Proven (Daughters of the Sea #1) (36 page)

"I need you to climb as fast as you can, Phoebe!" I called up to her. Carmen was now almost to the top and gaining speed.

"I'm trying!" she shouted back at me with frustration. We continued climbing in what felt like slow motion as I fought against the pain radiating through my skull. A wail louder than I'd ever heard echoed from the depths of the ocean and sliced through my entire body, causing me to scream out in pain. I tucked my face into the crook of my arm to muffle any sound, but I was having trouble keeping myself upright. The world tilted and my head exploded as the wailing rained down on me in earnest.

"Stasia!" I heard someone bellow.

"I'm...fine!" I squawked. "Keep moving!"

I was definitely not fine, but I had to work through it. I couldn't allow Selene's actions to incapacitate me further. I had to find a way to block it out or filter it away from me. Nothing I tried helped though, and the pain continued; wave after wave assaulting my essence. My arms began to shake as my muscles strained from the agony and the increasingly difficult task of holding my own weight.

Phoebe was almost to the top of the cliff and I could just see Sebastian's arms held out in anticipation. I concentrated on breathing and not falling, but the wailing only got louder. A fresh echo of pain ricocheted through me and I screamed out in pain again with my forehead pressed against the wall. I could feel my body weakening dramatically and I fought to uncork the vial around my neck. I was able to hold on with one hand and pour several drops down my throat before another gust of wind tossed me to one side. Up above, Sebastian was making his way back down the cliff side toward me with urgency.

"Don't move, Stasia!" he ordered down at me. I held on until my fingers became raw and sweaty, and I felt them slip when he was only a couple of feet from me. My hands suddenly grasped air and I slid to the side, my body scraping against the wall. I reached out with both hands in a last ditch effort and felt one wrap around something solid.

Unfortunately, gravity had another idea and the force of my body falling quickly stripped my fingers from the hold and sent me tumbling downward. The world flew by me as I awaited the pain that would accompany my landing on the rocks below. I remember trying to position myself to avoid broken bones just as something caught me. My head snapped back at the sudden stop and the breath was knocked out of me.

"You should stick to the water, love," my worst nightmare sneered down at me. "Rock climbing really isn't your thing." I felt her arms tighten like a steel trap around my body and my mind reeled. Of all the things that could have happened, this was the absolute worst. My eyes focused on the cliff above where all traces of my Council and Sebastian had disappeared. I could only hope she hadn't seen them yet.

"Where's your ghostly brother?" Nadia peered down at me. "I can smell him on you."

"Screw you," I managed, only making her laugh.

"No!" Sebastian boomed from above, causing Nadia to glance up with excitement. "Speak of the devil." A cloud of her essence shot upward and gripped his body. Suddenly our surroundings were replaced with a flash of light and I felt a strange motion. The cliff and sounds of crashing waves was replaced by silence and a room of glass. She dropped me at least three feet onto the floor and I pressed my hands against the sides of my head. The wailing was so loud I thought I might throw up. Just then, another pain sliced through my head and I screamed out in pain.

I looked over at Sebastian, lying limp several feet away, and tried to reach out to him. Nadia swept an arm around the entire room and I felt the pressure change, but I didn't know what she had just done. I watched her walk up to me before she knelt down and whispered in my ear.

"Big brother's soul is mine now," she sneered. "You're next. Until then, be a good girl and stay in your room."

She kissed my cheek as I wrapped an arm around my stomach in an effort to keep my body together. The pain was unbearable. The wailing was the only thing I could concentrate on, and I barely felt the tip of Nadia's boot as she kicked me in the stomach and disappeared from the room with Sebastian.

O
LIVIA

After drinking all of my elixir, the rest of Blythe's, and half of Vette's, I could finally stand without collapsing into a ball of writhing pain. The searing agony in my palm told me Stasia was in as much pain as I was. The feeling of doom that accompanied the last drop of elixir felt like a door slamming shut on my soul. Our choices had become glaringly narrowed: succeed or die.

The wavering sun dipped below the horizon in the west, taking with it clear skies and calm seas. A storm was building; casting another precarious shade of gray onto our situation. The wind added its own soundtrack as it whirled in and around the ridge. The tall grass we crouched in bent over in waves, allowing me to rest before we descended upon the beach.

The side of the island that we had just scaled sloped upward more gradually than the opposite, rocky side that faced the monolith. It took us longer than I'd hoped, but we successfully made it onto the ridgeline without incident. However, that would be the easiest feat. The ultimate test was coming up next. Not only did I need to camouflage the entire group to ensure we went unnoticed on our way down to the beach below, but there was the small task of simply accessing the beach. I was hoping it would be as simple as stepping down upon the sand or being blocked by an unknown wall, but we wouldn't know until we reached it.

I squeezed my palm closed and scanned the surreal island that stretched out before us. If not for the deadly crux, a circle of chanting witches, and an evil moon Goddess, it would make a fabulous vacation spot. Three figures were visible on the opposite ridge, however, it appeared that the witches were the only ones wreaking havoc on the whirlpool at that moment. They stood silently with their arms outstretched and their faces to the sky. I could see their mouths moving but I couldn't hear a word.

The knowledge that Sebastian would soon be giving us the signal made me scramble to my feet. The stabbing sensation continued to torture my stomach and the debilitating wailing still bounced around in my head, but we had to move.

"Don't even take a step until I say the word," I warned the five Captains, who were gathered around me with focused expressions. The mixture of concentration, elation, and untethered eagerness in their expressions sent my adrenaline flowing. There was no fear in their eyes. No apprehension. Only intent. We definitely made the right choice in bringing them along. "You are all tremendous fighters. Any Paladin would be proud to have you by their side."

I gathered my essence and allowed it to burn within me, culminating in my midsection. I surprised a wild-eyed Blythe by grabbing her hand and she instantly blended in with her surroundings, along with my own body. With only the outline of her body visible, she took Tanis's hand and soon we were all completely invisible to the naked eye. Only someone who knew what they were looking for would be able to spot us. It took a great deal of essence and mental centering to camouflage the entire group, and I wasn't sure how long I could keep it up. We needed to hurry.

"Let's do this." I stepped onto the sloped cliff side with care and took a moment to balance my weight, creating a small avalanche of dirt. I had no idea how difficult it would be to lead a group of Tydes down a cliff while holding hands, but I quickly found out. We painstakingly wove our way downward, everyone having to stop each time someone slipped or lost their balance.

After several arguments, a twisted ankle, and an increasingly intense throbbing in my head, we finally made it to the beach. Still holding Blythe's hand, I hopped down onto the cool sand and gestured for the rest of the group to stop.

"One at a time, guys."

I hadn't gotten the first syllable out before Blythe stuck her leg out and gently placed her foot upon the sand. She met my gaze and we stood completely still, waiting for...something. But nothing happened. The wind continued swirling around us, the witches kept ripping my world apart, and the pain still severed my every thought. Basically a regular weekday in the life of Olivia.

Once it appeared she was safe, Blythe glanced up with a victorious grin and bounded onto the sand next to me. She turned to the person holding her other hand, Tanis. A caramel-skinned foot stepped onto the beach without incident and my hopes soared. It was working!

Trevon was next, followed by Oliver, who bounded onto the beach with confidence, jerking Vette down onto the sand with him. So much for one at a time. I turned and was about to lead us down the beach, parallel to the crux when I heard Tanis's distressed cry. Twisting back around to see what was happening, I felt my world shatter. Oliver, who had been in great spirits only seconds before, was now crouched in pain. I let out a yelp of surprise as he was thrown to the sand by an unseen force.

"Oliver!" Tanis yelled.  My eyes snapped up to the chanting witches closest to our group, but thankfully the sound of the crux outweighed any other sound in the vicinity. Tanis yanked at his hands and Vette tried to pull him up, but he was already unconscious. Without warning, the same unseen force jerked his body away from her and dragged it across the sand and into the mouth of the crux in a matter of seconds. With our chain broken, Vette was standing in plain sight, vulnerable to the entire island. My mind skipped through about five normal reactions and clicked directly into warrior mode.

"Vette, take Tanis's hand! Now!" I shouted at him. With wide eyes, he grabbed her hand as she fought to run toward the crux and the place where Oliver had disappeared.

"Oliver!" she was still yelling. His lifeless body passed right between two witches, who were trying to figure out where it had come from. Their curious eyes glanced back up the beach towards us and I shushed the Captains.

"Stand still!" I demanded in a loud hiss. Vette pulled Tanis into his body, masking her screams. They did as they were told, but the shock of what had just happened was clear on all of their faces. With my hand still in Blythe's, I walked to Vette and took his other hand, creating a full circle and pulling them in close.

"I need you to focus." I met Tanis's tear-filled eyes and could tell she was about to lose it completely. I squeezed Blythe and Vette's hands. I wanted to tell them it was going to be okay. I wanted to tell them Oliver was fine. I wanted to allow them time to cry. I wanted to dive into that God forsaken crux and pull him out myself.  But we didn't have that luxury at the moment because we had a whole host of other issues that were staring us in the face. I commanded their attention and spoke clearly, emphasizing each word. "There will be time to process. Grieve. But now is not that time. Do you understand me?"

Their stunned gazes didn't move as they nodded in agreement. Blythe's features were hard and angry; ready to fight. I felt my essence splinter when the wailing suddenly became louder. My knees became weak and I closed my eyes for a moment, pulling the pain into my body and focusing it on the remaining Captains in order to keep them camouflaged.

"We're going to wait for the signal, we're going to stop the witches, and we're going to get through this. Do you hear me?"

"But what happened to him?" Tanis whimpered, eyeing the raging waves of the crux just beyond where we stood. "Is he just...dead? We have to do somethi-!"

"No!" I commanded sharply. Her expression hardened into a glare and her anger twisted sharply, becoming directed towards me instead. I knew anger would do her more good at that moment than fear or grief. "You will stay true to the plan! You will not put yourself in further danger! Do you understand me?" She didn't answer, but her hateful glare turned somewhat obedient as she broke my gaze; eyes dropping to her feet.

"We're down one, now!" Vette pointed out. "Is four going to be enough?"

"We can do it," Blythe countered forcefully. "I could do it myself if I had to."

"And no martyrs!" I hushed her. She clamped her mouth shut and waited for my next words respectfully. I looked each of them dead in the eye before speaking once more. "We will work together. I'm in this with you. We can do it."