Her flames had never burned her before. Even when wielded by Kol, they’d never caused her harm.
But she hated them now. Despised them.
As she tipped her head up to Kol’s red stare, chest heaving through broken sobs, she gave him a silent plea.
Please. Never again. Please.
The dark god smiled down at her, pride flickering in his expression. “You did well, Lady Anniliese. You can keep your safety. And I won’t make you do that again; not unless the need is high.” He turned, the charred grass crunching beneath his feet.
“Stand up,” he commanded. “Let’s go back to camp.”
Anniliese nearly cried out again in pain as she forced herself to her feet, clutching her burned hands to her chest. She stared at the smoldering ruins, sucking in lungfuls of smoke-ridden air.
“Why?” she asked hoarsely. A simple question. One she didn’t think he’d answer, but one she couldn’t hold back. Not when she was so raw and broken.
A presence shadowed her shoulder. Darkness coiled down her arms, wrapping around her burned skin. She hissed as it pulled and stung, more tears springing to her eyes.
When the shadows left, her skin was unmarred and unblemished. Virtually untouched.
But the pain… The pain still lingered.
“A little trick I picked up from mylovelyConsort,” Kol growled. “Hiding pain with beauty. That was what she was good for.”
Anniliese met the dark god’s burning stare.
“You want to know why I had you do this?” Kol’s gaze shifted to the ruined house. “I did it because I can, Anniliese. Because I have power. Mariah Salis and her moon goddesseswillreturn what they stole from me. But until they do, I will takeeverythingfrom them.”
Chapter 50
The Mirrored Sea was vast and endless.
Quentin braced against the railing ofThe Vesper, one of the largest merchant ships in the Riqueti’s fleet. The wind billowed through his loose white shirt. His baldric lay across his chest, as it always did, his wild red hair blowing into his eyes.
“The Sea is calm today,” the ship’s captain, Cecco, said in a gruff voice. He halted at the railing, crossing his arms over his broad chest.
“I know,” Quentin said. “It bothers me.”
The captain chuckled. “Take the blessings when they come, Armature. If the weather holds, I expect we’ll make port in Kizar in less than two days.”
Quentin tipped his gaze up to the clear, cloudless sky. There was a slight breeze, enough to fill the merchant vessel’s sails, its deep hull designed for transporting cargo skimming through the blue-green waves.
“Respectfully, Captain, I expect very few blessings where these pirates are concerned.”
“Indeed.” Cecco ran a hand over his long, braided beard, weathered face crinkling in thought. The Riqueti’s had calledin a personal favor to get him to captain the ship for this trip. Though he was older and nearing an age of retirement, he was by far their most experienced when it came to dealing with the Kizar Islands. If anyone had a shot of getting Quentin and Delaynie safely to the island’s shores, it was him.
“Tell me more about the pirate lord.”
The captain shifted. “I’ve only met him once,” he said, “and truthfully, I’d rather face a thousand storms than deal with him again. He’s a temperamental son of a bitch. As erratic and unpredictable as the sea. And I hear he has a son who is even worse.”
“Are they insane? Or just monsters?”
“Easy, lad,” Cecco said with a chuckle. “They’repirates. It’s not a matter of insanity; it’s just who they are.”
Quentin scowled out over the horizon, the ship rocking gently. He’d never been on a ship before, and he’d be lying to himself if he hadn’t been a little nervous about getting sick when out at sea. But he’d surprisingly found his bearings quite quickly and couldn’t deny the sense of easy calm that covered him as the waves lapped at the hull.
Of course, it wasn’t enough to shake his irritation at their destination.
“Why do we even bother trading with them, anyway?” he growled. “Seems like it’s more trouble than it’s worth. I think we should cut ties with them and focus solely on the other kingdoms instead.”
