Tides of Torment: Chapter 26

Separating from Travion wasn’t easy. Who was going to make sure he didn’t run headlong into death if she wasn’t there to pull him back? But this was war, and while Travion needed to be on land with his people, Sereia belonged on the water with hers.

She stood at the helm, surveying the battle laid out before them. Spider crabs littered the shoreline, soldiers holding them off as best they could, but too many bodies lay strewn about to say they were making any true headway in killing them. Other still unseen creatures were likely converging on the shore by way of the seafloor. What was left of Travion’s naval fleet was mainly focused on firing at two giant crabs, similar to the one that had decimated Sahille. Cannon fire sounded as they fought off the monsters. Yet, the biggest and most imminent threat was the kraken scaling the cliff and heading straight for the castle. The shining vine wall that Queen Eden and Prince Kian had constructed was a fabulous piece, but it would only hold so long against a creature with no bones and suction cups.

“What’s the plan, Captain?” Adrik asked from her right. His back was straight, and there was a defiant smirk curling his lips.

Sereia’s eyes narrowed on the creature. It possessed only seven tentacles, with a small slender one growing in replacement of the missing limb. She had faced it down once before, as had Zaitsev’s crew. And by the sea, this time, she was going to kill it.

Sereia looked at Adrik and then at the rest of her crew, who all gazed up at her from the main deck. There was some fear in the depths of their gazes—they had faced this beast before and barely escaped—but mostly there was a bright fighting spirit shining back at her.

“I know that a lot of you don’t call Midniva home, but

has become renowned for coming to the aid of those in need. Today is no different. Let this be the day that Midniva and her king learn to sing praises of the prowess of

and her crew.” A loud cheer went up from the ship’s deck, and Sereia met Adrik’s eyes. “Prepare the cannons for battle and have every pirate at their station. I’m going to bring us up alongside the lone naval ship focusing on the kraken and see if we can’t sway them to our way of thinking.”

“Aye, aye, Captain. And don’t worry, your man is more than aware of your prowess.” He winked at her, then headed down the stairs, just out of reach of her swinging hand.

“Adrik!” she called after him, and he paused to look back at her.

“Aye?”

“I noticed no one seemed surprised at Travion being called uncle by Prince Ruan. When did they figure out who he was?”

Adrik’s grin was full of delight. “Captain, they’ve known all along.” He shook his head at her and laughed as he walked away.

Sereia supposed she shouldn’t be surprised to learn that she hadn’t done a very good job hiding Travion’s true identity. They were a family, after all, and no secret remained a secret for very long.

Hands tightening on the wheel, Sereia swung her ship hard to the left and cut through the water toward the naval ship. From the mainmast above, Yon switched out their flags to proclaim that they were looking to parlay, not attack.

The naval ship and its officers were at the ready nonetheless—the sailors prepared for attack as Sereia drew

close. “Drop anchor!” she shouted.

She felt the tug against the keel as the anchor dragged along the seafloor before fetching up and bringing her ship to a halt alongside HMS . The wind was fierce along the coast, so Sereia signaled for her crew to drop a plank. There would be no shouting from one ship to the next. Once it was in place, she jumped down the stairs and walked over the board to stand at the railing of , letting her knees naturally shift with the slightly off-sync bobbing of the two ships.

A cannon boomed, making Sereia’s ears ring. The iron ball flew across the water to collide with the meaty portion of the kraken’s body. The beast didn’t even react.

“Pirate,” the captain of HMS spat out. “We haven’t the time to parlay, we’re in the midst of a battle, if you hadn’t taken note.”

Sereia’s eyes narrowed, and she fought the urge to slap him where he stood. Instead, her hand gripped the sword at her hip, the fabric of the grip squeaking from the pressure.

“Bootlicker.” She dipped her head in greeting. “I’ve come to offer our assistance in the battle currently facing you. I have faced off with crabs as large as those ones.” She motioned to the giant beasts the ships were trying to destroy. “Going through the mouth is the only way to kill them. Your ships would be best off dredging the bottom of the seafloor and stopping whatever creatures they can from reaching land. Tell them to prepare for sharks.” Sereia gazed over the water. It wouldn’t be long before those monsters joined in on this too, she was sure of it.

The naval captain was frowning up at her, and at the bow, another cannon fired.

“If your force, along with the infantry, can handle land and sea, then I will focus

and all her power on the kraken currently scaling the cliff. I have a score to settle with the beast, and I won’t stop until it’s dead. All I need is for your ship to continue as is but aim more for the tentacles.” As far as plans went, it was not perfect. But it was what she had to work with at the moment. If any of them came out of this alive, it would be a miracle.

The captain’s brows shot up. “Might I ask why we should be taking battle instruction from a pirate?” His eyes drifted over her with disdain.

Sereia’s lip curled, and she only stood straighter beneath his disdain. “I a pirate. I am also Lady Ferox of Midniva, and you will take instruction from me because I am the only one to have faced off with a kraken that size and come out the other side alive. And furthermore”—at these words, she stepped closer so that she was properly looming over him—“your lord and king trusts me, you egotistical flea. So you can either get behind me and this plan, or you can keep floundering out here on the water, wasting cannonballs. Either way,

is heading for that cliffside, and we are going to stop that monster from reaching the castle.”

Sereia spun on her booted heel and walked the plank back to her ship. Once on deck, she scowled at Adrik. “We may be on our own. Be that as it may . . . we’re taking down that kraken.” She surveyed her crew, nodding before she shouted, “

!” Fueled by

’s new purpose, she raced back up to the quarterdeck, reclaiming the helm.

Adrik followed behind her, waiting for instructions.

Sereia took just a moment to eye the kraken, preparing herself for what was to come. “Mount the largest harpoon you have to the front of the ship. Tie it off at all the masts to secure it, and then I’m going to use every ounce of my strength to pull that sodding beast off the cliff.” Their eyes met, matching determination within their depths.

“These are the days I signed up for.” Adrik grinned over at her, excitement taking over his face so much so that it made her laugh.

“So pleased to hear one of us is happy about what is about to happen,” she grumbled, but there was a matching grin on her lips.

Sereia steered

away from HMS , bringing them closer to the cliff. Any other day, she’d have made sure the captain paid for his disdain toward her. Today, however, she was focused on more important things.

Adrik sprinted down the stairs to the main deck, dropping down into the hatch to fetch their largest harpoon. Upon his return, he loaded the gun and shouted for Yannik and another to join him in tying off the ropes. They trailed three thick lines from the back of the harpoon and wrapped around the masts of the ship, tying them off tightly.

Hopefully, it would be enough to secure the weapon once it was lodged inside the kraken and not bring her bright scarlet sails down.

The sight of the beast up close was daunting. It was equally the size of her ship at its head and body, its long tentacles putting her masts to shame. The creature could easily crush and everyone on it. Sereia took a deep breath. She would need to give it her all if she was going to pull this off.

The Lucemite soldiers on their flying griffins dove around the tentacles, throwing spears and swiping with swords in an attempt to sever the limbs. But the monster was quick, and its tentacles agile. Crackles of electricity lit up the sky and crashed against the rocks. It was enough to wring howls from the beast, but it wasn’t forcing it to recede into the water.

Overhead, a griffin flew by, and sudden inspiration sprang to mind. Releasing the ship’s wheel, Sereia waved her arms wildly in the air until a soldier turned and looked at her. The large paws of the griffin touched down on the deck, and the soldier surveyed her quickly.

“You beckoned, Captain?” It pleased her, more than a little, to be recognized as a captain rather than a pirate.

“We are about to harpoon the kraken. I’ll attempt to pull it from the cliff with my affinity for water and lure it after us instead.” The soldier’s brows shot up in surprise, but he was listening. “It would be helpful if, while we are doing this, you and some of your fellow soldiers would pester the beast even more so than you are now. Give it every reason to remove its tentacles from the cliff. The less it has to cling on with, the more likely we will be able to pull it down.”

He seemed a little shocked, but then a fierce look replaced his initial bewilderment. “I believe my men and I are up for the challenge. I’ll let Prince Ruan know what you are planning.”

“Let Prince Ruan know that once the beast is in the water, I plan to trap it at the bottom of the seafloor with a whirlpool. That would be the perfect time for him to focus all his power on it.” The soldier nodded in understanding and launched into the air.

Sereia watched him corral his comrades. “Adrik!” she shouted. “We’ve got some help! Give the griffin infantry time to distract the creature, and only then will we fire. We’ve only got one shot at this, so don’t miss.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Captain!”

Standing at the helm, Sereia reached out to the water around her, her mind and ability wrapping around the currents and the force of the moving tide. As she watched the efforts of the griffins and Prince Ruan double, she wrapped the currents around the hull of The Lucemites attacked from all sides, thrusting spears at the tentacles, tearing through flesh with claws, striking it with everything they had. Lightning struck the hide, tearing screeches from the Kraken. Not all were fortunate enough to make it out, and she watched more than one griffin and soldier plummet to the land below or be grabbed and crushed by a tentacle itself.

It only made her more determined to succeed.

When the kraken was holding on by only two of its tentacles, Adrik lined up the harpoon and shot it into the air. Sereia’s breath caught as she watched the giant spear launch toward the creature. It only released when the head of the harpoon sunk deep into the body of the kraken. A loud roar of anger and pain echoed through the air, ricocheting off the cliffside and back out over the water.

“Boran, take the helm!” she shouted and ran to the railing. Calling to the currents she’d already created around them, Sereia pulled at the hull of her ship, and the line of the harpoon grew taught. Nothing happened at first, and

lurched forward as the kraken pulled at the rope.

Sereia eyed the taut line, and above them, the wooden masts creaked from the strain. She refused to lose her ship to this beast. “Not on my watch, dammit!” Gritting her teeth, Sereia increased the strength of the current running beneath the keel and began pushing

back.

Wood groaned harshly, but her masts held.

As

pulled more forcibly on the kraken, Prince Ruan and his soldiers increased their assault on the beast. Several bolts of lightning crackled, zipping across the sky. They struck one large tentacle, finally severing it. The appendage crashed into the surf below, spraying water high into the air. The kraken wailed a piercing cry that reverberated within Sereia’s chest.

She increased the strength of her pull, groaning at the agony inside her own body from the strain. Above, the masts creaked in protest, and she prayed to whatever water spirits were listening that they would hold.

A deafening crack sounded, echoing over the water. The last of the kraken’s hold on the cliff gave way. Large gray tentacles writhed helplessly in the air as the monster fell to the shoreline below.

The land shuddered, and aboard her ship, a short-lived cheer went up. “Not yet!” she screamed through the strain, propelling them farther into the water before the creature could regain its wits and take them down.

Once the kraken was deep enough in the water to be fully submerged, Sereia wove her arms in the air, the chill of the sea washing over her form and the scent of salt coiling around her. Her muscles strained, and her legs grew weak as all her energy was channeled into changing the direction of the current so that it was no longer beneath

but circling around the kraken.

The ship rocked beneath them as the sea itself shifted, and a giant whirlpool opened up.

The creature, finally regaining its equilibrium, rushed the wall of water, trying to swim free. It fell back into the center of the whirlpool. One tentacle shot out to wrap around the front of

seeking an anchor point. Adrik, along with several others, fell upon it with swords, hacking at the tip of the tentacle. With each swing, blood sprayed over the deck and crew. From above, Prince Ruan and his soldiers attacked once more, diving toward the kraken threateningly while avoiding tentacles. It helped to distract the kraken long enough for Sereia to increase the strength of the whirlpool to such an extent that it bared the seafloor and dragged the creature down.

Screaming through her own pain and exhaustion, her body giving all it had left to give, Sereia finally trapped the monster in a cage of roaring water, nothing but the sand of the seafloor for it to cling to.

“Any day now, Your Highness!” Adrik shouted over the roar of water, and Sereia couldn’t help but laugh at his audacity. Not many would get pushy with the Prince of War.

Though she could only agree. Her knees were shaking beneath her. The strain on her body to keep up this influence over the sea was draining her of all energy. If they didn’t kill the beast soon, she was going to pass out, and all their efforts would be for naught.

It was then that the remaining naval ships came to their aid, circling around the whirlpool, cannons aiming for the kraken at the bottom.

Prince Ruan released a war cry, a storm cloud brewing so dark it, sent shivers down Sereia’s spine. Thunder rumbled, and sparks crackled in the air. When the blast of electricity finally erupted, every cannon upon the naval ships unleashed as well.

The noise was deafening, and it brought Sereia to her knees. Still, she would not release her hold on the ocean water. Not until she had proof that the creature was dead.

When the smoke cleared from the cannons, all that remained was a charred carcass riddled with holes.

A proper cheer went up from all the ships, and Sereia let her hands fall at last, the sea rushing in to fill the hole. The force of it rocked all the ships dangerously and sent the remains of the kraken—torn free from the ropes—forward to wash up on the beach.

“By the sea! We did it!” Adrik hurried to her side, stooping to wrap his arm around her waist and help her back up to her feet. “That was a bloody brilliant display of prowess, Captain. Something they’re all bound to be talking about for many years to come.” He winked at her.

“Well, don’t count our scallops yet, this thing isn’t over.”

As if her words had called forth hell, screams could suddenly be heard all over the harbor as large sharks crested the waves, ripping men nearly out of the air and smashing through hulls.

On a small island in the middle of the harbor, a volcano erupted. From the molten lava, creatures straight from the pits of hell emerged. They were like crabs, with long spindly legs, and yet where their claws should have been were long, pointed tusks instead. Their faces, or what could only be assumed to be a face, were nothing but row upon row of teeth leading to a giant cavern of a throat. From the tops of their heads, long spindles protruded like those of an angler fish, topped with the abominations’ eyes.

The seawater began to froth and bubble, so many of them streamed into it, and with horror, Sereia could see them fast approaching all the ships in the harbor.

A lone figure stood on the island. Sereia pulled her spyglass from her hip and saw that it was a woman, beautiful, with a touch of madness about her. She was watching the avalanche of horror head into the water, a look of delight on her face and a glowing, golden book in her hands. Sereia lowered the spyglass and shoved it back into its holster. “Boran, take us to that island!”

“What?” Adrik squawked, grabbing at the railing to keep them up as

tilted at the sudden change in direction. “What is going through your head?”

“She’s got The Creaturae, Adrik. She’s the one behind all this. If we can kill her and take it, all of this can end.” She pushed off of him, finding the strength to stand on her own two feet again.

There would be time to wilt later. Now was the time for battle.

“Well, then let’s go end this war.” He flashed her a grin, only for his lips to quiver and cringe. A frown puckered his brow, and then he coughed, red spattering his lips and dripping down the sides of his chin.

Sereia stared at him, seeing her own confusion mirrored back at her from the depths of his pained blue eyes.

Together, they looked down to his chest, where a sharp tusk pierced through. Behind him, one of the monstrous creatures finished climbing up over the railing and onto the deck of the ship.

Sereia’s mind went blank, her ears ringing and blocking out all sound as she pulled her sword free of its scabbard and launched herself at the beast. Several other crewmen joined her. One lost their arm to the blade-like teeth, another just missed being speared by its other tusk. With a rage that was all-consuming, Sereia clambered over razor-sharp legs that sliced at her limbs and climbed onto the creature’s back. With one fell swoop, she severed its antenna eyes, blinding it.

The creature reared up and sent her flying through the air. Her back hit the mast, breath rushing out of her, and she crumpled to the deck. Black spots swam in front of her eyes, but she clung onto consciousness and watched Yon take her place on top of the beast. She lifted her sword into the air and drove it into the fleshy top of the creature’s head. It shuddered, then collapsed to the deck.

Pushing up onto her hands and knees, Sereia hurried to Adrik’s side, shouting at her crew to blind the beasts as more crawled up over the sides.

Adrik’s bronze skin was pale, his long hair matted to the side of his face and the deck red with his blood. Sereia pulled him onto her lap, pressing a futile hand to one side of the gaping hole in his chest.

“Gods, Adrik . . . why?” Her face was wet, and something like rain dripped onto Adrik’s shirt, dampening it.

He chuckled, then winced, coughing up more blood. “I always knew you’d be the death of me, Rei.” There was no anger in his eyes as he said it, only something akin to fondness and love. “But by the sea, I wouldn’t change a thing about my life. You’ve given me the best years.”

Sereia shook her head. “Stop speaking like this. This isn’t how you go down. Not like this. Not by surprise.”

“Only way—” He winced. “To get me.” He lifted his hand to cover hers. The slickness of the warm red coating them both filled her with more horror than it ever had before.

“Adrik—”

“Listen to me, Rei.”

“No, Adrik—”

“Captain!” She finally shut up at his shout. “I need you to do something for me.”

“Of course, anything.”

“Promise me you won’t run this time.”

“What?” She wanted to say she didn’t know what he was talking about. But she did. Brushing the back of her hand across her face, smearing tears and blood alike, Sereia nodded.

“Doesn’t . . . mean anything . . . if you don’t say . . . it.” His words were interrupted by fits of coughing, a wet sound gurgling in his lungs.

“I promise I won’t run this time,” she rasped.

“That’a girl.” He squeezed her hand, smiled gently, and then the light faded from his eyes.

“Don’t die on me! Adrik! I forbid you to go out like this!” She shook him, but there was a stillness to his form that could not be reinvigorated. Pain caught at her throat, ripping through her flesh, and her fingers tightened on him. Pulling Adrik against her, she bowed over him for a moment, rocking back and forth as grief swelled like a tidal wave, all-consuming and powerful.

A roar of fury exploded from her lips at last, and Sereia climbed to her feet, blood soaked and sword in hand.

There were no thoughts in her mind as she raced across her ship’s deck and mounted the next beast. Her sword swung and her knife was pulled from her boot to aid in her climb, stabbing into any area where flesh could be found.

The creatures would pay for this senseless slaughter. The woman behind it all would pay.

The world would pay.