PART I
THE CLAIMING
1
Iam so fucked!Looking out at the dark swells of Dead Man Bay, Scarlen, as she was now known, thanks to her lies, tightened her stomach muscles as another roll of water whiplashed theWarden Kliner, the boat to the notorious prison Horstal Island.
She huddled her chin further into the thin black rain cloak the guards had handed out to the six prisoners sitting starboard side on deck as the rumble in the sky told all the storm had arrived.
The young woman to her side glanced at the two cloaked guards patrolling close by, then at a glass-walled cabin, and Scarlen also had to wonder if they would be ushered inside once the rain fell in full force.
Another boom hit the sky, and spits of icy water sprayed into her weary eyes, sending a flurry of shivers along her spine as something resembling pity burrowed deeper within.
She had no one to blame for her nightmare of a situation but herself, and she wasn’t certain her father would save her. Surely he would have received word by now. He must know of her whereabouts. In his defence, she had used someone else’s namewhen caught stealing food, not thinking a first offence would land her six months on Horstal Island, of all places. She hoped the rumours of the young offender institution weren’t entirely accurate.
Wide brown eyes holding confidence peered her way as rain flattened the spikes on the orange hair of her neighbour, pressing it against a dark neck. ‘I’m Dionne. Dee for short.’
‘Scarlen.’
‘Which Borough you from?’
‘Borough South. Southern City.’ It was best Scarlen didn’t pinpoint Sevon as her home, as it would be rare for food theft to take place the furthest south. In cities, crime was a little higher. ‘You?’
‘Borough North. Redlands. It’s close to the Borough Mids border.’
One of the poorer Boroughs, far from Scarlen’s life on the warm southern coast where tropical waters flowed and bright flowers grew even in the depths of some of the sandy forests. So much golden sand in the south. So much heat. The magick strong and so old, it was mostly forgotten.
‘First time?’ asked Dionne.
Scarlen nodded, tucking back a tendril of damp silver hair fallen from her plait, the black tip adding an extra drip to her neck on moving. ‘Your first time?’
‘Second. Green Block Two, this time.’
‘I don’t know what that means.’
Dionne glanced at the guards talking to each other. ‘You not heard about Horstal?’
‘I have, but I don’t know how things work there.’
Dionne swiped rain from her nose, the chinking of the chains binding her wrists entering the noise of the wind for a moment. ‘You want a heads-up?’
Scarlen shrugged a little. ‘Do I need one?’
‘Always helps to know things. Why do you think they’re transporting us in the dark?’
Scarlen glanced towards the beacon guiding them to the wharf as its creamy-yellow light flashed through the grim mist. ‘It’s winter, it gets dark early. Didn’t overthink it.’
‘Wrong. It’s so we can’t navigate the bay, like it makes a difference. It’s a two-mile swim in deathly rips to the mainland, and the water is freezing even in summer.’ Dionne held her hands up to show the metal cuffs. ‘These aren’t needed.’
Scarlen looked at her own chains, then over at the lad at the far end of the bench seat. ‘He’s not chained.’
‘See the white ring around his neck? That’s his shackle.’
‘What is it?’
‘An enchanted collar. They’re called Rings. Stops the shapeshifters from changing form.’ She gestured to the blonde girl next to him. ‘She’s got Rings on her wrists because she’s a witch. Can’t do magick with those cuffs.’ A long sigh flowed. ‘Aww, they look young. Bet they’re only sixteen.’
‘They can send you here at that age?’
