Crowned (Beholder #4)(44)

With a great splash, we landed in the river. Jicho cheered. “We did it!”

I peeked over the stern of the ship. Sure enough, Caster warriors were taking to the water as well. Flashes of crimson light appeared as the mages among them brought sea monsters and flying beasts to life. The warriors took to their mounts. After that, they all took off after me.

The Caster fighters weren’t the ones I feared, though. Rowan stood at the edge of the water, staring right at me as red smoke curled around his feet. With our mate bond, he could always find me. And Rowan was nothing if not a master at the transport spell.

If I didn’t do something, Rowan would be at my side in a matter of seconds.

I turned to Jicho. “I need to go where Rowan can’t transport beside me.” A mage would know if a spot was too tight, and they would never transport themselves into a wall. Or in this case, a ship. I gestured along the ship’s deck. “Are any of those compartments big enough of for me?”

Jicho pulled open a latch. “Sure, try this one.”

“Good. Once I’m hidden, we need to get out of here quickly.”

Nan grinned. “You just get below deck and let Nan, Jicho, and Mrefu take care of the rest.”

Moving swiftly, I slid into the tiny compartment and snapped the door shut above me head. Nan paced the deck. Although her voice was distant, I could still make out her words as they echoed into my metal chamber. “Crank up that engine. And take the fork to the right.”

“Oh, I can see that in my visions,” said Jicho. “That’s a major waterfall. Perfect.”

I rapped on the metal door above me. “Hey, I heard that. How is a waterfall perfect? Don’t boats usually avoid those things?”

If anyone heard me, they didn’t reply. Instead, I only heard Jicho speaking to Nan and Mrefu. “Over there are some storage compartments big enough for you two. I’ll take this one here.” The boy’s voice sounded far too excited about this for my taste. “No one will follow us past the waterfall. They’ll assume we’re dead.”

“What about Rowan’s magick?” asked Mrefu.

“I can see my brother. The transport isn’t working. He’s casting a Solar Burst now.”

“Can you say that in non-mage talk?” asked Nan.

“It’s an advanced fireball spell,” said Jicho. “He’s trying to melt the metal boat, but he doesn’t know we’re going under water. That fireball will fizzle out the second it touches liquid. Plus, the MAJE can keep us below the river for a short time. Rowan will really think we’re dead then.”

I pounded on the door again. “Jicho, that sounds impossible.” I couldn’t help but notice how the water was getting choppier. My shoulders were slamming against either wall of the hiding space.

We were definitely heading toward a waterfall.

This time, Jicho answered me. “No, it will be fine. I’ve had a vision.” His voice quivered as he said this, though. In the distance, I could hear the roar of sea monsters and the caw of giant birds. The Caster warriors were closing in. A low voice echoed over the river.

It was Rowan.

He was speaking an incantation. I recognized the words—Jicho was right that it was a Solar Burst. What I didn’t have the heart to tell Jicho was that, thanks to our mate bond, Rowan could sense me wherever I went. Sooner or later, he’d figure out that I was alive and know where to find me.

Which wasn’t a good thing.

The boat lurched from side to side. The rapids were gaining speed.

“Get below, fast!” cried Jicho. “The boat’s ready to dive.” A series of slams sounded as Jicho and Mrefu crawled into their hiding spaces.

A soft knock sounded above me. “Elea?”

“Nan? What are you doing? Get below deck.”

“Not until I tell you something. I figure we might not live through this, and so I’ve got to have my say.”

I knew Nan well enough to know there was no talking her out of this. “Go on.”

“In that battle with Viktor, the one where you raised all those Necromancers? Well, you raised me too. Afterwards, I got another Necromancer to cast a spell and hide the marks. I did it so I could escape Petra. She had agents out who were rounding up anyone with the skull imprint. So, that’s why I’m staying with you through this until the end. I owe you my life. And Mrefu owes me his, so you’re stuck with both of us.”

I rested my palm against the door above my head. My eyes brimmed with tears. “Thank you, Nan.”

“Water’s coming over the deck. Must dash.” With that, I heard the fast beat of her footsteps overhead, followed by another slam as Nan slipped inside her own hiding compartment.

“Get ready!” Jicho’s muffled voice sounded from under the metal. “We’re almost there!”

Curling up my body into a ball, I wrapped my arms around my head. Hisses sounded as the vessel sealed the compartment to become water-tight around me. I curled up into a ball, my arms wrapped around my knees. Perfect darkness descended into my small space.

Please, let Jicho be right.

The MAJE tilted on its axis. My stomach seemed to hit the roof of my mouth as we plummeted downward. For a moment, I had the illusion of being weightless. After that, my compartment shook as the boat hit the water. We’d fallen.