Sanguine Tides - Book 3

Chapter 26

TW in the description
Thank you to Inkendz for the art!

Eshe POV

They won. Portorosso was theirs. In the last hours of fighting, what little remained of the Visconti members barricaded themselves at the estate in the valley. And it was only a few hours after that they sent out a single man to pass along their surrender. All men were arrested and on a train to Genova, where they would stand trial.

The Visconti empire was gone.

Portorosso was free.

But there was little time to celebrate. There was a town to rebuild, wounded to treat, and dead to bury. When the fighting was over, Eshe directed her Captains to aid in collecting the dead or treating the injured. She gave special instruction regarding the body of Chief Kiril. She wanted to ensure he had a Chiefs funeral. He deserved that much.

A poke at her side stopped her long strides through the battle-torn square.

The Indigenous Queen looked up at her with those too-big eyes.

"Finished?" She asked with her usual clicking.

Eshe nodded.

"Yes. It is over. We won, thanks to you and your support."

The queen nodded her understanding.

"Will take our dead. Contract... over."

Eshe nodded in response. They made an agreement, and both sides held up their part. A true alliance.

"I'll ensure more vials of the cure are sent as soon as possible." Eshe said.

The queen blinked, then did something that surprised Eshe. The queen bent her body, bowing deeply.

"An honor." She hissed.

Eshe bowed back. A Chieftess and a Queen united.

"I hope to continue our alliance in the future."

The queen gave a chirp of agreement.

"Let... the child... choose." She said and, with those parting words, turned in the direction of the ocean and was gone.

Eshe's eyebrows furrowed.

"What child...?" She thought.

Then realization dawned on her.

Misha.

The Queen wasn't taking Misha with her. She was letting the little girl choose where she wanted to be.

Thinking of the black-scaled child made Eshe freeze in her tracks.

Ksenya.

Where was Ksenya?"

Luca said he would take care of her. But Ksenya looked hurt. Badly.

She spun in the direction of the hospital. A Rusal approached her, but she told him to consult a Captain. Her service as a Chieftess was over. Now... she was a partner. A companion to the sky blue female. A lover. And she had to find her.

She burst through the hospital doors. Nurses ran in every direction, all covered in blood. Their were so many wounded that they lined the halls on stretchers. Some had white cloth placed over their faces, having lost the battle with death.

"Hey!" Eshe said, stepping in front of a frantic-looking male nurse. He couldn't have been more than twenty.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, I can't help you right—"

"I don't need help. Just tell me where the light blue Rusalka is. Her human form is blond with grey eyes, fair skin."

"You... you don't need help?" The boy asked.