A Soul For Chaos (The Soulbearer Trilogy) (7 page)

Then a slip of magic coiled up her arm, moving to the pit of her ailing stomach. For the first time since they’d left Boznac, her nausea vanished. She opened her eyes and glimpsed a hint of a smile on Dev’s lips.

“He’s not the only one who can help you, you know.”

She wasn’t sure if he was referring to Loku or Kell, but she sat up, her hand still caught up in his. “Then why didn’t you do that earlier?”

“You didn’t ask.” A spark of playfulness, so rarely seen in the normally sullen knight, tinged his words.

She yanked her hand back. How dare he let her suffer like that? But she was too relieved to not feel the contents of her stomach sloshing around to stay angry at him for long. “Next time, let me know what you’re capable of doing, and maybe I’ll ask sooner.”

His grin widened, and his dark green eyes brightened. “And if I need to peel your princeling away from your side in the process?”

She groaned and plopped back on her pillow. “He was trying to help in the only way he knew how.”

“Perhaps.” He stood, his brief merriment vanishing so quickly, she wondered if she’d dreamed it up. “Now that you’re feeling better, we need to catch up on your lessons. I’ll let you freshen up before you join us.”

She sighed as the door closed. Every time she glimpsed the softer side of Dev, it slipped from her as quickly as water through her fingers. But, she took advantage of the reprieve and washed up before changing her clothes and carefully weaving her thick blond hair into a single braid.

If she had hoped to find Dev and Kell sitting around a table and chatting like old friends, she discovered she’d have to wait a bit longer. They sat at opposite ends of the cabin, their bodies as tense as their expressions. When she stepped into the room, they both jumped to their feet and raced toward her.

“I’m so glad you’re feeling better—” Kell started.

Dev spoke at the same time, trying to drown him out. “Now that you’re feeling better we can begin our lessons—”

“Stop it, both of you.” She backed away from them toward the door leading to the deck. “I’ve been cooped up in my room since we got here, and I’d like to have a bit of fresh air—alone—before you both start bickering again.”

She stepped outside, inhaling the clean air and letting the irritation flow out of her as she exhaled. As nice as it initially was to discover Kell had come along, she now wished he’d taken his own ship. The way they were all at each other’s throats made the already nauseating voyage that much more trying. Hopefully, they would be able to work out their differences before they landed in Gravaria. Or at least, once they were able to stay in a space bigger than the cramped cabin they all shared.

A cold nose nudged her wrist. She knelt down and tousled Cinder’s thick red fur. “At least you haven’t pissed me off.”

Cinder gave her his wolfish grin, complete with tongue hanging out the side of his mouth.

Although the sails were stretched full, the ship glided over the sea as though it were the slicked surface of a frozen pond. She stood and moved toward the railing, anxious to stare down at the sea now that she didn’t fear puking over the edge. The sun illuminated the turquoise water and flashed off the scales of the fish near the surface. She leaned forward, letting it warm her back. It was such a perfect day that she loathed having to return to the cabin.

As she watched the waves dance around the ship, she noticed a change in their movement. At first, they cut away from the hull in straight lines, forming a vee as they moved through the water. Then they started to curl around and lapped the sides like a tongue. The curls grew tighter until they circled completely around from where they started.

The air grew heavier, and the hairs on her arm rose. Beside her, Cinder growled.

“
Go back inside, Arden,
” Loku urged, prying her hands off the railing.

The wind died, leaving the limp sails behind. Below, the water continued to swirl. A whirlpool formed and pulled the ship toward it.

Arden’s heart pounded, her limbs paralyzed as she watched. Magic thickened around her, making it harder to breath.

“
Get inside now!
” Loku shouted, fighting for control of her body.

Cinder whimpered and rammed his head against her legs. They buckled under her, sending her sprawling across the deck.

“Sweet Lady Moon, what is that?” one of the sailors shouted.

Arden followed to where he pointed and gasped. Rivers of ice formed in her veins, making it impossible to shake off the shivers of dread pulsating through her.

A watery hand the width of the ship emerged from the whirlpool. It stretched toward the sky, glistening in the sunlight like a diamond.

Then it reached out to grab her.

Chapter 8

After Arden left the cabin, Dev glared at Kell and reached for his sword. The princeling flinched and ran his hand along his belt to where his scabbard normally hung, only to find it missing.  Kell’s face paled, and Dev silently laughed. He retreated to his bed and began sharpening the blade. Not that it needed it—he always kept his weapons in pristine condition—but it was too much fun intimidating the prince.

Unfortunately, Kell recovered quickly and found his voice. “What kind of game are you playing, Dev?”

Dev lost himself in the slow rhythmic swoosh of the metal against the whetstone before answering. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Your Highness.”

“Come on, now.” He paced along the opposite side of the room, his boots pounding the wooden floor with enough force to make the beams creak in protest. “Stop acting like you have some sort of claim on her.”

Dev refused to be sucked into Kell’s mood, continuing to run the stone along his blade. “I do have a claim on her. I’m her protector, and it’s my duty to keep her from harm.” He paused and lifted his eyes to the prince. “Including the threats she’s too blind to see.”

Kell stopped and curled his fingers into fists. “Admit it, Dev. You’ve never liked me.”

He chuckled and gazed down his blade, admiring how razor thin the edge was. “I wouldn’t go as far as to say that, Your Highness. You have a few redeeming qualities.”

“Just none when it comes to Arden, right?”

“You make a good nursemaid.” The calmer he remained, the more agitated the prince became. Thank Jussip age and experience had tempered him enough not to let his emotions get the better of him. In a couple of weeks, he’d be able to take Arden to a place where Kell couldn’t follow them. Until then, he needed to resist the temptation to lock her in her room for the rest of the voyage.

“Damn it, Dev, I will not have you mock me.” Kell’s cheeks flushed with anger, and his knuckles blanched. “I care about her, which is more than I can say about you.”

Dev froze, waiting to suppress the storm of emotions raging inside him. This was precisely the reason why he couldn’t allow himself to get close to her. He feared turning into some jealous lover that would run any man through for looking at her the wrong way. Or worse, become so ensnared in her wiles that he let his guard down.

He stood, sliding his sword back into its scabbard, but his hand never left the hilt. “Don’t presume you know anything about me, Kell.”

“I base my judgment on what I see before me.”

“As do I.” His fingers itched to grip his sword, to show the bratty young princeling a lesson. But instead, he drew in a deep breath and let his hand fall lax. “Your father never sent you on this diplomatic envoy, did he?”

Only the slightest widening of Kell’s eyes revealed the truth. Dev had spent years watching card players for their tells, and he knew from the moment Kell told his tale that he was lying.

“I know for a fact the last diplomatic envoy ended on a bitter note,” Dev continued, “and the last thing I see your father doing is re-establishing ties with Gravaria.”

Kell’s chest rose. “Perhaps he’s come around in his old age.”

“Or perhaps you’ll make up any excuse to be with Arden.” He caught a flicker of movement along Kell’s jaw from the tightening of the muscle—another tell that he was right.

“Things are changing, even now.” Kell didn’t blink as he spoke. “When I’m king, I’ll shape Ranello into the kingdom I envision it can be.”

“And I bet you’d love to have a powerful witch like Arden in your arsenal, just like you did when Sulaino was threatening your kingdom.” Dev took a step toward him. “You have no idea of the magic you’re playing with, nor the consequences it can bring.”

“If you’re going to tell me that nonsense about it driving her insane, I don’t believe it. I saw with my own eyes what she did.” Kell narrowed the space between them. “And I saw she suffered nothing more than exhaustion afterwards.”

“We were lucky then.”

“Or maybe you were wrong about everything.”

Dev opened his mouth to reply, but a shock raced down his spine. His stomach turned, and the overwhelming sense of foreboding quickened his pulse. The air grew heavy with magic. Strong, dark magic.

Even Kell’s breath caught. Panic filled his eyes.

This type of magic only meant one thing. Arden was in danger.

Dev raced for the door, the sound of footsteps telling him Kell was close behind. He flung it open to witness a giant watery hand splashing onto the deck toward Arden.

The boat lurched to the side. She fumbled for a nearby rope, her eyes wide as she slid toward the sea. The watery hand wrapped around her ankles, pulling her closer to the edge. She reached for him. “Dev!”

He dove toward her. Their fingers brushed. Heart pounding, he tried to grasp her, but she slipped away through the railing

The ship righted itself, and Dev jumped to his feet, running toward the side of the boat. Behind him, Kell barked out orders to the men to get a rope to throw toward her, but he feared it would be too late. Arden couldn’t swim, and that spell would drag her under the waves before they would have a chance to rescue her.

He never broke his stride when he dived over the edge into the water. Ahead, the sun light caught her golden hair. He swam toward her with all the strength he could muster, his mind acutely aware of each passing second she remained submerged.

Arden’s eyes widened with panic, and his heart wrenched as she reached for him again. The seawater rushed into her open mouth, garbling her cries of help. Her arms and legs flailed, the movements quick and jerky at first, getting her nowhere. Then they slowed, and she began to sink.  Her eyelids were beginning to droop when he wrapped his arm around her chest. A shower of bubbles tickled the side of his face as her lungs emptied of air.

“There they are,” he heard when he broke the surface. He grabbed the rope they threw toward him and let them pull him back on board.

Arden remained limp in his arms, her face pale. Fear gripped his gut. Had he been too late?

Kell snatched her from him as soon as they got on the deck. “She’s not breathing.”

His heart stopped.
No, no, no!

He yanked Arden from Kell’s arms and whacked her between the shoulder blades. “Breathe, damn it!”

Her head lolled to the side, but that was the only movement he detected.

His chest tightened as though he were the one drowning. He slapped his palm against her back again, this time forcing his magic to drive the water from her lungs. Guilt plagued his conscience.
Why did I let her come up here alone? Why did I let her out of my sight?
He’d watched Soulbearers die before, but none of them stirred the type of anguish he now felt. If she died, he’d never forgive himself.

A cough rattled through her body, followed by the slosh of water and the blessed sound of her sucking in air.

“Thank the Lady Moon!” Kell began kissing her face.

She pushed him away, continuing to cough up seawater. Her tangled hair had fallen free from the braid she’d worn and hid her face while her arms remained ramrod straight on the deck. Finally, she managed to catch her breath. She looked up and locked her gaze with him.

His mouth went dry, and his eyes stung. He wanted to reach for her, but his body refused to budge, his limbs heavy with fatigue.

It was Kell that captured her instead. He gathered her in his arms, pressing her head against his chest as he rocked back and forth, speaking the very same words Dev wanted to say to her. “I was so scared I’d lost you.”

A strong wind filled the sails again, blowing away the last traces of the spell. Goosebumps prickled his skin. Kell stood, still holding her, and carried her back into the cabin.

One of the sailors threw a blanket over his shoulders, but it did little to drive away the chill forming in his blood.

Someone wanted Arden dead, and they’d almost succeeded.

***

The world blurred past Arden as Kell carried her off the deck. Her heart thudded, reminding her she was still alive. “
Loku, what was that?
”

“
The wrath of a god.
” She waited for him to tell her more, but he remained silent.

Further complicating matters was the strange emotion she’d glimpsed in Dev seconds before Kell distracted her. His normal expression which varied between blank and annoyed had vanished. He seemed scared—genuinely, unequivocally scared. Was it because he’d almost failed in his duty once again? Or was it because he actually cared enough about her to be frightened?

But thanks to Kell, she’d never know.

“
I’d be more concerned about some of the other things you might have never known if you’d died
,” Loku interrupted. “
Think about the life you’ve lived so far. Or should I say, the life you’ve been afraid to live.
”

A pulse, more frantic than her own, filled her ears. The scent of bay leaf still clung to Kell’s clothes, even this far from home. And though his arms held her as if she weighed nothing, Kell’s hand trembled against her ribs.

He carried her into her room and sat her down in her chair. His face remained drawn and pale as he removed her shoes and stockings, his lungs bellowing as hard as hers. “Thank the Lady Moon you’re alive,” he repeated, pausing to add in a quiet voice, “I don’t think I’ve ever been that terrified in all my life.”