My fingers drum against the railing. Marcus’s face flashes through my mind – that stubborn set to his jaw when he insisted we stay put. The way his eyes blazed with…something I don’t want to examine too closely. I push the thought away, irritated with myself for even going there.
“Kara?” Mia’s voice pulls me back. “You okay?”
“Fine.” I straighten up, forcing myself to focus. “Just thinking about strategy.”
Liar, my mind whispers. I was thinking about the way Marcus looked at me in that steamy bathroom, how his touch—
No. Stop it.
Gran is missing, Lucien’s taken control of the bloodsuckers, and I’m mooning over a vampire like some teenager. Again.
The ship rocks gently, a constant reminder of our isolation. Stars wheel overhead, distant and cold. Out here, surrounded by nothing but water, we might as well be on another planet.
“We need to work out our next move,” I say firmly, more to myself than my sisters. “Whatever that overprotective jerk thinks, we can’t just sit here and wait.”
Mia and Rowan exchange pointed glances.
“What?” I ask sharply. “Got something to say?”
“I just think that—” Rowan begins.
“You’re right,” Mia cuts her off. “We need to figure out what to do now.”
I push away from the railing and start pacing. “There has to be a way off this boat. What about shadow travel?”
“Middle of the ocean,” Rowan reminds me. “No shadows to connect to except the ones on the ship itself.”
“Astral projection?” I suggest, already knowing the answer.
Mia shakes her head. “Too far to maintain a connection. And even if we could project that far, we couldn’t actually do anything in astral form.”
“Swimming’s out,” I mutter. “Unless anyone’s developed mermaid powers recently?” When neither responds, I huff a breath. “So, how did they get us here, then?”
“Darick said they have a portal. Only the vampires can use it,” says Rowan.
“And not us?” I look from one to the other. “Maybe we can find it. Maybe we can—”
“Kara.” Mia’s voice is gentle. “Maybe we should focus on what wecando rather than how to escape.”
I stop pacing and lean against the rail again. She’s right, but I hate admitting it. “Fine. What do we know about Lucien’s movements?”
“Soren and I think Lucien’s been gathering dark artifacts,” she says. “It’s what he used when he tapped my power. A vessel of some sort. That’s probably how he managed to capture Gran and Poppy despite her powers. How he’s managed to restrain them.”
“I wonder where he’s got them now? He would have moved them after he found out we’d learned of his plans, I’m sure.”
“Darick mentioned something about properties in the mountains,” Rowan adds. “Old mining tunnels converted into holding cells.”
The mention of cells makes my stomach churn. I remember my vision in the mirror and think about Gran trapped underground somewhere. “The mountains would make sense. Harder to track magic through all that rock.”
“Plus,” Mia says, “the ley lines are stronger there. If he’s planning something big…”
“He’d need that kind of power,” I finish. Frustration burns in my chest. “We know where to look, we know what he’s planning,and we’re stuck out here on this floating fortress while our family is in danger.”
“At least we’re together,” Rowan offers. “And safe.”
“Safe?” My voice rises. “What good is being safe when Gran’s in trouble? When Lucien’s probably torturing her for information right now?”
“Why would he do that, Kara?” Mia cocks her head. “He’s already made himself the vampire Grand Elder. He has our High Priestess, too. From here, he knows we’ll try to rescue her, so he’ll be waiting for us. There’s nothing Gran could tell him that he doesn’t already know.”
