part0018

“You think I do not realize this?” He whirled around on his boot to face her. His footsteps echoed through Kelia’s mind with each one he took until he was close enough to her that tilting his head down would cause his chin to brush the top of her head. “What would you like me to do to stop it? I am not powerful enough to stop such a witch alone.”

Kelia pulled away from the window and paced the small living room.

“How did she know we were here, I wonder?” she murmured, her mind coiling around the thought.

“What do you mean?” Drew asked slowly.

“Think about it,” Kelia said, stopping to face Drew. It still caused her stomach to do a little flip, being so close to him. The fact that she could not simply reach out and touch him was enough to cause her body to groan in frustration. “She found your aunt’s home, which is why your aunt crossed the badlands to this place. You’re telling me she crossed the same badlands in a short amount of time with neigh a scratch on her? She knew exactly where to find your aunt.”

“She’s a witch,” Drew said, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. “Her mother trained under my aunt, same as Emma. If the training was at all similar, she would have learned how to cast spells on islands, tempt the coldest of men, and even track people.”

“Yes, but Emma is an earth witch,” Kelia countered. “Jennifer is not, clearly.” She jutted her chin at the fire, which still burned the grass surrounding the house and licked at the outside walls. It wouldn’t be much longer before the flames worked their way inside again.

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying someone must have told her where to find you,” Kelia pushed her hair from her eyes so she could look at Drew clearly.

“We didn’t even realize where we were going until we decided to follow. How could I be responsible—”

“You misunderstand. I wasn’t trying to insinuate—”

“Would both of you shut your mouths?" a silky voice asked from just outside the window. “If you really must know, you could always ask.”

A chill scraped up Kelia’s spine, and she whirled around to see Jennifer standing just at the end of where the water beneath the house touched the land that had been torched by the fire.

On the ground at her feet lay Daniella, her face covered in dirt and ash, embers burning where flames had died down.

Kelia’s heart clenched. She had been so wrapped up in her pacing that she hadn’t even heard Daniella go outside.

She was supposed to be a Sea Shadow. She was supposed to see and hear things miles away. And same for Drew. Why had she not heard Daniella leave, or a fight between her and Jennifer occurring just outside the window?

Unless Jennifer had used some kind of magic to mask the sounds.

Why, then, leave Kelia and Drew alive? Either this was just Jennifer’s flair for the dramatic…or she couldn’t get inside the house. That would explain the fire…trying to force them out.

“You know,” Jennifer continued, glancing down to look at her fingernails before a small frown tugged her lips downward, “when you left me on that island, after picking the Shadow over your dearest friend, I was hurt, Kelia Starling. We were supposed to be friends. I had hoped my candles had done their job to compel you to stay, but the more I thought about it, the more livid I became. I shouldn’t have needed candles. I thought we were friends.”

Kelia blinked once. All the candles that littered the room they had shared, the heavy, lingering lavender scents, were used for a purpose. It was not simply because Jennifer enjoyed the aesthetics and somber mood. She was using the candles—the fire—for a purpose.

“I was wrong,” Jennifer continued, nearly shouting now. Either she was trying to talk over the rain, or her emotions were getting the better of her. “Your feelings for your Shadow completely overrode my abilities. I felt like a failure, and I promised myself I would do whatever it took to grow my powers into something that could not simply be set aside.”

Jennifer raised an eyebrow. The fire cackled in front of her. She didn’t even flicker her eyes to regard it.

“You…” Kelia murmured before swallowing. Her throat had gone dry. “You set the barn on fire back on Port George.”

“In my haste, I hadn’t realized you and the other Sightless had been escorted out of the barn. I hadn’t realized it was time to mate.”

“But you helped me deliver a letter to him.” Kelia didn’t understand. “Why would you turn against me so suddenly?”

“You fool,” Jennifer nearly spat, wrinkling her nose. “Drew Knight is the worst sort of beast on this earth. He thinks he can do whatever he wants and that his rationale behind his choices is valid. That is what makes him so dangerous. I thought you were delivering him a letter of goodbye. I thought you had come to your senses.

“After the Society poisoned me, I vowed never to let myself succumb to such vulnerability again,” she continued. “If anything, I hardened my heart. I bid Bron farewell. Finding you, finding Drew Knight, was my sole focus. Luckily for me, it is not just me who wants you.”

Jennifer’s gaze cut toward Drew with a self-satisfied grin that made Kelia’s hairs stand on end.

Drew stiffened beside her. Every muscle in his body was tense, though he didn’t spring to attack her. They were bound to this small home, and acting in reaction to Jennifer’s goading would only get him killed.

“Your crew, they told me where to find your aunt.” Jennifer reached up and fiddled with her bracelets before pulling down the sleeves of her tunic. “They were supposed to deliver you to one of the Queen’s men here, but, apparently, you took off earlier in your stay on this island than your crew had expected. They agreed to tell me where you were off to—through the badlands they didn’t wish to face themselves—and only required I return you to them as payment. You as well, Key.”

Kelia bristled at the use of her nickname, but she bit her tongue as she noticed Daniella stirring on the ground. She made a point not to look at her, draw attention to her, and focused her gaze harder on Jennifer.

“Fools. They are probably still waiting back on your ship for me to deliver you to them,” Jennifer said, crossing her arms haughtily. “If only they knew. If I deliver anything, it will be your ash.”

Daniella quickly compelled a small ball of fire. “Not if I have anything to say about it.”

She released the flame from where she still lay on the ground, and it took fire to Jennifer’s pantaloons.

Jennifer screamed and kicked Daniella in the face. Daniella grunted, blood gushing out of her nose. Jennifer patted at the fire quickly.

Although Jennifer was also a fire witch, she seemed unable to control these flames, perhaps because they belonged to another fire witch. It didn’t deter here confidence, however.

“Pathetic,” Jennifer screeched. “Your flames will die in the rain.”

“I’ll just make more,” Daniella said, doing just that.

This one she aimed at Jennifer’s shoulder. It singed the tunic but died almost immediately.

“We need to get out there,” Drew muttered. He paced like a wild animal, trapped in a small place, waiting for the opportunity to pounce on his prey. His jaw was locked, his eyes were narrowed. “The fire is coming in back through the windows now. If we don’t get out soon, the fire will consume us.”

“It’s not moving as quickly as before,” Kelia said, trying to remain hopeful they could make it a little longer to nightfall.

But then her mind processed what Drew meant, just as he expanded on his thoughts.

“When she’s done berating you for leaving her, she’ll send fire straight to us.” He nodded over at the window, where the flames had climbed in through the curtains and were now licking down at the floor again. “The rain should have put out the fire, but it hasn’t. It’s only slowed things down. But she is powerful, and when she wants to cut the small talk, those flames will reach us much faster.”

Kelia could smell the heavy scent of the smoke. As the floorboards caught fire, smoke began to cloud the room again.

“Where is Adelaide? And Emma and Wendy?” she asked, looking around the room. They must have moved when Daniella did, but they weren’t outside or seemingly on Jennifer’s radar at all. Oh, god. What if they’d all gone outside while she and Drew were talking? “You don’t think Jennifer already—”

“It’s not that easy to get rid of my aunt,” Drew said. He was still focused ahead of him, still not looking at her. Kelia did not know if it was because he was angry with her or if he was worried about his family. “Nor Emma or even Wendy.”

“You certainly have a lot of confidence in them,” Kelia said.

There was bitterness in her voice, and a bite of jealousy swept up and pierced her. This was the wrong time to vocalize her thoughts on Drew’s faith in every other woman aboard his ship, whereas, when it came to Kelia, he wanted her to stay behind, to stay put, because he worried something bad might fall upon her. It had only gotten worse after he had retrieved her from the Queen and brought her back to his ship. After he turned her into arguably one of the most powerful beasts to ever live on this earth.

“Kelia,” Drew said, a warning in his tone.

Kelia’s eyes caught sight of coiled up rope in crate by the window. She grimaced. If she could get the rope and tie it off somewhere, she could use it to swing around without touching the ground. But the crate was by the window…almost entirely surrounded by flames now.

“Drew, let me ask you,” Kelia said, moving from Drew’s side to step closer toward the window. “Do I actually need to be on water to be safe, or can I be anywhere as long as I don’t touch the earth?”

Drew frowned. “You could not jump from the house to a tree," he said. “Even if you could jump that far, the tree is something that still touches the earth, understand? Don’t even try it.”

Kelia nodded toward the rope. “What if I used the rope and swung around to grab her and bring her to us, into the shack while it’s burning?" she asked.

“And tie it to what?”

Before Kelia could respond, the earth started to quake, and Jennifer was thrown to the ground.

At that moment, Adelaide, Emma, and Wendy came into view, running from the side of the house, scowling. Adelaide kneeled on the ground, one hand outstretched, planted in the dirt. Wendy’s arms were up, and it was then that Kelia realized the wind had strengthened because of her, not because of the storm. Daniella was still on the ground, trying to set Jennifer on fire, but Jennifer had managed to pull herself away.

Without warning, fire shot out of Jennifer’s hands at the three witches. Wendy dropped her arms and thrust her palm at the fire. Instead of hitting the witches, the fire blew back at Jennifer and immediately went out before it touched her skin.

“Rip it open,” Adelaide shouted.

Kelia had no idea what she was referring to until Emma dropped to her knees and dug her hands into the earth, then pulled them in opposite directions.

The earth split open.

Emma grunted and continued to pull her hands and, as a result, the earth apart.

Meanwhile, Daniella persisted with her futile fire attacks, which seemed to be more annoying to Jennifer than devastating.

Now it made sense. The witches wanted Daniella to distract Jennifer, not destroy her. They must have all ran out at the same time then; this was all part of their plan.

At least they knew what they were doing, because Kelia and Drew had been left in the dark until now.

When Jennifer shot fire at Daniella, Wendy quickly threw a shield up around Daniella, but she wasn’t quick enough. Daniella’s arm had gotten burned before she was protected, and she let out a scream of pain.

Daniella rolled away, and Jennifer frowned. Kelia could tell she was confused. Daniella had been trying to attack. Why the sudden retreat?

She still hadn’t picked up on what the other witches were up to.

Emma continued to split the earth in Jennifer’s direction. Adelaide stood, her legs shaky. It was then that Kelia was confronted with the fact that the woman was old. It was hard to remember that when she was so snarky and sprite on her feet.

Jennifer’s gaze ticked over from Daniella to the splitting earth, and she roared so loudly Kelia shook. She would never expect someone like her to release such a sound.

Jennifer shot fire at Emma, but Wendy was quick this time, and the shield left Daniella to protect Emma as she continued to split the earth. Jennifer dodged the crack and kept her feet steady, even as Adelaide dropped to her knee again and caused the ground to shake.

“The bitch won’t fall through,” Adelaide shouted.

Kelia was done talking to Drew, done asking questions, and done waiting around. She bolted toward the crate that held the rope. Drew reached out to grab her, but only managed to get hold of her sleeve, which ripped as she sprinted forward.

The fire seared her arm as she reached through to grab the rope out of the crate. She coughed against the plume of smoke as she ran back the way she came.

“What are you doing?” Drew demanded.

She ran past him, toward the other side of the house, and climbed out the window. She couldn’t see the witches from here, but that would change soon.

She stood on the windowsill and reached up to grab the roof’s ledge, then pulled herself up as heat from the flames burning the house licked her skin. Her powers helped stabilize her as she climbed until she reached the top. Her feet burned, but she needed to do this.

Without waiting, Kelia ran as fast as she could across the roof and tied one end of the rope around the chimney. Then she grabbed the other end of the rope with both hands.

Kelia ignored him. She scaled down the other side of the roof, to the side of the house the witches were on, and began to scale down. She swung side to side.

Using all of her newfound Sea Shadow strength, she pushed hard off the side of the house, aiming her body right at Jennifer.

The rope swung in an arc, enough to get her far enough away from the house to make contact with the witch but still direct her back toward the house before hitting the ground.

Still, she nearly squeezed her eyes shut, not entirely sure it would work. She could be facing her final death, but if it stopped Jennifer, it would be worth it.

But Kelia missed. Her body came back to the side of the house. She needed more leeway on the rope. Or she would need to swing again…and this time, jump the rest of the way.

It would kill her. But if she didn’t do this, Jennifer would kill them all.

“Don’t!” Drew shouted, as though he had recognized a look of determination on her face that could only mean one thing. “Kelia, you cannot—”

She launched herself again. The rope swung in an arc again. And this time, when it was at its farthest point from the house, closest to Jennifer, she let go and flew toward her ex-best-friend.

“Wendy!” Drew shouted. “Lift Jennifer into the air. Now!”

But it was too late.

The wind rushed through Kelia’s hair. The rain fell fast now, all but blinding her. And then, Kelia felt her foot connect with Jennifer’s abdomen. Jennifer screamed as she fell back into the hole Emma created.

And Kelia was falling right behind her.

A big gust of wind swept under Kelia and tossed her back to the burning building. Kelia hit awkwardly against the open window, hitting her ribs against the sill, but she grabbed onto the frame as Drew grabbed onto her arms.

That must have been Wendy’s doing.

Kelia grimaced as Drew pulled her back inside. The flames were encroaching on them now, the smoke so thick she could barely see through it.

Emma suddenly shot her hands into the sky, releasing her hold on the earth. Once again, Adelaide stood up, this time slower than before.

The earth slammed shut like a door, crushing Jennifer’s body in the process as it came back together. As she did, the flames in and around the house seemed to lose their power, though Kelia was still counting down the seconds until they could spring out of the smoke-filled home.

“Good riddance,” Adelaide muttered, slapping her hands together to wipe the dirt off herself.

“What about the fire?” Wendy asked.

“Now that she’s dead and can’t keep feeding it, the rain will take care of it," Adelaide responded. She looked at Drew through the window. “We have much to discuss, Nephew.”