at the nose of the golden ship in his matching golden armor. That pale blond hair flying in the wind behind him. His gold eyes swept the ship for me. I dove to the ground, sliding across the inch of water on the deck until I slammed into the cabin door.
“Captain?!”
“FIRE!” Blackbeard screamed and spit left his mouth.
An explosion went off beneath us, shaking the ship and rocking us side to side. My ears rang with a high-pitched squeal from the deafening boom. White smoke and orange flames shot into the sky.
Blackbeard raised his sword in the air. “FIRE!”
There was a crack and then another explosion as Blackbeard’s men fired their cannons, one after another. Smoke and ash filled the air. The ship rocked. Wooden shards exploded all around us. Flames rose up to the clouds. I couldn’t tell if the other ship had taken a hit at all, but I found myself both hoping it had yet hoping it hadn’t.
Never had I ever imagined a day I’d feel grateful for the fae’s arrival.
Even if it was him.
Men in golden armor leapt through the chaos and landed on the deck with Blackbeard’s men. The Seelie Knights had found me. Riah found me. But I wasn’t going to sit around and wait to be taken. I pulled myself back to my feet and threw my arm out behind me. My magic rushed out of my palm.
And then I felt it, the sharp sting of the tunnel’s energy. I clenched my teeth and imagined my magic wrapping around it. I felt a tug in my gut and then pulled. While they were busy fighting here I was going to be there. I just had to get the tunnel to me before Riah found me.
Seelie Knights were everywhere. Their golden armor sparkling in the sunshine through the smoke and flames. Cannons fired one after another. Men screamed as they were tossed in the air. I saw the shimmer of metal and then heard it slice through the air. Blood spilled on the deck. But I wasn’t watching the fight. I was looking for him. I turned to look above me —
And then I felt his hot, electric energy against my back like the sun was shining right on me. I felt the prickle of his gaze slide down my spine. My pulse quickened. I clenched my teeth and breathed through my nose….and spun.
His gold gaze found mine in an instant.
He stood twenty feet away across the ship, a stoic statue among the carnage. The ship exploded around him yet he was unphased, untouched. His eyes sparkled and my heart did that stupid little traitorous flutter. He stomped toward me, walking in a straight line like the world wasn’t shattering around us. Wood particles and shards of glass flew past him. Flames shot up. Yet his steps never faltered.
I cursed and pulled with my magic. The tunnel was moving closer but not fast enough. Come on, come on, come on. I kept my eyes on Riah, watching his every step until he stood three feet in front of me. Hold yourself together. He doesn’t deserve your rage. He betrayed you.
He put his hands behind his back and his eyes blazed with fire. “Talk to me.”
I snapped. I stepped forward and screamed, “I will make wind chimes out of your teeth.”
He arched one eyebrow. “I take that as a compliment.”
“I must have said it wrong,” I growled through clenched teeth.
How dare he stand there like nothing happened. Like he hadn’t betrayed me, like he hadn’t reeled me in and fed me to the lions. How dare he flirt with me after what he did. Rage boiled in my veins, turning every muscle in my body to fire. I exhaled through my nose, half expecting smoke to come out.
The tunnel was so close. I felt its magic tingle against my back.
Riah held his hands up like he was surrendering, like it wasn’t too late for that. “Just talk to me. Let me explain.”
“There’s nothing to explain!”
He flinched and his jaw flexed.
“You betrayed me.”
He winced.
“You pretended to care about me,” I snarled and he cringed, but I wasn’t done. He’d hurt me too much. He didn’t deserve a second of my time, he was only getting it because I was stalling. “Then handed me over to the very man who cursed me. The man who made my life misery for three hundred and twenty-seven years.”
He grimaced and his face looked pale. “I don’t want to fight you.