I held on tightly as he lurched forward again, sprays of water spitting into my face. We knew that our boat, or Sal’s, which was approaching with the rest of the team from the other side, would be spotted in moments. We had to get on board fast.
As Gray pulled alongside the steamboat Lincoln and Carter shot arrows connected to cables up and onto the deck. Once they were hooked, Mia climbed onto Carter’s back and I climbed onto Lincoln; they then flicked the retract button and we were hauled up onto the deck.
‘Gotta love the navy boys,’ Carter remarked as he threw the one-shot weapon, courtesy of our Grigori positioned within the US navy, to the ground.
On the other side of the boat Phoenix and Chloe boarded, along with the conductors, Milo with Taxi, and Zoe flying solo.
Chloe looked as pale as a ghost, and I was sure it had nothing to do with seasickness and everything to do with whatever she was sensing through her partner bond.
I need to get to Spence. Now.
Exiles and humans alike started to run in our direction, the humans carrying automatic weapons and the exiles with swords, or simply smiles.
Holy hell, there are more than we’d counted on.
‘Linc.’ It was all I needed to say. Instantly he was by my side.
My sentinel.
‘Zoe, your team has the deck!’ Lincoln yelled.
I trusted that Lincoln had things in hand as he continued to issue orders. So, I blocked him and everything else out and I focused on my power – the part that sat right at the base of the well within me. The part that made me feel as light as air and frighteningly powerful. Breathing deeply, I urged it forward, beckoning my Sight and leaving my corporeal form behind where Lincoln stood guard.
I could see the boat now from my bird’s-eye position – like a pattern or blueprint, shaded and obscured, its evil intent pulsing on the perimeter. And within, I could see auras. The human impressions were not as bright as they should have been, and I knew that this was because they had been tainted by the exiles controlling them.
Auras were always one colour. The exiles were easily spotted: always shades of red. Grigori were different, but each one still a solid colour. Except for me; like so many things, mine was an anomaly. A rainbow.
I instantly registered Lincoln’s grass-green aura, but I was momentarily surprised to see that it had changed: still green, but right in the centre a shimmer of colour bled out.
In his heart.
Of me.
I forced my eyes to move on and continue the search. Phoenix’s unique shade of orange-gold caught my attention and then my Sight travelled below deck.
It was only a matter of seconds before I found Spence. His particular shade of azure-blue was almost completely smothered in thick ominous shadow, and beside him was a great expanse of red. Blood-red.
Sammael.
Anger saturated me and I harnessed it, feeding my power and pushing it out over the entire vessel until every exile was under my hold. All except Sammael. I wouldn’t be fooled again. I knew he was immune to my ability.
Zoe led the way – with Phoenix close behind – as our people pushed through the fighting humans, concentrating on taking out the exile threat as quickly as possible. While Grigori used their blades, I knew that Phoenix would be reaching in and tearing out their exile hearts.
At that moment, with Spence covered in shadow, it was a gruesome tactic I was prepared to live with.
Once they were all taken care of on the top deck I felt Lincoln’s power calling to me. For the first time, the lure of holding onto my Sight and remaining in my incorporeal state held little temptation. The feeling was present, but it was simply outweighed by another feeling that was so much stronger.
When I opened my eyes, Lincoln was waiting for me and he smiled, as if he knew exactly how much he had truly fixed me.
Catching my breath, I looked out over the ongoing fight with the remaining humans. Taking out the exiles on deck had given us the advantage for the moment but we were still only a few against many.
‘We’ll try to disarm the humans and knock them out so we can get them off the boat,’ Lincoln said. He didn’t need to speak the silent ‘but’. We both knew there was a chance things would go wrong.
I nodded once, already looking for the entry to the lower decks. ‘I know where he is.’
I grabbed Lincoln’s hand and started to push through the throng towards the lower deck, Lincoln pausing only to call out to Zoe that she had control of the deck.
By the time we made it down the stairs Phoenix was at my other side and Carter, Milo and Taxi stormed down the stairs heading in the opposite direction to secure the cabins.
I walked straight towards the wide double doors at the end of the hall. When I reached them, I threw them open, abandoning any further attempts at stealth. Sammael knew we were there. Sure enough, there on the far side of the ship’s casino, he stood, waiting, Spence beside him.
We strode across the room, stopping about five metres from them.
‘Spence,’ I said.
‘You’re earlier than I expected,’ Sammael mused, though clearly unperturbed.
‘Spence!’ I said again when he didn’t respond. He just stood beside Sammael, staring out through blank eyes.