“She’s my enemy.” My hand tightened on the hilt of my sword. “As are you.”
“You’re out of your mind, aren’t you?”
I snarled.
“Vale, I’m yourbrother!”
“I already have a brother.” I charged, ready to continue fulfilling my father’s wishes, but Vidar turned and ran. I gave chase, but like his mother, he was fast and slippery. The Virtoris heir made it across the deck. Leapt over the rail.
I leapt too, my wings catching the wind as I prepared to soar into the sky and join those fighting amongst the starbursts of mage firepower. However, instead of flying up, Vidar dove into the sea. My breath caught, and I stopped in midair. The churning waves, made even more violent by the storm and the battling ships, looked menacing.
He’ll come up sometime. He has to,I told myself as I sheathed my weapon. All I had to do was wait.
I was so engrossed in scanning the volatile waters I didn’t see or sense the incoming fire attack until it was too late. Like half of the ship behind me, I went flying forward and was tossed like a limp fish into the waves.
Chapter 53
ISOLDE
My heart lodged itself in my throat as Vale disappeared beneath the towering waves.
“It’s not him,” Caelo yelled from where he flew close by. Sigri and Qildor were with me too, but the rest of the fliers had spread out some, to attack and avoid harm. “Vale would never harm Vidar.”
I stared down at the water, now black under the stormy sky. Our forces were now aware of Rhistel’s true magic, but Vidar likely did not know. He’d been on the sea when we’d spread the news.
“Circle, Arava! We have to find him.Bothof them!”
Arava lowered and flew as slowly as she dared, all the while keeping alert for threats. Knowing she’d fly away at any threat to us allowed me to focus on the water.
Debris from the blast blanketed the water, making it impossible to see beneath. Seconds passed, and my belly tightened. What if they didn’t surface? What if something had hit them over the head or impaled their bellies? Vale was not the best swimmer, and while Vidar, being from the House of the Sea Serpent, had grown up on the water, the sea took easily.
Was I seeing the vision the Crown had given me? Altered by my presence, my attempt to change fate, and yet still so similar?
“We need to dive!” Caelo called out. “Before they sink too deep!”
I dug my heels into Arava’s side, fearing the water. I could swim, but the sea thrashed, and I wasn’t sure I’d survive such power. “Get closer.”
She followed my command. Spindrift sprayed our faces, and Caelo removed his weapon, preparing to jump.
“Qildor! Caelo!” a voice shouted, not far away.
A waving hand caught my attention, and I exhaled. Vidar treaded water not too far away.
“To him!” Arava veered in Vidar’s direction and hovered just beside my friend. We were positioned between two destroyed ships, both deserted or filled with corpses if the lack of attacks was any indication. One of the ships lolled our way, making my skin tighten. The ships moved with the water. What if Vale was under one?
“Are you injured?” I asked, trying to push aside my deluge of fears. If anyone was going to be able to swim and find Vale, it was the lord in the water.
“No.” A wave bobbed him closer to me. “But Vale?—”
“I saw what he did,” I cut him off. Time was of the essence. “I’m so sorry, Vidar, but Rhistel is a whisperer and he’s controlling Vale.”
Judging by the look of shock on Vidar’s face, I’d been right to assume that the news had not reached them out here.
“And Vale was tossed into the water right after you dove. Did you see him in the water?”Can you get him?My unspoken question hovered in the air. Vale had tried to kill Vidar, and I couldn’t make myself say the words, but Vidar heard my unspoken plea, and he didn’t falter.
“Bleeding skies.” Vidar’s attention snapped to the dark water. “Do you have your faelights on you? If so, give me one.”
From the pocket of my leather pants, I fished out one of the faelights I carried and tossed it to him. Vidar caught it one handed, and without saying another word, he dove.
