LORELEI

Silver Sea

Mid-Rainrise

Thunderstorms used to frighten Lorelei when she was still small enough to curl into her mother's lap. The raging winds that blew in from the sea always hit the coast hard, and high up on the hill above Port Barlow, near the cliffs, they struck even harder.

Storms might be unpredictable, but one thing was for certain—they always brought darkness with them. Every time dark clouds rolled in, they draped over the windows, reaching into their home and into her heart. During one rainrise, a storm with clouds nearly the color of charcoal hit their harbor town with wind and thunder that shook the walls of their cabin. Her mother had always told her that fire brought destruction, but Lorelei had seen the chaos of what storms left behind. The storm that had hit that night many years ago had left the docks and rooftops in such a mess, they'd needed to be rebuilt.

Lorelei didn't know when she'd fallen asleep, but her dreams were filled with lightning and thunder. Rain and tears. A biting wind.

A different breeze blew across her cheeks, almost warm. Cerulian winds.

The storms in her dreams ripped away, the copper spires of Baltessa emerging from the clouds. Her vision flew between the spires like a bird in flight, narrowing in on the palace. The sun stretched in an arc across the sky, racing like someone had sped up time, the moon chasing daylight until stars splattered across the black and she was standing on the terrace with Kane's eyes reflecting the night.

A moment later he crumpled to the ground, body twitching as lightning swam through him, but unlike the last time, the sparks didn't die.

"Please," Kane rasped. "Stop."

"I—I can't!" Lorelei looked down at her hands, watching in horror as the gold on her fingertips bled up her arms, up to her shoulders. She coughed, struggling to breath as it reached her neck, squeezing.

"Why?" Kane shouted between shocks. "Why are you—doing this?"

"I can't control it!" she screamed, her voice breaking as the gold continued to crawl up her neck. Coldness crept over her jaw, along her cheeks as she clawed at it, her fingernails scraping against the hardened gold.

Is this what her magic would do? Devour her whole?

She glanced down at the ground, trying to see if Kane was still hurting, but Kane wasn't there. The molten gold sealed her lips closed; a scream caught in her throat. Her gaze trailed to see someone else standing in front of her, a red mask like flames hiding his face. Two empty holes sat where his eyes should be. A too-wide smile peeled across his lips as fire flickered to life behind him, burning across everything like the gold trailing up her face. Smoke filled the last breath she took.

Lorelei opened her eyes, blinking once, twice from the blinding sun. Everything was so bright, she couldn't see anything yet, but she could smell the brine of the sea and hear the whip of sails.

Where am I?

Lorelei bolted upright, hair sticking to the side of her face. She shielded her eyes and cracked them open, glancing down at the black dress she still wore from the masquerade. She sat in the middle of a small deck that was no wider than the small cabin she'd grown up in.

The first thing to pop in her mind was the man in the mask. Him standing in the hall with her was the last thing she remembered. The flames in the lanterns had blinked out, then it all went black. She thought she remembered a glimpse of the night sky and someone with a bow—was it Nara?—but it all seemed hazy, like it was another scene in the nightmare she'd just woken from.

She stood up much too fast, the world tilting. The sea stretched in all directions, endless as the sky. She whipped around, heart in her throat, eyes falling on Nara who rested against the railing of the deck. Lorelei ran the few steps toward her, dropping to her knees.

"Nara," she said quietly, afraid to talk too loud in case the man with the mask was somewhere on the ship. "Nara, wake up." She shook Nara's shoulders.

Nara's head lifted, her eyes groggy as they opened and closed at Lorelei. Then, as if she suddenly realized where she was, she tensed, her shoulders moving but her arms remaining pinned behind her back.

"Damn," she said under her breath. "He still has these cuffs on me."

"He?" Lorelei asked, peeking behind Nara's back as she leaned forward, trying to pull her wrists from the contraption that held them. Lorelei had never seen anything like the silver coils that restricted Nara. It seemed the more she moved, the tighter they became.

"The man who took us," Nara whispered through her teeth. "He was trying to make off with you and I tried to stop him on my own." Her head dropped, her ebony hair falling like a curtain around her face. "I wasn't enough."

Lorelei looked closer at the cuffs, gaze searching for a button or some switch to release the coils' hold. If she could free Nara, then the two of them together could overtake him. Lorelei might not be a fighter, but if she could make her lightning cooperate with her, then perhaps conjuring it as a weapon could be an option. But the cuffs had a smooth surface and Lorelei couldn't even tell where they connected.

"You'll be needing a key to get those off," came a familiar voice from behind her. She recognized it from the hallway at the palace, before everything went dark. She whirled around to face him, hair whipping her face.

Gone was the coat he wore the night before, his white shirt and charcoal pants more casual and sea-ready. His mask was gone, revealing the sharp features on his olive-toned face, his dark hair cropped close to his head. She expected a cruel smile to twist his lips, but his expression remained hidden.

"I was wondering when you'd both wake up," he said, rolling up his shirt sleeve. Scars marred his hands, reaching past his wrists and up his forearms. Lorelei watched as he rolled up his other sleeve, revealing the matching scars on the other side. He pulled out two gloves from his back pocket and slipped them over his hands.

"Are you going to continue staring?" he asked, making Lorelei's breath catch.

She glanced up, fear holding her still with an icy grip. Hands that were scarred to that extent only meant one thing. "You're an emberblood."

His gaze narrowed on her as if contemplating what direction he should take the conversation. "And you're a stormblood. The only one in existence actually. There's a pretty high price on your head you know."

Lorelei felt unsteady, like one strong gust of wind would knock her sideways.

"The last I heard," he continued, "even bandits in Terran are interested in the girl with the power of the storm brought back from the dead."

"Don't let him mess with your head," Nara said. "He sinks into your mind and that's when he attacks."

Lorelei glanced over her shoulder at the Maiden, shoulders hunched as she sat leaned back against the ship's railing. Nara had done her best to protect Lorelei when she could do nothing for herself, now it was Lorelei's time to return the favor. She curled her fingers into fists, thinking of her sparks, hoping they'd race to her hands.

The emberblood's eyes drifted to her fists. "I'd rather not fight you too." He took a step forward and she noticed the limp in his movement. Perhaps Nara had wounded him during their confrontation. His wince curled into a wicked smile that didn't reach his eyes. "But I don't think you know how to fight, do you?"

"Can't fight, can't fight!" A squawk from the other end of the small ship broke the silence. She glanced back to see a stout man leaning against the mast of the ship, a parrot on his shoulder, the both of them watching the scene unfold on the deck. Two against two then, plus the bird . Unless there were more hiding on the small ship.

Lorelei ground her teeth. She knew nothing about the man in front of her aside from his affinity for flames and his seeming hatred for Cerulia, but he somehow knew plenty about her. If Incendia, or Magnus, or whoever he reported to had intentions of killing her, why take her away from the capital instead of finishing the job right there?

"You're not going to do anything," Lorelei said, surprised by how even her tone was. Calling his bluff was a risk, but it was the only leverage she had. "Or else you wouldn't have wasted the effort of stealing me from my home."

"Your home?" the emberblood laughed then, a cold and mocking sound. "Don't act like you're a Cerulian when you were raised in Incendia."

"How do you—" Lorelei stammered over her words; her lips unable to keep up with her thoughts. "Why are you doing this?"

"Well," his voice trailed as he stared off into the rising sun. "I'm not allowed to say too much, but I can promise you that you're not in imminent danger, if that's what you're worried about."

"Thank you for the reassurance." She didn't hide the sarcasm in her voice. "If you mean us no harm, then can you uncuff my friend?" Lorelei motioned to Nara behind her, but didn't take her eye off the emberblood.

"That's something I cannot do." He turned away from them and walked the few steps to the wheel of the small ship.

Lorelei spun to face him. "And why not? You say we're not in danger, yet you keep her in shackles."

He looked as if he was ignoring her, his gaze trailing up to the sails as he turned the wheel a few notches.

"Are you a liar then?"

That got his attention. His gaze flicked back to her with lightning speed.

"I am a lot of things, Stormblood," he said. "But I'm no liar."

"Then prove it," she said, lowering her voice, hoping she sounded like she'd unleash hells on him if he didn't do what she said. "Uncuff her."

"And die?" the emberblood laughed, gazing past Lorelei to Nara. "I'd prefer not to."

Lorelei glanced back at Nara who watched the emberblood like a hawk watching its prey. If a glare could kill, he would be dead on the deck.

"See?" He laughed. "I've already got one boot in the grave with that one."

Nara's gaze bored into him as she remained quiet.

"How else was she to react?" Lorelei turned back on him. "Was she supposed to surrender to you? I assume you'd defend your men."

"What men?" He looked around his empty ship. "In case you haven't noticed, this is a two-man ship. It's just me and Crew."

Confirming that it was just them, him, and a bloke with a parrot on the ship brought an odd comfort. Perhaps they did stand a chance if the two of them caught him off guard. For now, she'd play along in hopes of buying them more time before something changed and he decided she and Nara were both disposable.

"You must be very trusted to be sent alone to Baltessa," she mused. "One of the Incendian King's top Scouts, I assume."

The emberblood chuckled. "Valiant attempt, but you're not getting any information from me."

Worth a shot.

"Where are you taking us then?" Lorelei pushed even though Nara grumbled behind her. "What are your plans for us when we get there?"

"And what good would that knowledge do you?" he said, his glare shooting in her direction. "What solace would it provide you?"

A gust of wind blew Lorelei's hair across her gaze. "You're right," she replied, ignoring the strands. "Knowing won't bring me any peace. Only being back home will."

The emberblood stared straight ahead, his jaw working as he locked the wheel into place. It seemed getting any answers from him would be as difficult as her trying to fight her way out of this. Lorelei sighed and turned back to Nara, lowering herself onto the deck next to her. She rested her hand on Nara's shoulder and Nara finally tore her murderous gaze away from the emberblood.

"I don't understand what his plan for us is," Nara said only loud enough for Lorelei and the wind to hear. "The last we knew, the Incendians wanted you dead to raise Magnus. So, what has changed?"

Everything, Lorelei wanted to say. With the cracks in Limbo, the unknown had become a new foe. Lorelei's dress suddenly felt too tight, the bodice squeezing her ribs, constricting her lungs. She tried to take a deep breath to calm herself, but it couldn't get past her throat. Again she tried, but it wasn't enough.

"Clever idea," Nara said, a bite in her tone, not realizing that Lorelei wasn't faking. "We'll lure him over here and when I attack, you go for the key. It's around his neck. I saw him tuck it in there last night."

Lorelei looked up at the sky, trying to open her throat to allow a deep breath to get through, but instead of finding comfort in that breath, her hands started to tremble. She'd felt anxiety like this before, back when she was in the cellar of the cabin in Port Barlow, waiting for the storms to strike. She wanted to tell Nara that she couldn't breathe right, but her throat had closed in on itself.

"Aye!" Nara yelled at the emberblood. Even though she yelled from right next to her, her voice sounded so far away. "Help her! Can't you see something is wrong?"

Boot steps clomped toward her. "What's wrong with her? She was just fine."

"She obviously can't breathe!" Nara yelled at him.

The emberblood growled something back at Nara and they continued to bicker, the sound of them blurring together with the wind in Lorelei's ears. She focused on the sails above and the rhythm they played in the wind, trying to distract her racing nerves before they did something dangerous.

At the thought, her fingertips pricked. Dread seeped into her bones. Her magic seemed to only show itself when it wasn't wanted and never when it was needed.

The emberblood stepped into her line of vision, cutting off her view of the sails. He looked at her panicked face for only a moment before grabbing her shoulders and pulling her forward to expose her back. "The corset of this dress is a part of the problem," he said. She felt his fingers pulling at the threads on the back of her dress, trying to loosen the seams so she could breathe, but black spots started to fill her vision.

Suddenly, Nara rammed her shoulder into the emberblood, knocking him back onto the deck. "Now, Lorelei!" she yelled. "Get the key! Lorelei?"

Her head swam as Nara and the emberblood's shouts became muffled, like she was underwater and they were yelling on the deck of the ship. Her body felt tingly, her limbs weak and limp as hands grabbed her and ripped at the bodice of her dress.

Just when she was on the brink of passing out, the pressure on her ribs was lifted, the tear of fabric snapping her back into place. Her vision focused back into place like she was turning the barrels of a telescope and her breaths came in quick pants. Her arms and legs still trembled like they were sailing through the Frozen Gap.

"Lorelei," Nara said, inching toward her on her knees. "Are you alright? My judgment was clouded and I should've realized—"

"Don't worry though," the emberblood said, cutting Nara off. "My knife was able to save you. No thanks are needed."

"If we weren't here in the first place," Nara argued, "then she wouldn't need to be saved."

"And you can't seem to protect your friends very well."

"At least I have friends," Nara scoffed. "It seems you do not."

The emberblood tucked his knife into his belt and smirked. "Will you tell me your name yet, Archer? Perhaps we could be friends after this is all over."

"Never in your wildest dreams would I—"

"It's okay," Lorelei said, stopping their argument. "I'm alright. I just got a little overwhelmed is all."

Nara's eyes widened, her gaze reminding Lorelei of the way her mother used to look at her when she'd get hurt while playing, hoping that she was unscathed. "I'm sorry I didn't see it. Do you have attacks like this often?"

Lorelei took another deep breath, her trembles beginning to calm slightly. "When I was a child, yes, but I thought I'd outgrown it."

"Or recent events made it resurface," Nara said. "You can't wear that dress out here." She turned her gaze to the emberblood, her face changing from soft to sharp in the blink of an eye. "Surely you have some clothes she can wear that are better fitting for a voyage, even though you've taken us prisoner. Or are all Incendians truly so cold-hearted?"

The emberblood quickly glanced away from them, then stood up. "Cold-hearted," he scoffed. "Do you even know what happened to Port—you know what? There are extra clothes in the downstairs cabin, but they will probably be much too big for her."

"I'll make it work," Lorelei said, using the ship's railing to pull herself up onto her feet. She'd done it before when she'd donned Kane's clothes to enter the Trials as his First Mate. The thought of him and what he was doing right then was nearly enough to send her back into a breathing fit. Did he loathe her for what she did to him? Did he notice she was missing?

"Are you coming?" the emberblood asked.

Lorelei nodded and followed, trying to clear her mind, but the fog refused to release her.