain how they died, only that there’s a lot of blood.
And there, leaning against the mast as if she has nowhere better to be, is the vampire. This is her work. I don’t know that I’ll ever be comfortable in her presence, but I can’t deny that she is a useful ally to have on our side.
Nox crouches in front of me, their expression serious. “I think it’s time we talked.”
“Yes,” I rasp.
“Give me two minutes.” They stand and turn to face the few crew members left living. Nox projects their voice. “We have to move fast. These poor souls were victims of the mermaid attack gone wrong. We eliminated the pests, but lost them in the process. Give them a sea burial and get this deck cleaned up. We sail at first light. I’ll file the report as soon as we put some distance between ourselves and Three Sisters.”
The surviving crew leaps into motion. There are no questions and no challenges to Nox’s order. We were right. The people here who follow them, follow them, not the C?n Annwn.
Evelyn helps me to my feet and slips under my arm. As we stagger after Nox in the direction of the captain’s cabin, I catch sight of Dia. She seems unharmed, and even gives me a saucy wink as I pass. Thank the gods she’s okay. I didn’t realize how worried I was about her until I see her alive and well.
Lizzie joins us in the cabin, still looking bored. Evelyn urges me into a chair, and I can’t help staring at the vampire and wondering at her complete lack of concern over murdering nearly two dozen people. If it affected her at all, there’s no evidence of it on her face. There’s still a coiled tension to her body that I suspect means she can burst into violence at any time. I don’t know why that surprises me. Evelyn has told me time and time again how dangerous Lizzie is.
But she pulled her punches in her fight with Evelyn. It gave me a false sense of security. I can’t afford to underestimate her, for all that she appears to be on our side. For now. There’s no telling how long that will last. It’s become clear she doesn’t actually want to kill Evelyn, but that doesn’t mean she’s safe for anyone else to be around. At least there’s some assurance that she will cooperate until we find the Crimson Hag and she gets her family heirlooms back.
What happens after that is anyone’s guess.
Nox looks around the room in disgust. It’s not particularly filthy, but there is evidence of Hedd everywhere. His clothes strewn about on the floor. Several racks of weapons leaned haphazardly against the wall. His desk piled high with bottles of liquor, to the point where it’s almost impossible to see the surface. A quick glance at the small open space reveals several notifications of tardy reports.
Nox sighs and crosses their arms over their chest. “I don’t know whether to thank you or cut your throats and be done with it.”
“I highly suggest you go with the former option considering we just secured you the captaincy.” Lizzie speaks mildly as she examines her nails, which only makes her threat more pronounced. “You’re welcome, by the way.”
Nox is completely unfazed. They turn to the vampire. “I don’t know you.”
“You don’t need to know me. You know her.” Lizzie flicks her fingers at Evelyn. “So let’s stop pussyfooting around and get to the point. Like Evelyn said, we helped you out. In return, they want information. I want a ride until we cross paths with the Crimson Hag. A small price to pay for your new promotion. If you don’t cooperate, I’m sure there’s someone else among the crew we can convince to see things our way.”
I tense, ready to jump in if things escalate, but Nox just laughs. “I can see that you’re going to be a pain in my ass. Great.” They turn to me and Evelyn. “If I tell you this, there’s no going back. You’re either with us, or you don’t leave the ship alive.”
“We’ve already gone too far.” I take Evelyn’s hand and squeeze. She’s still hovering close, as if she’s certain I’m going to slide it right out of my chair. “Tell us.”
“Suit yourself.” They lean on the edge of the desk. “There’s a number of people who don’t agree with the way the laws are set up in Threshold. The C?n Annwn are more than capable of transporting people back to the portals that will lead to their home realms. There’s no reason that we don’t do so—except for control. It’s a power grab that ensures the Council won’t be questioned, and that the ranks of their hunters are always filled.”
It’s the conclusion Evelyn and I already came to. She saw the cracks in the system immediately. It took her practically smacking me over the head with them in order for me to see them, too. It still doesn’t explain how this rebellion is happening, and how they’ve gone this long without anyone noticing. “So someone decided to do something about it?”
“So someone decided to do something about it,” Nox agrees. They shrug. “I suspect sympathetic people among the C?n Annwn have been allowing trespassers to slip through their fingers for generations. It wasn’t until …” They hesitate and seem to have an internal battle with themself. Finally, they continue. “Our leader is someone uniquely situated to create a proper network. They are able to manage communications, and ensure that we are able to move more effectively toward our goals.”
“What goal is that? Getting people home … or something more?” Again, I’m nearly certain I know what Nox will say before they speak, but I want to hear them say it. There’s a feeling in my chest, a bubble growing that I’m terrified will pop. Evelyn is mostly joking when she calls me a paladin—at least I think she is. But the truth is that the label fits far better than I’ll ever want to admit aloud.
I need a cause to believe in. I don’t know if I’ll ever follow on faith alone again or without question, but maybe my loyalty means more that way. I don’t know. It’s something to think about later.
Again, Nox hesitates. It strikes me that they’ve had to be so careful with their words and how they carry themselves while serving on this crew. It must be strange to be asked to speak plainly. To be able to. “When’s the last time the C?n Annwn actually hunted? I don’t mean all of us sailing around on crimson-sailed ships, and I sure as fuck don’t mean those peacocks in the Council. I’m talking about the originals. I’m not certain they exist anymore. The only proof we have is the Council’s say-so.” They shrug, but the move is far too tense. “It’s above my pay grade. All I’ve ever wanted is freedom, and the life we live isn’t free. It just looks that way from the outside.”