Page 82 of Children of Anguish and Anarchy

He falls headfirst into the sand.

With no time to waste, I drag the warrior’s body into the trees. I rip off his mask and fix the human skull over my nose. The cold metal shudders against my skin. The sensation makes me want to vomit. I force myself to keep the bile in.

I steal the Skull’s heavy leather coat, and it drowns out my frame. Its tail drags through the sand as I walk with an unsteady gait, making my way out of the trees.

The Skull’s scent suffocates me. I try to wipe his blood from my hands. Walking on the open shores, I’m surrounded by the enemy.Blend in, I remind myself.

I feign a stumble as I make my way up the drawbridge to King Baldyr’s ship. Tremors pass through my body with every step. I can hardly believe it when I make it onto the upper deck. I fight the urge to look over my shoulder at every Skull who passes.

Focus, Inan.As I move, some parts of Baldyr’s ship look familiar. I walk down the line of lifeboats strapped to the deck. A pair of Skulls leads foreign ryders from the animal den. They walk chained beasts I’ve never seen. I gawk at a yellow bird large enough to ride. Another Skull cages a pair of snow-white foxes, each with nine swishing tails.

I do my best to keep to the sides, passing by gleaming cannons until I find a door leading below deck. When I’m sure no one’s looking, I slip through the archway, descending into the lower levels of the ship.

Instantly, I’m hit with the stench of death. My jaw sets with every cage I pass. Though the cells are empty, fresh bloods sinks into the wood floors. With every open shackle, I see Baldyr’s armies descending onto Orïsha’s shores.

But if we can stop him here…

I march forward, searching for what I need. If Jörah’s men can’t defeat Baldyr’s forces, I can at least destroy his ship.

I move deeper into the vessel, traveling all the way down to the fourth level. I turn a corner when I smell it—the sulfur scent of their blast oil.

I push open the door to find the precious black oil sitting in barrels. Dozens fill the wooden hold. I walk between the neat lines, stabbing through each drum I find. The sulfur scent stings my nose as the black oil spills across the floor.

That’s it.I step back, looking at the foundation of my attack. There’smore than enough oil to take down the ship. I just need a way to ignite the fuse.

I slip out of the room and search the halls. My footsteps echo against the old floorboards. I keep my eyes peeled for a torch, but before I can find one, a pair of chattering Skulls nears.

With no other choice, I round the corner. Blood pounds between my ears as I sprint up the steps. The coat and mask are enough to cloak me, but they won’t hold up under a Skull’s steady gaze.

When I make it back onto the deck, sweat loosens the bronze mask’s grip. It threatens to slip from my face. I stiffen as another pair of Skulls passes. One stares at me far too long for comfort.

Get to the forest.I push myself past the minefield of Skulls waiting between me and the drawbridge. From the forest, I can wait for King Baldyr to board. I can find a way to light the fuse. But as I near the drawbridge, my feet come to a stop. I can’t bring myself to move as the ship’s captain crosses my path.

Another one.

The new Silver Skull walks across the ship, moving to the vessel’s upper levels. He carries rolls of parchments in his hand, disappearing into a room with marble walls and a crimson door.

Though the drawbridge is in sight, I can’t fight the pull inside. I never made it to the captain’s quarters on the ship we escaped. I can only imagine what information the captain of King Baldyr’s ship might have.

I keep my head down as I walk up the stairs. When I reach the top level, I busy myself with crates that line the deck. It takes a few moments for the Silver Skull to emerge. When he leaves the room, I move forward, catching the handle before the door locks.

The captain’s room is like a war library. Scrolls line every wall. I mill around the room, surrounded by more maps than I can count.

Some maps show the six different territories of their tribal kingdom.Others show their trade routes. One scroll illustrates their vast naval fleets. I snatch it from the desk, rolling it up and sticking it into the waistband of my pants.

But when I find their largest map, my fingers fall numb. Hanging on the far wall, the map holds nations of our world that I’ve never seen. The Isles of Samæra. The Straits of Palantar. The joined villages of a land called Sutori. Dark red lines mark the Skulls’ plans of conquest. I drift to the wall, following their path with my hand.

Horror dawns as I see the nations circled in red. The places King Baldyr’s onslaught will begin after the Blood Moon.

The island of New Gaia.

And the fallen kingdom of Orïsha.

CHAPTER FIFTY

ZÉLIE

THE MOMENT THELÂMINASenter the cave, the shouts of battle ring.

---