Page 153 of The Last Guardian

The world felt quiet around us for a brief moment.

The flame in my chest intensified, deepening my instinct to reach for him one more time. But I suppressed the feeling—the need.

“I think I need to rest,” I added, pushing myself from the railing.

Zaid bowed his head slightly. His eyes locked on mine, and my heart missed a beat. I eventually turned my back and went to the stairs to go to my quarters.

Each step begged me to turn and cling to him, to never let go of him. The farther the distance, the more I had the feeling of letting go of something I wasn’t supposed to leave behind.

I hoped it wasn’t my heart.

A DULL RUMBLE, the sound of shaking glass, trembled all around the room. Vibration moved through the mattress, up to my spine, all the way to my head. I opened my eyes.

The wooden floors and walls creaked, as if coming from deep inside the hull. A loud ringing noise echoed throughout the quarters—the sound of the shrouds being secured tightly.

The squeal of a ripped rope echoed, followed by the creaking of the hull as it strained against something. The boat was no longer rocking with the waves, but trembling and groaning. Resisting.

Was it a storm?

A scream echoed through the night. I stood up, my bare feet hitting the cold wooden floor, and threw on a tunic and shoes. The ship tilted, and I nearly fell as I rushed to the door.

The moment I opened it, hell was breaking loose on the ship. Rain pelted the decks, crew members scurried in all directions to secure weapons, and shouts of alarm echoed throughout the ship. Then, I saw it: a dark ship loomed ahead, heading straight for us.

We were under attack.

My hair was already damp from the rain, but I didn’t have time to think. I walked towards the stairs when a force pinned me against a wall.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Zaid’s voice boomed through me, his eyes blazing with anger, his hood and mask perfectly concealing him in the night. His eyes flashed a dark green—he looked like death itself. My heart pulsed my blood so fast as I put a hand to my chest.

“You scared me to death,” I admitted, panting.

His hands tightened around my waist to hold me in place. “Return to your quarters, now,” Zaid commanded, not leaving any room for debate. No place for the man I had seen before. In front of me stood the feared commander. And, for some reason, he thought I would let him boss me around.

“You’re out of your mind,” I replied firmly. “I’m going to help.”

“No, head to your room immediately,” Zaid growled, releasing me before disappearing on the main deck. Soldiers were rushing, shouting as they prepared weapons and ammunition.

Fuck. Him.

I returned to my quarters at full speed, hastily grabbing the bow and quiver that lay near the door, and rushed to the main deck. Covering my head with my hood, I walked as fast as I could between the cabins and the deck, hiding myself in the shadows.

My eyes darted around, observing the ship in front of us. A tall figure stood at the bow—their face was hidden in the darkness, but their eyes shone.

Red eyes.

A dreadful feeling spread inside of me.

A serpentine sound pierced the sky—the sea. So strident, every person on the deck put their hands over their ears to block out the noise. Screams of pain burst around us.

The noise resonated once more as I searched for the source, but with the darkness, it was impossible to see. Then another noise—louder this time, deeper, mingling with wet rumbles. A sound of metal scraping on wood, followed by another. And another.

The clicking was all around the ship, as if the sea itself was bubbling. Leaning over the railing to look at the sea, I moved my body forward and⁠—

Seven Hells.

A gasp escaped my mouth, my heart pulsing in a panic.

On the rampart, a hand—a pale, membranous hand with black claws for nails, curled around the wood, sliding its damp body onto the rampart, and its face…