Vol1: Chapter 14

Anawyn stood on the ship’s deck. A stiff seaward wind ruffled her short hair. The descent of twilight had brought a chill to the air, but the shiver in her spine had nothing to do with physical cold.

The moon had been out for nearly an hour. The last rays of the sun slipped below the horizon.

The corpse on the deck lurched to his feet. He steadied himself. His snarled questions were rendered near incoherent by a missing tongue, but Anawyn was experienced in communicating with ghouls farther gone than he.

“No,” she said. “Vessadial has not summoned you. I have.”

The ghoul paused. He clicked his teeth together and garbled a casual comment. His eyes were as sly as a dead man’s could be.

“Indeed,” Anawyn agreed. “And as that is the case, captain, may I trust that you and yours are with us?”

An apologetic grunt.

“I know. Look around you: we have already disposed of those we did not believe would be trustworthy.”

Elik had taken care of that while she and Winia were closeted away. He had torn apart the bodies of those who would be loyal to Vessadial – or disloyal to her – so that they could not be animated again. The ones they would use he had pulled out onto the deck. Exposure to the light of hell would make raising them easier: the moon was nearly full tonight.

The captain of the drowned men made a garrulous comment as he surveyed which of his crew had survived Elik’s purge – and then saw Winia, standing by the rail. He turned to Anawyn and snapped a question.

“An ally and sorceress. There are other mortals within the keep who will help us as well.”

The captain replied with a hooting laugh and a hiss. Anawyn’s cheeks heated despite herself.

“Yes,” she snapped, “they’re captives. But they dealt significant damage before being taken, without even knowing the extent of Vessadial’s powers. Moreover, there is another wizard among them. Freed, his aid would not be something to deride.”

Moonlight glowed off the ghoul’s milky eyes while he considered this, and then growled. Elik had expected this, and brought up the possibility while they laid their plan, traveling from the castle to the ship. Anawyn was still distantly shocked it had occurred, but then, Elik had been right. In the past, she had always either given or taken orders. Now, things were going to change.

“Name it,” she said.

A throaty, rumbling hiss.

“Done.”

The captain laughed again and stepped aside with a sweeping bow. Anawyn sucked in a breath. Convincing him had never been the hard part of their plan…that was what would come next. She was intimately aware of every thing Vessadial had done with her magic: the knowledge was, in a very real way, burned into her soul. But she had never contemplated casting those spells herself. Never thought of doing that to herself.

Waking the captain had left her chilled in a way physical cold could not. Waking the rest of his men…even just the ones she could trust….

She didn’t have all night to do it. Didn’t have all night to build her courage. Anawyn reached out with her mind. Her soul stepped through a wall of ice.

A cacophonous din rose from the ghouls, overshadowed by the howled commands of their captain. Anawyn’s knees ht the ship’s deck and she caught herself on trembling arms. Her lungs shuddered, and she choked on the effort of breathing again.

But…it was done. She had her escort. Anawyn shoved herself to her feet and something in her hardened. Zaere wasn’t there to take her to her rooms. Tonight, she couldn’t afford to be weak.

Tonight, she couldn’t afford to lose.

Continue to Volume 1 Chapter 14