Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 93948 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93948 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
It takes seconds for them to clear every ship docked and start out across the water of the harbor, racing across the surface of the water as if it’s solid dirt. “We can’t catch them.”
Bastian takes one step farther and then hits his knees. “Siobhan!” he roars.
In the distance, one of the massive white hounds misses a step and slows. I rush forward and grab his shoulder. “Again! I see her!”
He draws in a full breath and, when he calls her name again, he puts the full force of his glamour magic behind it. I use my wind magic to increase the range, desperation pushing me hard. The result is amplifying the sound until each syllable rings like a bell out across the water. “Siobhan, come back to us!”
For a moment, I think it might work. She hesitates, going so far as to turn around and look at us. But then the Cŵn Annwn call and a horn sounds and she’s gone, sweeping after the Hunt as they leave the harbor and descend upon Threshold.
Bastian’s shoulders shake against my palms. “What have we done? Did it even work or was it all for nothing?”
“I don’t know,” I whisper. “Come on.” I make myself release his shoulders and head slowly toward the closest ship with crimson sails. It’s nestled between two mundane trading ships, both of which seem to have their entire crews on their respective decks.
A burly person leans over the railing and shouts down to me. “What the fuck was that?”
There’s no reason to lie. For better or worse, today is the stuff legends are made of. “The Wild Hunt.”
They frown. “I don’t know what the fuck that is, sailor.”
I don’t expect them to. “Have you suffered losses?”
“No.” They shrug. “Swept through that one.” They nod at the Cŵn Annwn ship. “But left us alone.”
That, at least, is a good sign. I don’t know what metric the Wild Hunt might use to define “rot,” but at least they’re confining it to the Cŵn Annwn and not all of Threshold.
Walking aboard the crimson-sailed ship makes my skin break out in goose bumps. I almost tell Bastian to stay on the docks, but he won’t listen and I’m not keen to face whatever I’ll find alone. “Hello?”
There’s a sound belowdecks, and it takes me several long beats to realize it’s the sound of someone weeping. I glance at Bastian. “Stay behind me.”
“Let’s go.”
It’s not an agreement, but it’s the best I’m going to get under our current circumstances. I head to the hatch and carefully raise it. Down below, there’s no pocket dimension to speak of, just a rank and filthy room with gently swinging hammocks. I inhale carefully and wince at the coppery scent that lingers. Blood.
We follow the sound of weeping to find a trio of people huddled in the corner. One is barely more than a child, clothed in the same robes Orchid and the people of Drash favor, their head bowed and their thin body shaking. The other two are older, but not by much. From the wideness of their eyes, they’re in danger of going into shock.
I crouch down, trusting Bastian to watch my back without a second thought. “You’re safe.”
“They came,” whispers the one on the right, a woman with deep purple skin and too-large eyes. “They took them all, but I think they killed the captain and the quartermaster.” She shudders. “Good. They deserved it.”
I want nothing more than to find a proper ship and sail after the Hunt to call Siobhan home to us, but…I can’t. If this trio, obviously traumatized by more than just the Hunt, are any indication, we’re going to have a significant number of refugees to either see settled or guide back to their home realms. I can’t just drop that task into someone else’s hands.
Siobhan wouldn’t want me to.
“Fuck,” I breathe.
Bastian finally gathers himself enough to speak, directing his question to the man who looks slightly steadier than the other two. “We need to search for anyone else aboard. Can you show me the way?”
The man reluctantly nods. I busy myself herding the woman and child up onto the deck. By the time we reach the dock, the rest of our party has arrived. Bowen takes in the situation with a single glance. “Maeve, start with the Cŵn Annwn ships on the far side of the docks. Lizzie, let Maeve lead.” He ignores the vampire’s hiss. “Evelyn and I will start on the other side. We’ll bring all the survivors here. Once they’re gathered and safe, we’ll come up with a plan for what to do next.”
The sheer enormity of the task sets me back on my heels. It’s not just docked ships that will be affected. If the path of the Hunt is any indication, they’ll hit every ship with crimson sails. There will be some crews left more intact than others, but the latter are in active danger. Most of the ships are too large to be sailed by a handful of even the most knowledgeable people, and I doubt any of the survivors will fall into that category.