The creature that rises is no natural beast. This is Kraethys answering the call of his worshippers. A seadragon tries to flee but a tentacle catches it mid-dive. The limb coils around the dragon’s serpentine body. Scales crack under the pressure and bones splinter. A shriek escapes the seadragon but cuts off as its spine snaps. The tentacle opens and the corpse sinks into darkness. Another tentacle reaches for the next victim.
Three more dragons die in quick succession, plucked from the water and crushed. The fiend-orcas fare no better. One tries to ram the god-beast but Kraethys catches it. The seagod slams it against the ocean surface over and over until the orca’s skull caves in.
The water around Kraethys begins to rotate. A whirlpool forms, pulling fae ships toward its hungry center. Warriors scream as their vessels are dragged sideways into the vortex.
But then the god-beast’s attention shifts.
A Kashran vessel strays too close to the whirlpool’s edge. A tentacle rises from the water and smashes across its deck, crushing sailors and shattering the mainmast. The ship lists dangerously as another tentacle wraps around its hull, pulling it toward the vortex.
“Release Kraethys before it turns on us completely!” one of the Kashran mages screams.
The circle of mages breaks their chant, severing the connection with desperate haste. Kraethys pauses, its many eyes blinking before sinking back into the deep.
The whirlpool continues spinning before slowly dissipating.
“Now!” Red shouts, exhaustion burned away by sudden hope. “Press the advantage!”
The combined fleets surge forward. I join the chaos and lose myself in the battle. One of the seadragons rises and I leap into its mouth. The creature swallows me whole. For a moment, there is only darkness and teeth.
I fucking hate fish breath,Coinneach whispers.Let’s get the fuck out of here.
I explode outward in a burst of shadow. The creature tears apart from within, sending scales and flesh raining across the deck. Dragon blood steams on my skin against the cold air as I reform.
Red is staring at me with undisguised horror written across his face. “Remind me not to piss you off.”
The bastard pisses me off all the damn time.
He is Rhianelle’s knight,Coinneach reminds me.Leave him be.
I force myself to turn away and focus on other enemies. The battle rages as more ships burn and sink on both sides.
Caught between Völundr’s innovation and Kashran’s old magic, the fae fleet begins to retreat. Their organized formations break apart. The seadragons’ retreat calls reverberate through the water, calling for their allies to fall back.
“They’re running!” the captain shouts. A cheer goes up from Völundr’s exhausted forces.
I watch Eirik’s black sails disappearing toward the horizon and fiend-orcas carrying their wounded orkan riders away from the slaughter. The seadragons dive deep and vanish into darkness.
I reach for Rhianelle and pull her close, wrapping my arms around her battered armor. She leans into me to hide her relief tears.
The knights and soldiers around us start celebrating. They embrace each other with joy. Someone has produced a flask and is passing it around, embellishing their stories of the battle. I can see Kahedin accepting congratulations from his crew on his ship. They’re clapping him on the back, their faces split with exhausted grins.
We’ve won.
19
Chapter 18 Svenn
Cheers rise as we approach the docks. Villagers crowd the quays, singing songs of valor. I can barely focus on the words but it’s an old anthem that speaks of people who never yield. They’ve been watching from the cliffs for three days, helpless and terrified. Now their loved ones are coming home victorious.
Then I notice the tide.
The water in the harbor is receding, pulling back from the shore. Boats that were floating moments ago now rest tilted in mud. The seabed itself is revealed, covered in seaweed and shells and things that haven’t seen daylight in generations. Fish flop helplessly on the sand.
“A gift from the gods!” One fisherman cries, holding up a massive cod. “The sea itself blesses our victory!”
Fishermen on the shore are running onto the exposed seabed, delighted by this unexpected bounty. They laugh and call to each other as they gather the stranded fish in baskets. Children follow, racing to collect the flapping creatures.
“Look at them,” Garrett says, appearing at my side. He’s still bleeding from his wounds but he’s grinning. “They deserve this after everything.”
