part0017

Drew should not have been surprised when he awoke the next morning with a sore back and tight muscles. He had slept against the side of the bed Kelia slept in, and when he pulled himself up, his entire body groaned.

His aunt had magicked her home to float on sea water for the night by moving the earth beneath them until ocean water rose up to just below the foundation of her house, but she’d been clear she wasn’t interested in a home at sea and would not keep things this way for long.

Outside the window, sea water stretched out on the land all around them. The sky was dark, though it wasn’t evening yet. He and Kelia would need to stay inside for few more hours. The thick grey clouds looked pregnant with rain, completely blotting out the sun overhead.

He was certain Kelia would want to wake up and train, especially considering she had survived the Siren poisoning and would be feeling stronger now.

But if he didn’t have to train her, he didn’t want to. There was so much that went into it, so much he did not want her to endure after she had already endured so much. And yet, he knew it must be done.

He heard her stirring beside him. She sat up in the bed, a dazed look on her face, like she didn’t quite remember where she was and what she was doing here.

At least she looked much better than she did the day before. In fact, Drew would even go as far to say that this was probably the best she looked as a Sea Shadow.

“How are you, darling?” he asked, his voice tentative as he looked at her.

She nodded once, throwing her legs over the side of the bed to stretch. “Well,” she said. She looked down at her body and then back to him. “Much better than I have felt in a long time. Your aunt’s concoction must have worked.”

“Things she creates usually do,” Drew said.

“She’s a powerful witch.” It seemed to be a statement coming out of her mouth rather than a question, and Drew could detect a hint of admiration, even though his aunt was not the most amiable person on God’s green earth. If anything, she was as cantankerous as she was old, and there were plenty of times even Drew wondered when the hell she was going to simply give up and die. “I see where Wendy gets it from.”

“Wendy has always tried to achieve what has come so naturally to my aunt,” he pointed out with a gentle shrug.

Kelia came to stand beside him near the window, so close that their shoulders brushed.

“Where is Wendy?” Kelia asked.

Drew lifted a shoulder nonchalantly. “I am not certain,” he said. “But somewhere here, conversing with Emma about this or that.” He placed his hands on the sill.

“I suppose they deserve some time to themselves,” Kelia murmured. “We’ve all been through an ordeal.”

Drew could not help but appreciate the warmth that seemed to come from her. “I am glad you are well. I was… I was worried about you. I know you hate for me to say it, but it’s true.”

Kelia grinned, turning her head so she could take him in. “You? Worried about anything?”

He chuckled, relieved she didn’t take it as an insult to her capability to take care of herself. “I’m as surprised by this as you are,” he admitted. “Though you always seem to have a strange effect on me.”

She arched her eyebrow. “Is that so?”

Drew couldn’t tell if his statement pleased her or not. It was the truth, though. That was what mattered.

He still had love for her, despite the tension between them that seemed to be insurmountable. Perhaps…perhaps there was hope, then. Perhaps they could repair what had been damaged.

His voice was low. He hadn’t meant for it to come out low, but he didn’t stop it, either. He gripped the windowsill, feeling little slivers of old wood press against his skin.

His heart rate started to pick up, and he found he couldn’t look at Kelia. This was an absurd feeling he did not quite understand because he never felt like this at all, never lost control of his senses. Now, he could barely breathe without consciously thinking about it.

“We should probably talk,” he said finally.

She cleared her throat. Her body stiffened beside him. But when he finally had the ability to look at her, he saw she was still watching the water.

“I meant what I said,” she told him in a soft voice. “When your aunt made her comments, I know now that what you did…” She furrowed her brow, as though she was trying to grasp for the right word. “I still feel angry at what I am. There is a part of me that still mourns the soul I lost. But I understand why you did it.”

She turned, reaching out to cup his forearm with her hand. Her touch sent a spark through Drew, and he could not help but jump in surprise at the feeling of it.

How he longed to touch her. It felt like ages since they had purposefully touched.

“I forgive you, Drew,” she said. “You saved my life by making me something neither of us wanted. I know you probably hated the fact that you had to do it as much as I hated the fact that this is what I am now.”

“Do you still hate yourself?” Drew asked tentatively.

It was probably one of those questions better left unsaid, only because it was not his business. She could feel however she wanted to feel about it. It wasn’t his place to know what those feelings were.

But that did not stop the desire to know from entering his body and coiling its tentacles around his brain, demanding some sort of answer.

Kelia sighed through her nose. “To be completely honest, I don’t know how I feel about myself,” she said. Her eyes were back on the horizon, but her shoulder was still very much against his, and she made no move to step away. “But I don’t think hate is the right word. I am getting used to what I am. I think training will help.”

Drew did not smile. Training her as a Shadow was the last thing he wanted to do. He wasn’t ready to confront the fact that she was a monster, just as he was. To admit that he created her, took life away from her, and forced her into a life she did not want meant that he was exactly what he promised himself he would never be.

And yet, her only means of surviving was to ensure she understood how to control her cravings, the best way to attack prey and any enemy who might want to kill her, and how to aptly defend herself.

Before he had the opportunity to finish his thought, a raindrop splattered against the window, and then another, and more until the rain was pelting hard against the glass.

Under normal circumstances, rain would not cause Drew any great distress. If Kelia was a member of his crew, he would still expect her to carry out her duties as usual. He would train her, as usual.

But instead, he saw this as an excuse not to train her—at least, not right now.

Kelia opened the window and stuck her head out to look up at the sky. The rain hit her face and rolled down her cheeks before bunching up on her jawline. Her blond hair matted with water, turning the gold strands nearly brown.

“I know what you’re thinking, Mr. Knight,” she said playfully. “And you’re not getting off the hook that easily. I love the rain.”

He had the sudden desire to pull her into his arms and kiss her like he meant it, to kiss her the way he had before this pile of bad decisions stacked between them.

And yet, he hesitated. As far as he knew, she was still his lover. She had not told him otherwise. The feelings he had for her had not disappeared. If anything, they only strengthened. But he could not help but keep his distance when that was the last thing he wanted to do.

She popped her head back inside and turned to him, staring up at him with rain coated eyelashes and eyebrows beaded with drops of water.

“I look forward to the moment where we can be free of this,” she murmured as the rain splattered against the water outside.

“Free of what?” Drew asked, his voice just as gentle.

“This.” She shrugged a shoulder and gestured around her. “Being chased, cornered, trapped, like we’re nothing more than animals. Being attacked. Being hunted by a woman who thinks she’s still in love with you.”

Drew took a step back. He hated that Kelia would even bring up the Queen, not when it was just the two of them. It was as though the moment was now tainted.

Guilt pooled into Drew’s body. Logically, he knew the Queen’s actions were not his fault, and yet, just the memory of being her lover, of feeling things for her, caused him to regard himself as little better than disgusting.

If he hadn’t been with the Queen, he would not be where he was now. Kelia would not have to endure what she was enduring.

Then again, Drew probably never would have met Kelia.

Before he could think more on it, the door burst open and Daniella ran in, a shock of red hair flying behind her.

Drew tensed. He could already sense something was amiss, but he wasn’t sure why. Kelia’s knuckles turned white as her hands clenched to fists.

“What?” Drew called. “What is it?”

Daniella opened her mouth, but before she could speak, he smelled the problem for himself.

He and Kelia raced into the hall, but before they could even reach the living room, the smoke was so thick he could hardly see or breathe.

Flames danced on the walls, visible only as a dancing orange glow through the smoke.

“Where is everyone?” Drew asked, not taking his eyes off the flames, trying to figure the fastest way out.

Surely whoever had started the fire would be outside waiting for them. He had to be prepared for that, too.

“Your aunt is trying to save her ingredients,” Daniella said. “Wendy and Emma are holding her off—” She coughed on the smoke. “B-but she’s more powerful than I thought she could be."

Instead of looking at Drew when she answered, Daniella’s eyes were on Kelia standing beside him. “The witch,” Daniella said. “She’s not even… After all these years… I hadn’t realized she was a witch.”

“Who ?” Drew demanded. “How do you know this person?”

“We went to school with her.”

Kelia stiffened beside him. “Say it,” she said in a low voice. “Say her name.”

Daniella coughed again, then raised her gaze to Kelia, an apology in her eyes. “Jennifer Espinosa.”

Kelia stepped back, shaking her head. Then, without warning, she barreled into the smoke, as if ready to bolt outside.

Drew grabbed her wrist. They needed to get out, and fast. But not that way.

“Just because the sky is black does not mean you can safely go on land,” he barked. The rain continued to fall, heavy but still slow. It seemed to be building up to something bigger. “You leave this cabin before then, and you’re ash. I won’t let that happen."

“Kind of the same outcome if we stay,” Kelia said, snatching her hand away.

“Not on my watch!” Adelaide said, emerging from the smoke. “Fire’s out.”

Drew looked past her. The smoke was still suffocating and thick, but the orange glow of fire was gone.

“I might not be a water witch, but you can put out a fire with dirt, too.” She pointed her finger at Daniella. “Lesson number one.”

“But what about the witch outside?” Kelia asked. “She’s not going to just stop.”

Adelaide rolled her eyes. “Neither will I. But I expect you two out there and doing something about this the second the sun goes down. And don’t thank me for helping. I’m only doing this because I don’t want to lose my home. And I blame you both for the trouble!”

She turned and headed back into the smoke.

“I like her,” Kelia said.

Drew narrowed his eyes at her. “That makes one of us.”

“What do we do now?” Daniella asked.

“Nothing we can do except wait," Drew said.

“And then?” Kelia asked.

“And then we fight.”

A strong wind blew through the house, clearing away the smoke and revealing Wendy in the living room. Drew took in a deep breath of clean air while he could. They might be able to keep the fire under control, but there was still a nightmare waiting for them outside.

“We can’t just wait,” Kelia pressed. “She’s powerful enough to mask herself from the Society and break your aunt’s wards. She won’t be defeated easily.”

“And you think running out there right now will help?” Drew barked back. “You will be nothing but a detriment. You know nothing about how to protect yourself from anything or anyone. Even if you could step on land right now, what good would it do you? She would kill you before your foot hit the sand.”

As soon as he’d finished speaking the words, he winced. He was being harsh because he needed her to understand she couldn’t just go and save people without consequence. Shadows were fierce creatures, but they needed to adhere to the law of their kind. It was not fair, but it was necessary.

Though he regretted his harsh words, he needed to save her from learning these things the hard way. If he could protect her, if he could ensure her safety even if he was mean and pushed her away, he would do it. He already ruined her life. He did not need to cause any more pain and suffering.

But instead of being offended as Drew had anticipated, Kelia just pushed her shoulders back and looked him square in the eyes. “I can help if given the opportunity,” she said. “And that’s better than standing here feeling sorry for myself.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Drew snapped.

“Stop bickering,” Daniella pleaded. “Jennifer is after Kelia, and I don’t think she’s here on behalf of the Queen. I don’t think she’s even here because of the Society. I think it’s…personal.”

“Why?” Kelia asked.

“It doesn’t matter,” Drew started.

“Of course it matters,” Daniella snapped . “She’s broken through your aunt’s wards. The most powerful witch you know.”

“Are you sure it’s her?” Kelia asked. “Jennifer was a flighty, insipid woman who was going to marry instead of continue on with the Society. How is her fire even able to sustain the rain?”

Daniella shook her head. “I don’t know, but I’m telling you, Kelia. It’s her.”

“You’re telling me Jennifer Espinosa has power that rivals Adelaide’s?"

“Adelaide said something about Jennifer’s mother being an apprentice,” Daniella said. “I know she doesn’t take on apprentices except under rare circumstances. It looks like Jennifer inherited her mother’s power, which means…”