Page 113 of Ship of Shadows
Mia and Kara both looked at Bastian, their faces softening at his words.
Mal’s eyebrows furrowed. “What do you mean by that? That you had to learn the hard way?”
Bastian glanced at me. “I pushed your sister away to save her. I broke her heart, made her think I was a villain. I withheld parts of myself from her. It didn’t matter. In the end, she was still going to do what it took to save you two, to save me. We both could’ve saved ourselves a lot of trouble if I’d just trusted that she doesn’t need me to be her protector. She’s the hero of her own story, not me.” He grabbed my hand, and I squeezed it. “She doesn’t need you to protect her either. Believe me, she will kick my ass if need be.”
Mal swallowed. “I’m glad you recognize that.”
“But do you?” Bastian asked.
Mal’s eyes flicked to me for a second. He cleared his throat and pointed at the map. “Let’s get back to it.”
I caught Bastian’s gaze and mouthed, “Thank you.” He nodded, shooting me a wink that made Kara roll her eyes.
“So do you have a plan?” Lochlan asked.
I thought of what Marian had told us about the necklace, its prophecy. “We want to use the light to trap the shadows. Make them gather in one spot and then reunite them with their bodies. According to the necklace, the light is the key.”
Lochlan sat back on his heels, frowning down as Mal stroked his jaw thoughtfully.
“That’s not a bad plan,” Mal said.
“We just have to pick the right location,” Lochlan added. “One where the shadows can’t escape back into the darkness.”
“If we have enough light, we might not even need that confined of a space,” Mia said. “We need torches and fire, and then we can create a pathway that leads the shadows straight to our boys.”
“The shadows are all over the island,” Lochlan said. “Not just in one location. A funnel like that isn’t going to work.”
I bit back my frustration. “Well, then we’ll keep brainstorming,” I said. “We can build on this plan and create a better one by working together.”
Mal nodded and locked eyes with Bastian. “Together,” he echoed.
Trees rustled around us, shaking with intensity. The chatter and laughter of the camp died down as the boys froze, all eyes turning to the hanging vines that protected their home.
Mia slowly stood, drawing a dagger from her boot. “What’s going on?”
Bastian’s hand went to the sword sheathed at his side.
“That’s the pixies,” Mal said, concern lacing his voice.
Kara’s brows drew together. “But the pixies only come when there’s a new shadow to take.”
Lochlan’s throat bobbed. “There’s only one person here who has their shadow.” He met my gaze. “And they’ve come to collect.”
Chapter Fifty-Two
The vines trembled, all the boys standing there with bated breath, their eyes stuck on the entrance. A few younger boys shook, and the older boys stepped up to place their hands on their shoulders. Outside the entrance, a hiss filled the air, so loud I had to cover my ears.
Lochlan took a hand off one ear. “It’s the shadows,” he yelled. “They do this every time the pixies come here. I don’t think they like them.”
The vines parted and a stream of pixies flew through, their wings fluttering. I gasped. I’d never seen pixies before in person. I’d heard of them, of course, seen pictures of them in books, read about their kind—though like the seafolk, they were secretive, more withdrawn from society. It was amazing to know the Seven Spirits created them.
They were stunning. Just like Bastian had said, their wings were translucent, shimmering with sparkling glitter. Their hair was similar to elemental and human hair in color and texture, and it varied between them. Their skin glowed under the sunlight, a light green. The males wore no shirts, chests bare, while the females wore what might be akin to a bra with their stomachs showing and short skirts with tattered edges hangingdown past their thighs. They landed on the various planks stretching between the trees high above. Some planted down on the ground, while others perched in branches.
A female stepped forward, her blond hair hanging down to her shoulders, straight and with a glow to it. Everything about these creatures glowed. Dust wafted from her wings into the air.
“Hello, pirate.” She nodded toward Bastian.
She spoke with a beautiful lilt to her words, her accent so charming.
