KANE

Silver Sea

Mid-Rainrise

The skies were clear for the first time since they had set sail on the Wavecutter. The stars above were a sea of their own and the moon shone bright, reflecting on the silver of Kane's compass. He traced the smooth surface with his thumb as he stared out at the calm dark waters, thinking of the one who gave it to him.

He wondered where she was at now and if she was okay. She had seemed different, scared almost. No matter how much he had tried to tell her that he wasn't afraid of her, that she wouldn't hurt him, she still wouldn't accept it. He tried and tried, but he couldn't think of why she would willingly go with the emberblood. Unless she felt like she didn't have choice. Perhaps she heard the Serpent's taunts during their card game and realized all the terrible things Kane had done. And even worse, she could want nothing more to do with him.

Damn it all.

Kane gripped the compass hard and reared back his arm, ready to throw the compass out into the sea. He stopped himself as he swung his arm forward, catching himself and holding the compass close to his heart. His heart sank further into its abyss. He wasn't sure what hurt more, his wound or watching her run away. Even now, as he stood alone at the railing of the Wavecutter, the pain was just as fresh as when he had stood on that rooftop. What would it take to get her back? He'd pay whatever price if it just meant that she was safe, whether it be in his arms or not.

He couldn't wait any longer.

Kane left the railing, tucking the compass away as he crossed the deck to where the Serpent lounged back on a stack of netting. Arius leaned against a mast as he told him the story about the comoras in Death's Cove. The Serpent slid his gaze to Kane the moment he stopped in front of him, gold eyes shimmering.

"Beautiful night," the Serpent said with a smile. He looked up at the stars above. "Don't you think, Blackwater?"

Kane grit his teeth, still unhappy with the way the Serpent laid Kane's crimes bare in front of his crew, his friends. But however he felt, he had to suppress it and ask for the witchblood's help. They were sailing in the direction Lorelei had sailed away in, but it was easy to get lost on the seas.

"Can you track her?" Kane asked, ignoring the Serpent's question.

The Serpent's smile spread even farther, eyes twinkling at Kane. "I thought you'd never ask."

The witchblood burst into action and moved to a crate nearby, sitting on his knees in front of it. He brushed off the top of the crate and pulled out a folded parchment from his pocket. Kane followed him, watching as he unfolded the parchment and laid it down on the crate's top, a map of the Kingdoms of Four now covering the surface.

"I can't wait to see this," Arius said excitedly as he sat across from the Serpent on the other side of the crate.

Kane remained silent as his gaze traveled over the worn map, wondering how the Serpent would use it to locate Lorelei.

"In order to find the lost, I will need something that they have touched." The Serpent's gaze fell on Kane to provide.

"Something she's touched?" Kane asked, slight panic rising in his tone. "She hasn't set foot on this ship. There is nothing here that she has touched."

"Can we use Blackwater?" Arius asked with a grin. "I'm sure he's let her touch him more than once."

"If you don't shut your—" Kane stopped, suddenly realizing that he did have something she'd touched. His pocket felt heavier as he remembered. "What about this?" Kane reached in his pocket and pulled out the compass. "This would work, right?"

The Serpent took the compass and turned it over in his hands, assessing it. "It should, as long as she's touched it."

"She's the one who gave it to me." Kane would remember that night until he took his last breath. It was the only gift he'd ever received aside from his mother's.

"Very well." The Serpent rested the compass in the bottom right corner of the map, where a narrow strip of sea divided Eastern Incendia and the southern continent of Terran. Then he closed his eyes and started to recite an incantation.

The word's were ones Kane didn't know, ones that were familiar to the ones Borne had used to bring Lorelei back from Limbo. After several moments, he silenced, but nothing happened aside from the groan of the ship as it swayed on the waves.

"Well?" Kane pressed. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Anything?"

"Be patient, Blackwater," Arius said, his voice calm. "Hush and let the man do his magic."

"That's absolutely rich coming from you," Kane huffed.

Just as Kane was about to say more, something on the map caught his eye. It was the tiniest of glimmers at first, but as he stood there, holding his breath, it grew. Gold shone like a light in the dark, a small blip in the Silver Sea, about where their ship would be right then. The gold started to snake north, creating a sparkling path and stopping a hands-length away. His eyes continued past the trail. If they continued in the same direction, they would be headed toward Icehaven. But why there? The place was a ghost island.

"It looks like they're heading toward Icehaven," Kane said. "Why would they go there?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," the Serpent replied. "I only track the lost, not their reasoning."

At least they had an eye on her. At least they knew where to find her.

"You're very different from the Ruin Witch," Kane said, finally finding enough relief in himself to sit down. "When we visited her, it felt like she knew everything."

"She does," the Serpent laughed. "Her relationship with the trees is much stronger than mine."

"Why is that?" Arius asked. "Why don't you sprout trees from the ground or grow instant flowers?"

"Really, Pavel?" Kane rolled his eyes.

"What? I'm just curious," Arius said. "The other magics are very elemental based while the witchblood's are not."

"It's because our goddess, Avalyn, lets us choose our talents," the Serpent replied. "While your friend, the Ruin Witch, chose to mirror our goddesses deal-making magic, I chose to be an excellent tracker. I will find anyone who is lost if they're still in this realm."

"And what did you give up for that power?" Kane asked. Arius's curiosity must have been rubbing off on him.

The Serpent's golden gaze was on Kane for a long moment before answering. "Love," he replied simply.

"Love?" Arius's face twisted in disbelief. "I thought it would be a bigger deal, like sacrificing your most prized pig or something."

The Serpent ignored Arius and continued, his gaze on the map. "My wife was stolen by a group of bandits, witchbloods who had gone rogue. When I begged Avalyn for the power to track her, I gave up the only thing I had that was of any worth—the strength of my love for her."

"Did you find her?" Kane asked. The Serpent's gaze held pain that reminded him of his own.

"I did," the Serpent replied, his voice growing sadder. "But one of the witchbloods had erased her memory to keep their identities and their plans secret. This included all her memories of me."

"That's a tragic story," Arius said. "To go through all of that for her to not even remember you?"

"I don't know what's worse," the Serpent said with a sigh. "Her forgetting me or me not having any feelings toward it. My ability to love was truly lost and I will die alone." He took a deep breath as if centering himself once more. "But at least she is safe, even if she is happy again with another."

Sometimes Kane wished he could be rid of his feelings. If he didn't care so much for Lorelei, he wouldn't be so reckless. His heart wouldn't be heavy and weighing him with rejection. But then he remembered the way Lorelei's eyes sparkled when she smiled, the way her cheeks rosed when he stood close to her. The warmth inside of him when he thought about her was not something he would be willing to give up easy, but he understood the Serpent's choice in doing so. If he could guarantee Lorelei's safety, he would do the same.

Shouts and hurried footsteps pulled Kane out of his thoughts. He turned toward the sound, eyes falling on Flynn who raced across the deck toward them. His hair was a wild mess, his face pale like he'd seen a ghost.

"Aye," Arius said as they all rose to their feet. "What's got your sails in a knot?"

"It's Csilla," Flynn said breathlessly, already turning back the way he came. "Hurry!"

Kane chased after him across the deck and into the Captain's Quarters, anxious at what kind of horror they would find based on Flynn's panicked demeanor. Inside the cabin, Csilla lay in the plush bed, her eyes closed as she slept. Kane's breath left him as his gaze trailed up to the space over her.

A figure hovered above her, levitating in the air. It's tattered black cloak fluttered softly as if being held there by the wind. The room smelled like a musty wardrobe when it hadn't the last time Kane had stepped foot in it. The longer he stared at the creature, the colder he felt, his skin prickling, his insides chilling.

"The dreamwraith," Kane whispered.

"Aye!" Arius squealed. "What should we do? Set it on fire?"

"No," Flynn said quickly. Usually he'd find humor in the ridiculous things Arius said, but right then his face held nothing but fear. "Remember what the Ruin Witch said. We can't kill it unless Csilla defeats it in the dream realm first."

Csilla's jerked on the bed, her eyes remaining closed. He wondered what she was seeing, if she was fighting. He hoped to goddess she fought like hell. They needed her. Lorelei needed her. After all Csilla had been through, it would be a travesty to lose her fight to a creature such as this. When she woke up, they would be here to kill the thing.

But until then, shewas on her own.