Page 136 of Fallen Stars

“Be careful,” Elara said, embracing Isra before she began to scale the ladder next to Adrian.

Enzo muttered a command to Leo who nodded before striding back down below, likely to get Merissa.

“You two,” Adrian pointed to Elara and Enzo, “you’d better have some magick up your sleeves for this. Svetans are savages.” Adrian locked the wheel of the ship, speaking softly as he walked to his first mate. “Santi, check how many kegs of blast powder we’ve got. You lot,” he said, pointing to three of his crew, “weapons drawn, on the side. Tiders, starboard. Five of you, below to the cannons.”

Enzo chuckled darkly behind him.

“Is something funny?” Adrian asked.

Enzo raised his hand, light gleaming in his golden eyes. He smirked. “You’re not going to need cannons.” Fireballs erupted in both his hands. He winked at Elara, who was looking at him with her own knowing smile. “You have me.”

The horn sounded again, nearer now. Then the mist parted, the dim glow from the lamps showing a ship, its stern an ice dragun. A war cry pierced the air, the guttural voices a promise of death.

“Fuck,” Adrian snarled, slamming a hand against the ship’s wheel. “Isra was right. They’re Aquaria’s devotees.”

An arrow flew through the air, sticking straight through the mast.

“Guess the jig is up. Fuck being quiet.Crew, you know what to do! You sorry sons of bitches,” Adrian roared, transforming before Elara’s very eyes as he paced to the side of the ship.

“We fight ice with fire. And we don’t leave here until all these godsdamned frozen bastards are dead.” The crew nodded tightly, tiders with hands out preparing to move water, others with weaker gifts bracing their weapons. Enzo strode to where Adrian stood.

“Ready?” Enzo asked, as though asking if the pirate was ready for dinner.

Adrian only looked at him, raising his own arms.“Attack!”

Elara slipped Enzo a quick and desperate kiss before running to find Merissa.

“Be careful,” Elara heard Enzo shout, and she nodded before pounding across the deck.

She finally found Merissa, her friend wide-eyed as she looked to the chaos ensuing around them.

“How can I help?” Merissa whispered.

“I’m glad you asked,” Elara smiled as she felt the silver power within her dance, begging incessantly to be let free. “I want you to charm every Svetan sailor that climbs aboard this ship so that I can kill them easily.”

“Charm?” Merissa spluttered. “But El, I don’t use my charm. And it’s weak. I’m only part Star.”

Elara had been expecting the answer. She knew that Merissa didn’t accept her own gifts. They reminded her too much of her mother and brother.

“I know, Mer. But even a hint would help. You used it on Ariete, and it worked. Just think, if you could seduce the King of Stars, you can blind these nobodies with only a hint of that love charm, and I’ll do the rest.”

Merissa bit her lip, warring with herself for a moment. Finally, she lifted her chin, and Elara was overcome by relief to see the gleam in her friend’s green eyes. “Let’s do it.”

Elara felt, rather than saw, the first enemy to land on their ship. The rope hissed past her as two feet thunked to the deck. She felt others follow and turned slowly as a giant of a man approached. His hair and beard were ice blonde, woven into intricate plaits.

“What are two little ladies doing out all alone on a pirate ship?” he mocked, pulling a wicked sword from his waist.

Elara glanced once to Merissa, who closed her eyes, pink starlight glowing softly around her.

Elara felt the waft of charm around her, smelling like roses in full bloom. It was the first time that she had properly felt Merissa’s charm, and she wanted to bathe in it, the combination of love and seduction heartachingly sweet and sultry.

The Svetan before them faltered a step as Merissa opened her eyes, the irises flashing pink before returning to green.

“Come closer,” she sighed, and the pirate staggered a step, Elara watching on in amazement.

“Closer,” Merissa breathed, and Elara watched the Svetan’s pupils dilate, jaw slack as he let out a keening sound before stumbling further.

Elara’s power felt greedy, the silver magick begging and screaming now to be let forth as the sounds of battle clanged around them.

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