Page 106 of Claimed By the Depths

She was everything I needed and more, and that alone was enough to make our damned existence worth it.

With a malicious chuckle, my utterance came as a fusing of voices, each chime louder than the last. Eyes fixed on Vorak, I spoke with an intensity I knew I’d gotten from my father. “We are not disgraced, and you’re about to learn exactly why.”

CHAPTER 53

The Mastermind

ALASTAIR

Even across the gap separating us, the ferocity in Caspian’s declaration was clear. There wasn’t an ounce of waver, and as shadows spilled over the Bloodmarked, it became evident he wouldn’t either. At the realization, the flying monstrosity snarled before opening its maw. Crawling up its throat, the same inferno blanketing the lands made yet another appearance, its maroon glare deepening with the same promise of decimation.

Our ships lurched forward, but remained at least one hundred feet away from the port. Attention flitting across the wooden walkways leading to Serevalen, the implication of our awaiting demise solidified.

We had no time to dock, not when an ancient Vault and the Others awaited us.

Quick to pivot, my lips parted as the realization dawned that those of us tasked with finding the gods’ chamber would have to abandon Rohen and Caspian. But before I could utter a single syllable, a guttural growl cleaved through the tension. The hair on my arms rose, a wave of trepidation following as the perched creature from the Other Realm stretched out its neck.

Expecting a warm breath and blaze to follow, the frigid spray of water tore a gasp from my throat. My lungs screamed amid the sting of salt, shirt suctioning to my frame as I wiped the back of my hand across my face. Clearing the rivulets, I blinked through the still-dripping liquid and scanned the deck. Searching for the men who stood alongside me, I only dared avert my gaze to the looming shadow behind me when my headcount proved successful.

Yxalune rose from the depths, her three heads slithering skyward as she pinned her eyes on the atrocious beast. Rage billowed from her as if she were offended by its presence, rippling through the sea and slamming against the hull in warning. Muttering broke out amongst my crew with each forceful collision, and men turned to me for aid, but I was far too fixated on Yxalune’s slouched frame and the remaining skulls that parted from the flesh in her back to join the other three.

Molded by the Goddess of the Sea, the leviathans snapped in the creature's direction. Each was cloaked in the same gray flesh, jagged teeth gleaming with irrefutable hunger. Even in daylight, they were horrifying. Where some bore scars on their snouts, others remained absent of eyes, their individualized viciousness evident in their appearance. Mesmerizingly grotesque, Yxalune was an entity far beyond the scope of mere consternation. And knowing Rohen could not only call upon her but command her was enough to make the corners of my mouth curl with vengeance.

As if sensing my building desire for destruction, Rohen shouted over the animalistic snarls reverberating from the sea monster. “Get to the godsdamned palace now! Caspian and I will manage!”

Before I could offer her a snarky reply or even express my continued unease in doing so, a gentle touch settled on my shoulder. Glancing down, I caught sight of familiar periwinkle fingers, and their voice followed as if to confirm my acknowledgment.

“Are you ready, Captain?”

Gaze trailing over Caspian’s ship, I loosed a breath at the sight that greeted me. Unfurling in Elaros’s shadows, a darkness that should have induced dread dripped from Caspian in excess. Cloaked within its essence, power strummed from him with a potency that almost, near-instinctively brought me to my knees. He exuded divinity and was cradled in the tendrils of sanctity, two things that painted him in a way I’d always recognized.

Resilient and a force to be reckoned with.

“Listen to the Daughter of Ellira,” Jaskor interrupted, the depth of his timbre and the build of his presence tearing me from my brief moment of admiration. “You need to gather those you plan to take with you to the palace and go. Now.”

Jaw feathering, I swallowed the retort I wished to utter and answered the Fae behind me. “Yes. We need to gather Kael and Syoran.”

“As for Leilani?” Parran asked.

“I am right here.” Her cadence came from behind me as her fingertips snaked up the back of my neck. “Beside him, as always.”

Turning, I glanced down at her, sweeping a fallen strand of hair behind her ear. “When the storms are tumultuous, and all else feels like it is failing, you are my grounding cord. My anchor. My quick-witted and poison-tongued little fang.”

“Just as you never cease to amaze me with your poetic vows and your heartfelt promises.” Thumb brushing over my cheek, she granted me the privilege of witnessing her smile. “My devotion is a mirror of your own, so do not credit me as the only one capable of such greatness.”

My palm swept around the back of her neck, and I cupped the base of her skull with the same gentleness I always planned to shower her in. With a soft tug, she fell flush against me, and our lips collided. Drinking her in, I savored her jasmine and mandarin scent. The smells were distinct, breathing life into a world dimmed by corruption in a way she alone could accomplish.

Without warning, my stomach dropped as if the floor had disappeared beneath me, and I pulled away from Leilani. But there was no falling, only the strange certainty that I wasn’t where I had been a heartbeat ago. Even though the sensation was familiar, every nerve flared, a tingling rush sweeping over my skin like static. Pressure squeezed in from every direction, not painful but impossible to resist.

Trying but failing to adjust to Parran’s Voidstep, voices filtered in. But just as quickly as they were there, they vanished once more. A muffled hum replaced them, filling my ears and drowning out everything else, while my vision blurred into a streaked wash of color before collapsing into an indescribable blackness. As I reached for something solid to hold on to, directions became incomprehensible.

That was until everything snapped back into focus again.

The world settled around me with a jolt. Cold stone greeted the soles of my boots, and the air hit me a heartbeat later—stale, damp, and heavy with dust that had lain undisturbed for years. Steadying myself, my pulse continued to race as I lifted my head.

Standing beneath the procession of towering arches that disappeared into the darkness, the five of us exchanged a single glance that spoke of urgency. Thin bands of pale light spilled through unseen windows, carving bright stripes across the floor while leaving the rest of the corridor drowned in the same shadows Caspian wielded. Every pillar looked the same, stretching out to the farthest reaches until they blurred together, making the hallway seem impossibly long.

A voice cut through a wavering sense of reality—Kael. “Holy shit… The northern wing.”