Page 69 of Ransomed to the World
An eternity passed as she waited for his answer. “It’s doubtful. You can pass for a full phantom, meaning you can draw directly from the afterworld. Most don’t have the ability and rely upon other means like enchanted items. They’re looking for people who aren’t allowed to use magic.”
She fell silent, digesting the overload of information. His answer only left her with more questions. She hated her lack of knowledge, information that others just took for granted. She hated stumbling around in the dark, making mistakes, and fumbling for answers.
As they descended lower and lower, lights sparkled along the shoreline. It was like a mini city. Ships were moored on the docks, while taverns and warehouses were stretched across the shore. Even at this late hour, the place was a hive of activity.
Wind from the ocean whipped at them, the cold penetrating her clothing to nip at her skin. The scent of the ocean was refreshing, although the spray slowly soaked into her clothing. But when her temperature dropped, the dark particles in her bones stirred to life, automatically regulating her body so she didn’t feel the chill.
The closer they got to the beach, the more the path beneath her feet narrowed and crumbled. Calling it a pathway was generous—it was more of a ledge. Logan retained her hand, while Xander remained close enough to steady her when she stumbled, one of them always within reach.
When they reached the bottom, she stepped out onto the sand, then slowed—the ground was firm but somehow shifted under her feet. As the water pulled out, then rushed toward the shore over and over, she couldn’t turn away, hypnotized by the sight. The crash of the waves was a comforting roar, drowning out everything else, even her chaotic thoughts.
“Come.” Camden nudged her. “You’ll get to see more of the ocean when we set sail tomorrow.”
Annora nodded that she understood but didn’t look away from the waves, allowing him to haul her along. When they reached the port in about twenty minutes, a quick look back over her shoulder revealed nothing but darkness. She couldn’t even see where they descended.
“We came down the back way.” Camden gave her a half smile.
The closer they got to the port, the noisier it became, until she screeched to a halt, gaping in astonishment…the ships were massive!
“Stay here. I want to talk to the captain.” Edgar strode toward one of the smaller, sleeker ships.
“Wait!” Annora trailed after him, but halted when he turned and gave her a sharp look. “We don’t go anywhere alone anymore.”
She glanced at the others, then her eyes landed on Xander. “Take him with you. He’s from the area and could help.”
Edgar waited a heartbeat, his anger softening slightly, and gave her a nod. “Very well.”
As soon as they were out of sight, a pit opened up in her stomach. Despite the constant threats and assassination attempts, she was going to miss spending time with the guys. She very much feared that once they were on the island, their time alone would become nonexistent.
She trailed the others down the docks toward the last ship, glad the guys didn’t try to stop her. She halted when she saw her guys talking on the deck.
The captain turned toward them, straightening when he spotted her. He struck Annora as the quintessential pirate captain—rakish and dangerous as hell, his lean but muscular form practically oozing sex appeal. Even from the distance she could tell he was different from the others.
He was a phantom…but not.
He was like her.
Chapter Nineteen
“Idon’t like it.” Xander paced the small stateroom they’d received. “As soon as he saw Annora, he invited us on board.”
“Do we trust him?” Camden glanced between Xander and Edgar. “Can he be trusted?”
Edgar was leaning near the door, his arms crossed. “We don’t have a choice. We’re safer on board than we would be in the taverns. The soldiers have already passed through once, but that doesn’t mean they won’t come through again. I’d rather arrive on our own than be escorted to Daxion.”
“You have a plan.” Annora was sitting on the bed next to Camden, his arm brushing not so casually against hers. It was a small touch, just a brush of skin, but she could tell by the way his breathing roughened that he was paying close attention. She deliberately leaned toward him, increasing the pressure, and smiled to herself when his hands tightened on his knees.
Logan was stretched out behind her, half asleep as he played with her hair. Prem was curled up, passed out on his pillow, grudgingly leaving Logan only a tiny corner as a truce of sorts. The room was small, so Mason was seated on the floor, his body crammed next to the bed, his legs taking up most of the space from wall to wall.
At her comment, everyone looked toward Edgar. His eyes warmed as he gazed back at her, and he nodded. “I suspect your father will have awelcoming partywaiting for us as soon as we land. While he promised to claim you in front of society, I very much doubt he has any intention of doing so…unless we make him.”
“How?” Mason ran a hand over his hair, then reached over and grabbed her ankle, putting her foot on his thigh so he could rub his thumb up and down her calf.
“We beat him at his own game. We sneak onto the island and make him.” Edgar held up his hand when everyone began speaking at once. “If he wants Annora to help him, then he will need to claim her.”
“Or we could end up rotting in jail.” Xander stood with his hands on his hips. “I don’t like the idea of her entering without some sort of protection. She—”
“They won’t harm her.” Edgar stared her right in the eye, like he was trying to make himself believe it. “She’s too powerful. They’ll fight over the chance to claim her as their slave.”
