LORELEI

West Incendia

Late Rainrise

The air smelled like rotting eggs.

Jaron said it was sulfur from the volcano, but Lorelei didn't know if she believed him or anything he said anymore. He came down to talk to them many times during their voyage to this place, speaking to them through the bars of their cell onboard the Incendian brig. He truly was one of them. If he wasn't, he would have let her and Nara out.

Nara was exceptionally cold toward him. Never once looking him in the eye each time he visited. Lorelei wondered if something had happened between them that made this feel like more of a betrayal, but Nara wouldn't say much.

"There are two sides to every coin," she had said one night as they watched the candle flame flicker out in the lantern above their cell. "I thought maybe he'd realized that." When Lorelei had tried to press her further, Nara shut her down. But Lorelei knew her friend was speaking of Jaron.

Jaron stayed nearby them when they docked in West Incendia and during their trek through the ruined forest. Even now at their encampment at the base of the volcano, Jaron remained at their side. He was personally guarding them, making sure they didn't get away, but Lorelei had a feeling he was also protecting them, even if he wouldn't acknowledge it.

Lorelei sat on the barren ground next to Nara, both of them tied to a post. Jaron stood a few paces away, watching as Rove's men patrolled.

Torches circled the area, their flames dancing the wind. Rove spoke with a man in special robes ordained with symbols of flame. A priest? Nerves twisted in Lorelei's gut. A line of hooded figures stood behind him, their faces cast in shadow.

"What do you think is happening?" Lorelei whispered to Nara.

"I'm thinking they're preparing for some sort of ritual," Nara replied. "I would bet that volcano, the priest, and Magnus are all related."

"The volcano is sacred," Jaron said, his gaze remaining forward as he spoke to them. "It was raised from the ground by Magnus and Vulcan themselves."

"For what purpose?" Nara asked. "Isn't this the very volcano that made this land barren?"

"New life will bloom here in time."

"This land has been deserted since the Old War. You continue to lie to yourself."

"Do you question my faith, archer?"

"Enough," Lorelei said, having had enough of their squabbling. The unease in her veins was enough to make her feel seasick. "Tell us what's going to happen to us, Jaron. We deserve to know at least. Please."

"I do not know his plans for you," Jaron said with a sigh. "Only that you will remain safe."

"Are they..." Lorelei swallowed and glanced to the priest and the hooded people. "Are they going to free Magnus?"

Jaron turned and faced them. He crouched down, elbows on his knees as he clasped his hands together. Lorelei noticed he wore his gloves again, covering his scars. She hadn't realized he'd stopped wearing them around her and Nara on the ship. Was that confliction she saw in the depths of his eyes?

"That's always been the plan," he said. "Magnus never should have been locked away in the first place."

"He started a war because he was rejected," Nara said, gaze up at the sky as if she was uninterested in anything Jaron had to say.

Jaron shook his head. "Cerulian history is wrong."

"The only thing that you know how to do is lie."

Lorelei tried to remember her life back in Incendia and what she knew of the history she'd learned while living among the harbor-folk. Her mother's stories had always been filled with other parts of the world—krakens and ice dragons, bandits and pirates—never any bit of magic from Incendia, only how they devour like the flame they worship. The devotion to their gods, however, could be seen from miles away the light from their flame festivals shined so bright.

Lorelei narrowed her eyes at Jaron, trying to understand. She remembered the story Kane had told her about the love between Magnus and the Sea Sister, Anaphine. "Magnus wanted Anaphine to leave everything behind to be with him. He couldn't bear a life without her."

"Among other things. Magnus wanted to change the realms, create a new one where immortals, mortals, and all creatures could live together and prosper."

Lorelei could understand how a nation could easily rally behind a cause such as that. Many would forget the atrocities their kingdom had committed as long as their crops remained bountiful and their lives comfortable.

"I have met your god," Lorelei said, watching Jaron's eyes grow wide. "And I promise you, he is not as holy as you believe him to be."

Jaron winced; eyes snapping shut for a minute. It was almost like he was in pain, but then his eyes darted around the scene, never staying in one place for too long. She recognized that behavior. She'd seen it on Rhoda in the jungle when she'd tried to kill her on Crossbones.

"He's whispering to you right now," Lorelei said, making Jaron's attention snap back to her. "Isn't he?"

A battle raged behind Jaron's eyes as they looked at each other.

"He's using you," Lorelei continued. "He's been using you this entire time and you haven't been able to see it. What has he promised you?"

Jaron's eyes flashed and the air surrounding her suddenly felt hotter. "You have no idea what you're talking about," he said through his teeth.

"You're scared," Nara said. "She's right and it terrifies you."

Jaron stood back up, his fingers curling into fists at his sides. "I will no longer listen to the mind games you two play.

"The time is now" Rove called to Jaron. "Come!" He called to the men patrolling the area. "Let us witness the second-coming of our god."

Lorelei's heart clawed its way up her throat. She had to do something. She had to stop this from happening. If Magnus was unleashed, nothing would be able to stop the Incendians from conquering everything. As Jaron walked away toward the gathering group, Lorelei pulled at her binds.

"It's no use," Nara said. "I've already tried."

A gust of air left Lorelei. She knocked her head against the post as if she could force an idea. Nothing. There was nothing she could do except watch the unthinkable happen. She sighed and closed her eyes, telling herself not to cry.

Something brushed against her wrist and she nearly screamed until she heard a voice in her ear.

"Don't scream, it's me."

Even though it was hushed and, in her ear, she'd know that voice across any sea. Lorelei glanced to her left to see Nara being cut loose by Csilla. As soon as Lorelei's wrists were free, she scrambled from the post and threw herself into Kane's arms.

"You're here," she said quietly, her voice wobbly. "You're here."

She'd told Kane not to follow her, yet here he was, and she'd never been more grateful that he didn't listen to her. He came. And this made her feel more treasured than she ever had before. She didn't even want to let go of him, afraid that if she did, she'd never get him back again.

"We have to get out of here," Kane said, grabbing her hands and pulling her. "Before their distraction fades."

Magnus.

They couldn't leave. Not yet.

"No," Lorelei said, stopping in her tracks. "We have to stop them."

"There's too many of them," Kane said quickly, looking past her. "They'll see us at any minute and we'll all be prisoners. Let's go."

Then Kane went still.

"Well, well, well," Rove said, his voice carrying across the distance to them. "Look what the tide's washed in."

Kane didn't look like he wanted to leave anymore. "Rove," he said, a growl in his voice.

"It's good to see you too, mate." He tipped his feathered hat at him. "I'm truly glad you were able to make it to the show, and you brought the whole crew with you. Including the Queen of Bones. Impeccable timing, if I might add."

"Don't do this, Rove," Kane said.

"But it's already began," Rove said with a wicked smile.

Lorelei looked to the hooded figures and priest behind Rove. Their hands were splayed and pointed up at the mountain. Flames covered their skin from wrist to fingertip, burning brightly as they recited in a language Lorelei had never heard. Emberbloods. But what were they doing?

"You see," Rove said. "When you lot brought back Miss Storm, you failed to fully seal Limbo. I'm sure you've noticed an odd creature or two causing havoc. They were lucky enough to escape, but Magnus couldn't leave so easily. He needs a bit more...firepower." He chuckled at his own sick joke as he motioned to the emberbloods. "Can you believe Incendians are so devoted to their god, they're willing to give up their own magic to return his strength?"

Lorelei's hand went to her mouth, imagining what would happen once Magnus gained their sacrificed power. If they couldn't stop this, and they couldn't fight because of the numbers, then they had to at least try to get away. Perhaps they could at least survive and figure out what to do next.

"Ah," Arius said. Lorelei braced himself for whatever it was he was about to say. "But don't you have to have a vessel for Magnus? Where's that emberblood with the obsidian sword?"

Vessel?

"Vessel?" Jaron asked, looking from Arius to Rove. "What is he talking about, Rove?"

"Arius," Kane said under his breath. "For once I'm glad for your nosy trap."

"I'll take that as a compliment, Blackwater," Arius said with a smirk.

With Rove and Jaron both distracted, now was the perfect time to try to make a break for it. There had to be a way for them to cause even more confusion before they tried to slip away. If only they couldn't be seen...

Lorelei closed her eyes and took a deep breath through her nose, thinking about the morning fog back on her mother's farm. How the cloud would cover the land from the cottage to the wheat fields. She breathed out through her nose, imagining the mist forming with the release of her breath.

Gasps echoed around her and she slowly cracked open her eyes. A thick cloud covered the area.

"Lorelei," Kane said, eyes wide as he looked at her. "Was that you?"

"I've learned a few things," she told him. "We have to get out of here. Now."

"Get them!" Rove yelled through the mist. "Don't let them get away! Bring me back the Storm and the Queen of Bones alive!"

The group turned and ran back toward the trees, the yells of Rove's men getting closer and closer. The fog was thick, making it hard to see and Lorelei and Kane quickly became separated from the rest. Lorelei knew they'd reached the forest line when they nearly ran into one of the white trees.

"Kane," Lorelei said, pulling him to a stop. "Wait. Let's wait for the others first."

A gunshot echoed, followed by the clanging of steel.

"Rove's men found them first," Kane said. "Let's go."

They turned in the direction of the fight, but men emerged from the fog in front of them, swords drawn. Kane unsheathed his own sword and blocked the first attack, knocking the man down to the ground before the next one barreled in.

Lorelei took a step back, feeling useless. She wanted to be useful. She needed to be useful. Kane grimaced as he swung his sword each time. Something was off about him. It was almost like he was in pain.

He lifted his sword again to counter another attack, but each movement was becoming slower and slower. Another man came in from the right and his sword clashed with Kane's, the two of them standing off, their swords crossed. The man started pushing in on Kane, gaining traction. One wrong movement and Kane would be hurt.

Curling her fingers, Lorelei thought about what it was like to fill the sails of Jaron's ship. She envisioned pulling the wind into her fingers like it was pliable as dough, gathering what she could before letting it burst from her fingertips. Her magic flooded out of her like a cork out of a bottle, making the man fly backward into the fog.

Kane turned to look at her. Shock painted his expressions at first, then a smile split his lips. "Look at you," he said with approval. "You followed your storm, I see."

Her heart swelled as she looked at him. But then she noticed the black veins creeping out past the collar of his shirt and onto his jaw. She rushed toward him, her fingers tracking the vein at his jaw. Her eyes roamed over him.

"What happened to you?" she asked. Her voice trembled, but she couldn't hide the fear she suddenly felt deep inside.

"It's nothing," he said, shaking his head.

"Show me." Her eyes trailed down, waiting for him to open the collar of his shirt.

Kane sighed in defeat and yanked at the buttons of the Incendian uniform he wore. The veins webbed over his chest and disappeared under the fabric, but in the place where his chest met his shoulder, was a long black gash.

"How did it get this bad?" she asked, her voice nearly failing her.

"I had more important things to worry about," he said, looking into her eyes.

Another attacker sprang at them from the fog and Lorelei quickly blew them back. Kane blocked another from his left, kicking the man in the chest so that he stumbled into the mist. Lorelei pummeled the men with wind each time they appeared, her wind blowing fiercer each time. Two men came in from either side and she pushed her hands out at her sides, sending their bodies flailing and disappearing in the fog. One man she launched clear into the air before slamming him back down into the ground with a gust of wind from above.

She'd never felt more powerful.

She could keep going and going and going.

Someone was calling her name, but she couldn't hear them over the roar of wind in her ears.

Lightning flickered at her fingertips. One little zap and she could roast these men. Every last one of them.

"Lorelei!" came the voice again. Hands gripped her shoulders and forced her to turn. She looked up at Kane, his gunmetal eyes swimming as he looked down at her. His hands slid up to her face, cupping her cheeks. "Lorelei. Come back to me."

"Kane?" she asked, confused. "I'm right here."

"You were gone," he said, his gaze reminding her of when she'd woken up from Limbo. "Your eyes were lightning. The gold...it's spread all the way up your arms now." Kane's eyes raked over her face. "And when you were fighting those men. When you hurt them. You were smiling."

"You're scared of me," she said. She'd seen it in his eyes that night by the fountain, same as she saw it now. Full of fear.

"Lorelei," Kane said, taking a step closer. "I'm not scared of you. I'm scared for you."

Her lip quivered and she swallowed down the lump in her throat. He was right. Something had happened a moment ago when she'd fully embraced the storm inside of her. She'd enjoyed the power coursing in her veins, but now that she looked back on it, fear welled up inside of her too.

She'd only used her storm like that to protect Kane. But what else would she willingly do if it meant protecting those she loved?

"So am I," she finally admitted to him.

Before she could sayanything else, an anguished cry ripped through the air. By instinct, Loreleitook off toward the sound unprepared for what waited beyond the mist.