In the Shadows~zayn au~Completed ✅EDITING

~Chapter 96: Ubia and Ill Preparation~

           

Long time, no update, right? My deepest and most sincere apologies for that. No excuses are worthy, but I hope this will keep you sated. Sorry in advance for the cliff-hanger. 😉 FYI, I hit 200,000 words total with this update (that's including some of the future scenes that I've already written) so WOW thank you all for reading this far. You're the absolute best!❤️

Dedicated to maliksgirl723 because she has checked up on me regularly during the sabbatical. All the love, girl, and eternal thanks. ❤️❤️❤️

Special mention to zayn because he just recently got his own account. Welcome, bub! Hope you enjoy this site as much as we do!

I know it's been a while so friendly recap: Zayn is out and about as a messenger, Kalysta and Thomas have been plotting to kill Murdoch with the help of the Velian assassin Varale, and Kalysta just gave birth to Finley in the last chapter. She also sent the note to Murdoch to set up the confrontation for them all. Without further ado... ENJOY

January 29th, 1652 (Two weeks later)

Zayn's POV

Zayn sat at the desk in his cabin, pretending to put notes into his log. Really, he was torturing himself. Her letter sat on the opposite side of the desk, pulling him in and repelling him at once.

"Captain! Oy! You're gonna wanna see this!" Mahir's voice was accompanied by a few raps against the door.

Zayn grumbled, but got up to exit the cabin. "What's the problem?" he asked, shutting the door behind him.

"You said we wouldn't encounter anyone this far out to sea." Mahir led him to portside and held out the telescope. "So what's that one doing farther out than us?"

Zayn put the telescope to his eye and took in the sight. Just over the horizon was a fully-armed, three-masted monstrosity of a ship. "She's coming in closer," Zayn murmured, "give me a moment." He stared until the ship came close enough for the words on the front end of the starboard side to become discernible. Upon reading them, he swore. "Blood of the gods, it's the Eminence.". He couldn't believe his eyes. His father had gotten that old ship sea-worthy once more, a relic of the Five-Year war cutting the waves once again. "Ready the men! Prepare for battle!" He strode up to the top deck and took over the wheel as Shoulo rang the alarm bell.

"Captain!" Mahir exclaimed. "The Eminence? Are you sure?"

"See for yourself." Zayn handed the telescope back. "Notice their men making full sail? They're coming about this way, and I doubt it's for any good reason."

He couldn't believe it. Of all the horrible luck. As if things weren't bad enough in this war. And what was the Eminence doing so far out? It seemed to be returning to Mullingar, skirting the blockade, not leaving. Where was it returning from that had taken it so far out?

He took the telescope from Mahir and got a better look at the movement of the Eminence. She was a glorious ship for sure, but Zayn couldn't admire the fine structure. He was too focused on the battle-equipments. Not only did she have double the number of canons the Partheos carried, her ram-bow would split his beloved ship in two if he didn't maneuver quickly enough. It wasn't difficult to see the protuberance on the bow as the ship crested a wave.

His heart sank. The usual navigation he relied on for beating other ships wouldn't be possible while the Partheos was weighted down with Cheshine wheat and gold. He should have just stayed a messenger ship instead of letting that cursed harbormaster persuade him to carry a load with his missives.