Page 89 of Beneath the Veil of Tides
“I would have drained the entire ocean to be at your side.”
I huffed. “Nowthatwould have ruined our cover.” A grin threatened to curve at my lips until I looked up at him.
Silver lined the god’s eyes, even as the wind whipped through them.
“You smell,” I couldn’t help the words that flew from my mouth.
“You’d think I was a madman myself if I told you what I just went through to find this.” He shuffled me to reach into his front vest pocket and pulled out a coin.
“Is that—”
“The Sunder Coin.” He couldn’t look at me.
His lips pulled downward, barely controlled. Tears lined his eyes, unblinking, held back with effort that made his voice shake as he spoke of the relic. The coin would sever the Blood Tie he treasured above all else.
“And what if I told you it was a waste of your time?”
“I’d damn my own soul if it meant you’d breathe another hour… whatever it costs. Don’t think I won’t fight you in order to fightforyou.”
Verbal words became too difficult with the blood loss, so I wanted to show my gratitude in another way. I reached into my mind, searching for the tether between us. I imagined fingers gliding along the strand, caressing our bond softly.
Noctis’s eyes fluttered. He felt me. A low, guttural growl rumbled in his chest.
Then, we fight together. Not against each other,I sent through the bond.
His eyes shot open, searching my face and then softening.
Took you long enough to realize I make a damn good ally.
I huffed, my eyes flitting closed. I couldn’t force them open anymore. Darkness coerced me, gripping and yanking me down, but I raged against unconsciousness.
Noctis shot one more thing down to my mind.No more walls. Promise me.
I weakly lowered my head in answer, right before we hit the ground and heavy, quick footsteps approached.
Jun’s deep voice echoed in my ears as he worked on me, lightning heat radiating through my body and shaking my bones to the core. The contents of my stomach gurgled as if about to come up, but I clamped my eyes tighter and focused on keeping my insides inside.
“She’s in rough shape,” Calvin whispered to my left.
I knew my body was giving up on me slowly. I could feel the way my mind couldn’t focus clearly, how I couldn’t move when I told my limbs to, how I kept seeing a faint glow in the distance although my eyes sealed shut.
Was that the light ofthe afterlife?
A gentle hand rubbed my forehead, brushing the strands of hair from my face. Zahara. She shushed me, calming my nerves as Jun worked to heal. My heart lurched at the female’s touch, mind traveling to the little boy that deserved to feel that same touch.
“Get me a bucket with cool water. She’s on fire,” Zahara demanded.
Seconds later, a cold rag pressed against my head. My body trembled uncontrollably as the raging fever seized me. I convulsed, fully conscious, but out of control of the movements.
When I finally stilled, I could breathe again. My lungs filled with enough air. My hands and arms, although still caked in flaking blood, did not scream in agony.
I peeked my eyes open slowly, realizing Noctis still cradled me, staring back in relief. Lines etched his features as if the day wore him down physically and emotionally.
“Too soon to forge the trident and storm into battle?” I croaked, but my throat still ached from screaming in the depths.
On the narrow peninsula, the crew gathered around me in the grass—everyone except Laziel, who we had left behind in the sea.
“Remember when you came on board for the first time, and I said you look like you went rounds with a hurricane and lost?” Calvin asked, slightly worried. “Well, I lied then.Nowyou look like you lost.”
