The Bound (Ascension #2)(102)

Cyrene was coughing up lake water as she pushed herself into a sitting position. When her eyes met Matilde and Vera, they were both still seated calmly and serenely. Not a drop of water was on either of them while Cyrene was sure she looked like a fish out of water.

“Very good,” Vera said.

“Adequate,” Matilde said. “But not the worst we’ve ever seen.”

“I’m drenched,” Cyrene groaned.

“That means you were able to access water…even if it seems as if that is not your issue,” Vera said.

“Too much power, if anything,” Matilde agreed.

“We’ll need to start smaller.”

“Much smaller.”

“Are either of you going to clue me in on what’s going on?” Cyrene asked. She was thankful for the warm weather for once because she would have been frozen solid if in Byern.

Matilde shook her head, as if Cyrene’s question was of little import. “Vera will guide us out of here, so we can get to our desired destination before sunrise. Feel your powers, Cyrene, and follow her lead, but don’t try to do anything. Just learn the way she does it.”

The gate rose before them. Cyrene wasn’t sure if that was the result of the guards who were usually stationed overhead or magic, but she didn’t pay any further attention. She just focused on what Vera was doing. She couldn’t actually see the magic Vera was using. And she didn’t entirely know how she was doing it. But there was a sense or a feeling to it. When she concentrated, she could tell what was happening and how much power was being used. If that was common, then she understood why they had freaked out about the amount of magic she had used to get out of the cell Alise and Robard had thrown her in. Moving the boat forward was a millionth of the amount of power she had harnessed to do that.

The journey to Third Harbor was much smoother with Vera leading the way. Soon, they were docked, and despite the fact that Cyrene was still sopping wet, she followed Matilde and Vera off the boat and to a much larger vessel.

Matilde spoke to a man for a few minutes, and Cyrene surveyed him. He was a burly man with a large jagged scar across the right side of his face. He had long hair tied back into a knot at the base of his head with a captain’s hat on his head.

Cyrene’s jaw dropped. “Captain De la Mora?” she asked.

The man raised an eyebrow at her as his eyes crawled over her wet body where the sheer material clung to her. “Do I know you, girl?”

Cyrene crossed her arms over her breasts. “We met in Albion earlier this year.”

“I don’t remember you,” he said dismissively.

Oh, but Cyrene remembered him. She would remember him anywhere. He was the jerk who had refused her, Ahlvie, and Maelia a trip to Eleysia. Captain Lador had agreed to take them out of the harbor, providing their only way out, but he had died. The Braj who had come after Cyrene had killed him. And the new captain, Captain De la Mora, was prejudice against Affiliate and High Order.

“You should,” she said stiffly. “You were leaving the country and refused to let me aboard your ship.”

The Captain narrowed his eyes at her and then frantically looked between Cyrene and the twins. “An Affiliate. Did you know what she was?” he asked Matilde and Vera.

“Yes, we’re quite aware. Now that all of the pleasantries are out of the way, we need to leave straight away.”

“I don’t transport Affiliates,” Captain De la Mora argued.

Matilde shot him a furious look. “You will do just the sort today and every day we need you henceforth.”

She walked onto the boat without a backward glance, and Vera followed her. Cyrene gave him a smile and walked forward, but he roughly grabbed her arm.

“Let me pass!”

“I trust these women with all that I am. That’s the only reason I’m letting you on this ship. But if you try any funny business…”

“You’ll what?” she asked him.

“I’d be happy to throw you overboard and leave you behind,” he spat. Then, he pushed past Cyrene and stormed onto the boat.

Cyrene grumbled under her breath but followed him on board. She hadn’t even done anything, and people everywhere accused her of being corrupt. Her people had such a bad name, and it frightened her. Now that her eyes were open…she wanted to do something about it.

First things first…her magic.

Captain De la Mora made it perfectly clear to the crew that she was to be avoided at all times, and by the time they finally stopped, Cyrene felt sufficiently isolated. Even Matilde and Vera had stayed together below deck, murmuring to themselves. Cyrene had so many questions for them, least of all how they had survived for two thousand years, but they didn’t seem the type to allow questions until they were ready to give answers.

“Be back before sundown, Geof,” Matilde said sharply. She was holding a metal bucket and waved it at him.

“I will. Of course, my lovely Kathrine,” he said as cheerfully as he could muster. “And Mari.”

“You’re a good man,” Vera said. She patted his arm twice and then walked toward the rope ladder that one of the men had thrown down for them.

Cyrene smiled halfheartedly at the Captain, who just glared back at her. Then, she climbed down the ladder and onto a small boat. They arrived at shore on what looked like an isolated volcanic island. It was utter paradise with tropical palm trees, crystal-clear blue water, and pearly-white sand. The mountain loomed high above them, and Cyrene hoped there wasn’t going to be volcanic activity anytime soon. There hadn’t been an eruption in her lifetime, and she hoped to keep it that way.