Page 32 of Sustaining
And it has him now.
“Sinister!” I shout his name into the sharp silence. I say it over and over and over again until the sound of it scratches against my throat with escalating fear.
I fucking lost him.
Again.
Smooth inky scales slink through the surface of the water. The lurking creature bobs up just briefly before sinking deep into the water below. The harsh tone of my voice quiets into a shaking breath, and my gaze lingers on the spot the beast just was.
Is it…the spine-chilling myths I’ve always been warned about, or is it my friend?
Farther I lean over the edge of the massive ship, and Chaos’ palm wraps around my hip like he’s seconds away from tearing me away if need be. My wide eyes scan the calm surface of the washing waves, peering deep for any sign of movement.
“Sinister?” I whisper so quietly the sound barely leaves my lips.
Goddess, what if he transformed himself into some sort of loch ness monster? I love animals. I do. But I don’t think I could look at him if he was as ugly as the sea creatures my father’s men used to laugh about. What if it’s worse, though?
There are the most astoundingly unnatural things lurking at the bottom of the ocean.
What if that’s Sin now?
I swallow hard, my breaths coming in shuddering heaps the longer I look into the dark waves.
Water clashes up, reaching up and splaying violently across my face.
Magic rips to life in my fingertips. Chaos pulls me hard against his chest.
And then a sweet but strange noise filters through the air. It’s a high-pitched tone, but the sound itself is something I’ve heard countless times.
It’s the sound of a wild horse.
My eyes flash open wide. Glittering black scales shine against the moonlight while long, ebony hair wafts around the beast swimming with ease in the water below.
He isn’t a horse at all.
“He’s a kelpie.” A smile is soft on my lips, and of all the eerie animals that were floating through my mind, this beautiful sea horse was not one of them.
His strong hooves clatter against the side of the ship as he wades in the water below. It was a good choice. He’ll be able to navigate the water as well as the land once we get there.
“Come here, and I’ll help you down onto him.” Rime takes my hand and guides me toward the lowest part of the ship. The beam we used to board the ship lies off to the side and is completely useless now. A rope would be great. We could really use a rope right now.
The simple thought tosses magic right out of me. A rope twirls down, and the end of it lands in my hand, making me appear very well thought out and in control of this moment rather than just living off of happy accidents.
Rime’s pale brows rise toward his hairline, and it seems even he’s impressed with myquick thinking. Rime grabs the opposite end, and I take the time to wrap the thick rope around my waist. Everything feels unfamiliar and reckless in this moment. It’s like I’m doing all of this on autopilot but I really have no idea if it’s the right move or not. With my heels digging into the ledge, my body weight hanging over, sending fear all through me, Rime and Chaos start to lower me down. Smooth wood slides over my bare feet.
Okay. This isn’t so bad. This is easy. I can do this.
A heavy wave crashes into the side of the ship, and I’m jostled on impact. My knees give out the tension I wasn’t even aware I was carrying. The smallest shriek slips over my lips before my face slams into the side of the ship. My fists tighten onto the rope, my body bumping awkwardly onto the wooden structure.
I hang there with pain attacking my body at all angles.
To say I feel a little bit like fish bait right now would be an understatement.
“You’re all right, Low,” Chaos says calmly.
The rope that I’m strung up in lowers a bit faster now, my body not doing any part of the work to assist in that matter.
My jaw clenches as tightly as my eyes do while I just breathe in the salty sea. I reach so hard for a calming breath. Rough layers of rope bite into my palms and lower back, and still I just breathe through the pain.
