A manic laugh bubbled in Erinna’s throat. They made it. Survived the night through treacherous terrain. Relief flooded through her as she turned to meet Kane’s gaze. “I’ll be damned,” she breathed. “We did it.”
The corners of Kane’s mouth ticked up in a smile, one that made her chest tighten. “Nice work, Yarrow.” His hand brushed her shoulder, a small pat of approval, as he moved to check on Asher.
The feeling lingered longer than it should have. Erinna brought her own hand up to brush it away.
Her heartbeat was nearly back to a normal cadence when a hoarse scream split the air.
“There’s one beneath the water!”
Erinna whirled around to find Inez on deck, body tense in terror. Kane spun on his heels, sprinting back to the helm.
He wasn’t fast enough.
A final jagged skewer lay in wait beneath the waves. One last lurch and the ship tipped sideways. Erinna sprinted to Inez, hoping to close the distance in time.
Stone scraped across the bottom of the ship; the movement had the vessel tipping violently to the side. Erinna reached Inez with enough time to take one lungful of air before they were both wrenched into the ocean.
Cold water swallowed them whole.
The current dragged them under as Erinna struggled to keep her hold on Inez. She clawed desperately toward the surface, but the water kept yanking them down farther. Erinna’s lungs screamed for oxygen, vision blurring as darkness crept in from the edges.
Ice bloomed beneath her skin, and somewhere in the back of her mind, a voice filtered through the panic and her rapidly withdrawing consciousness.
“You’ve come back.”
Chapter
Fourteen
The next thing Erinna knew, she was retching seawater from her lungs, barely on shore. Sand and stone pressed into her hands as the water lapped at her feet and knees.
Erinna pulled herself further on land, shivering half from exertion as everything but air cleared her lungs and half from an unnatural chill that settled deep beneath her skin.
Near her side, she heard Inez do the same. Both emptying their bodies of the ocean that had clawed feverishly down their throats.
Erinna let out a shaky sigh of relief. She was so certain they would drown, she barely remembered strong hands dragging her up and depositing them on shore. Kane had saved her once again.
She eyed the sloped, rocky pathway that led to the only visible structure on the island. Smoke from a large fire drifted into the night sky. The signs of a well-crafted campsite showed in the distance. Erinna wondered just how long the rest of his crew had been stationed here.
There was a shuffle of bodies on shore, and Erinna turned her attention back to her surroundings. Everything was steeped in the black and grays of night. A few torches had been lit fartherup on shore, casting an amber glow across the rocks. Thankfully, Erinna had decent sight in the dark—an almost preternatural ability that she refused to think too hard on.
Two strangers, likely members of Kane’s crew, crossed the shore to Kane and Asher. A man barely older than Kane himself prowled to Kane’s side, eyes trained on the two women. His light-brown hair had been cut short and emphasized the sharp angles of his nose and face. His hand hovered above a well-minted saber, and the silver scars on his forearms hinted at a deep fighting history.
The other stranger, a tall woman with a braided halo of bright red hair, trudged across the sand and rocks, stopping just short of Erinna’s hunched form. Clinking accentuated her movement from the various weapons strapped to her person.
“Prisoners?” the man asked.
Kane shook the water from his dark hair, which was plastered to his face and neck. Sea-soaked clothes clung to his frame, molding to every hard line of him. Shoulders built for hauling rigging, arms that knew their way around both rope and blade, the kind of body that came from years at sea rather than empty boasting.
Kane clasped the man’s forearm with a grin. If Erinna had the energy and if he hadn’t saved their lives, she would be frustrated at his nonchalance.
“Rescuees.” Kane reached into the inner pocket of his coat and pulled out a slim, airtight cylinder. It was the type of container used by the Navy to secure important missives and ensure they weren’t destroyed by water. The royal seal was unmistakable.
As if he could feel her stare, Kane turned to conceal the exchange any further. The rest of the pirates stood a few paces away, watching and waiting for a command.
“Brig ’em?” The man sent another wary glance over to Erinna.
“No. The younger one’s a diviner and is with us for now. Find her a place to stay and something to eat.”
