Page 135 of Fallen Stars

“Fine,” he said, grinning in anticipation. “Tomorrow night.”

Chapter Forty-Eight

Elara was trapped in a nightmare.

It had recurred since her first sleep once Enzo had awoken. Her dreamscape was dark, and she was alone—so very alone—as the shadows she used to love lunged at her, monstrous creations chasing her as she ran, morphing into snarling shadow wolves that snapped at her heels.

Her heart pounded, limbs shaking as she tried to outrun the darkness, but it was always there—had always been there—and she couldn’t escape it, not in this life or the next.

A bell blared, the clanging a grating shriek as she clamped her hands over her ears and continued to run, tripping as the shadows almost…

Elara awoke, gasping, slowly understanding that the clanging was continuing as she worked to calm her sweat-drenched body. Enzo’s arms were wrapped around her, soothing her as her heart pounded, her love looking at her with consternation.

“What’s that sound?” she croaked as he passed her some water before jumping out of their bed and shrugging clothes on.

“It’s a warning,” he growled, peering out of their window. There was nothing, only a thin stream of moonlight, the hour late.

The horn resounded, blaring through the room so loudly that the decorations hanging from the wall began to rattle.

Enzo cursed. In the next second, Isra was in the room, her eyes wild and a gown haphazardly wrapped around her.

“I know that sound,” Isra breathed as Elara sprang from the bed.

“It’s a fucking war call,” Enzo growled as Elara looked past the door in alarm.

She could hear the ship roaring to life, the crew moving around and muffled orders above being yelled by whom, she could only assume was Adrian.

“Not just any war call,” Isra said, face grim. “Svetans.”

Mist curled, clinging to the deck as Elara and Enzo raced above. It was pitch black, the only light from the moon above and a few lamps lit on the deck of the ship.

The crew before her was a well-oiled machine, silent in the hushed night as they carried out orders being whispered viciously by Santi. Each moved to their stations and ahead at the wheel, tricorn hat on his head, was Adrian.

Elara ran over to him, the mist becoming so thick, she could barely see in front of herself.

“Adrian?” she breathed.

“Elara?!” Adrian took his eyes off the wheel for a moment. “It’s a fucking Svetan ship heading straight for us. Get below deck.”

“Not a chance,” she hissed as Enzo squeezed her hand. Isra looked out, as though she could see something they couldn’t. Adrian looked between them all, sighing.

“I don’t have time for this. If you want to risk your lives, be my guest.”

The horn resounded again, and Adrian set his jaw, turning back to the thickening fog.

“It’s Aquaria,” Isra said. “She’s set them after you both.”

“How do you know?” Adrian asked.

Isra shot him a withering look.

“Oh, right, I forgot you were a seer, got it. Any grand ideas for how to avoid this shitstorm?”

“We need to use the fog to our advantage,” Leo said, striding up to them. He kissed Elara and Isra on the cheek, slapping Enzo’s back.

Enzo nodded, the two seeming to sink into warriors easily, commander and king. “Use the element of surprise. Isra will be able to see through the fog.”

Isra nodded. “I’ll head to the crow’s nest.”

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