he’d probably drawn blood. He opened his mouth to speak and choked on the empty air, words catching in his throat.
“Relax,” Lakashtai said, placing her right hand over his. Warmth and relief spread through his blood. “You are safe now. Your will is strong, and we are with you.”
“Safe?” hissed Lei, turning on Lakashtai. “You call this
safe?
You said that you could protect us—protect
him
. Is
this
your idea of protection?”
“Ur,” Daine began, but words were still awkward.
Lakashtai released Daine’s hand and turned to fully face Lei. Dazed as he was, Daine was struck by the contrast in their appearance: Lei was fire and gold, red hair and green leather, and he could feel her anger and passion. Lakashtai was cold, stark black and white, night and snow.
“I underestimated Tashana,” Lakashtai said coolly. “She should not have recovered from our battle so swiftly.”
“You
said
you could stop this,” Lei replied.
“I can.” Lakashtai passed her hand over Daine’s left fist, still clenched tight around the crystal shard. He felt the stone grow warmer as her hand drew near. “The channeling stone is a shield. I just need to pour more of my strength into it—to spend more time in meditation. I can build a wall. I just didn’t realize how high it needed to be.”
Struggling, Daine managed to find the strength to raise his fist, touching Lakashtai’s hand. “Thhh … Thank you,” he finally muttered through numb lips.
Lakashtai looked down at him and shook her head. “No, Daine. I have failed: it was your strength that saved this day.”
“Ours,” he said, opening his hand to reveal the sparkling crystal shard.
Lei scowled and looked away. Lakashtai simply nodded.
“Keep the stone close,” she said. “I must stay with you to protect your sleep, but I will do all that I can to ensure that they cannot strike again so long as you are awake.”
Daine nodded, and rubbed his fingertips across the crystal. He turned toward Lei, trying to frame words in his mind. There
had
been a part of him that had wanted to let the world slip away … to stop fighting, to join Jode and the others. It may have been Lakashtai’s stone that drove back the spirit, but it was thoughts of Pierce and Lei that gave him the strength to reach for the stone.
Lei had already left the room.
L ightning shattered the night, and Lei winced as thunder rolled around her. The
Kraken’s Wake
pressed forward through the storm, shuddering with the impact of each mighty wave. As Lei closed the hatch to the lower decks, a gust of wind broke through the invisible wards, almost knocking her down. Nature and magic were at war, and without the spells woven into ship and sail, the
Kraken’s Wake
would be torn apart. The wind howled again, and Lei wondered how long the mystical defenses could hold against the anger of the storm.
The sooner I’m back below, the better, she thought, carefully making her way across the deck.
“I give you greetings, daughter of air.” Thaask’s harsh voice rang out over the wind. The sahuagin was standing by the rail, and he drew a claw across his teeth as he gazed up at the storm-clouds. “He hungers.”
“He?” Lei cried over the wind. She gazed up at the clouds for a moment before she realized. “The Devourer.”
Thaask said nothing. A massive wave rose out of the darkness, and Lei instinctively raised a hand to shield herself. Thaask just watched as the wave shattered against the Lyrandar stormbreaker wards, leaving only a dense mist.
Lei lowered her hand, slightly embarrassed. “I finished the sound-stone,” she said, reaching into her pack and producing the carved sphere.
The sahuagin’s eyes were pale and golden, set far apart onhis wedge-shaped head. He fixed her with one eye and held out a hand.
She pressed the stone into his palm. It was designed to draw music from the mind of the bearer, and as Thaask took the stone Lei heard faint strains over the wind and crashing
“Relax,” Lakashtai said, placing her right hand over his. Warmth and relief spread through his blood. “You are safe now. Your will is strong, and we are with you.”
“Safe?” hissed Lei, turning on Lakashtai. “You call this
safe?
You said that you could protect us—protect
him
. Is
this
your idea of protection?”
“Ur,” Daine began, but words were still awkward.
Lakashtai released Daine’s hand and turned to fully face Lei. Dazed as he was, Daine was struck by the contrast in their appearance: Lei was fire and gold, red hair and green leather, and he could feel her anger and passion. Lakashtai was cold, stark black and white, night and snow.
“I underestimated Tashana,” Lakashtai said coolly. “She should not have recovered from our battle so swiftly.”
“You
said
you could stop this,” Lei replied.
“I can.” Lakashtai passed her hand over Daine’s left fist, still clenched tight around the crystal shard. He felt the stone grow warmer as her hand drew near. “The channeling stone is a shield. I just need to pour more of my strength into it—to spend more time in meditation. I can build a wall. I just didn’t realize how high it needed to be.”
Struggling, Daine managed to find the strength to raise his fist, touching Lakashtai’s hand. “Thhh … Thank you,” he finally muttered through numb lips.
Lakashtai looked down at him and shook her head. “No, Daine. I have failed: it was your strength that saved this day.”
“Ours,” he said, opening his hand to reveal the sparkling crystal shard.
Lei scowled and looked away. Lakashtai simply nodded.
“Keep the stone close,” she said. “I must stay with you to protect your sleep, but I will do all that I can to ensure that they cannot strike again so long as you are awake.”
Daine nodded, and rubbed his fingertips across the crystal. He turned toward Lei, trying to frame words in his mind. There
had
been a part of him that had wanted to let the world slip away … to stop fighting, to join Jode and the others. It may have been Lakashtai’s stone that drove back the spirit, but it was thoughts of Pierce and Lei that gave him the strength to reach for the stone.
Lei had already left the room.
L ightning shattered the night, and Lei winced as thunder rolled around her. The
Kraken’s Wake
pressed forward through the storm, shuddering with the impact of each mighty wave. As Lei closed the hatch to the lower decks, a gust of wind broke through the invisible wards, almost knocking her down. Nature and magic were at war, and without the spells woven into ship and sail, the
Kraken’s Wake
would be torn apart. The wind howled again, and Lei wondered how long the mystical defenses could hold against the anger of the storm.
The sooner I’m back below, the better, she thought, carefully making her way across the deck.
“I give you greetings, daughter of air.” Thaask’s harsh voice rang out over the wind. The sahuagin was standing by the rail, and he drew a claw across his teeth as he gazed up at the storm-clouds. “He hungers.”
“He?” Lei cried over the wind. She gazed up at the clouds for a moment before she realized. “The Devourer.”
Thaask said nothing. A massive wave rose out of the darkness, and Lei instinctively raised a hand to shield herself. Thaask just watched as the wave shattered against the Lyrandar stormbreaker wards, leaving only a dense mist.
Lei lowered her hand, slightly embarrassed. “I finished the sound-stone,” she said, reaching into her pack and producing the carved sphere.
The sahuagin’s eyes were pale and golden, set far apart onhis wedge-shaped head. He fixed her with one eye and held out a hand.
She pressed the stone into his palm. It was designed to draw music from the mind of the bearer, and as Thaask took the stone Lei heard faint strains over the wind and crashing
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