The Girl Who Belonged to the Sea by Katherine Quinn

Chapter Forty-Five

Bash

The spyglass trembledin Bash’s grip, his clammy hands slicking his hold. “Tell me I’m not seeing this.” Adrian’s heavy breaths sounded in his ears, a wheezing rattle emanating from his chest.

That wasn’t a good sign.

Knots formed in Bash’s stomach as he lowered the spyglass from the Kardias Cave. From where the waves pushed out from the rocks.

Something was emerging. Something large.

“Shit.” Bash tightened his grip on the scope, his breath stilling.

Silvered scales rose from the charcoal waters, the moonlight illuminating a single jagged fin. The swells parted as a beast thrust beyond the cave’s opening, its massive body launching forward to freedom.

“The gates are open.” Bash’s heart crumbled as he spoke the words aloud.

“Look to the Iron Mast, my king,” Adrian urged, trepidation heavy in his voice.

Slowly, Bash turned where his commander instructed.

“Fuck,” Bash hissed, biting his lower lip hard enough to draw blood. “I’m going to kill him.”

Just behind the obsidian figurehead of a soaring hawk was Margrete. He could hardly keep the spyglass steady as he took her in, those wide eyes of hers glinting in the amber light. The captain stood at the railing, his back to his daughter, but she never once took her heated gaze from him.

Bash inhaled sharply through his nose, swallowing down the rage that had him clenching his fists in a promise of what was to come. The blood he would soon spill.

He was about to bark orders at Adrian, alert his men that Margrete was onboard the enemy’s ship, when a head of blonde curls appeared at the end of the lens. The little girl peered up at Margrete, tears streaming down her ruddy cheeks.

That had to be her sister. Birdie.

Why would the captain bring his younger daughter here? Even if he didn’t care for his daughters’ lives, he wouldn’t wish for a child to get in the way of his invasion. It didn’t make sense.

Bash lowered the spyglass.

“He’s got them both. Margrete and her sister,” he told Adrian, who laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. Bash couldn’t look at him, couldn’t handle seeing the look of disappointment that would surely line his eyes.

“Stop,” Adrian commanded. “This isn’t your fault. It is him who is guilty. Not you.” He gave Bash’s shoulder a quick squeeze.

Bash took in a strained breath, but the steadiness of Adrian’s hands wasn’t enough to ease the grief that bled from a wound opened long ago.

“What do we do, sire?” Adrian rarely addressed him in such a way, but Bash wasn’t his friend right now. He was his king.

There were the obvious answers: send his men barreling for the Iron Mast, wipe out all of the mercenaries, or employ the cannons and simply sink the vessel entirely.

But then Margrete and her sister would be caught in the crosshairs, and none of those plans stopped what had been done. The gates were open, and the monsters were slowly creeping their way out of their rocky prison.

Bash could almost feel the ocean shift as the beasts slithered below its surface, as bubbles rose to touch the crests surrounding the Kardias Cave. Only the fiercest of Malum’s children, the lethal sea serpent, dared show itself above.

Without an answer to give his commander, Bash turned to his oldest friend, his hands curled into fists. “Ready the men and prepare the cannons.”

Adrian’s mouth fell open. His eyes darted to the ship Margrete stood aboard.

“But,” Bash emphasized, his eyes hard, “do not fire without my command.”

Adrian solemnly nodded and raced off to alert his men.

As Bash watched the murderous beast glide through the waves, as he considered the Iron Mast within reach, he knew what he had to do.

It likely wouldn’t end well for him.