Dawn of Chaos and Fury by Melissa K. Roehrich - 10

7

“ N o,” Lange said, shaking his head adamantly. “We are not stealing a boat.”

Eviana said nothing from the front seat of the vehicle. Her hands folded in her lap, she sat perfectly still and stared straight ahead, watching the small marina.

Corbin’s hands flexed on the steering wheel he was gripping tightly. “He’s right,” he said. “We already stole a Lord’s vehicle, disobeyed direct orders from a Legacy, essentially stole a Lord’s Source, and⁠—”

“You are detailing quite a list,” Eviana interrupted. “What difference will it make to add one more transgression at this point?”

“Because it is never just one more with you,” Lange griped from the back seat.

She supposed he had a point, but she was tired of doing nothing. Not that they’d been doing nothing exactly. They’d taken a day to pack supplies— food, clothing, and the like. She’d pilfered several rooms of the Raven Harbor manor knowing they’d need to sell items for coin and bribe others for their silence. But they’d also needed to travel light. Eventually, they’d have to leave the vehicle behind and that day had come.

They’d driven west for a few days, staying south of the Night Waters, but for the last week, they’d been stuck here, on the outskirts of a small marina town on the edge of the River of Endings. The border between the Serafina Kingdom and Arius Kingdom was only a few miles to the south of them, and for the last several days, she’d been trying to figure out how to cross the border. Fae couldn’t cross kingdoms without proper documentation. Corbin could forge it, of course, but everyone knew who she was. More than that, everyone knew Valter was looking for her. Her Master being inadvertently set free had definitely added another layer of difficulty to this.

“I still think it’s best to call Luka or Theon,” Corbin said carefully.

He paused, waiting for her to dismiss the idea—and she would—but she’d let him speak. She wasn’t really listening anyway, too focused on the plan forming in her mind.

“They will help us,” Corbin rushed on when she didn’t reply. “We’ve heard the rumors, Eviana. The Pantheon has fallen. We felt the echoes of that. We need their protection.”

She nearly scoffed. Their protection? The Legacy only cared about protecting the powerful Fae to use them. The only protection they would receive would be punishment for trying to run, followed by being locked away to make sure they never did so again.

“We’re going to steal a boat,” she finally said.

“By the gods,” Lange muttered, throwing himself against the back of the seat in exasperation. “And do what, Eviana? Sail our way into the Serafina Kingdom?”

“Yes,” she replied, studying the few sentinels patrolling the docks. “There are no guards in the middle of the river.”

“I’d say you can’t be serious, but I know you are,” he replied, sitting up now to lean between the seats. “The sentinels will still spot us in the middle of the river. They’ll sound an alarm, and whenever we come to shore, they’ll be waiting. Or they’ll send boats out to us and detain us there. Or we’ll never be able to get to shore, and we’ll wind up in the Dreamlock Woods.”

“Correct,” Eviana replied.

For the last two days she’d been debating which boat they were going to steal. There were only three large ships owned by elite Legacy. The other vessels were not nearly as grand, but they’d be comfortable. She didn’t know how to steer a boat, and she was certain Corbin and Lange had never even been on one. But she was also certain they’d adapt quickly. Neither of them had known how to drive either, but Corbin had picked it up with little effort. Adept with technology, he quickly figured out the screens and various components of the vehicle. They were survivors that had been adapting to change their entire lives. That was the life of Fae in Devram. They’d figure it out.

“Just for shits,” Lange continued, “let’s say we were fine with that. We still have to get the boat. What’s your plan there?”

“A distraction,” she answered.

“I’m afraid to ask what the distraction will be,” Corbin said.

“Me,” she said simply. “I’ll be the distraction while you two get the boat. I’ll meet you there.”

“We can’t— That’s not— No,” Lange sputtered. “That will never work.”

“No?” Eviana countered. “Did the winds tell you that?”

“You keep saying that shit, and I still don’t know what you’re talking about,” he retorted.

She finally turned to look at him. His sky-blue eyes were bright with fury as he glared at her. Pale blond hair fell into his face, features twisted into a determination that would eventually break and become resignation. She was the one in control here, and everyone in the vehicle knew it.

“If you are the distraction, we may as well just turn ourselves in,” Corbin cut in. “The minute you are recognized, every kingdom will be notified. There is no doubt we will be followed to detain you, and Lange and I will be immediately killed for kidnapping a Source, despite that not being the case.”

She had considered that, but she was banking more on a sentinel wanting something of a Lord’s. It was definitely a risk. Corbin wasn’t entirely wrong. If they were detained before they were killed, their lineage would be discovered. They certainly wouldn’t be killed then, but punishments and imprisonment would still ensue. Despite that, she hadn’t been able to think of any other options. She’d debated going east and stealing a boat to use the sea to enter the Serafina Kingdom, but unbeknownst to her travel companions, the plan was indeed to enter the Dreamlock Woods.

“There is a much simpler solution,” she offered, not looking at either of them.

“I’m sure it’s simple,” Lange scoffed.

“Remove my bands. I can easily take care of the few sentinels here. Then we can simply walk up and take a boat.”

“Until we cross the border and are spotted by Serafina sentinels,” Corbin shot back. “Then we’re back to the beginning. You’re trapped, and we’re dead.”

“We need to get into the Serafina Kingdom,” she replied. “Once we are on the other side of the border, I know secrets that will keep us safe. We just need to get there.”

“If you’d bother to clue us in on what we’re doing, we might be more willing to help,” Lange drawled from the backseat.

She hadn’t really considered that. Her entire life had entailed watching her Master and others keep their secrets close. When someone knew your secrets, they had leverage over you. No one freely gave up information; just like no one trusted one another. You got what you wanted through coercion and force. Not by simply asking. The mere idea was madness.

“All you need to know is that we need to get into the Serafina Kingdom,” she finally answered, her fingers flexing the smallest amount where her palms were flat on her legs.

“Why?” Lange pushed.

“Either come up with another idea, or we are stealing a boat,” she replied, a hand sliding to the dagger she had stashed in her coat. The same coat Tessa had brought her when she’d been held in Faven. “Unless you are willing to remove my bands.”

“We’re not doing that,” Lange snapped. “But we’re not inept. We have power of our own, you know.”

Of course she knew that. She had just assumed they wouldn’t be willing to help her. Even the insinuation now had her suspicious.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Lange went on, his head tilting as if he heard something. “Why trust us, right? But the truth is, you’ve dragged us in too deep. If we go back now, we’ll be killed. If not for running, they’ll say we kidnapped a Source. No matter what, we’re fucked. We have as much to lose in this as you do now.”

That wasn’t entirely true, but she wasn’t ready to reveal her true motives to them yet. Perhaps they had a point, but they would need to prove themselves. She couldn’t just blindly trust them. Anyone could use words to make something sound shiny.

“You would use your magic to aid in this situation?” she asked, eyes narrowing as she watched for any tell he was lying.

“Will we use our magic to ensure we don’t end up dead?” Lange drawled, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, bellana .”

“Don’t call me that,” she said, turning to face forward once more.

“You blackmailed us and endangered our lives. I’ll call you whatever I like,” he retorted.

“Lange,” Corbin sighed, rubbing at his brow, but Eviana’s head had tilted at Lange’s words.

“Don’t scold me,” Lange replied, once again flopping back in his seat. “I’m tired, I’m hungry, and it’s been ages since we’ve had a good fu⁠—”

“Lange!” Corbin barked.

“I’ve never stopped you from receiving pleasure from each other,” she replied plainly, once again focused on the patrolling sentinels.

Lange muttered something under his breath that she couldn’t quite make out. She also couldn’t quite process what was happening here. No one ever spoke so candidly around her. Except that wasn’t true. Legacy spoke as if she wasn’t in the room unless she was being used for something. Fae never spoke to her. All of this was rather confusing.

“A plan,” Corbin said through gritted teeth. “We need a fucking plan.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Lange grumbled. “I have one of those.”

“Do share,” Corbin said, sounding exasperated.

“We enter the Serafina Kingdom through the river,” he replied simply.

“We already discussed why we can’t steal a boat,” his partner countered.

“I didn’t say anything about stealing a boat. I said we use the river. You have water magic. I have wind,” he said, as if this was obvious.

“You want to enter through the river,” Corbin said in understanding, but Eviana still had no idea what he meant. “We could go a few miles upstream where the river isn’t guarded. Slip in there.”

“Precisely,” Lange said. “We can go as far as we can before our magic runs out, and we need to come up for air.”

Everything clicked into place then as Eviana said, “You mean to enter the kingdom underwater where we will not be detected.”

“Exactly,” Lange said.

“How long will your magic hold?”

“We haven’t been using it much,” Corbin supplied. “Our reserves are full. We should easily be able to get into the kingdom before we need to surface. The river current will be a factor though.”

She nodded as she listened. It wasn’t the time to tell them they needed to make it to the Dreamlock Woods. She would wait to reveal that bit of information until they were well inside the territory.

“I think this plan is sound,” she finally said.

Lange snorted a laugh from the backseat. “None of what we are doing is sound, bellana .”

She frowned at the nickname again, but said nothing. She supposed it was fitting he referred to her as the plant that was stunning on the outside and produced poisonous berries. They tasted delicious but rendered one lifeless within an hour of eating them. Instead, she only nodded once at Corbin’s questioning look before he started the vehicle.

They rode in silence for several minutes until they were far enough upriver with no one and nothing around. Parking in a somewhat sheltered area of trees, he shut the vehicle off, and Eviana wasted no time exiting and rounding to the back where their supplies were. They wouldn’t be able to take everything, and she methodically began moving items to a backpack. She felt Lange and Corbin approach, and they silently began doing the same.

Within minutes, they were hoisting the packs onto their shoulders, and Corbin reached up to close the back hatch. Sharing a look with Lange, he turned to Eviana and asked, “Are you ready?”

Eviana only nodded, adjusting a strap.

“When we get to the water, I’ll use my magic to create a dome of sorts. We’ll enter it to keep us dry and protected. Lange will supply the oxygen. Once we’re submerged, I’ll take us down, and we can walk along the bottom of the river,” Corbin explained. “I’ll do my best to mitigate the current.”

She nodded again, clasping her hands before her as she studied the churning water. A crystal blue, it was the opposite of the Night Waters. Even still, she was sure beneath the surface it was just as dark. She’d been forced to keep others submerged beneath water on Valter’s orders numerous times. Twice, he’d done the same to her, and while she feared nothing after everything she had endured, her heart rate still picked up at the idea of willingly going beneath the river.

“Eviana? Are you all right?” Corbin asked, pulling her from the path she had started to spiral down.

A little girl in the Serafina Kingdom. That was what she needed to focus on. She would and could do anything for that tiny soul.

“Yes,” she answered primly, stepping to the water’s edge. She felt more than she saw the two males exchange another look before they stepped to her side.

Corbin stood between them, and he lifted a hand. Water immediately rose in tendrils at the same time as the lapping waves split, as if flowing around a large boulder. He wove the tendrils higher until they indeed formed a dome, just as he’d said would happen. The water’s edge jutted out now, muddy earth sloping down the farther out it went.

“Let’s go,” Lange said, stepping forward and looking at Eviana.

She followed, the boots Tessa had given her sinking into the silty river bottom. Pausing for a moment, she sucked in a shuddering breath, closing her eyes. Then fingers were wrapping around hers, and her eyes flew open, finding Lange holding her hand. Corbin had moved to his other side, his face twisted in concentration.

“We’ve done this before,” Lange said quietly, as if trying to coax a spooked animal.

“You’ve moved beneath a river?” she questioned, taking another step as he gently tugged her forward.

He huffed a laugh, pulling her along another step and another as he said, “Not here, bellana . But we got into our fair share of mischief, especially when we had more freedom at the Acropolis after the Emerging Ceremony.”

“That’s fitting,” she murmured, tension easing as he guided her farther and farther into the center of the river. Walls of water towered over them on both sides as they made their way deeper.

“Why is that?” Lange asked, and she could swear there was a teasing note to his tone.

“No reason,” she replied, glancing at Corbin. His hazel eyes were brighter, as if they had shifted some.

“Ready, Lange?” Corbin asked.

“Yep,” Lange answered, the air around them thickening when the male rotated the fingers of his other hand as though calling the winds to him.

“Eviana?” Corbin questioned.

She glanced at him once more. “What?”

“Are you ready?”

“It is a little late to turn back now, don’t you think?”

He gave her a small smile. “That it is,” he answered, and as he lowered his hands to his sides, the water closed in.

As if encased in an enormous bubble, the water closed in around them, and she stumbled as the river current took hold. But Lange was still holding her hand, and he let go only to snake an arm around her waist and tuck her into his side.

“Sorry,” Corbin muttered, and Eviana could feel his magic around them working to keep the water at bay.

Everything around them grew darker and murkier. The river was swallowing them up, and there was beauty in the depths. What she could make out anyway. The light was quickly fading, unable to reach so deep. Fish swam by in schools. Various creatures skirted around them. The water plants beckoned and called to her magic, even if she couldn’t see them fully. She knew they were there. If only these godsdamn bands were gone.

Flexing her toes in her boots, she slipped her hands into her pockets, fingering the makeshift weapons in one side and the dagger from Valter’s desk in the other. Next to it was the phone she’d forced Corbin to give her. They didn’t know it, but she’d kept it charged. It was powered off, of course. She didn’t want to leave any possible opening for Valter to track her.

“How long do we have?” Eviana asked, feeling Lange’s grip loosen as they all got their footing. She turned in a slow circle, taking everything in, but it was far too dark now. Only faint traces of sunlight filtered this deep, and she squinted, trying to adjust to the darkness. Sound was muffled, and the dome of water did nothing for the chill this far down in the water.

“Corbin’s reserves will wane faster than mine,” Lange answered. “It takes more power for him to keep us below the surface, fight the current, and keep us dry.”

“But you must conjure air,” Eviana countered. “Out of nothing.”

“Not out of nothing,” he said, moving to the edge of the dome and dragging a finger through the water. “There is oxygen in it. I just have to draw it in.”

“How long do you think we can make it?” she asked again, pulling the coat tighter around herself. She needed to figure out how to prepare for their next moves, and to do that, she needed an idea of where they were going to surface inside the Serafina Kingdom.

Lange glanced over his shoulder as Corbin came up behind him, wrapping an arm around Lange’s waist and resting his chin on his shoulder. “I should be able to last a couple of hours. As long as we keep moving, we should make it into the Serafina Kingdom. I’ll let the current push us without overwhelming us and sweeping us away. I don’t want to lose control.”

“How deep into the kingdom?” she pushed, already knowing it wouldn’t be nearly as far as she wanted to be.

“I think we should just start moving,” Lange said. “We can all agree we want to get as far as possible. None of us want to be discovered, bellana .”

She rolled her eyes at the nickname the male had apparently latched onto, but he had a point. While she’d had decades to learn her limits and could tell them exactly how long her power would last, they were still discovering theirs. They were still figuring out the depths, and from the brief time she’d spent with them, she knew not only had they not discovered their full capacity, they also didn’t understand just how powerful they were. That was fine. She’d force them to learn it. She’d drag it out of them, because they would all need to be at full strength to survive the Dreamlock Woods. But again, they’d learn that soon enough.

She let them have this moment of peace as they started moving along the river bottom. Half listening to the two males discuss a Chaosphere game, she wished she had the capacity to care about something so trivial. Truly she did.

Unfortunately for them, the Fates had made their paths cross, and she was a poison that spread to everything she touched. Maybe bellana was a fitting name after all.