Page 42 of Dark as the Cursed Abyss

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chloe

The wind off the cliffs cut sharper than any blade Chloe had faced in the training rings, carrying with it the scent of salt and smoke as she stood at the edge of Hespali’s harbor. Below, the sea churned in restless waves, slate-gray beneath a clouded sky, as if the world itself had not yet recovered from what had been awakened beneath the mountains.

Ships dotted the water.

Not the modest vessels of trade or diplomacy that often graced Nexos’s ports, but warships—sleek, dark, and bristling with intent. Their sails were not pristine whites or royal silks, but weathered canvas marked by wind, battle, and time. Each hull bore scars, each mast a testament to survival rather than ceremony.

At their center sat the Parataxis.

Even from this distance, Chloe recognized her immediately—the sharp cut of the hull, the reinforced sides, the quiet dominance she held over the surrounding fleet. Home. Or at least, the closest thing to it she had felt since leaving Nexos.

“She made it.” Farah’s voice came low beside her, but Chloe could hear the thread of relief woven tightly beneath it.

Chloe nodded once, though her chest remained tight. “She always does.”

Footsteps echoed behind them across the stone terrace, measured and deliberate. Chloe didn’t need to turn to know who approached. Her aunt had even more of a presence now than when they first arrived in Hespali. She would almost miss it. Almost.

The queen moved like winter itself—silent, inevitable, and cold in a way that seeped beneath skin and into bone. Halius followed at her side, ever the shadow carved from stone, while Acacius lingered just behind them, his presence quieter today, though no less watchful.

“Your captain has arrived,” Avra said, her voice carrying easily over the wind.

Chloe finally turned, meeting her aunt’s gaze. There was no warmth there—only calculation, sharp and precise. “She has. And she didn’t come alone.”

Avra’s eyes flicked briefly toward the fleet below. “Ten ships,” she noted. “Impressive.”

“Necessary,” Farah interjected, stepping forward just slightly. “If what we felt at the ball was any indication, Hades is not waiting for us to be ready.”

A flicker of something unreadable crossed Avra’s face at the name, but it vanished just as quickly. “No,” she said quietly. “He is not.”

For a moment, silence stretched between them, filled only by the crash of waves against rock far below. Then Chloe straightened, forcing her voice into something steady, something royal. “As promised, we will need the support of your full fleet.”

Avra studied her for a long moment, as if weighing not just the request, but the girl making it. Then she turned slightly, her gaze drifting once more to the ships waiting below.

“I will not strip Hespali bare,” she said at last.

Chloe’s jaw tightened. “If Nexos falls, it will not matter how many ships you have left to defend these shores.”

“And if I give you everything,” Avra countered smoothly, “and Hades turns his attention here instead, what then? Do I sacrifice my people for yours?”

The words struck, not because they were cruel—but because they were logical. Tactical,

Chloe stepped forward. “This isn’t just Nexos. If he rises fully, there will be no ‘your people’ or ‘mine.’ There will only be what’s left.”

The wind howled between them, tugging at Chloe’s cloak as if urging her forward.

Avra exhaled slowly, then lifted her hand. “Five ships,” she said.

Farah stilled beside Chloe.

“Five now,” Avra continued, her tone final. “They will sail with your captain and reinforce your fleet immediately.”

Chloe’s fingers curled at her sides. It wasn’t enough. It wasn’t nearly enough. “And the rest?” she pressed.

Avra’s gaze sharpened. For a moment, something almost dangerous flickered beneath her composed exterior. “The rest,” she said, “will remain here.”

Chloe opened her mouth to argue, but Avra raised a single hand.