Page 27 of Claimed By the Depths

A deep laceration sprawled across their chest in response, crimson quick to bloom. It stood out starkly against their complexion, and I moved forward instinctively.

“Fuck, Parran.”

“I’m okay.” There was no waver in their timbre to indicate their words were a lie. “It was worth it. You are onto something, future King of Serevalen.”

My mind was still reeling, but I couldn’t help but smile as everything settled. Parran had confirmed every assumption, and with them, I knew deciphering the intricacies of the prophecy that ruled our lands would be far easier.

I just needed one thing…

“Are you okay enough to Voidstep? I need to get my hands on Caspian’s journals. All of them.”

CHAPTER 14

From Shores Unseen

SYORAN

“The crew has been very vocal about their desires.” Lionel, our boatswain, stated matter-of-factly. “They wish to see to it that Caspian is rescued.”

Holding my stare, his mahogany eyes remained unwavering. Beard freshly trimmed, it blended perfectly with his deep brown locks, matching brows furrowed in perturbation. Running his tongue across his lip, it darted over the scar lingering there—a blemish he received during a ship plundering in which he nearly died.

I pulled the band from my wrist, gathering my loose locks before spinning them into a bun. Fastening it with ease, I dipped my chin. “I’m glad we are all on the same page then. See to it that our route to Hollowmere remains smooth, as we do not have time to deal with obstacles.”

“We already are. That is the issue,” Lionel said plainly. “With Caspian still in Serevalen, the men are wondering why the hell we’ve left the town if you wish to free him.”

Jaw feathering, I loosed a breath. “Why do I feel as if this is you questioning my prior position, and now my acting rank as captain?”

“Honesty? That is what you wish, correct?” The nod I offered was enough to keep him talking. “You have sided with the man most of the crew witnessed betray Captain Vayne. Not only that, but the red-headed bitch who⁠—”

A low snarl erupted from me. “Get out.”

“Syoran, this is not us challenging your role on this ship. We just want⁠—”

My fist drove into Caspian’s desk. “If you would like to keep your godsdamned head attached to your body, then get the fuck out.”

Irises wavering between frustration and unease, Lionel bowed in submission and spun on his heel. I didn’t bother watching him leave. The drumming of his booted feet against wooden planks served as enough of a giveaway before the door sealed behind him.

The crew knew damn well why we were headed toward the easternmost side of the continent, and why I elected to work with the man once deemed closest to Caspian, yet they kept prodding. My hold on the reins of self-restraint was faltering, and with two days separating us from making landfall on Hollowmere, I was nearing the precipice of decapitating at least one of our men.

Our venture was no longer about grudges or past misunderstandings; it was about surviving the thickening plumes of corruption and apathy spreading across the land. If we wished to live, then joining arms with the more humane group was our best option, an option the crew continued to contest.

With a sigh, I flattened my palm against the dark oak. Gaze cast down, I scanned the words I’d read a handful of times.

A thousand legs have spun this thread. A thousand eyes have watched them bled—from shores unseen and silent tiers that never surface, yet draw near. What slumbers deep will wake anew and feast on those who never knew their shadows walked on other sides. The heart of stone, the crown of glass, a windowed throne the ages pass. A name once known, now left to pass, once spoken whole, now split in half. Two princes stand—one flame, one shade, yet mirrors lie where choices fade. Tread now with care, for blades are true; not all crowned gold is loyal or new. Strike the king, let iron fate fall free, or doom both throne and rolling sea.

Just below, Caspian had underlined the phrase “The Unraveled One” three times for emphasis, where “mirrors” sat circled. And yet, even with the guidance, my thoughts settled on the phrase “from shores unseen.”

“Gods, Cas, you couldn’t have left better⁠—”

My utterance faded as the surrounding air thinned. Pulling my sword from my waist, I let my agitation turn reactive. There was a familiarity to the tang of magic that followed, but there was no time to contemplate it. Not when someone—something was infiltrating Caspian’s cabin.

I turned and lifted the lengthy steel, its tip coming to settle against a man’s throat.

Seafoam irises peered at me beneath dark brows, Kael’s expression taut with tension he now readily carried. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and the sharpened edge brought forth a drop of crimson as he remained still. Chest aching with the realization and the implications of what wielding a weapon capable of such destruction would remind him of, I quickly returned it to its scabbard.

Kael blinked once. Where I expected to be met with a recollection of his lover’s downfall and the impending emotion it would stir, there was only an unrelenting hunger for destruction. “Great to see you too, Kao.”

Rubbing my eyes with my thumb and forefinger, I groaned as I returned my attention to my new arrivals. “For fuck’s sake, a bit of an announcement of your impending presence would’ve been incredible.”