Page 7 of Witchsea

“What a shocker. Have you ever left the Stilts before?” he questions with a hint of laughter. I really, really don’t like this man.

My cheeks redden. “No. But I read a lot,” I proudly offer.

“Oh, you can read? Aren’t you lucky when most of your people cannot, and you wouldn’t have read a book about my island or seen it on a map other than a blemish at the bottom of the continent. While you live under the dictatorship of your king, you won’t learn about the free islands.” He looks over his shoulder. The beefy man is on the stairs, glancing between us. He silently steps back.

“What if I tell you to go and fuck yourself?” I mutter. I should shout it at him.

“Try it. Most people are dead when they speak to me like that. Want to join them, Map?” His hands slide into his pockets. “Seems to me like you’ve been given a great deal of luck today. Don’t push it with me or the sea. I’m willing to bet she won’t be a kind beast to you today.”

The ship is moving so fast with the wind that it is hard to balance. “How can I trust you?”

His eyes are nothing but blue, such a bright blue. I have to stop staring at them because his looks are the only good and pretty thing about him. His personality is nothing short of a disaster. “Because I let you on my ship. I made sure the royal guards back there didn’t follow you, and I disposed of them. Say thank you.”

“You did that?” I blink. I thought it was too good to be true that they just left. I’m not thanking the sarcastic ass.

“Yes, Map.” He blows out a long, impatient breath.

“Stop calling me Map. It’s not my name,” I growl.

“What is it, then?” he purrs in a deep, gravelly way that he apparently can do. I’m not sure if I like it or hate it. “No, don’t answer. I don’t actually care.” He simply smirks. “Tell me, why did you risk it all for the map? You’re from the Stilts. I had this entire city watched, and I saw you disappear to the noble house from the back. You were the only one to come through from the Stilts that morning and then come out in a very pretty gown and cloak from a home that wasn’t yours. A thief?” I don’t answer him. “Tell me why you risked it all?”

“Maybe I just want to be rich.” I shrug. “Or I want everlasting life? There could be a million different reasons, and I’m not telling you any of them.”

He laughs, and it’s deep, rich, and compelling to my ears. “You’re on my ship, you need my help, and you’re arguing with me like you have a say. You’re my prisoner, Map, until I decide to let you go. I’ll let you keep your wish at the end because I don’t believe in tempting the gods by taking it when they have chosen you.” He stops laughing and my cheeks are burning. “What’s your name, prisoner?”

I grit my teeth. “Miriam Vale.”

“Draven Elswyth.” His voice is like chipped ice. “Welcome to my ship, Map.”

I see red and wish I had something to throw at him, but instead, I scream as the ship sharply rocks to the side and I slip right off the edge of the ship. I don’t fall far and when I open my eyes, all I can see is blackness. Like a cloud of black ink moving around me and holding me above the water. I’m carried through the air by it and dropped on the deck. The black ink disappears, and I look up at Draven standing over me, his arm outstretched and a line across his palm, bleeding.

Blood magic. The magic the king has and only the king has…but he can’t be the king. The king is known to be blond, and he definitely doesn’t have pointed ears. Draven squats down and pushes up my sleeve with one of his fingers as I freeze from a mixture of shock and fear. He has magic. I want to crawl away from him, but showing him fear seems like a very bad idea. “We all have our secrets, don’t we, Map? You’re not the only one the king wanted dead today.”

“Touch me again and I’ll bite off that finger!” I growl at him.

He grabs my chin and glares right back. “Bite me and I’ll bite right back, Map.” He pushes my chin away and stands up to look over his shoulder at the beefy man, who is watching us both.

“Want help with her, Ren?” the man asks with a grunt.

“Get her to Clark. She’s hurt and I need her alive.” Draven, or Ren, walks to the man. “She’s staying on the ship. She’s our map, and the gods gave her to us. Now, we get what we have been waiting a long time for.”

Draven looks at me one more time before disappearing down the steps, along with any hope I had for escaping him or his ship.

Chapter

Five

For a long moment, I just breathe in deep breaths that come out as puffs of smoke as I stare at the massive man standing on the stairs, tapping his foot while he waits for me. He’s silent, his thick arms crossed, and I was right when I saw him before. He is just as terrifying up close. But, as imposing as this massive man is, he has nothing on Draven, who I’m still worried is going to come back and use his magic to drag me away.

Blood magic is real…my father was right. The second I saw the cut on his palm, it reminded me of the stories my father told me about how witches once ruled this world, and they used blood to activate their magic. The more blood used…the stronger they could be. I always thought it was another one of his silly stories to keep me in my bed way past the sun setting.

“I don’t know who I expected the map to choose, but it really wasn’t you, Miriam.” The man speaks in a gruff voice, with the same unusual accent as Draven. “Now get up and move.”

I barely hold in the wince as I set my hands on the deck, using my burnt palms to push myself up. My ribs scream in protest, and I almost throw up from the pain, so I abandon my attempt to stand and just sit there. “And you’re an eavesdropper, whatever your name is.”

“Chaos is the name.” He blows out a breath. The wind moves his dark brown hair around his thick neck. I find myself staring at the two shaved lines on both his eyebrows and wondering if it’s a weird fashion choice or if he lost a bet. He also has those pointed ears peeking out of his locks. “And yes, I am. When it comes to my captain, there are no secrets I won’t hear for his safety.” He points at me. “You’re a threat.”

“Am I?” I laugh, and gods alive, it hurts in my chest. Chaos doesn’t look impressed, but the pain is making the world spin, and I’m sure it’s not just the ship rocking that is making me see two of him. “I can’t even stand.” I snort in laughter again. He looks at the sea for a long moment and then back at me. “Debating throwing me in?”