“More, boy, more!” Gallion shouted above my roaring wind. His panic motivated me. I looked to Hadrian who kept up pace with the boat whilst he flew beside it. His wings a blur, keeping him in the air.
Nyah was nowhere to be seen, she’d already faded into the night. I looked around for her, but it was impossible. She’d be safe, I knew she would.
I jolted forward, the boat slipping over the water with great speed.
“We cannot leave Browlin,” Hadrian growled.
“No!” Gallion shouted across the scream of the wind. “That is what he wants. We need to get out of here now!”
“She is your sister, we cannot leave her behind!”
Hadrian was right. She’d saved me, I wouldn’t let this happen to her.
Water sprayed around us, hitting my eyes and face. I spun my arms around, not thinking about anything, but turning our boats direction.
“What are you playing at, boy? Turn this boat back around.” Gallion was reaching for my shoulder.
I glanced back to him. “We are not leaving her behind!”
Hadrian purred in agreement.
“No. Stupid boy, stop!” Gallion smacked out, hitting me in the back. I stumbled forward, my wrists screaming when I landed on them.
I turned back to shout at him, but Hadrian beat me to it. With his foot extended he flew and kicked Gallion in the stomach. Gallion dropped to the boat, moaning.
“What are you playing at?!” I screamed at Hadrian who was flying beside the boat again.
He growled.
Something landed in the boat beside my feet. I peered down to the creature and its bent wings. In the darkness, I couldn’t make out what it was as it withered and twisted. It made a sound, a mix between a scream and a screech. I first thought it was a bird, until another smashed into my back.
My magick faltered and Hadrian roared.
Half formed shadows pelted from the sky around us and we drowned in their embrace.
CLAWS TORE INTO me. I threw my hands up only seconds before the cloud of beasts overpowered us.
Frantically, I pushed and slapped at the creatures, trying to break free of their hold. They were everywhere, but still I couldn’t make out what they were.
I couldn’t see anything. Not Hadrian or Gallion. I didn’t risk removing my arms from shielding my face. The boat rocked beneath us and I lost my balance, falling to the ground. I could hear Hadrian from somewhere above me, his roar breaking through the cloud of darkness. Heat exploded, searing the hairs on my arms, which covered my head. Gallion shouted and then all I heard was a splash in the water. I knew without looking that he’d fallen from the boat.
The shadow creatures distracted me from using my magick. Every time I reached for it another creature starched, bit, and clawed at me.
Another burst of heat came from above me and the attacks started to falter. The smell of cooked flesh made me gag and small bodies rained down around me. I looked up to see the half-shadow creature’s fall into the sea after they clashed with ribbons of flame.
“They are retreating!” Hadrian shouted.
He was right. They were flying back towards the ship. I scanned the sea looking for Gallion but was unable to spot him. Hadrian landed behind me, his wings held high as he stomped on one of the creatures.
“What are they?” I asked.
It looked like a ball of bone and fur. It was midnight black, and whips of black shadow swirled around it.
“I do not know,” Hadrian replied.
A noise sounded from the side of the boat and Gallion’s hands reached over the side. I scrambled for him and grabbed on, trying everything to pull him back inside. His face was covered in blood, gold blood.
Hadrian wasted no time in helping me pull him into the boat. Gallion sagged to the floor and laid there pointing in the direction we’d been heading. “We must leave Browlin, go…” His voice was weak, his eyes remained shut.
Hadrian jumped back into the air and I reached for my magick. I latched onto it as much as I could muster and built off a pressure behind the boat. We agreed to follow Gallion’s plea, it was our only choice. Browlin was gone.
“Where are we even headed?” I questioned, defeated. Gallion lay before me and Hadrian was somewhere above us in the air.
“I don’t know. Just pray we gain some distance before those things come back,” Hadrian replied.
On cue, the cloud of beasts called out again, filling the night sky with their howls.
They were coming back.
Before I could shout, Hadrian doubled back around and flew at them. I shouted for him to stop, but it was wasted.
Hadrian shot for them and in the last moment before colliding he changed his direction. He flew up, distracting them enough to follow him. Up and up they went until he was nothing more than a dot in the distance. He was closing in on the ship.
I pushed my magic, urging the boat after him. I kept my eyes trained on him, not losing his location for a moment.
Hadrian opened his wings and stopped dead in the air. Then beasts crashed into him and he was swallowed whole.
I didn’t see him, only heard the screams of the shadow beasts. They pulsed around him, spinning and twisting until he was trapped within their hold.
I saw a flash of light burn through the beasts. It was small at first but soon the entire night sky above the skip was bathed in fire. Like falling stars, the beasts fell into the sea, leaving Hadrian alone in the sky once more.
I ignored Gallion who groaned on the floor beside me and kept up my pursuit for the ship. Hadrian rained fire down on it, flying above. Balls of blue flame shot in quick succession, illuminating the many bodies that jumped overboard. The night was alight with Hadrian’s fire. Reds, oranges and blues danced across the sky, spilling onto the ship.
Hadrian was too preoccupied to see the gleaming net shoot at him. I was too far to hear him when it tangled around his body. He dropped onto the ship and didn’t return to the sky.
“NOO!” I screamed, my power pushing our boat closer, faster.
I was gaining on the ship, not thinking about what would happen when I got there. I needed Hadrian back.
Gallion’s cold fingers wrapped around my ankle and my anger burst into ash. My body became heavy and I fell in the boat in a heap. I kicked back at him, not caring if I hurt him.
My foot connected with his face, but he still didn’t let go. “We can’t help him alone.”
“We have to try, we have to,” I cried. I could feel the boat slowing. I looked up only to see the ship towering above us. I’d made it. I had to get him off me.
Gallion thrust his power into me, blocking my ability to reach my magick.
“Listen to me, Zacriah! Any moment now they are going to take us both. It is up to Nyah now to call for help. It is best for us both if you don’t fight them.” His words were nothing more than a whisper. The world was fading away.
“You are going to thank me for this when we get out but for now you are going to need to be calm. May the Goddess watch over you, Zacriah, I am sorry.”
Our boat slammed into the side of King Dalior’s ship and my eyes closed.
***
MY MIND WAS awake, but my body did not respond.